New Hertz policy irks top customers

"I just canceled a reservation with Hertz using points and they tried to charge me a 50 percent penalty.  Apparently it's a new policy. I protested and they gave me a one time courtesy to cancel without penalty. Have you heard of this?  I am sending them a sternly worded email. The rental was six months out," wrote irritated longtime reader J.S.

I've heard of rental car companies charging customers for no shows and last minute cancellations. But taking away 50 percent of a customer's Gold Plus points on a booking canceled six months in advance seemed severe. So I checked the terms and conditions on the Hertz website, and there it was: