Fantastic and fast service at pickup. Clean car. The shuttle is quite a bit of a wait at 430am.

As Avis won the "cheapest on Costco Travel" contest, I was back at DSM to pick up my car and head off to Downtown Iowa City and onward to Iowa City. As I saw the huge line at the Counter (of which no other car rental places had), it was definitely a "Groundhog Day" moment, including snotty "we don't really give a shit" counter service. Once at the counter, they asked me to take a seat as they had no cars left to rent. That brought back a clear memory from the old Seinfeld Episode: The Car Reservation: "You see, you know how to *take* the reservation, you just don't know how to *hold* the reservation." That was confirmed again when a guy on the Avis Customer Service line (that I called to escalate) reminded me of contract language implying that they were under no obligation to rent me a car if they ran out and that I was basically screwed. The same guy then suggested that I drive around (with what?) metro Des Moines to see if they had any cars. I took that idea to the front desk who indicated that those offices were out of cars too! The front desk did eventually offer me a pickup truck, one of those huge GMC models that can't fit in most parking spots or driveways. I got into this tank and immediately went back in and returned the keys. My only option at that point was to wait for maybe 45 minutes until a return came in. On the positive side, the Mazda rental was a decent car to drive and the guy checking me in at the Return lot was pleasant to deal with. I do have my gasoline station receipt handy, just in case Avis tries to pull a repeat "you didn't gas up and we're going to charge you a lot for it" trick. If you look at my Yelp profile, my 1 Star Reviews are far and few between, and are usually reserved for the "worst of the worst". Congratulations Avis and it appears that at least a few other reviews on this page agree. Lesson Learned: Stick with Alamo/Enterprise at DSM. read more

Avis is great! This isn't about them. I'm not sure how to review what DSM has done. It used to be a favorite airport, due to the convenience of renting a car, getting luggage across from car rental, going out the door right there, getting in the car and leaving, so fast and hassle free. Now, they've made it all a hassle and so inconvenient! We landed after a 2 hour delay from Az., looking forward to getting out quickly. What we saw was the complete opposite. They've added a 1/2 hour to an already long day. Now you must get luggage, haul it outside in unbearable heat (or cold in winter) wait for a shuttle, ( they say every 5 minutes but that's a lie) haul our luggage off, stand in line for rental etc.. Horrible experience. Returning the car is almost as bad because the shuttle is not every 5 minutes and it's over a 10 minute drive to the main terminal. They took a good experience and made it all inconvenient and a hassle. Now we have to get to the airport even earlier. This "improvement " was definitely not an improvement! Please forward this to someone at DSM. They made an epic mistake to greatly inconvenience travelers. Overall a horrible experience I don't want to repeat. read more

I rented a car from Payless Car Rental (owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc.) on June 27, 2023, and due to extenuating circumstances had to return the car earlier than planned. At the time, customer service said they could not offer a partial refund, but they created a case ID for me to grant a credit toward a future rental. I kept the original invoice and case number until I needed it. When I spoke to customer service recently to redeem this credit worth between $200 and $300, the agent was unable to find any of my information. She was not able to locate me through my case ID, phone number, drivers license number, rental agreement number, reservation number, or zip code. She stated that nothing came up in the database. The agent provided me with an email address for corporate customer service so I could send a copy of my invoice to provide any additional clarity or information needed. Through email, a new representative told me that records are eliminated every six months, so they could not validate my claim. I expressed my disappointment since no one had previously mentioned a time limit on this credit, and I asked if I could at least receive a discount code. This too was denied. I am astounded by the lack of record keeping and customer service, and I will never rent from any of the Avis Budget Group Inc. companies again. read more

Rude, unprofessional staff and filthy vehicles. save yourself the disappointment and rent elsewhere.

1.5 hr wait after a long day of traveling. Arrived at the counter at 9pm and got the car at 10:30pm. These guys suck. Horrible management, avoid read more

I'm a pretty patient, amicable traveler, even when things go wrong. I try my best to go with the flow when it comes to varying levels of customer service across the country, but OMFG this experience was Avis was the worst of my entire life. Not an exaggeration. Everyone here should be fired for incompetence. I landed at DSM airport and made it to baggage claim (next to the car rental area) in record time, but that didn't count for anything. First of all, there was no line to determine who was next at the counter. Budget and Avis were combined, and the rude staff rolled their eyes at any need for clarification by a customer. I was there for almost an HOUR. There were three agents behind the counter, all of whom were useless. Even though I had my reservation number, the agent kept declining to see it, complained she couldn't find me in the system, then asked ME to help by looking at her screen. She took several breaks to help her colleague who couldn't care less about being there. The man next to me started yelling and cursing so my agent dropped everything to calm him down. Seriously? Then she GAVE ME THE WRONG KEY TO THE CAR I WAS ASSIGNED. I walked all the way to the lot and back (with both of my suitcases) and there was STILL confusion about the car I should actually get. My agent decided to leave me at the counter completely and hand me off to her colleague, having the audacity to tell me, "I hope you come back, I'm so sorry." What is actually happening here? Just when I thought the nightmare was over, Avis calls me the next day to confirm the car that I have. NO. Even writing this review is emotionally activating because I've NEVER experienced such awful service by careless, moronic human beings. read more

Charged me $9.99 fuel surcharge for 1 gallon of fuel they claim the car was short. I returned the car with a full tank of gas and have the pictures I take every time I return a car. Their address is 5800 Fleur Dr, the gas station I used is literally outside the airport at 4701 Fleur Dr. How does that translate to 1 gallon of fuel being used. And they charged me exactly for 1 gallon, how convenient. Some of these places do that because they feel they can get away with it and there's no resources for you to take. You call Avis and they tell you that you have to deal with the location that you rented it from. No help at all. read more

I'd give a zero if I could, we booked a car for pick up at the airport after our flight with no issue, when we arrived at the counter it was a 45 minute wait to get the the person just to give our name and be told to go sit and wait, another 30 minutes later we get called and go up and are told that they need a major credit card (my card is a Mastercard debit/credit) and they refused to run iy saying the whole airport only accepts credit cards not debit, so we prepaid on the Avis website which says they only accept credit cards not debit, they had no issue taking the money plus deposit but when I went to get the card I was told they wouldnt accept my card, I pulled up both airport and Avis payment policy and she had her manager come up and tell me they don't take debit, I explained that it runs as credit since its a Mastercard debit/credit and was told oh well. Felecia was incredibly rude, unhelpful both days and snotty. Will not ever use Avis rental read more

Iowa location. If you choose Avis be ready for hidden fees and their employees not doing there job when you return the car. Do yourself a favor and choose any other company. Was charged a gas fee after returning the car full and nobody when you call knows what they're doing either read more

Samantha was amazing. My flight showed up 3 hours late, and after Avis closed. Samantha was still there past hours, and after her shift, literally just to give me the keys to my car. Above and beyond good customer service by Samantha. read more

Do not rent or return here. Horrible service. Was treated so disrespectfully by the employee outside when returning my car that I had to just walk away. As I walked inside she screamed after me that she could show me how rude she could get and that she was charging me for gas. Went inside to speak to a manager but there was nobody at the desk. Waited 5 minutes for someone to show up and when he did he said there was nothing the could do and that a manager would call me tomorrow. It is now 3pm the next day and I have not received a call and just got my receipt that DOES in face include a $62 gas fee. I will be disputing this charge with my credit card company. PLEASE do not rent from here. There are so many ENTERPRISE rentals around town that treat customers with respect it is just not worth putting yourself through the experience of renting here. Worst most disrespectful car rental experience I've had in over 10 years of renting cars. read more

I will start by saying that the people at the counter are very nice. I rented a car to drive from IA to TX with my 2 children and dog for spring break. As we drove south and it got warmer, it was clear that the AC was only blowing hot air. When we arrived at my parents ranch I submitted a claim and was told to drive the car 3 hours to the nearest Avis branch and they would exchange it!? Because we only had 6 days at the ranch I decided that giving up 6hrs round trip to exchange a car was silly so we parked the car and used my parents until we drove back to IA later that week. When I called to let them know the woman on the phone was very nice and offered half of the rental ($280) back only to do absolutely nothing. I received no reimbursement and found 2 ADDITIONAL CHARGES on my credit card! I just called and the SUPERVISOR is just super sorry but can only offer $111 back due to policy! Never Again Avis! read more

Literally the worst Avis in the country. Every time I rent here it's a debacle. This time, I land at 11:30pm along with 1-2 other planes at the same time. Get to the counter and there is 1 person working vs. 15 parties lined up trying to get cars. They are so obsolete that everything is done on paper and they don't even have an Avis preferred board. Every transaction is 10-15 minutes long. Even though in the Avis app I already have a car assigned, I still have to wait in a 30 minute line so I can say my name, give my credit card and ID, and sign papers from a 1980's dot matrix printer. I mean how hard is it to realize that you have 15 rentals picking up at 11:30pm, and staff more than one person working the counter?! Or get caught up with the last 30 years of Avis Preferred - have a board so people can "go straight to your car" as promised. Absolutely the worst Avis in the country. read more

Avis Car Rental - Line from the 1980's - Car Rental Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I've rented a lot of cars in my day, and the Avis Rent A Car is BY FAR THE WORST customer experience I've ever had. My wife and were traveling from Phoenix to Des Moines, IA for my daughter's high school graduation and we prepaid for a rental car about 5 weeks ago to ensure we'd have one. We get to the counter and the cranky, middle-aged manager told my wife that she'd have to run her card for another $250 "for incidentals" and "if we didn't return the car". You're going to hold my card for $250 and I have keys to your car worth several thousand??? Now mind you, she never said that to the white customers who rode the same plane as us (we all checked stories outside in the parking lot and were stunned). I was pissed and walked away. When my wife presented a card for the "deposit", the manager said, "I'll bet he's gonna be REAL mad, 'cuz the car needs to be in the same name as the person renting (she thought it was mine) but we anticipated some shady stuff so I had transferred the money to her card in advance. Bottom line, we will NEVER frequent Avis Rent a Car ever again and I will be more than vocal about shining a bright light on this poor example of customer service to anybody who cares to ask for my opinion....or reads this Yelp review and the other ones to follow. read more

Great pricing through the USAA website! We booked our rental online through Avis linked with USAA. It is awesome to be members of USAA. We arrived at Des Moines Airport and went to the Avis counter. There was no line. The representatives were nice. They asked if we wanted to upgrade from Compact to Midsized. "Is there an additional charge?" "Yes." "No, thank you. We will stick with the Compact." "Oh, we don't have any Compact cars in the lot. So, you will get a Midsized car." We didn't complain and happily drove off with a Toyota Corolla. Return was convenient. This time, the Avis line was super busy, but we saw that there was a key and contract drop off box. We dropped the items and took off smiling! read more

I rented a car from Payless Car Rental at the DSM International Airport, which to my understanding is housed under the Avis Car Rental Group. I had some difficulty identifying the Payless Car Rental counter, due to the low positioning of the sign and the employees unintentionally blocking it. I spent about five minutes looking for the counter before calling the customer service number, only to have it ring repeatedly and not be answered. When I finally noticed the sign, the line had gotten super long. Budget, Avis, and Payless are all at the same counter, and this resulted in a 45 minute wait to pick up and return the rental car. The lady that helped me was super nice and had wonderful customer service, but for an airport, the service was painstakingly slow. She took the time to ask what brought me to Iowa. She also explained in great detail where to locate my rental. The rental process at this airport is a bit different than what I am used to. I was handed the keys at the car counter and then told the row letter and space number. I am used to having the car inspected for damages before pulling out, but that didn't happen in this particular rental experience. The car had quite a few scratches on the exterior, and the interior wasn't very clean. I ran into issues returning my car because I opted to pay with my debit card instead of using my credit card. This meant physically going to back to the same counter and waiting in the same long line. I eventually got the attention of an Avis employee who was walking by the line and explained that I had a few minutes left until boarding for my flight. I still needed to go through TSA at this point, so you can only imagine the anxiety! The employee was pretty understanding and helped process the payment via debit card. Thanks to this kind employee and a speedy TSA process, I managed to make it to my gate only two minutes after boarding started. I would seriously recommend that Avis look into opening the second counter to help alleviate the long waiting times for travelers. read more

This is one of the worst rental offices (Des Moines airport ) that I've been at. Our company rents cars all over the world. Not very helpful when you have issues. Brian Smith operations manager just ignores the primary issues, ignores my phone calls (18) and of course won't return the messages I leave. 515-339-3211. I would recommend National or Hertz's for sure. The car was a complete mess, someone else's trash was inside on the front seat and in the back. It also clearly was not vacuumed out. The black guy (Avis parking attendant) just looked at me after bringing it up to his attention, and all he said was (do you want the car or not). then walked away. If he worked for me he would have been dismissed. read more

I rented with Avis due to having a large discount that I could use. After I returned my rental and received my final receipt I found that what my receipt said and what they charged me were different. After calling their customer service number I found out they charged me an extra fee without informing me or putting it on my final receipt. They only refunded a very small portion with no apology or anything. I will not be renting anything from them again read more

Avis Des Moines, Iowa Terrible service. 20 people in line only one person at the counter. She's doing the best she can but the wait is ridiculous. They have to know how many rentals in advance and should staff accordingly. Pay more money for better service. It's worth it!!! I will! read more

If I could give this location and national business negative stars, LORD KNOWS I WOULD. If you enjoy driving unsafe, at times illegal (expired registrations in vehicles, damaged windshield wipes, damaged lights) cars with almost certainly bald tired and then being gaslit when you call the national number to express your concerns, then by all means....please spend your money here. Driving alone across the state in a blizzard? Don't count on making it....out of the parking lot. And what could be better, you ask?! You get to look forward to fraudulent charges ON A CONSISTENT BASIS! And when you say that you returned a fully fueled vehicle and the mileage was incorrect- you're gonna be asked to prove it! Lucky for me, I take photos of the dash and vehicle when I get in day 1 and right before I return it. Do yourself a favor & get yourself life insurance and go rent a car from here. Your soon to be wealthy family will thank you for it! read more

The people here are very nice. The rental experience, not so much. This is an independent Avis location. Don't even think about dropping this car off at any other Avis. Up to $2K drop charge. They have a Preferred sign at the counter. Doesn't matter. Still have to wait in what could be a 30 minute line to pick up your car. Forget about an upgrade, seems like they only have an extremely small number of cars. read more

Not a great car rental option for the Des Moines airport. The counter service is typically very slow with a lot of high pressure up-selling. Avis in general is my last choice regardless of the location only because their standard rates typically do not include unlimited miles and 0.35 cents per mile can add up fast. The real reason to avoid Avis in Des Moines is their return process. When you bring a car back you wait for a slip of paper from the lot attendant and then go inside to the rental counter to get a receipt. If there is a line inside this can add 15-20 minutes to the return process. National and Enterprise are drop and go returns. Both are the better options at DSM. read more

You'd think enough 1 star reviews would make Avis make some improvements, but clearly not. I only rented from here because every other place at the airport was sold out. There was a huge line & only 2 people working. An employee told me to sign up for Avis Preferred (don't waste your time) in order to go in the shorter line & then when I did that, the other employee proceeded to tell me I "wasn't in her system" so I needed to go to the back of the line. SO RUDE. If all the other places are out of cars, use the app Turo to rent a car from someone locally. It's cheaper than Avis too. read more

Returning the car here is problematic. One has to park the car, check the mileage and bring the key to the counter. I had never been to the airport , and there was no signage pointing to the car rental counters from the parking lot. So it was quite a search for me to find the counter (after asking a policeman, going up and down the floors, and then asking the staff at the visitor information counter). There was also a wait to get to the Avis staff, and then there was some trouble in producing the receipt, then at the end the considered all the picking up and dropping off processing time in the rental period, making my rental was 20 minutes over the 24 period. They then counted the 20 minutes as one additional day, which cost me 50 dollars (more than my original daily rate) ! Worse yet, the staff handling the case was rude and not helpful. When I wanted the name of the manager, she did not want to give citing that I wanted the name to file a complaint. Then, they said the manager was downtown and could not be reached. I can tell this is not a well managed location. Perhaps it is NOT a corporate location and it is run like a small private low-end car rental company that tries to rip off the customers who are travelers and cannot afford the time to reason with them. Should avoid this Avis. read more

Not enough parking spaces to return a car. No agent on duty. Disorganized. Dirty, high-mileage cars. Never again. Avoid these people if you can. read more

This is one of the worst rental offices (Des Moines airport ) that I've been at. Our company rents cars all over the world. Not very helpful when you have issues. Brian Smith operations manager just ignores the primary issues, ignores my phone calls (18) and of course won't return the messages I leave. 515-339-3211. I would recommend National or Hertz's for sure. The car was a complete mess, someone else's trash was inside on the front seat and in the back. It also clearly was not vacuumed out. The black guy (Avis parking attendant) just looked at me after bringing it up to his attention, and all he said was (do you want the car or not). then walked away. If he worked for me he would have been dismissed. read more

Don't not rent from them. Wanted to return my rental a few day before the original date. Called five days ahead. When I picked up the car I told them I wanted to return it two day earlier can they make the adjustment. The lady at Avis said I would need to call online . Ok No problem. Called the next morning to let them know I would be dropping it off early can we get the price with the adjustment. Customer service was so rude. Could not tell me the adjustment. Ask to speak to a manager just didn't want any surprises when we return the car. Spoke to the manager told me he could not adjust anything, and said have a good day and hung up while I was trying to talk. I could not believe how rude they were. read more

Worst Avis location ever. Not organized at all. Spent over 1 he 45 mins at the counter trying to get the vehicle I reserved or similar. Planed with over a week in advance and vehicle was not ready when got to the counter. I had to drive to the closest airport MCI 3hrs away to get the actual vehicle. When returning to Des Moines the agent couldn't figure out how much was my final bill as they initially gave me a different vehicle and had an exchange in Kansas City. Any client should be treated the same way but as a preferred client I should be able to a least get some accommodations. Not preferred treatment at all. Now I need to call customer service to find the way to get my bill corrected. Probably another 2 hrs on the phone. read more

Twice now I have arrived at this facility and found out there were no cars. I am a preferred member and made reservations including when I would arrive. This place must have poor management because the counter seems to be In Constant chaos and even when they have cars the experience is poor. I rent from many Avis locations I a year I will not use this location. Urber is more reliable. read more

Flew in late on November 2 and was met by the front desk lady named Barbara who was unprofessional in her condescending attitude When asking clarifying questions as she rushed through an explanation of her company protocols I was accused of being rude She even had the audacity to ask me to get off the line if I did not want the car This was especially upsetting as it was late and my two young girls were tired from a long flight into Des Moines Barbara's number at Avis is 5152872612 Very rude, unprofessional and would have left me and my family stranded late at night in a city we do not know read more

I made a modification to my rental (as I've done numerous times previously with no issues) to aid in my returning home due to multiple airline delays. This time however, I had a much different experience. I modified my trip to return to a different airport location and accepted the increased fee to do so...then 3 days later I was hit with a $555.00 "One Way" return Fee ON TOP of the $100 plus that I had already agreed to/paid for to modify my return to a different location. When I contacted Customer Service I was told that the charges were valid and that there was nothing he was willing to do for me. After I argued my case and explained why this was unjust he then offered to split the difference with me - no, not good enough. So not only did Avis deceive me with added charges on top of added charges they told me they were valid and couldn't help me only to then come over top of that and say they'd split it with me. Poor practices guys, and I've been loyal to Avis (to a fault obviously) for years now and used them exclusively. That ends today. read more