Wednesday, March 16, 2005 | 9:11 a.m.
The Hertz Corp., which last month withdrew a planned $2.50 booking fee after customers protested, has quietly embarked on another revenue-raising experiment by slashing its grace period for late vehicles in Europe and other international locations to 29 minutes from 59 minutes. Hertz, a unit of the Ford Motor Co., also has formalized a new currency exchange fee for some overseas customers.
The new policy on returns, which goes into effect on April 4, is aimed at achieving "greater fleet flexibility and availability," according to a Hertz spokesman, Paula Stifter. It means that if customers show up more than 29 minutes late, they will be charged for another rental day. The changes affect travelers renting cars in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
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