Hertz Bait and switch with no real recourse for equitable solution Philadelphia Nationwide

I reserved a rental car from Hertz online for a trip with my family to Philadelphia.  I used the airport location. The car that I wanted (Chevy Impala) was not available and other cars in that class were not large enough, so I upgraded to an Explorer. I had a discussion with the agent regarding fueling options, and i chose to pre-pay for refueling at $3.65 or so per gallon. After 25 minutes at the counter, we were directed to a numbered space to pick up the car.

It was not there, so we went back to the counter where they proceeded to rent us a different car (Chevy Traverse). I re-signed the electronic acceptance device not thinking the questions and answers for the original agreement (for the Explorer) changed, or that the agent made a mistake by not including the pre-pay option for fuel. By this time we've been there for over an hour and are ready to leave. The agent NEVER reviewed the contract or the options we chose, otherwise I would have noticed the fueling option was incorrect. 

I returned the car with little fuel as that is the option I thought I chose. The check-in agent said since we didn't refuel, and had not chosen the pre-pay option, we were being charged $9.70 per gallon which totaled well over $100. I said there was a miscommunication with the original agent, and we'd take the car to be fueled. They would not let us out of the lot, and refused to hear that a mistake had been made during the original rental process. Their pat answer is that they'll just charge me 1/2 of the $9.50. They never tried to find out why this miscommunication happened, or find a resolution that would not only help me, but others going forward.

My take from this is that this happens often enough that they have pat answers, and solutions that leave the customer feeling that they were in the wrong, when it is evident, the company is at fault. This bait and switch tactic not only yielded them an upgraded rental, but an extra $50 in fuel profits. The two times I have used Hertz have been nothing short of painful experiences,  not because of the cars, but because of their personnel and inflexible policies.