Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on Wednesday sent a letter to rental car company Hertz calling for a “better understanding” of how the company is using artificial intelligence to evaluate vehicle damage and charge customers for repairs.
Over the past few months, Hertz customers have reported receiving bills to cover damages flagged by UVeye, a system of AI-powered scanners, that the customers claim do not exist. One renter in Alaska claimed they were billed more than $400 for a minor scuff on the wheel of a car they rented from Hertz, while another customer claimed they were notified that damage was detected on a vehicle they returned in Texas despite there being no visible marks.
Mace, chair of the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation, wrote a letter to Hertz CEO Gil West requesting an explanation of the company’s “experience as an early adopter of AI scanning technology” used to detect dents and scratches for which customers are then billed. Mace notes that Hertz’ use of AI scanners “may impact” its “work as a vendor to the Federal government.”
A spokesperson for Hertz said in a statement last month: “As we work to enhance our fleet safety, quality, and reliability for our customers, this new technology is aimed at proactively managing vehicle maintenance and enhancing vehicle inspections.”
They added that customers are able to dispute damage reports through the Hertz Customer Care department.
Hertz executive vice president Mike Moore said in a statement that “over 97% of vehicles scanned show no billable damage,” and this shows “that the vast majority of rentals are incident-free.”
Moore added, “Through consistent, data-backed assessments and clear documentation, our customers can have complete confidence in the condition of our vehicles both pre- and post-rent.”
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