A class action lawsuit settlement has been reached with nine major rental car companies over allegations they improperly charged certain fees to consumers who picked up their rental cars at a California airport in 2007. If you rented a vehicle from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox Rent A Car, Hertz, National or Thrifty for pickup at a California airport during this time period and paid an ACF and/or TCA fee, you may be entitled to benefits under the class action settlement.

The California airport rental car settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit, entitled Shames v. The Hertz Corporation, that alleges the Defendants violated antitrust and other laws by raising rental car prices at California airports by conspiring 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.

The rental car companies deny the allegations but have agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement to avoid the hassle and expense of on ongoing litigation.
Class Members of the California airport car rental class action settlement include people who rented a vehicle directly from corporate-owned locations of Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox Rent A Car, 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 ACF and/or TCA as a separate line item on their invoice to one of those companies.  

As a Class Member, you’re entitled to receive either a cash payment or voucher from each Rental Car Defendant that you rented a car from during the Class Period and paid an ACF and/or TCA fee. Your class action settlement benefit will be based on the total number of days each vehicle was rented. The class action settlement benefit options are:

Cash Payment – You can receive $2 per day ($5 minimum payment) for each covered rental day between January 1, 2007 and November 14, 2007.

1 One-Day Voucher – You can receive one voucher good for free time and mileage for one rental day if the total number of rental days during the Class Period was less than eight.

2 One-Day Vouchers or 1 Two-Day Vouchers – You can receive two vouchers, each good for free time and mileage for one rental day or one voucher good for free time and mileage for two rental days if the total number of rental days during the Class Period was 8 or more days.

In order to get any of the class action settlement benefits, you must submit a claim form either online at www.ACFTCASettlement.com or to the Settlement Administrator postmarked no later than January 25, 2013.

Claim forms and more information on your rights in the California Airport Car Rental Fee Class Action Lawsuit Settlement can be found at www.ACFTCASettlement.com.