I've been an Avis preferred member for several years. This is by far one of the worst experiences I've had. Little to no help, extra charges and fee's, and zero communication on correcting billing issues. read more

DO NOT USE. Rented for the week without incident. come 2.5 months later, i got a letter in the mail saying i owe money for damage. they charged my credit card the same day. i knew i caused no damage to this rental car. the letter had no specifics about the damage, just said "vehicle damage." i emailed them demanding for proof that i caused this damage and that i dispute the charges. they replied saying "the charges are valid" and nothing more. again i told them i dispute without proof and that they still can't even tell me the damage that happened. they reply with a number saying all the documents are under this number (that i cannot access) and all further correspondences are a copy and paste of that email. so i called them. the lady on the line said she COULD NOT FIND ANY DOCUMENTATION of any damage under my account. after a long hold, she came back on and said she processed a refund... whether they charged me a low enough amount that they thought i wouldn't look into it, or they have very disorganized internal processing, it both leads to the same outcome: DO NOT RENT WITH THEM! read more

I have never had such a disturbing experience with a car rental company in my life. Avis gave us a car that was infested with roaches. Within hours, roaches were crawling inside our luggage, forcing us to throw it away. We had to wash all of our clothes in the hotel bathroom, wasting an entire day of our 4-day vacation dealing with this nightmare. When I brought this to the attention of the manager (Andy), the "solution" offered was to refund 2 days of the rental. That is completely unacceptable given the stress, time, and money lost--not to mention the health concerns of being exposed to an infestation. This was supposed to be a rare, hard-earned vacation, and instead, Avis ruined one of our precious days. If you value your time, your belongings, and your peace of mind, I strongly advise avoiding this location. read more

I am preferred member and never had service as bad as I got from this location. I rented jeep on Jan 2nd, broke down two days later, returned it two days later at nearest Avis in Kona. Person there was very helpful and replaced the jeep with another. I returned that jeep to same kona location at end of my stay. After a few days I got bill from Avis Hilo charged to my account for around $3000 that should have been $300. Their reason was because I returned car to other location. Yeah, because it broke down and even so would never constitute a 10x increase. I've been dealing with this for a month now. Did get email two weeks ago from Chauna Heu, rep from Hilo site that she put in an adjustment, however two weeks later nothing and no more responses. I am very disappointed in Avis, especially as long time preferred customer. Hope they fix this soon. read more

Was able to get cheaper car rental than budget through company corporate code - overall experience was pretty good - easy pick up and drop off. Picked up at Hilo and dropped off at Kona. Both serviced by budget car rental. But easy customer service chat online. read more

The positive: Shuttle to/from the cruise port. Once I received my car, it was nice and in good shape. Finding the car in the lot was easy. Returning the car was also easy. The not positive: The shuttle is max 2 people per party. They do make multiple runs, though. You'll wait long enough in line at the rental counter that the rest of your party can come on subsequent runs. The rental counter is NOT READY to handle the cruise ship influx. There is one person handling everything at the AVIS counter (Preferred, reserved, and walk-ups). And they don't take Preferred before the rest in line. My wait in line (I could see my name on my contract and with my keys on the wall behind the clerk) was nearly an hour. Unacceptable for what I expect from AVIS and as being a Preferred member. read more

WARNING - DO NOT RENT FROM THIS AVIS!!!! First off, I rented a convertible a few months in advance for a four hour rental. When I get there, all they had were Jeeps - ok. I retuned my gas with a full tank of gas (make sure you have a time stamped picture of this!!!). I got a hit with a charge saying I returned on an empty tank. FRAUD. Thank God I had the gas receipt and a picture of the gas tank. NOW TWO MONTHS LATER, I received that there was tire damage on my car?? There was definitely no damage done. I've never had this happen with any rental car company in my life. Double fraudulent activity?? Stay away from this scammer location, I'm in shock. read more

Avis Rent A Car - Full tank of gas - Car Rental Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Avis counter is currently not in service. You have to go to the Budget counter for Avis, Budget, and Payless. It took about 45 minutes to get our car with 3 parties ahead of us. Good thing we rushed over there when the flight landed, because there were still ~8-10 groups behind us and they were at closing time. Hope everyone got their cars! Even though pick up was agonizingly slow, the return was quick and easy. Just park in one of the return spaces, note mileage, and return the keys on the opposite side of the counter. read more

I dont normally write reviews but this one is very necessary. Picked up my van and it was filthy. The outside & inside. There was also a horrible smell and roaches were seen as we entered. Letting that go, I think the ac would air out the car and eventually it would be ok. We go to our rental, I leave my purse in the car for 10 minutes. I go back and open the pasenger door, roaches scatter! I lift my purse up, more of them scatter from underneath my purse and all inside. I cleaned out my purse and there were about 10 of them ranging in sizes. I go back to the car and theyre seen crawling on the dash, the doors and in the ac vents! I call avis to exchange. I go back and the agent tells me they have NOTHING available. Basically to suffer. I explained I need something. I have 7 passengers with 7 bags! She says "I have a car". How are 7 ppl and 7 bags going to fit in a car? She then offers me an upgrade (Titan) thats an additonal $20/day. Me thinking, wow, you really gonna charge me for the upgrade when this is your fault I have to exchange my car? So I agree because I need a big car! She gives me the upgrade for $10/day. Now we have to pile in the truck because no kids under 12 is allowed to sit in the bed. On top of that, it starts to rain. Not drizzle. But rain. So our bags get soaked and wet! I will never rent from avis again. They should have offered me a my money back for the inconvience. I booked a van for a reason. I then wrote to the customer service team telling them my issue and they offered me 20% off the price I paid. lol So Dont rent from Avis if youre ever in Hilo. By the looks of some reviews, they have a bunch of infested cars there! I wish I took pictures, but I was so disgusted when they were scattering and I just could not believe how much there were!! read more

Avis at the Hilo Airport is an outdoor facility & had the best rates the day our cruise ship was in Port. They supply a free shuttle from the cruise dock to the airport & back. 4 stars this go around because our car had been booked weeks in advance on their Fast Track preferred customer site & we still had to wait 1/2 hour because there were no cars available ??!!?? read more

Pretty nice people at the Avis Rental in Hilo, but it stops there and definitely not renting from them again. The car was a mess - so gross with sticky candy mess on the middle section so couldn't even put our drinks there. Car obviously wasn't cleaned at all - hauna, messy. Then the key FOB worked like 25% of the time - sometimes it would beep & lock, other times NO and then had to remove key from FOB to get in. Reverse in that Dodge was baaaad...I had to gas it to move. Return was a joke too. I rent while on the mainland from Alamo, Budget, even Dollar and the cars are well maintained and no issues. This was baaaaad...makes it look like nobody cares. read more

On October 8, 2023, We rented a Crysler Pacifica Mini Van. Overall, it is a clean and beautiful car. The A/C was cold, Great Visibility. * Now for the Bad Part... The Brakes were a Surprise !!! Brake Fade !!! This Mini Van Would Not, Could Not Stop on a Dime !!! I had to DOUBLE the Distance to STOP !!! I Over Shot Turns Because the Mini Van Would Not Stop in Time. I had to manually adjust my Driving Style to account for the POOR Brakes. It could have been the Anti-Lock Brakes. I did not have time to return the van because of a very tight agenda we were I was keeping in Hilo, HI. Luckily I am a Professional Driver, and a Paramedic with 40 years of Experience, and an ambulance could Stop Faster Than this Mini Van from Avis Rent a Car. The Local Lady at the Counter was Fantastic. Hugs Wes n Wanda Anzai - Hawaii. read more

Beware of Avis Hilo Airpot rental company. I don't normally write reviews but I think it's important for people to be aware of the poor service and the quality of the car you get at Avis Hilo airport. I received a car in the morning in Hilo, drove for less than 10 minutes and parked. When I went back to the car in the afternoon, the car did not start. I managed to get to the car rental counter and was received by a rude and unhelpful customer service representative who then passed me off to her supervisor. I realize that the customer service representative was rude because her supervisor was even worse. Very dismissive and condescending. Doesn't even take the time to help. Proceeded to ask me to step aside when I was trying to make a call to their customer service department because they didn't want to help. No other customers were even around so they weren't even busy. The supervisor just sat around doing nothing. I had to figure it out myself. Will be using up my points and never going back to Hilo Avis company. I am from the big island, they should be ashamed of how they treat people. read more

I rented a vehicle from AVIS in January. We had the vehicle for 19 days. After returning home I received a letter from Avis indicating they were charging me $250.00 because there was sand in the vehicle. I spoke with thier customer service and was told that the vehicle needed to be returned in exactly the same condition it was received in and that I should have washed and vacuumed the vehicle before returning it. This is ridiculous. I have never been charged $250.00 to vacuum out a vehicle before, and we did not trash this car. our gear was washed and bagged before entering the car at every beach and the vehicle was in good clean condition when it was returned. I would not willingly rent from them again and I have been an Avis preferred member for decades read more

This establishment was a huge let down. We had rented a 4 wheel drive vehicle for a day to do the activities we needed one for on the island. When we got to the airport to pick this car up, I was given the keys to my Jeep after I took care of the paper work. Picking up the car was easy. I was given the keys, and it was in a particular spot in the lot such as "C8". The car rental names are also on the signs for when you need to return it. You park in one of the spots for the company. When I got in the car, it was filthy and smelt of mold. There was orange mud and sand in the car, a snack bar and some kind of Elite card left over from a previous renter, and the smell was pungent. I went back to the counter and explained the condition of the car. I was able to get another vehicle, but if there wasn't another 2 door Jeep like the one I had reserved she was going to charge me more when I was given a filthy vehicle. Imagine? The second Jeep was also dirty, but I was out of options and needed the 4 wheel drive car. They do not do car inspections in Hawaii from what I saw at three different companies on two islands. Some places give you a damage card attached to your checkout info. Make sure the info on it actually matches the car and bring it to their attention if you see anything else. read more

Wesley really took care of us when our Turo rental fell through and we needed a car last minute. It was late at night, but he was cheerful and kind to us. We appreciated his help making sure we were set up with a good car and were thankful to have met such a quality human! The process was very smooth and easy- he was so quick to run the numbers and give us the paperwork. He's left us with such a great impression of Avis/Budget. read more

Avoid them. They will rip you off anyway that they can. They are not good people to do business with. My son booked a rental but made an error on the booking. When we got there, they told us that the price to drop off the car at Kona airport instead of Hilo was going to jump from $30 to $250. We did not even get to how much they wanted to charge us for the rental. We got a Lyft ride instead for less. read more

I travel a lot for my job, so I'm glad I stayed loyal to Avis Rent A Car. I must say they really treat their long time customers right........normally when I island hop, I always take out a subcompact vehicle to save some money on rental cost for my company. When I do get my rental car, I would say over 90% of the time I get a free upgrade, but of course if you rent from them over 50 times in a year, there are some perks that come with frequent renters. Today, I was lucky enough to get a convertible mustang..........great car, but too bad I only drove it probably less than 6 miles, as I was at a account all day, with the exception of eating lunch. Great speedy service, when I walk up to the Avis booth, the clerk just gives me the keys & an envelope, then I'm off.......makes me feel like my PIMP Hand Is Strong! Lol! read more

Avis Rent A Car - Mahalo Avis..... - Car Rental Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Well. This is my second experience with them and this time I can literally say that I didn't get serviced because both when I picked up and dropped back off the car, there was NO ONE AT THE AVIS BOOTH. I had to go to the Budget counter to get a car which was pre-selected for me. So because there was no Avis person, it wasn't like I was able to change out the car had I been unhappy with it. Also, my car had a number of dents and I pointed it out to the Budget person but again, it wasn't their company so...not much could be done. I was sure to take plenty of pictures as there was NO PLACE to note any damages. When you return the car you go to the exact same lot, note the mileage and gas and drop of the keys at the booth. I guess that was why my car didn't have a fully tank of gas when I picked it up. They depend on people to self report the gas tank. Again, this was all handled by a Budget employee so if I had problems or issues there wasn't an Avis representative that could help me. I really didn't like this experience of this time. It wasn't like I came at really odd hours. My Pick up time was 6pm. Every other booth had someone. And my drop off time was 10:30am. Every other booth had someone. Sheesh! read more

Be careful of Bait and Switch pricing on an upgrade. We were told the full size car would be too small for 5 people so we needed to get a small SUV. We had prepaid thru Costco so Agent wrote a number down on a post it note for the upcharge, told us it was with the Costco Discount. Then charged me double on the tiny screen that I signed. Tried to call and rectify, of course no return call. I was basically overcharged $230. Tried to fix thru Customer Service, they were hands off as well. Also be careful that you return exactly on time. We were charged an additional $40 for turning car in at 12:40, instead of 12:07 (time we rented it out). read more

I am a Avis Preferred member and enjoy the simplicity of picking up my reservation each time. The staff is friendly and has everything ready to go each time. They always upgrade me for my loyalty which is so appreciated. Bringing back the rental car is just as easy. Log your miles on your paper given from car pick up and then drop it along with the keys in the drop box and off you go. I do drop a star for the cleanliness of the cars. The detailers need to take a little bit more pride. Same would go for the mechanical checks. I have had to bring my rental back on two occasions here. See ya again soon! :) read more

Avis Rent A Car is located across the road running through the Hilo airport and bundled side by side with the other rent a cars businesses. I really like the service we normally receive from Avis when we travel and use their vehicles. As an Avis preferred member it's a breeze getting our car right away and on to our destination. Only problem we had at this Hilo branch was meaning of the word "Preferred" . Lets see..you have a sign that says preferred "check"...We're standing in the preferred line ''check"..We see our name on the envelope with the reservation "check"...I don't think this dude doesn't have a clue what the preferred means.. :( Avis please train ALL your employee's to be consistent with their customer service.I would like to start my vacation on a pleasant note if possible. *Will I rent from Avis again..Yes I would..Hopefully they'll educate this location on customer service. read more

I rented a car while on a Hawaiian cruise. The shuttle was waiting for us when we got off the ship. The car (a well-maintained Ford Fusion) was ready for us when we arrived at the rental counter thanks to my Avis Preferred membership. When we returned the car, we were put on a return shuttle to the port within 10 minutes. Everything went smoothly and I recommend this branch highly. FYI: If you arrive back to return the car early, spend a half hour at the nearby (free) Liliuokalani Gardens (191 Lihiwai St, Hilo, HI) and get a glimpse of the famous trees on Banyan Tree Drive. read more

Avis Rent A Car - My Ford Fusion rental at HVNP. - Car Rental Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I rented a car from Avis to be picked up from this kiosk on 2/28/18. When we arrived, we spoke with the representative at the kiosk who was perfectly nice, but appeared to be very uninterested in his job. I actually joked to my boyfriend after about how bad he was at his job. I guess the joke was on us because this guy ended up costing us an extra 260 dollars. When picking up our car, he spoke with us for only about two minutes, had me quickly sign an agreement for the car, and handed over the keys. He asked me if we wanted insurance and other extra options for the vehicle during our trip, which I declined. I explained to him I already had coverage for rentals through my regular car insurance and the other add ons we simply didn't want. When I handed the car in six days later, we had an extra $262 dollars in charges for all of these extra add ons and insurance Avis said I agreed to, when I certainly did not. I called their customer service and the woman said she could only credit my account 25% of the $262. I asked to speak with a manager but she said one "wasn't available." Unbelievable. I also called the actual Avis kiosk at the Hilo international airport multiple times to speak with someone there, considering this was only a couple weeks ago. The phone just rings and rings and rings! read more

This is my first time renting from Avis in Hilo. Right when we turned the car on, we received a notification that the oil needed to be changed. We notified the attendant at the counter and they told us it was fine to continue driving and they didn't have any other car available. We kept the car and it was fine for driving. HOWEVER, the next night, we noticed that the car we got was completely infested with baby roaches. It was hard to notice at first since they only came out at night. First, I noticed one that was squished on the back of my friend's shirt from driving. Then, I opened the middle compartment to grab something and there were a few in there. I also dropped something while sitting in the passenger seat, and as I bent over to pick it up, there were a few near my foot too. This was overall such a disgusting experience. read more

During normal driving on a paved road in Hawaii we had a tire blow out. We did not hit anything in the road that we could tell. The damage to the tire appeared to be a sidewall blowout. I noticed that the tread on the tire was quite low so I assumed the tire had just failed from age or perhaps had developed a bubble from a previous driver hitting something. So no big deal, change the tire right? However I was surprised to discover this car did not have a spare tire available, not even a small donut, the spare tire wheel well in the trunk was empty. The Avis agent I spoke to on the phone today told me that they are not required to include spare tires in some of their cars! Go figure. So it was obvious the car was going to need a new tire. We were in a remote area about 30 minute drive from the nearest large city. So I called the Avis Emergency Roadside Assistance service who, after a 3 hour wait, brought us a replacement car on a tow truck, and we continued on our trip. When I returned this car to the airport rental counter they were very apologetic and even offered to credit me with a free rental day on my contract. However they said nothing about it being my responsibility to pay for the costs of a damaged tire. Then after returning home I received a $245.17 bill from Avis for the cost of a new tire, plus the towing and their $25 administrative fee! When I called their customer service they said that because I did not pay for their damage waiver insurance I was responsible for the actual costs to repair their car and return it to a safe driving condition. Beware of renting Avis cars and always ask if your car has a spare tire. If you have a tire blow be prepared to pay them big bucks for Emergency Road Service as you will not be able to change the tire yourself! read more

I have used Avis for a lot of rentals, but have not experienced something like happened a couple of trips ago. I had an incident with the car that was my fault, and my insurance company worked with Avis to pay for the damages. This was in January of 2015. I've since rented from Avis at a variety of locations. Since that time, I've heard nothing from Avis about this, as it was paid in full by insurance. Fast forward to over 2.5 years later and I get a call out of the blue from a lawyers office in Chicago. Apparently, after all this time, the agency in Kona decided that i owed more money ($64.08) and instead of contacting me at any point over the last 2.5 years to discuss, just sent this tiny bill to a lawyers office. Coincidentally, no one has any proof of this amount due, but Avis is threatening my credit if I don't pay without question. I've always been an aggressive promoter of Avis - but this has changed my opinion. I'd highly recommend any other agency, especially in Kona, as you never really know when you will be asked to pay more money, even years later. read more

My boyfriend and I waited almost three hours for our rental car because they were "short staffed" and "didn't have enough rental cars." If we had a reservation for a car, wouldn't one think your reserved car should be on site?! I don't recall ever hearing a, "Sorry for waiting" and didn't get any compensation for waiting THREE HOURS. I would never go back again to this Avis. read more

When it comes to renting a car in Hilo, Avis offers a quick and simple alternative with reasonable prices and well maintained cars. If you happen to rent cars on a regular basis, think about signing up for their Preferred Membership program so that you can get in/out in a breeze. As soon as I landed at Hilo International Airport, I could almost hear Siri coming out of my iPhone saying "proceed to the baggage claim, turn left at the curb, proceed 300 feet and make right at the crosswalk, you have reached your destination." Yes, it is that simple to make your way to Avis (and the other major rental companies for that matter) rental desk. If you happen to be with a group, you might as well all walk over together if it is feasible since the drive back to the terminal might be longer than the trek for your party collectively. Well once there, getting your car can be fairly quick and simple with the preferred membership program. Your car is all set and your paperwork all taken care of. If not, the wait isn't very long for them to process your remaining paperwork and get you your car. The cars are generally fairly new and well maintained. I rented a intermediate and got a Nissan Altima on my most recent visit and haven't had any problems with the cars that they have offered. Price was rather competitive and I opted since they had the best price for my visit. Definitely a good choice for a car, however the major rental companies all seem to be on par when it comes to selection and vehicle quality. Price will ultimately win out in the end since service is only a sticking point when there is an issue. read more

Can I give this place 0 stars? Because our hotel couldn't send us a shuttle to pick us up we ended up having to get a rental car. I ended up getting a rental car from hotwire.com and paid for it over the phone. When we went to the kiosk and the agent got us to upgrade. Little did we know that the upgrade was 200 dollars. When I called Avis to straighten things out I was told that "I don't have time for you. I have customers waiting in line." Then the agent promised to call back and never did. This place has the most dishonest and rude employees ever. I was astonished with how rude the people were to me at the kiosk and on the phone. I will never ever rent with Avis again. read more

I was nervous about​ renting from here. I read some terrible reviews, but overall had​ a good experience. It was hard to get them on the phone and I wanted to make sure someone would be there​ since they close at 9PM buy might flight was arriving at 8:45PM, and I feared not getting my car. I finally got someone on the phone who assured me they would be there. My flight was delayed an hour, but someone at the "Budget" rental office was checking out the Avis people and everything was fine. My jeep was clean and functioned just fine. All good here. I only subtract a star because it was hard to get the local office on the phone, had to call about 5 times. read more

I've been using Avis frequently however, this was the worst lifetime rental experience ever!! They have kept me waiting in the line even though i ama preferred member, plus they have downgraded my paid rental without my permission. The employee who was working in the counter didn't help me. He was veryrude and he was a budget employee instead of Avis on 11/23 around 6pm, he told me to call back tomorrow morning but he didn't answer my phone calls. Not going to accept the difference because of downgrade, i was specifically booked the model I wanted and paid it just to secure even though I don't have to since i am a preferred member. This issue ruined my schedule during my visit of Big island. Going to dispute this charge through my bank as of first time in my life, and going to complain about the employee who was working on 11/23 around 6pm! Very disappointed!! read more

Great service. Had to exchange our car because of an issue with brakes and no questions asked they let us in and out and swap. We appreciated that. read more

Great overall service, small airport location that gives travelers the personal attention that's hard to find these days. I learned this year that around the Ironman Triatholon (2nd Saturday of October annually), all the cars in this location get transfered over to Kona airport location which leaves no available cars in Hilo - from what I understand, all the rental cars companies make this cross island transfer. First set of cars start the move two weeks prior the event and it will take up to two weeks after to get them back to Hilo - plan accordingly! read more

I travel to Hilo quite often, and I have to say-I've never had bad service with Avis. The sales agent @ the counter is so helpful and friendly. The agent even remembered that I was pregnant on my last visit, and wished me Congrats! I would def. Recommend Avis to my family and friends. read more

I love Avis ITO. Twice I've gone there without a reservation and both times was graciously accommodated with fabulous deals! Elizabeth helped me both times she was so friendly, calm and helpful! I always try to get the best deal when booking a reservation, so I'm glad when it ends up being Avis in Hilo. read more

When I had to take the car back because of the brakes, Helene (sp?), assisted me. She was extremely polite and updated me that they would need to bring a car from another lot. She updated me on the progress and made conversation. She gave me some advice on the island. She was a 180 degree turn from my previous experience. They gave me options on the vehicle replacement and offered an upgrade at no extra charge. I still had to do the walk-around myself (minus a star for that), but she explained the process unlike the previous employee. read more

This is the ONLY place in Hilo i rent from because of the customer service i get from Liz and especially Neal (you da man) who has always found an answer to my questions and helped me figure out any reservation or vehicle "challenge". Mahaloz! read more

I am very disappointed with this car rental company. They engaged in a "Bait & Switch" tactic for my reservation. I reserved and paid for a luxury vehicle but when I arrived to pick it up I was told they did not have any and I would have to take a mid sized SUV! If I wanted a SUV I would have reserved one. I was given an unsatisfactory vehicle and had no choice and had to accept it. This type of business practice is criminal. I will be sure to use another car rental company on my next trip. read more

No waiting in line when I arrived. They had a car waiting for me but I didn't care for it so they swapped me out for a car I liked better even though they had to drive it in from another lot. read more