Avis Reviews 

Booked a car via RentalCars.com for…
Booked a car via RentalCars.com for collection in Naples. Arrived, the person at the desk tried to add extras like location fee, other fees. I declined all and then I was billed c£380 of fees I didn’t agree to. I have had to do a chargeback via my credit card and raise a complaint which has been ignored so far. Avoid and use a more reputable company. I’ll never use them again, most others I’ve used have been absolutely fine

What should have been a straightforward car rental at Avis, Abruzzo Airport in Pescara, turned into a horrendous ordeal.

The woman at the service desk gave us such vague, inadequate directions that we spent an hour searching for our rental car in the scorching midday sun—with temperatures reaching 35°C. Expecting an elderly couple to wander around parking areas under those conditions is unacceptable.

Where was the car? In an unmarked shopping centre car park across the street from the airport, approximately half a kilometre from the signed Avis parking area. How could anyone reasonably expect us to find it without clear, precise instructions?

Thankfully, Giuseppe from the Avis car park saved the day. He found us struggling and kindly drove us around to locate the vehicle. Even he had to search for it! His patience, kindness and willingness to help were the only bright spots in this entire experience. Giuseppe, thank you—you showed the care and professionalism we should have received from the beginning.

As for the service desk, serious retraining is overdue. The employee who dealt with us should not be in a customer-facing position unless she can demonstrate the basic communication skills and concern for customers the job requires.

Avis, you didn’t just drop the ball—you threw it out of the playing field and down the road.

Whether it takes replacing staff, introducing comprehensive training or reconsidering this franchise, this location needs accountability and meaningful change. Indifference has no place in an industry serving travellers.

My poor rating reflects the service and organisation at this location. Giuseppe deserves recognition for stepping in and saving the day.

Returned car in the exaction condition i received it in, but Avis withdrew over £200 from my credit card for damages I DID NOT DO. I was able to evidence via my photographs taken before i took possession of the car that THE DAMAGE WAS PRE-EXISTING. I've provided photographic evidence, and have emailed over 7 times over 20+ days. NO RESPONSE.
Absolutely disgraceful customer service. Still trying to get my money back. Will never use Avis again.

Extremely disappointing experience with Avis. We arrived at the desk at 2:45 PM, well before our 3:05 PM pickup time. Only during the paperwork did we discover that the main driver needed a credit card. The staff told us to contact a number to change the driver, but the number they provided did not work. By the time we finally reached someone who could help, it was after 3:05 PM, and Avis refused both to provide the car and to refund us.

We were at the counter before the pickup time and actively trying to resolve the issue. Refusing the rental is one thing; keeping our money because the time passed while we were following your staff’s instructions is simply unacceptable. Very poor customer service and a frustrating experience.

I would rate it with zero stars if it were an option. We rented a car online for 4 weeks and paid $1528 CAD. We extended our stay by 1 week and the total jumped to $3900 CAD. Not only that, but we were double charged the same amount for the extension. Plus we were practically forced to upgrade our insurance at the airport pickup location in Rome. There were also hidden and unexplained fees, marked simply as "extra fees". We will NEVER book with Avis again, and we will tell all of our friends and family to avoid them at all costs. As for anyone reading this review, PLEASE DO NOT book with Avis. They are fraudulent and very misleading on their rental website!

Car was ok, but small damages. After returning the car we got messaged and fined for damages. These were existing damages of which we had taken pictures when we collected the car. No actually inspects the car on pick up or return. So they can keep claiming fines for the same damages.

I booked a car directly with Avis for Malpensa and prepaid €300, and signed up for Avis Preferred at the same time. When I landed and went to the counter, I was told there was no car available for me, and that they could not help. That was it. I had to arrange a rental with another provider on the spot.

I've sent multiple follow-ups to Avis since then. Four months later, I still haven't received a single reply. I eventually got my money back through Mastercard's purchase protection, not from Avis.

I usually book through platforms like Rentalcars or Discovercars and have never had issues. The one time I booked directly with the rental company to "be on the safe side" (and get the membership perks), I was left stranded and ignored. Consider whether it's worth the risk.

Avis at the Rome Airport will overcharge you any way they can. I have booked cars in Italy through Auto Europe for decades. The 3 times I have selected an offer from Avis there have been problems. This final time was the worst. They surprised me by not trying to sell me more coverage than what I had in my voucher for my 3 week rental [ I had selected and paid for every insurance Auto Europe offered]. They were so friendly at the desk that I was lulled into a false sense of security. Instead, as is usual when renting with a prepaid voucher, they took my voucher, passport,license and credit card, asked me to sign or initial in several places and handed me the keys with a big smile. What I had signed was what amounted to nearly $2000.00 of extra insurance, collision damage, roadside assistance [ all covered in the voucher], 180.00 Euros for “Travel Partner”, 93.75 Euros for “Counter Product”. The only thing I got at the counter was the key to the car and there was no discussion of any Travel Partner [miles or loyalty program?] unless they are charging me for using Auto Europe. Of course the 22% VAT and the airport surcharge is based on the total of all the above, so that hurts. It was only a day or so later that I saw the $2400 hold on my credit card which I thought was excessive [way more than the usual $500] but it was not until I got home and their final charge of $2185.00 went through that I discovered what they had done. The Auto Europe voucher number was on the Avis invoice – but that was the only acknowledgment that they had received it. OH! and even though we returned the car with a full tank which was acknowledged in the garage we got a refueling charge. Now I wish I had totaled the damn car – I certainly had enough insurance! I think the agents at the desk must get bonuses based on how much they can rip you off. Unfortunately, because I signed, Avis says I did it willingly and I’m stuck. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING! If I have to stand there all day with google translate going line by line before I initial anything I will.

Very disappointing experience with AVIS Italy Fertilia Aitport

I am extremely disappointed with my experience with AVIS Italy. After returning the car, AVIS charged additional amounts to my credit card without my agreement.

On top of that, they accused me of causing a scratch on the vehicle. This is completely false. I have a video that I recorded the same evening I picked up the car, and the video clearly shows that the scratch was already there before I used the vehicle.

I find it unacceptable to be charged additional money and blamed for damage that was already present when I received the car. I have photographic/video evidence proving this.

Be very careful when renting from AVIS Italy. Take detailed photos and videos of the car before leaving the rental location and keep all evidence, because existing damage may later be blamed on you.

Very disappointing and unfair experience. I would not recommend AVIS Italy.

Was totally ripped off (to the tune of +/- EUR 800) and yet no one from Avis Italy bothered to respond to my emails or questions. Yet, I keep receiving these automated responses asking to rate my service!!
I've raised multiple complaints, but they keep falling on deaf ears it seems.
What atrocious service?!

We booked a fully covered car from bari airport. Took 45 mins to pick up the car. When we gave it back, they charged us 150 euros for roadside assistance. We saod no to everything extra as we had paid full comp. The sales guy just added it to my hire without asking and gave no papework.They only took it off when we caused a scene in the booking office. Avis is a cowboy company. Avoid at all costs.

I had prepaid my rental with Booking.com. Everything was included in the amount I paid: airport pickup, unlimited milage etc. At the airport the employees tried to rob me as I was in a hurry to catch my plane. They added a fee for airport pickup, they said I had done a scratch on the wheel cover, they added another fee for immatriculation participation (??) Avoid this company, at Lyon st Exupery. they are crooks.

NEVER AGAIN! Avoid this company if you don’t want to waste your money and be deceived 😢😢😢

UZ NIKDY!!!!Vyhnite sa tomu, ak nechcete zbytočne minúť svoje peniaze a byt oklamany 😢😢😢

For your own sake, NEVER USE AVIS! I believe that AVIS at Rome Fiumicino Airport are at least dishonest but maybe criminal. For me the estimated rental cost of €76.72 increased X 3 to €233.14 with hidden charges.
Learn from my mistake. I will never use Avis again.

Presidents club means nothing.
Received an absolute S**tbox of a van.
Bonnet flaps at speed. Low beam gives 20 feet visibility at night.
100,000 miles on the clock.
Customer service don’t answer the phone. Email to the same ends up in a perpetual circle with AI simply answering the same thing.
This is worse than Goldcar.
Remember the ad? “We are number 2 so we work harder”?
Well Avis is just a “number 2”.
If you know, you know…

SCAM ALERT: Sneaky counter tactics & extremely rude staff at Pisa Airport! ⚠️😡
Pre-paid everything online via Booking.com, including full insurance (~£231). At pick-up, we didn't speak Italian, the agent barely spoke broken English, and they exploited our fatigue to secretly add their own useless "Super Cover" insurance.
The dirtiest trick? The extra charge they snuck in (231.87) was almost identical to our original pre-paid amount, and they don't even specify the currency on the agreement form, deliberately confusing non-Italian speakers into thinking it's just a standard deposit receipt!
To make matters worse, the staff at the return was extremely rude. When I tried to ask why there was an extra charge since we had already paid, the agent literally started shouting at us, rudely insisting we had to pay more instead of calmly explaining how the deposit or the bill worked. We needed to go to the office for details.
Disgusting, predatory tactics and atrocious customer service. Check every single line under "Requested optional extras" before touching the keys, or they WILL rip you off. Avoid this counter at all costs!

Avis Lyon (FR)
If possible, I would rate 0 stars.
We were promised that any missing fuel would be charged at the market rate, but we were billed much more than expected. When we asked for clarification at the rental office, staff members gave us contradictory explanations because the option had supposedly not been activated in the contract (even if we paid for it?).
Even worse, after more than a month and several follow-up emails, Avis has never replied to our formal complaint. Misleading information, poor customer service, and complete silence when customers ask for an explanation. I will never rent from Avis again.

★☆☆☆☆

As an Avis President’s Club member and a frequent Avis customer around the world, I never expected to have such a disappointing experience with Avis Budget Italy (Rome Fiumicino Airport).

I booked my vehicle through American Airlines AAdvantage Cars, and my reservation clearly stated that I would pay €618.27 at the rental counter.

When I arrived, the airport was extremely crowded. There were well over 100 customers waiting, the queue lasted more than an hour, and the contract was explained only in Italian and at a very fast pace. Under these circumstances, I was not given a realistic opportunity to carefully review the agreement before signing.

Only later did I discover that my rental agreement included approximately €348 in optional products that I never requested or knowingly authorized, increasing the rental cost to over €1,000.

The experience became even worse after I returned the vehicle.

Immediately before returning the car, I recorded a complete video showing its condition. Despite this, Avis later claimed that the vehicle had a scratch measuring more than 200 mm and sent me a bill for €425.76.

The photographs provided by Avis are blurred and, in my opinion, do not clearly demonstrate either the existence or the size of the alleged damage. Fortunately, I have a complete video recorded immediately before the return that clearly shows the vehicle’s condition.

What makes this situation particularly concerning is that my sister-in-law rented a second vehicle from the same location during the same trip. We returned both vehicles together at approximately 4:00 a.m., and both vehicles were fully filmed immediately before being returned.

Despite this, both rentals later became the subject of damage claims, and both contracts contained optional products that neither of us had requested or knowingly authorized.

As someone who has trusted Avis for many years, I felt genuinely let down by this experience.

I have formally disputed both the unauthorized charges and the damage claim and have retained all supporting evidence, including my reservation, rental agreement, videos, photographs, and correspondence.

My advice to anyone renting from this location is simple:

* Read every single line of the contract before signing, regardless of how long the queue is.
* Never allow yourself to be rushed.
* Record a complete video of the vehicle at pickup and again at return.

Those few minutes could save you hundreds of euros and a lengthy dispute afterward.

I sincerely hope Avis investigates the procedures followed at this location because this experience was far below the standard I expected from an international company and from a brand to which I have been loyal for years.

You know when you see poor reviews and wish you'd trusted them. Yep, lesson learned. We hired a car from Avis in Italy. All was fine, lots of smiles. The hire went without issues. Then when we drop it off, the Avis staff member says he has to check our car. He immediately went directly to the front right bumper, got down on his hands and knees and searched under it, popping up a moment later to explain he found some damage.

Now how the heck did he know to go directly to that spot? He didn't slowly walk around the car thoroughly checking all of it. He just went straight to that one spot. Now I know I didn't have any accidents during my brief hire, so I'm certain that this damage was already there, in a convenient spot that it's unlikely the customer will see on their initial inspection. So I'm pretty certain that this is just a big fat scam by Avis. I can't prove it though, so it's up to you guys to decide for yourself. But I for one will steer well clear of Avis in the future.

This company is staffed by crooks! Had a reservation through Expedia with a price of $965. When I picked up the car, they didn't have the size I had booked so I was forced to take a larger car and they added gasoline pre-pay. Visa charge came to over $1200. Then upon returning the car at 0400 hrs, I had to drop off the keys in a lock box, no attendant to check the vehicle for condition. I took pictures (at pickup) AND took a video when I dropped the car off. Later that day I got an email advising of $231 in damages and charges already on my Visa. I was livid! Sent email with pictures and video, they state that they will investigate my claim of their fraudulent claim of damages. These guys are crooks! Stay clear!