Barcelona, Spain to Nice and Cannes, France

Good

The car rental customer service was a Spanish lady who tried to sell me additional insurance. Despite me showing proof that I had already purchased full coverage, she refused to look at it and exaggeratedly claimed, 'What you bought is yours, what I recommend is mine. If you didn't buy it...!' We firmly and repeatedly emphasized that we would not purchase additional insurance. We resolutely said NO! Then she got a bit angry and ignored me. After a standoff, I asked if I could get the car keys. She responded that it wasn't 3 PM yet, which was my scheduled pickup time. So, I stepped back a few steps, waited for a few minutes, and received a pickup note or possibly a contract. She vaguely pointed to the side with her hand. I assumed I had to get the keys from the neighboring window, but the lady at the neighboring window told me to go to the parking lot at the back to get the car! Apart from the unpleasant experience with the insurance upselling, everything else was fine. If I had accepted her insurance offer, the total cost would have reached 600 Euros, which is double the price!

The car rental counter is located in Terminal 2 and is clearly marked. The pickup process was simple and smooth. After completing the paperwork, you go to the parking lot and find the key counter. The process was seamless and the staff were welcoming.

The vehicle was poorly maintained; after driving less than 100 kilometers, an AdBlue warning appeared. Not having driven a diesel before, I didn't know what AdBlue was and almost had a breakdown. Ended up spending money on AdBlue myself, which delayed my trip by nearly an hour.

I clearly stated on my phone that I did not want any additional services, but I was unknowingly charged for insurance. This is outrageous and unacceptable! My friend rented a car from another company, Europcar, and also faced pressure to buy insurance. She asked me to translate her refusal, and although the representative was not pleased, they did not charge her for insurance. Hertz’s behavior is infuriating and disgusting! The female staff member clearly nodded and understood my request for no insurance, but the final bill still included over 300 euros for insurance.