Los Angeles, CA: A settlement has been reached in a consumer fraud class action lawsuit pending against Hertz Corp, and two Nevada airports brought by plaintiffs who alleged they were unlawfully charged undisclosed fees.
The $53 million settlement received final approval on October 30th, and contains $43.2 million restitution for Hertz customers who were billed for "airport concession recovery fees"at airports in Reno or Las Vegas between October 2003 and September 2009.
Brought by plaintiffs Janet Sobel and Daniel Dugan, the suit alleged that Hertz violated a Nevada Revised Statute that requires car rental firms to include all charges in the rates they advertise in order to make rate comparisons reliable for those looking for the best deal. Specifically, Hertz allegedly tacked on a recovery fee separately from the rate it quoted its customers. The complaint stated that Hertz used that extra fee to pass along to consumers an assessment imposed on the company by the airports, which charge Hertz and other rental car firms a percentage of their gross revenues for the right to operate on site.
