ESTERO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 2026--
Hertz Car Sales today announced the latest strategic expansion of its digital retail presence with eBay, bringing thousands of Hertz Certified, near-new vehicles to one of the world’s largest online automotive marketplaces. Through a dedicated Hertz Car Sales showroom, shoppers on eBay will have access to more than 8,000 vehicle listings, enjoying greater confidence, convenience, and value backed by a trusted brand.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260505145561/en/
Hertz Car Sales offers the largest selection of single-owner, near-new vehicles in the U.S. used retail market, with inventory that is typically one year old or newer and priced, on average, significantly less than buying new. Launching on eBay advances Hertz’s strategy to make retail its primary sales channel and expands access to its near-new inventory on a trusted digital retail platform where many shoppers already search, compare, and research vehicles.
Vehicles, parts, and accessories comprise one of the largest categories on eBay, with millions of listings available every day spanning pre-owned daily drivers to highly modified, purpose-built rides. All Hertz vehicles will be available through eBay’s Secure Purchase which enables a seamless end-to-end transaction experience, including payment, financing, registration, ownership transfer, transport, and up to $100,000 Vehicle Purchase Protection. Now, with the Hertz Car Sales showroom, shoppers can access even more certified inventory that meets their unique needs – from trusted brands like Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, Nissan, and more – and complete their purchase through a single, integrated online experience.
“Building on our strengthened retail channels and existing partnerships, establishing a presence with eBay is a natural next step,” said Chris Berg, Executive Vice President, Global Fleet Management at Hertz. “It gives us access to millions of in-market shoppers on a trusted platform, supports a scalable retail model, reduces our reliance on wholesale channels, and puts our near-new, certified inventory in front of more customers than ever before.”
“eBay has long been the destination of choice for car shoppers seeking value,” said Andreas Wielgoss, GM of Vehicles at eBay US. “With Hertz bringing its inventory to eBay, we’re connecting shoppers with a world-class selection of near-new certified vehicles, all backed by eBay’s Secure Purchase which enables a seamless, end-to-end buying experience online.”
Partnering with eBay is the latest milestone in Hertz’s retail growth strategy, focused on building a scalable sales model through Hertz Car Sales partnerships where today’s car buyers are already shopping. By establishing a presence across reputable third-party marketplaces, Hertz Car Sales creates multiple high-quality entry points into the purchase funnel, increasing retail conversion while expanding the reach of its nationwide inventory.
All vehicles listed on eBay are Hertz Certified, meaning they are carefully selected from Hertz’s fleet and undergo a rigorous 115-point inspection before being offered for sale. Hertz Certified vehicles are routinely maintained throughout their lifecycle and transparently priced, and include added benefits designed to give buyers confidence, including a 12-month/12,000-mile limited warranty and a 7-day buy-back guarantee. Together, Hertz and eBay offer a unique and unparalleled protection for vehicle purchases which takes the guesswork out of finding the right vehicle at the right price when buying online.
For more information, visit: https://www.ebay.com/str/hertzcarsales
About Hertz Car Sales
Hertz Car Sales offers an extensive range of quality pre-owned cars, SUVs, and trucks at competitive prices. With over 46 locations nationwide and a convenient online platform, Hertz Car Sales’ commitment to quality, transparency, and customer satisfaction means no hidden fees, detailed vehicle histories and straightforward pricing. Vehicles undergo comprehensive inspections and maintenance, ensuring customers purchase reliable vehicles they can trust. Learn more at hertzcarsales.com.
About eBay
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2025, eBay enabled nearly $80 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
Hertz Car Sales Continues Retail Expansion with Digital Showroom on eBay
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican said the “need to work tirelessly in favor of peace” was discussed in talks Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who came to Rome on a fence-mending visit after President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.
During Rubio’s meeting with Leo, and the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed,” the Vatican said.
In a statement, the Vatican said the two sides then exchanged views on current events “with particular attention to countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as on the need to work tirelessly in favor of peace.”
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a fence-mending visit to the Vatican on Thursday to underscore strong bilateral ties, after U.S. President Donald Trump’s broadsides against Pope Leo XIV for his opposition to the Iran war angered the Holy See and sparked ongoing sparring between them.
The U.S. State Department said that the meetings with Leo and the Vatican’s top diplomat covered peace in the Middle East and “underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See,” and reflected the “enduring partnership” between them.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, had an audience first with Leo, which was complicated at the last minute by Trump’s latest criticism of the Chicago-born pope. Leo has pushed back, calling out Trump’s misrepresentations of his views on Iran and nuclear weapons, and insisting that he’s merely preaching the biblical message of peace.
During a 2½-hour visit, Rubio then met with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who on the eve of his visit had strongly defended Leo and criticized Trump’s attacks in understated diplomatic terms.
“Attacking him like that or criticizing what he does seems a bit strange to me, to say the least,” Parolin said Wednesday.
After the meetings, the U.S. State Department said that Rubio and Parolin discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East. The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom.”
In a separate statement about the audience with Leo, U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that the two discussed the situation in the Middle East “and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere. The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.
The Vatican didn't immediately comment on the audiences.
Rubio also has meetings Friday with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Those meetings might not be much easier for Washington's top diplomat, given both have strongly defended Leo against Trump’s attacks and have criticized the Iran war as illegal — drawing the president's ire.
Rubio insisted this week that the visit had been in the works for a while, but that “obviously we had some stuff that happened.”
The tensions began when Trump lashed out at Leo on social media last month, saying the pope was soft on crime and terrorism for comments about the administration’s immigration policies and deportations as well as the Iran war. Leo then said that God doesn’t listen to the prayers of those who wage war.
Later, Trump posted a social media image appearing to liken himself to Jesus Christ, which was deleted after a backlash. He has refused to apologize to Leo and has sought to explain away the post by saying that he thought the image was a representation of him as a doctor.
Rubio said that Trump’s recent criticisms of Leo were rooted in his opposition to Iran potentially obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he said could be used against millions of Catholics and other Christians.
Leo has never said Iran should obtain nuclear weapons and that the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.”
“The mission of the church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let him do it with the truth,” Leo said late Tuesday, after Trump again accused him of being “OK” with Iran having a nuclear weapon.
By Thursday, tensions seemed to have eased.
In the exchange of gifts at the Vatican, Rubio presented Leo with a small crystal football paperweight. He acknowledged Leo’s known allegiance to the Chicago White Sox, saying “you’re a baseball guy, but it has the seal of the State Department,” on it.
“What to get someone who has everything?” he joked as he picked the paperweight up.
Leo, for his part, gave Rubio a pen apparently made of olive wood — “olive being of course the plant of peace,” Leo said — with his coat of arms on it and a picture book of Vatican artworks.
Rubio has often been called on to tone down or explain Trump’s harsh rhetoric. Trump also has criticized Meloni and other NATO allies for a lack of support for the Iran war, recently announcing plans to withdraw thousands of American troops from Germany in the coming months.
Giampiero Gramaglia, former head of the ANSA news agency and its onetime Washington correspondent, said that he didn’t expect much to come out of Rubio's visit for Italian or Vatican relations. He, and other Italian commentators, believe Rubio instead was looking to smooth over relations with the pope for his own political ambitions, as well as the upcoming midterm U.S. congressional elections and 2028 presidential race.
“I doubt Rubio has the role of conciliator for Trump,” he told Italy's Foreign Press Association. “I have the perception that Rubio’s mission is more about himself” and his political ambitions as a prominent Catholic Republican.
The Rev. Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture office, said that Rubio’s mission wasn’t to “convert” the pope to Trump’s side. Rather, Washington “has come to acknowledge — implicitly but legibly — that (Leo’s) voice carries weight in the world that cannot simply be dismissed.”
“The situation created by President Trump’s remarks required a high-level, direct intervention, conducted in the proper language of diplomacy: a semantic corrective to a narrative of frontal conflict with the church,” he wrote in an essay this week.
Rubio said that topics other than the Iran war were on the agenda for the Vatican visit, including Cuba. The Holy See is particularly concerned about the Trump administration’s threats of potential military action there following its January ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has said frequently that Cuba could be “next,” and even suggested that once the Iran war is over, naval assets deployed in the Middle East could return to the United States by way of Cuba.
Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants and a longtime Cuba hawk.
“We gave Cuba $6 million of humanitarian aid, but obviously they won’t let us distribute it," Rubio said. “We distributed it through the church. We’d like to do more.”
Matthew Lee, the AP's diplomatic writer, reported from Washington.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is greeted by a Vatican official as he arrives at the St. Damasus courtyard to meet with Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is greeted by Archbishop Petar Rajič, the new Prefect of the Papal Householdas as he arrives at the St. Damasus courtyard to meet with Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio leaves the St. Damasus courtyard after meeting with Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio leaves the St. Damasus courtyard after meeting with Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
In this handout photo provided by Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV exchanges gifts with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, as they meet in the pope's private library at the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Vatican Media via AP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Wife Jeannette arrive at Rome's Ciampino airport for a two-day visit to Italy and the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch upon hi arrival at Rome's Ciampino airport for a two-day visit to Italy and the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the swearing in ceremony for 28 new Pontifical Swiss Guards in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio leaves the room after speaking to the media in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
