Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue Introduce
Welcome to our detailed guide on the Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue location, a key spot for car hire in the greater Boston and Middlesex County area. For residents of Massachusetts, having access to reliable, local, and flexible transportation is essential, whether you're planning a weekend getaway to the Cape, needing a temporary vehicle while yours is in the shop, or hosting out-of-town guests. This specific Hertz branch provides a neighborhood option right in the heart of Somerville.
As a well-established and internationally recognized brand, Hertz at Somerville Avenue offers the backing of a large corporation paired with a community-focused location. However, as with any local business, experiences can vary. We aim to provide a factual overview of what local users can expect, combining publicly available details with aggregated customer feedback to give you a complete picture.
It is important to note that this location has generated a variety of customer experiences. Some customers consistently praise the friendly, courteous, and helpful nature of the staff, including the manager, Doug, highlighting their willingness to go out of their way to correct issues like car unavailability. Other reviews, however, point to recurring problems with car availability, even with a reservation, and some instances of less-than-ideal customer service interactions, suggesting potential inventory management challenges for this dense urban location. Understanding these mixed experiences is key to planning your rental successfully.
The Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue branch is conveniently situated to serve residents and visitors of Somerville, Cambridge, and surrounding communities. Its address places it directly on a major thoroughfare, making it relatively easy to locate via GPS and accessible from different parts of the region.
Contact Information:
- Address: 646 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA 02143, USA
- Phone: (617) 625-7958 / Mobile Phone: +1 617-625-7958
For local Massachusetts users, this Somerville Avenue location offers an alternative to the often more hectic airport or downtown Boston rental centers, potentially simplifying the pick-up and drop-off process for those relying on local transportation or ride-sharing services. It is a true neighborhood car rental office (HLE - Hertz Local Edition), which means it caters to the day-to-day needs of the community rather than primarily to air travelers, although its hours and smaller operation may require more careful planning than a 24/7 airport hub.
The Somerville Avenue Hertz branch, as part of the broader Hertz network, offers a variety of services designed to meet different travel and mobility needs.
- Vehicle Selection: A diverse fleet is generally available, often including Economy, Compact (like a Ford Focus or Mazda 3), Midsize/Fullsize Sedans (like a Chevrolet Malibu), SUVs (like a Chevrolet Equinox or Jeep Wrangler), and occasionally specialty vehicles. The 'Manager's Special' is frequently noted as a popular and often affordable category, where the car type is based on availability.
- Optional Protection Plans: Customers can add various protection products for peace of mind, such as Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS), Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), and Personal Effects Coverage (PEC), subject to terms and conditions.
- Rental Add-ons: Essential extras are typically available, including child safety seats (infant, child, or booster) and potentially GPS navigation systems (such as Hertz NeverLost®).
- Membership Programs: Customers can utilize benefits from programs like Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, which can offer perks like earning points for free upgrades or rental days, and the option to skip the counter in some cases.
- Specialized Rentals: The wider Hertz system supports rentals for Uber drivers, electric vehicles (EVs), and even Box Trucks or Cargo Vans (though local availability should always be confirmed directly with the Somerville Avenue office).
Choosing a local rental agency often comes down to the mix of convenience, pricing, and service quality. Here are some notable features and potential highlights associated with the Somerville Avenue location:
- Neighborhood Convenience: For Somerville, Cambridge, and Medford residents, the location offers exceptional ease of access, avoiding the need to travel to Logan Airport (BOS) or downtown Boston for a rental.
- Local Staff Dedication: Based on numerous positive customer accounts, the staff, including the manager, often demonstrate a strong commitment to good customer service, exhibiting friendliness, courtesy, and a proactive approach to resolving issues when cars are unexpectedly unavailable.
- Potential for Value: Like many local HLE locations, this branch frequently offers the 'Manager's Special,' a car class often associated with some of the best daily rates for budget-conscious travelers in the area.
- AAA Member Benefits: AAA members can often secure valuable discounts through Hertz, which may include savings on base rates, a free additional qualified driver, reduced fees on GPS rental, and sometimes a free use of a child seat, making it a compelling option for Massachusetts AAA members.
- One-Way Rental Flexibility (System-wide): As part of the national Hertz network, the office typically allows for one-way rentals, meaning you could potentially pick up in Somerville and drop off at a different location within Massachusetts or another state, though this must be confirmed during the booking process.
Why should a Massachusetts resident choose Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue over a different option? The primary reasons center on the convenience of a hyper-local office and the potential for exceptional personal service.
For those living in Somerville or the surrounding busy urban core, driving to the airport or a larger, often industrial-park-based rental location can be a time-consuming hassle. The Somerville Avenue office is physically closer and more integrated into the neighborhood's public transit and community fabric. This proximity can save significant travel time and cost on ride-shares to and from the rental site. Furthermore, the numerous accounts of a dedicated and friendly staff, like the one customer who stated, "I am always pleased with the customer service. To a person, they are friendly, courteous, and helpful," suggest that when things go smoothly, the experience is highly professional and pleasant. This local, personal touch is a major draw that can make a rental less transactional and more supportive.
However, potential customers must choose this location with an awareness of its constraints, which are common for local urban branches. The most frequently mentioned issue is the repeated unavailability of reserved vehicles, a consequence often attributed to the location's high demand in a densely populated area combined with a small parking lot and limited physical inventory. This can lead to frustration, unexpected delays, or not receiving the car class you booked. Customers who choose to rent here should adopt a strategy to mitigate this risk, such as arriving early for their reservation, being prepared to potentially wait for a car return, and maintaining flexibility with their vehicle class (e.g., accepting an SUV when a sedan was booked).
In short, this Hertz location is worth choosing for the local convenience and the demonstrated capability of its customer-focused staff to manage the rental process professionally and to rectify issues—provided you are willing to manage the inherent risk of vehicle availability common to popular, smaller city locations. It is highly recommended to call the office directly before your pickup time to reconfirm the reservation and vehicle status, especially during peak travel periods, thereby leveraging the excellent communication skills often praised by satisfied customers.
Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue Photos










Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue Location
Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue
646 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA 02143, USA
Hertz Car Rental - Somerville - Somerville Avenue Reviews
I rent a car here at least a couple times/year - including just this past week - and I am always pleased with the customer service. To a person, they are friendly, courteous, and helpful, including the manager, Doug. If there ever is a car availability issue - and there has been - it is NOT the fault of the staff. It is usually a function of customers not returning cars on time, or some other mix-up with the Hertz home office. And if/when confronted with a situation, the staff goes out of their way to correct it and make things right.
October 01 · Sara OaklanderWe had a horrible experience with this particular location of Hertz. We rented several times (10+) from Hertz (Downtown Boston and Cambridge) without any issues, but this location was something else.Date 10/04/251. Noticing the bad reviews about this place (regarding repeated unavailability of cars everyday) we arrived early at 8:20 AM and the pickup time was 9 AM. We saw that at least one person returned a car and put the keys in the dropbox. There were 2 more cars parked before we got there.2. An employee opened the office at 9 AM. We entered (with several other customers) the office and were told that there is no car available. We can either wait (indefinite waiting time) or cancel the reservation. At this point no other car companies were accepting reservations.3. When we told the employee that we saw at least one car is returned and the key is inside the dropbox. He seemed really annoyed with that suggestion and (rudely) told that he also saw the car but the key to open the dropbox is not there. We asked for the manager but he told the manager will not be here today!4. Everybody wrote their names and contacts on a paper. We were told that some cars are supposed to be back but not here yet.5. After some time an SUV was returned and we got it as we were first in the line. But I booked a sedan and they did not even give a free upgrade because of their unavailability! At that point it was too late to argue so I took it and paid whatever extra. The car was not cleaned as it was just returned.In short: Please do not rent from this particular location of Hertz. Something is really really wrong with this place. Never going for this place again, better to cancel the trip if there is no cars in other locations.
October 06 · Sayantan MondalArrived with 15 other parties waiting for their car. The employee was nice but overwhelmed - no cars available at store opening with more than 30 reservations on a Saturday. The manager was not present, the key return box apparently had a few keys but the lock was broken so no chance. Customers started to pick the lock and call locksmiths, I called several branches around Boston to send cars our ways, many people were fighting over phone with unhelpful telecenter operators - this was unbelievable. After hours and hours of waiting 15 minutes before the branch closed and all our reservations would’ve been cancelled, I finally got a car - not the one I requested, not cleaned or inspected but who cares at this point. This was unacceptable.
October 06 · Berfin Si had a great experience with Someville Hertz car rental from Aug 29 to Sep 2 and would like to commend their team for the excellent customer service provided throughout my rental. In particular, I would like to highlight Ms. Wason, for her courteous attitude and efficiency made a real difference, and she handled everything with genuine care and professionalism.
September 09 · Shay LengI had a reservation for a car and when I arrived at the specified time I was told that not only did they not have a similar type of vehicle that I reserved they said they had no other cars available as a replacement. There were vague statements about a manager not being present and they would not call the other local Hertz locations to try to help secure a vehicle. My reservation was in the system, but no one bothered to tell me that they could not honor the reservation ahead of pick-up time (the reservation was made months ago) They were not helpful or honest, the only vehicle they said they had was an Escalade, but that it would “be a lot of extra money because it’s a luxury vehicle” and wanted to know what we would be willing to pay. Very unprofessional and frustrating, do not book through Hertz, there is no guarantee there will be a car.
October 10 · Nina Golec Scoville
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