(KERO) — Hertz settled hundreds of lawsuits from customers who were falsely accused of stealing cars on Tuesday, December 6th. Some paying customers were even arrested at gunpoint.
Hertz blamed a recurring computer glitch for listing some vehicles as "stolen" and incorrectly saying a customer did not pay. The company also blamed the glitch for not properly recording rental extensions.
Jonathan Olivares says he was pulled over after Hertz reported his car as stolen. He could not get in touch with his employer who had set up the rental, so officers charged him with felony auto theft.
"It's something that should have never happened. I had a valid corporate lease agreement or what I thought was," said Olivares. "I was in a cell the size of a bathroom with two other inmates."
Hertz has agreed to pay $168 million, settling 364 pending claims from customers with similar stories.
