I had an SUV reserved with Avis for several weeks and received pickup notifications leading up to my reservation. Avis never called, texted, or emailed me to say there was a problem.
I paid for an Uber to get to the location. After I arrived and provided my driver's license and credit card, I was told they did not have the SUV I reserved. The only vehicle available was a van.
What concerned me most was that the Avis employee herself told me the van had a cracked windshield but said it "should be fine." The crack was substantial and clearly visible. I was not comfortable driving a rental vehicle in that condition. Another person was with me and also witnessed the condition of the windshield. My choices were essentially to take the damaged van or come back later.
I left without a vehicle, incurred additional Uber expenses, and ultimately had to obtain a replacement rental elsewhere at a higher cost.
My experience with Avis Customer Service afterward was equally frustrating. After several calls, a supervisor told me the matter would be forwarded to a District Manager. He also suggested I could register online for a free rental day, but when I asked him to explain how, he told me he was at work and did not have time to assist me. At the end of the call, I was told, "Thank you for letting us resolve this issue." When I tried to explain that nothing had been resolved, the call was ended.
My biggest concern is not simply that the SUV wasn't available. It is that I arrived for a confirmed reservation with no advance warning and was offered a vehicle with a substantial windshield crack as the only available option. read more