A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit against The Hertz Corporation, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc., Avis Budget Group, Inc., Vanguard Car Rental USA, LLC, Enterprise Holdings, Inc., Fox Rent A Car, Inc. and the California Travel and Tourism Commission. The case is pending in the United States District Court, Southern District of California (entitled Shames v. The Hertz Corporation, Class Action Case No. 07cv2174-MMA). The complaint alleged that Defendants violated antitrust and other laws by raising rental car prices at California airports by agreeing with each other to pass on the Airport Concession Fee (ACF) and Tourism Commission Assessment (TCA) to customers for rentals at certain California airport locations, according to the Hertz, Dollar Thrifty, Avis Budget, Vanguard, Enterprise & Fox Rent A Car antitrust class action settlement notice.
Generally, the settlement includes people who rented a vehicle directly from corporate-owned locations of Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox , Hertz, National or Thrifty for pick up at a California airport location from January 1, 2007 through November 14, 2007, and were charged and paid an Airport Concession Fee (ACF) and Tourism Commission Assessment (TCA) as a separate line item on their invoice to one of those companies. The class action settlement provides the option of a cash payment or voucher from the rental car defendant that the class member used.
To get a cash payment or voucher, you must submit an Election of Benefits Form no later than January 25, 2013. The Court will hold a Fairness hearing at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, October 29, 2012, at the United States District Court, Southern District of California, 940 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101-8900. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the antitrust settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate.
For more information about the proposed car rental antitrust class action settlement, call 1-888-758-5690, or click here.
I found you by accident, while searching for the class action lawsuit, filed by employees, against Hertz Rental Car. I am Cathy Kapiloff-Riddle, an ex-employee of Hertz in the DFW, Texas area. On August 30th, I quit Hertz, after over 10 years of employment. I was a distribution driver for 8 years, transferred to a local addition in Arlington, TX, to be a driver only. In the 2 years there, I was ordered to clean cars and drive. Driving customers to and from locations, delivering and picking up cars from various locations, acquiring vehicles from airport and other locations to satisfy reservation needs. Before quitting, I cleaned between 3 to 4 thousand cars, but was refused the title of VSA, vehicle service attendant, which is a benefitted, fulltime job, at a higher rate of pay. I may have had 30-40 full 30minute lunch breaks in over 2 years. Enduring wrongful cut backs in hours, several times, from full time to part time, I gave it my all to provide quality employment. I was told, by HR, to NOT clean any cars yet @ the local edition level I was forced to clean & fuel vehicles. Boss after boss was fired. The cleaning would stop, then start back up. I finally HAD IT when I was griped out for trying to take 15 minutes to eat some food @4:15pm. I came in @ 7:30am. The co-working muslems had lunch, but I couldn’t. One would go home everyday for however long he chose. I quit, telling my boss off. 13 days later, he was fired. I had told him he wouldn’t be there for long. I am 61 years old and had been highly discriminated against in the last year of my employment. I trained new drivers and 1 got promoted to the job I asked for. A male who thought I should have been promoted to the proper title and pay. I am well respected by higher ups throughout the Texas, Oklahoma area. I was the last original employ in the Arlington location. I was told I was a “casual” worker, not entitled to benefits, yet I worked 40+ hours per week for many years. My pay stub classed me as a “non-casual” worker. I had to have life-saving surgery last year. My job was saved after a 30day hospital stay with extensive intestinal/colon surgery. Right back to work cleaning vehicles. I have no spleen, surgical hernias needing repair and could not have lunch breaks. Had I have been titled and paid for the proper job, I could have had better hospital care, with insurance. Instead, I was treated as an indigent and my credit was ruined. I heard Hertz was being sued for the wrongful entitlement of the job description. Can you please tell me who to contact to get in on the class action lawsuit? Can you help me? I was injured on the job by violations of OSHA twice. Medical bills got paid. I got nothing for lost wages. A total of $456 net takehome pay. Intimidated, if I didn’t clean cars someone else would. I left @9.35 hr. They hired new people I trained @8.50 hr. They were scared of losing their jobs if they refused to clean cars, also. The VSA position started @10.50 per hour, plus benefits. The distribution center @ DFW Airport went union for their VSA’S. If you can’t or won’t help me, please find someone who can. They deserve to be brought down, not just for me, but for so many other hard working people. Muslems could pray umpteen times a day and go home for an hour lunch. Americans couldn’t take a 15-30minute lunch break. BS. All I ask is: can you help me/us find out where to get on the band wagon, so to speak? Thank you Sir! Cathy Kapiloff-Riddle. Email: cathyriddle56@gmail.com
Sir/Madam:
Recently Hertz Corp. via Purco, Inc. filed a damage claim and debt collection effort against me for purported damage to a vehicle that I rented in San Diego and dropped off a week later in San Francisco. No damage was incurred on that car during my rental period.The claim arrived by mail 7 months after the rental.The drop off was made at early hours so no one there to check it in. I read a recent NY Times article that this is a growing practice in the car rental industry where by revenue is being generated from unsuspecting customers. I was even a Gold card member. My insurance company likewise confirms that it is a growing industry practice and Hertz and Dollarare particularly aggressive. Is this something of interest to your firm?
Regards,
William