Hertz is making another big push into online used car sales, this time teaming up with eBay to launch a dedicated digital showroom featuring more than 8,000 vehicles from the company’s rental fleet. Every used car operation is trying to reinvent the wheel, and this is just a new wrinkle. They have a lot of inventory listed at eBay, but the cars aren’t for bid like you typically think of with eBay. The listings there are no different than Autotrader, cars.com, etc. Same stuff, picture of car, description of it, price. To this whole story, I say: So what?
According to Hertz, the online showroom features “Hertz Certified” vehicles (certainly not to be confused with Factory Certified) that are generally one year old or newer and have remained within the Hertz fleet since new. The inventory includes a wide range of brands and models, including Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan, Jeep, and Hyundai vehicles. Part of being “Hertz Certified” is a 12-month/12,000 mile warranty. No kidding! Every car I see on the Hertz/eBay site is under the factory warranty from the manufacturer already. Another so what?
The partnership gives Hertz exposure to millions of shoppers already browsing vehicles on eBay while allowing customers to complete nearly the entire transaction process online. Through eBay’s Secure Purchase system, buyers can arrange financing, registration, payment, ownership transfer, and transportation. The platform also includes up to $100,000 in vehicle purchase protection, according to eBay.
Chris Berg, executive vice president of global fleet management at Hertz, said the partnership is part of the company’s continuing strategy to expand retail sales and give customers more ways to shop online.
Hertz has steadily expanded its digital retail presence over the past year. In late 2025, the company partnered with Amazon Autos and also launched its own online vehicle shopping platform as it works to increase direct-to-consumer sales. A seasoned automotive veteran might conclude that the Amazon thing didn’t work out so well, or they wouldn’t be doing the same thing with eBay. In fact, one brilliant automotive journalist said in August of 2025 that the deal with Amazon was “a big nothing burger.”
➡️ Read: Ho Hum- Hertz Teams Up With Amazon to Sell Cars →
Industry analysts have noted that rental car companies can often generate more revenue by selling vehicles directly to consumers instead of sending them through wholesale auctions, although results can vary depending on vehicle values and market conditions. Shocking declaration there! Translated: Hertz figured out that retail buyers will pay more than car dealers.
The company’s retail operation now includes dozens of Hertz Car Sales locations across the country along with programs like Rent2Buy, which allows shoppers to drive a rental vehicle for several days before deciding whether to purchase it.
For consumers, former rental vehicles have long carried a mixed reputation. Supporters point out that rental companies typically maintain vehicles on strict service schedules and cycle them out of fleets relatively quickly. Critics sometimes question how hard the vehicles may have been driven during their rental life. I question if Hertz discloses prior body damage that they repaired internally and that does not show up on a history report. And I think if we are all honest with ourselves, we drive a rental car a little harder than we drive our own cars.
Still, Hertz clearly sees continued growth potential in online used vehicle sales as more consumers become comfortable handling major purchases digitally instead of visiting a traditional dealership lot.
I did an interview with my radio affiliate, KTRH in Houston last week the day Hertz and eBay made the announcement. I questioned whether it was a really slow news day for them. Hertz found another place to put their inventory for sale online-not what I’d call breaking news by any stretch of the imagination.
File Photo: Hertz.