This location is overcrowded and understaffed. We rented on a Sunday and there was an hour wait to pick up the car, which was exacerbated by the fact that the AC was broken at this location. 90 degrees while waiting to pick up your rental car - what a dream! The underground lot is also far too small for the number of rentals they do each day...so there's very little help from anyone working there. They're too busy moving cars around and making sure no one crashes since the entrance and exit are the same one lane. To compound matters, after we dropped the car off with a full tank we were hit with a $60 refueling charge. I think this is a result of the overworked staff mixing up our car with someone else's or just incompetence. I've now spoken to 2 customer service reps and emailed with two others to no avail. No refunds unless you can provide a physical gas receipt from 5 miles away within minutes of returning your vehicle. I would avoid this location and Avis in general at all costs. read more

I have never had a worse car rental experience as I did at this location. The manager Aaron Stults really needs a lesson in customer service. He proceeded to call both my friend and I liars when we explained what one of his employees did when we attempted to turn our car in. I highly recommend finding one of the other places in Chicago if you want to be guaranteed a good experience and not one where the manager just tells you "too bad nothing I can do." read more

Rented an escalade full price. Ac didnt work. 90deg day... The manager rudely offered me a 15% discount. He said to call Customer service. Customer service said to call the local office. Terrible experience. read more

I recently rented a car here and had the worst experience I've ever had with a car rental. The staff was rude, the customer service line and wait times were long for both pickup and return, and the car I received had a mechanical issue which caused it to make a loud rumbling noise when I drove it. Returning the car I was accidentally charged for fuel, which caused me to have to wait in another long line to check out. The parking garage is one in / one out which makes it difficult and stressful entering and exiting. I would not recommend this location... Hertz has multiple locations downtown which present a far easier experience. read more

Thanks for not being open at 4 on a Saturday so I could dump this ash tray car at a reasonable time without driving all the way to the airport. read more

This location is terrible! The cars available are in poor condition--dated ratty minivans and Dodge makes. The Manager/Owner (Indian guy maybe?) smells terrible and is flat out rude. I dropped off the car, waited for the check in process to make sure all was ok. Was later told of some b.s. damage-EIGHT WEEKs later! It's a shame-the ladies that work here are nice. I'm a traveling consultant and have a huge corporate account-I know what the car rental process supposed to be like and this isn't it. read more

I travel for work and rent several cars per month. This is, by far, the worst rental location I've found in the country. The location is understaffed. They only use three terminals, despite having four available. Renting a car on a Saturday includes an hour wait, made all the more frustrating by the lack of any urgency on the employees part. If you need to rent a car in Chicago, choose literally any other option in the Loop unless you prefer incredibly long waits. read more

Last weekend, I needed a car ASAP. I had gone to another car rental company and they were completely sold out. However, AVIS (214 N Clark St, (Clark & Wacker), Chicago) came up for HUGE WYNN and got me in a car right away. The service was impeccable. Big thank you to Maneca and her amazing staff. I was so pleased with their service that I bought donuts for the location!!! -Wynn read more

RENT ELSEWHERE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF BETTER OPTIONS! For starters, a car should be clean when handing it over to a customer. This car was dirty inside as well as partially on the outside. However, that's not the main issue here. I thought my car was checked in upon return as I waited for the gentleman to give me the ok. This is why I never leave the vehicle unattended when returning it, but I guess there's no guarantee that it gets checked in even after it's handed over to a live person. Several days after returning it, I noticed that in addition to an existing pending charge (the original security deposit), there was a new one posted for about the same amount I paid originally for the vehicle. I immediately called customer service and they told me that the car should have been checked in the same day, but "FOR SOME REASON" it wasn't even though the car was returned on time. They assured me that they will forward this case to the appropriate department dealing with delays and all pending charges will be dropped. I waited several more days and checked my credit card again. To my shock, on top of the still pending $365, there was another pending charge for $465 and yet a third one for $60!!!!! This time I called customer service again and they told me that my vehicle was just checked in....really? 10 days after I had returned it to a live representative it finally got checked in??!!! I can only imagine how long it would've taken had I not called them twice, and what type of fees they would've charged me while I wasn't even in possession of the vehicle. If all of these pending charges are not removed, I will be escalating this issue further. Update: several days later after multiple complaints, most of the pending charges have been removed, but one ends up posting on my account even though I was told that there will be no extra charges. I called customer service again and they told me that since the SYSTEM thinks the car was returned late, this late fee was automatically charged to my card. Supposedly they sent me a letter explaining this in the mail which of course I haven't gotten yet. Since they know that the car was returned on time, they initiated a credit while I was on the call with them, but they allegedly can't produce anything in writing as proof of this credit since apparently their system takes days to generate an email. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and after resisting multiple times, he finally put me on hold only to tell me that there's no supervisor available. I am awaiting a call back from a supervisor, but I went ahead and disputed the charge with my credit card as I no longer trust them. I can't remember the last time I've dealt with a BS company like this. DO NOT RENT FROM THEM!!! read more

We rented a car for the weekend. The agent assessed a full tank of gas at the time of rental. We explained we will fill up the gas and the agent said the fee will be waived when we come back with full tank. We rent routinely and never experienced this policy before, so we asked twice to double check. The agent insisted. When we returned the car with full tank, we were assessed a full tank of gas fee on top of it. When explained the situation to agent at car return and she said the agent at check-in gave us the wrong information. Tldr: A total scam. Never rent with Avis or Budget again. Staff at this location are also not to be trusted. read more

Quick and easy pick-up. I was nervous to pick up here vs O'Hare due to the reviews so I showed up 30min before my pickup time. Both people behind the counter were not only friendly, they were helpful with suggestions for things to do in Chicago and places to stop along our route out of town. I used a coupon for a free upgrade to a better model and it was honored without a problem. No line - car was easy to find and spotless. read more

While we were in line my friend told me her uber driver made some negative comments about Avis which we would soon understand. When we tried to pick up the car (which we booked weeks before), we were told that our reservation was cancelled though we didn't cancel our reservation, and that we could try booking a car for that morning but we probably wouldn't be able to. The staff was incredibly unhelpful and we received terrible customer service, so we went to Enterprise which was a complete 180 experience. read more

I have never received such poor service from a rental car company (I've been renting cars twice a month for 9 years). The woman behind the counter did not car that my rental was $300 more than the original price because I picked it up from another location. She wouldn't look up the phone number to the original branch, and then when I gave it to her, she appeared to be on hold. I then called the number myself and spoke with the agent at the original location (who was of no help). The car was not clean nor was it ready when I went to pick it up. It had damage on the side, no fuel, and the maintenance light was on. I will not recommend Avis to family, friends or colleagues. read more

Terrible service and support at Avis, Chicago, IL. I reserve a standard car via phone for a pick up on Clark Street with a return to Chicago O'Hare airport. The information is verbally read back to me with a price quoted. Later when I get a text confirmation on the reservation it is the opposite... with pick up at O'Hare, return to Clark Street. When I call to correct, I am told there are no cars. Sorry Charlie. So. I am thinking these people are either inept or shady. We wanted to drive from Chicago to Lake Geneva, but had to cancel. I will not recommend Avis. read more

NEVER USE BUDGET CAR RENTAL! They have the worst customer service. I called everyday this week to schedule a pick up from my hotel to get my rental. They never answer the phone so you can schedule the pick up so you get transferred to an agent that can't help you. After 4 attempts I have have canceled my reservation and will give Hertz my business instead. read more

Horrible experience. Had to wait several minutes while the desk person called down to the garage, She never got a response and gave up. She asks if I want a gas prepay- I agreed. She confirms it. I go down to the lot and the top is down on the convertible they are giving me. It takes me 10 minutest to figure out how to put the top up. There are no attendants in sight. I take the car and there is no washer fluid, so the windshield is full of bug guts for the whole trip. Getting in and out of the garage is a total hassle, it is made to ding the car. Lucky I didn't. I return the car and the attendant says that I didn't pre purchase the gas so I get charged 90 bucks to fill the tank. Horrible experience. Horrible employees. Horrible equipment. Go elsewhere. read more

I just had a horrible experience and paid $1,500 to rent the cheapest car they had for 5 days. I saw the weekly rate was $300 and didn't check my confirmation. Rather than paying the weekly rate, I was charged this much as a daily rate. Upon calling Priceline, they apparently only work off of scripts and if you make a mistake, you are screwed. Zero conscience. If they made a mistake of this magnitude, I'm sure they would want it rectified. Horrible company with no soul. read more

Centrally located and just a bit more than Enterprise. The lady helping us was super bubbly and friendly, and I really appreciate that she did not push all of the "add-ons", that I never want. Plus I was impressed with the car that I got for the day for reserving the most basic model, it was a Hyundai Sonata and still rather new, with great power for getting on the freeway. Definitely a car I would consider buying in the future. The only thing I would recommend is not using the E-toll pass, which is located in the car and thankfully I decided not to use at the last minute, because Avis charges a $2.50 fee on top of the toll. read more

I've always had great service with this location. At other Avis locations, I've had cars that were pretty dirty, but all the cars from this location have been very well maintained. Customer Service is great and it's at a great location! read more

I don't normally write reviews very often but after a few weeks of trying different rental car companies due to my company switching providers, I just wanted to give a shout out to the ladies & gents at Avis. I've had the pleasure of renting from Avis plenty of times over the past year and although I may have gotten a couple of not-so-great cars, my overall experience has been quite nice. I can't speak for Avis as a whole company because I've had some crappy experiences, but although this location doesn't have the largest variety, the service is the best I've experienced from a rental car company. read more

4 stars = "Yay! I'm a fan" on yelp's ratings and that's a great description of the service I received. I had scoped out the Avis location early in the morning at 5am when there was no traffic. My car was due back at 9am. I used that time to drive around the area, which was empty and beautiful in the early morning thunderstorm. I drove about 15 min outside the area to a Costco to fill up the gas tank, then drove back downtown, just across the river from Avis so I could quickly reach the shop... and parked on a side street to watch the lightening storm. At 8:45a-ish I pulled out to return the car...but was lost! 9am was creeping up while I was creeping, slowly, along the same streets (since I 'kept going in circles) in traffic. I called Avis to get directions and explain the problem -and the guy who answered extended my rental for several more hours. I didn't actually need the extra time (arrived within minutes) but it definitely wiped away all panic and made me comfortable and happy. I think it was a guy at the local shop who helped me on the phone, not the national customer service number... but I'm not 100% sure. Either way... thanks for the extension. Oh, and it turned out my clock hadn't yet been set back for the midwest time zone from the eastern standard time --- and I was an hour early! read more

Terrible service all around. Slow to get car, despite reservation. Gasoline tank not full, despite advanced fuel service option paid. Smoke smelly car - phew. Suggest avoiding this location, or Avis altogether. read more

Was not happy with this rental at Avis North loop Chicago. If they ask when you are returning, there is no reason to say the same day - you are paying for a 24 hour rental. If you say you will probably return that night, and don't come back until the a.m. (but within 24 hours), you are charged a $15 or $20 fee. In other words, there is no reason that anyone should take the chance - take your full 24 hours and if you return the same night, you're better off. It is a crowded location to leave yourself time. You cannot just pickup the car like at the airport (for Preferred). Also, the garage downstairs is tight. I had to drive the car between a narrow gap of two other cars to get it out of the garage - no one was stopping to offer to move the two other cars. The car itself was fine, nice. But this was the most expensive rental I've had downtown, and that includes many other last minute rentals (day of). read more

Filthy, filthy rental car from this Avis location. There was a towel left in the vehicle from someone else, and I used my own wipes to clean the nasty, sticky steering wheel. It took FOUR wipes before the steering wheel was clean. During this time of Covid, where everyone is being extra careful and sanitary, Avis is not. One star for the very nice check-out employee who gave me a $50 refund for having to use my own cleaning supplies in the vehicle. read more

The worst experience I've ever had with a rental car company. If you have an issue with your car on the road, you cannot get in touch with this location. They do not answer their phones. Called another location and they told me the same thing. This location does not answer their phones and cannot help you. Avis is set up in such a way that only the location you rent from can help you with your rental agreement. Recommend you go literally ANYWHERE else. read more

Everything was great until 4 months after I returned my car when I got billed for glass damage that was a defect in the glass and not my fault at all. I was literally just driving the car and a small crack appeared in the passenger's side window that kept growing larger and larger. I told this fact to the gentleman I returned the car to and he said to just write "I don't know what happened" and I wouldn't be billed. I don't normally write reviews but I just feel wrong about how this was handled and don't appreciate bad business. read more

I was very hesitant to use this location because of the low rating on Yelp and the poor reviews. I ended up using it anyway because it was short notice and they were near where we were staying. This ended up being the BEST Avis location we have been too. Very opposite the bad reviews. I booked online. I showed up at my time. The car was ready. The lady was very nice. The car was clean. Either this location has cleaned up its act, or the negative Yelp reviews are fake. Either way, I would use this location again if needed. read more

Our contact said to return at 8:30 pm. NOT before 8:30 pm. We arrived at 8:30 and no one was there. The security and janitor said they shut ensuring down at 8:30. You mean to say if we had been there at 8:29 and 59 seconds, they would have taken our car? Ridiculous! They had long since gone. We were forced to drive all the way to O'Hare and then take the bus back because of their laziness. I have truly never been so appalled. Thankfully the people at the airport were friendly and reasonable. They saved themselves and myself from a scene. read more

Bad bad bad customer service. So frustrating. Rented a car with frozen windshield wiper fluid because they diluted it with water. Scariest driving conditions ever and these people didn't give a crap. read more

Do not rent from this location. I have been an Avis customer for years and have never received such poor customer service. The a manger Aaron Stultz could not care less about keeping customers happy and went as far as calling my friend and I liars about what time we were told to return the car and how we were treated by their employees. I apologize if they wanted to leave early on a Saturday, but not being available for a car return until the time they close and then treating customers with complete disrespect is ridiculous. I will be taking my business elsewhere. read more

DO NOT USE THIS LOCATION. If you were wondering where incompetence and poor customer service met, it's here. First: Location was impossible to get someone on the phone. If someone wasn't there to answer immediately, you are transferred to the international help desk which is anything but helpful. Second: They make it anything but convenient to prepay for a vehicle. They still need a card on file and do not apply complimentary insurance that comes with the card used to prepay if done online. Third: Granted I'll take partial blame for this since I signed the contract under the supposition that I was dealing with honest people. However, I still want it to be known that Avis employee had checked off and circled areas for me to initial without explaining that she had circled insurance options that I had not asked for. She took advantage of my clear sense of urgency and now my hands are tied. Again, I take the blame, but I shouldn't feel duped by a company offering a service, especially when there are plenty of other rental companies out there to choose from. In conclusion, it has been a full day since I turned my car in and I am still livid regarding my experience here. My advice is to stay away from this location and Avis in general. read more

DO NOT..... I REPEAT... DO NOT RENT FROM HERE. Ever. Tried to book a reservation for my boss on company card- it was a total mess. Read the fine print. Horrible customer service. Was hung up on. Manager on site was clueless and completely unhelpful. Do not book here if you are an admin assistant/ booking for someone else... Ever. Simply put. Just don't. I'm beyond frustrated and STILL dealing with canceling all the reservations that I've to make for ONE reservation (don't even ask.... Longest story ever). Why are you even still in business Avis...? The only reason why I'm even giving them a star is because I'm forced to to even leave a review to warn others. read more

This place is a Budget/Avis combo. We used it because it's the only place in the area that was open later on a Sunday which was a huge plus. Our experience getting the car was ok. The lady keep trying to make us add on upgrades - higher priced car, more insurance - but I guess that's standard for the industry. Upon checking out though, our receipt was higher than what was in the original quote which I noticed immediately and questioned the woman who checks you out. Her initial response was "you had dents in the car". My response was "you mean the scratches that I took pictures of before we even left?" We paid for the ridiculous basic insurance rates in advance to cover ourselves for this kind of BS. Then she told me it was the insurance charge which I pointed out was clearly $37.50 on both invoices. Then the woman at the desk claimed we accepted roadside assistance which conveniently wasn't on the first invoice. We absolutely did NOT accept this when we got the car and even if we did, it would have been on the first invoice. She fixed our rate to what it should have been after much back and forth to the main desk. She had the nerve to tell me that I should read what I sign before signing it. I told her that I did read it but it's not possible to read something that's not even there in the first place. Beware, they will attempt to scam you if you're not paying attention. read more

Despite the previous reviews, I went with Avis because it was $100- $200 cheaper than the other companies I checked. SO SMOOTH! The reservations were easy to place, the employee explained the insurance options very patiently and answered all my questions, the car had cruise control (as we requested), is in GREAT condition. This is the best rental experience we've ever had- and we rent five times a year. I will definitely use AVIS at this location again. read more

Overall, regardless of city/state, I've NEVER had a positive experience with Avis. After my most recent rental with them, I vowed to never consider them as a future option. read more

OVERCHARGED! I'd put zero stars if I knew how. Avis at O'Hare charged us $99.95 extra, told us when we rented that it was a deposit they'd refund, but wouldn't remove the charge once we'd gotten home, telling us they'd given us an upgrade. Don't use them. read more

I had a terrible experience here! Both times we were at this location the lines were extremely long and slow, and the staff didn't seem to be bothered and just took their sweet time. We made a reservation to pick up a car, and when we went on the day we were supposed to get it, we waited almost an hour in line just to find out they had no cars available and would have to wait an additional 45 minites because they were being driven from the airport. This was the problem everyone in front of us was having too. I thought the point of a reservation was that something was saved for you at the time you requested it?! The experience added a considerable amount of stress to our vacation. I would not recommend renting from this Avis location. read more

We had prepaid - yes, paid in full ahead of time - for a car with Hertz at the 909 N. Michigan Ave. However, Hertz had no cars for us or six other clients. They had promised at least 7 clients cars, that they did not have! We had to fight to get the office attendant there to refund our payment - she said that she was not authorized to do so, that once we got home, we'd have to try to get a refund through corporate - ridiculous! We insisted that she call corporate then and there, from her phone - finally, we got our money back, but we still needed a car! Budget/Avis to the rescue! Through our trusty smart phone we saw that the nearby Budget office at 214 N. Clark had cars - we ordered one - walked over to the office, the red carpet was rolled out for us, even though we had only rented the smallest cheapest car they had. The woman at the desk was lovely, very nice and efficient. She directed us down to where the cars are - and there were lots of them - and one of the attendants on that floor helped us find our bay, he was very kind. The car itself was in great shape, nearly brand new - we were very happy. You can read my two negative Hertz reviews, both from the same trip, yikes! But Budget/Avis wiped that away, saved our trip and in the process created a loyal customer! read more

Showed up with a reservation. Waited for 10 minutes and then asked a couple of questions about the insurance policies. Suddenly the costumer service pictured here threw my ID and credit card number on the counter telling me that they wouldn't give me a car. I called the costumer service and nothing happened. This was their gift to me for the new year. Never would deal with Avis again. read more

I know rental car companies need to squeeze every single dime out of you when you sign up to rent a fabulous Chevy Cobalt or Dodge Stratus. I know this, but it still irritates the heck out of me when they find new and exciting ways to snake another fiver out of my pocket. This Avis uses the E-Toll system, which charges you $2.50/day for the not-so-convenient convenience of paying your tolls using the iPass system. The customer service reps don't mention this when you're filling out paperwork, which is where my main objection lies. Yes, the charge is explained in 7-point font on the little box underneath the rearview mirror. But, just in the course of a relatively honest business transaction, I'd like to hear mention of the charge. Secondly, upon returning my vehicle to the North Loop Avis location, I let the service rep know that one of the tires on my car had a slow leak, which meant I had to fill it with air four times in three days. This problem was greeted with a "Oh, well we'll look into that..." I wasn't looking for a free rental, but some gesture to address my annoyance would've been nice. So, all in all, not the worst rental car location, but definitely not the best. And, as always, read the fine print. read more