Avis Reviews 1,495

Berlin airport = avoid!

Screw the foreigners seems to be the name of the game here.
From making a reservation that doubled in price between our corporate travel site and Avis to picking up a C4 instead of the Skoda scala I was promised.
Guy at pickup didn't speak anything but German.

Car was scratched in quite a few places and not very clean which made it difficult to do the microscope inspection needed. It also had an infotainment system that failed every 40 minutes or so plus the car develop a horrible shake and rattle when it hit 150km/h (not that high a speed on the autobahn I'd say)

Upon return a rather surely and impolite girl decided to make her shift more interesting by trying to blame me for the scratches and a hairline fracture on a plastic hubcap. Despite me having a picture of the scratch taken when we picked up the car she still insisted on a damage form.

I work for a company with 300000+ people. We have a corporate agreement with Avis and I've got preferred status.. this is utterly disappointing. You except this from a budget rental company in the Mediterranean, not here

After returning the car, Avis send me an e-mail that there were damages to the car. The damages have been there already before and I send them the list of registered damages and photos to prove it. They did not answer me and debited around 1000 Euros from my account.

Absolutely terrible, contacting someone over phone is almost impossible, the menus are a nightmare and lead in circles

I was in the unfortunate situation of being hit by a stone from the side, crashing the large window to the left of the driver seat. I contacted seven AVIS employees for help and guidance, but never received any.

The incidence – July 21 approx. 16:10
In the rural area of Beaujolais we are hit by a stone from the side and the left driver window crashes. We stop the car and call the AVIS Breakdown service

AVIS contact #1 – July 21, 16:19, call to AVIS Breakdown Service

Following the AVIS instructions, we call the AVIS Breakdown Service for help and guidance. The employee refuses to guide and help us in regard what to do with the car but insists that we are contact the police to have the police inspect the damages and to make a report. The employee instructs us to contact 112.

We call 112 (on 16:24) and is passed on to the closest local police station in Cluny, France. The police refuses to drive to the place of the incident and to make a report given the damages (a broken window by a flying stone).

AVIS contact #2, July 21, 16:50 the AVIS Office in Macon, France

With the information that AVIS Breakdown Service will not help us without a police report, we decide to drive with the broken window to the nearest AVIS branch in Macon, France, assuming a face-to-face encounter would increase the likelihood of AVIS help. We arrive 16:50 which is 10 minutes before closure of the AVIS Office. The employee refuses to help us, since she has no cars available, does not know what to do with a car with a broken window and is just about to close the office. I ask the employee to help me contact another AVIS office to help me, but she insists that I should make the call myself.

AVIS contact #3, July 21, 16:55, AVIS Customer Service Center from the AVIS Office in Macon, France

Using the AVIS Macon Office phone, I call the AVIS Customer Service Center for assistance and guidance. I talk with an employee from the central call center. She refuses to help us and insists that that the local branch in Macon should help us. I manage to convince the local AVIS Office manager to talk with the central service center. They talk together over the phone and I’m instructed to leave the AVIS Office which is closing to await a call from AVIS France for guidance. We leave the office in the car with the broken window to our place of stay during our vacation.

AVIS contact #4, approx. 16:20 from the AVIS France Service center

When driving back to our place of stay in the rented car, an AVIS employee calls us to inform us that she refuses to help us, since we have rented the car through a broker (rentalcars.com) and that it is the responsibility of the broker to help us. I pledge her to help us getting the window fixed or to help us to a car replacement, but she refuses. I inform her that the car is fully insured and the fact that we have used a broker to select AVIS as our car provided should not exclude us from receiving services normally expected from a car rental provider such as AVIS. Nevertheless, she refuses to help and insists that I contact the broker.

Upon our return to our place of stay, I contact the broker. Rentalcars provides me with very specific contract guidance and informs me, that it is ‘the responsibility of AVIS as the owners of the car...to issue an immediate replacement, advise a course of action as far as repairs are concerned, or accept an early return of the vehicle.’

AVIS contact #5, July 21 17:59 call to AVIS Office Hamburg Airport (the place of rental)

Since I have now lost faith in AVIS helping me fixing the car or replacing the car, I decide to propose shorten my vacation and to drive the car to AVIS in Hamburg Airport. I call the AVIS office in Hamburg and explain the situation and my proposal, given the fact that AVIS will not help me. The employee cannot endorse that I drive the car to Hamburg with a broken window nor can he guide me to an alternative solution. He refused to help/make a decision but insists that I call AVIS Break down center again.

AVIS contact #6, July 21 18:06 call to AVIS Breakdown Center
I call the AVIS Breakdown center and explain the situation and lack of AVIS help and guidance. I explain and document my lack of success with the French police in obtaining a report. The employee refuses to help or to endorse my proposal of driving the car with a broken window to Hamburg. He informs me that he needs to speak with a supervisor and that I will receive a call very soon. I’m never called back.

AVIS contact #7, July 22 9:41 call to AVIS Breakdown Center
The employee is not able to fix nor replace the car, but for the first time in my interaction with AVIS, I’m in contact with an employee who can make a decision to endorse my proposal to drive the car to Hamburg with the risk associated (which showed to be a very cold experience).

In conclusion a very bad experience, which I will never expose my family to again

Avis totally pulled us off. Our rental car was sold to us as a new car although the kilometer indication said something different and the car already had scratches. Then we got a big scratch in the car that we definitely didn't cause. The invoice was already deducted from our account before the matter was resolved. Overall rude and uncooperative. We'll never book through Avis again.

Just never ever use this rental company again. they will charge u everything that they do after the rental so make sure that u don't give them the right card or smthing. please just dont use this company

Rented a car for a longer period and feared this after a bad experience with another rental company. Rented a car at Avis Münster and the car was wonderful (I even got the choice between automatic and manual gears) and the service of the staff was incredible. They were so nice and helpful and I have two upcoming trips planned that I intend on using them for.
Only slightly bad thing was that we were told that there would be someone when returning the car in the evening (21:00) but there were none. However, we returned the car without any problems.

absolutely ridiculous service! After our car’s tire got punctured, we informed them immediately. They took our car after 1 hour for repairs. We had to postpone our plan to travel back. After 4-5 hours of continuous trying, they didn’t provide basic answers such as when would the car be available or would they provide different car. They don’t coordinate between themselves. One person told us to visit Avis office and they will provide us a new car. After going there, they said they don’t have any other car. they can only give next day. After requesting them to provide alternative as we had to leave the city same day because of work commitments the next day, they told us to wait for the same car. They will take us to the garage and that car will be repaired. It has been 6 hours and we are still waiting. Our vacation plans had to be canceled and they don’t care about customers.

they don't reply to emails, which is probably the worst... you just feel ignored.
I've called and send emails immediately after returning the car. My issue; Oil needed to be added to the car during the rental period, in which I had not driven more then couple hundred kilometers. When giving back the car I let the guy know he gave me some ellusive answer saying I needed to reply to the receipt... I contacted customer care immediately. Result: 1 phone call, 3 emails, no reply. Only after I complained and gave a bad review, almost 2 months later, they replied, claiming that they could not verify the claim. What a surprise, after 2 months....
Amazing. I would say; stay away. If this is their service for a 20euro refund, imagine if something more serious happens...
Safe yourself the frustration and stay away from them, far away, because they don't care about their customers at all.

Don't hire a car from Avis Munchen Centre !
You will be charged an additional day and when you contact their customer service department to put an official complaint, they won't answer your email!
This is the worse customer service that we have ever experienced.

Worst AVIS salesperson ever: Mr Johanan - King Shaka Airport) Durban

Wanted me to take additional insurance and when I declined, he informed me that I will be sorry when something goes wrong....Is that a curse? When I asked him to confirm that the car was paid for and the deposit is only for the fuel, he asked my in a very condescending way if this was the first time I'm renting a vehicle. He then went on to say "is it your second, is it your third.....no, it must be your first? Very degrading. His attitude stinks to high heaven and I hope that he is immediately dismissed after watching the CCTV cameras.

Whatever you do, don't rent from them, they are as CORRUPTED has can be and robbed me of $1,150 Euros on bogus charges 6 months after I returned the car
I have been disputing the charges with American Express but because of the contract at the time of rental there's no way to beat it

WORST RENTAL CAR EXPERIENCE EVER!!!

We had experience with other companies and had never problems. This was the first time with AVIS and it was a nightmare. here is why:
1. we reserved a car way in advance. When we came to pick it up they told us there was no car of the class we reserved left.
2. in order to that the employee tried to pressure us to take a two door mustang convertible instead (3 people, 3 big suitcases and 3 backpacks)... we told him that won’t fit, he told us it sure fits easy (it doesn’t)... after we finally managed to make clear to the employee we needed more space he offered a two door VW beetle convertible(!!!!). As u can guess... another discussion started where he tried to sell us a car which was useless for us, a car they clearly couldn’t rent out and he wanted to rent it to us for a higher price than we had actually reserved.
3. Suddenly out of the blue THERE WAS a car from the class we actually reserved available- it JUST COSTS way more than actually when reserved
4. only a little point but still: We were told the car has apple car play- of course it didn’t
5. the car itself was poorly cleaned: u couldn’t even see in the side mirrors.
6. and if that wasn’t enough the car smelled like a chainsmoker drove it for 10 years
7. when we returned the car the cost raised again: they charge 10 dollars for every gallon the have to refuel, another 16 dollars as service fee plus taxes. If u bring the car back with the tank 3/4 full you can easily face another 75 dollars

How they took 950 Euro from me
I returned a car in July without any accidents or incidents. In the garage where I returned it an employee came out, surveyed the car, told me everything was great, that he would send me the invoice in an email and I was free to go. I did not get any email however my credit card was charged an additional 950 euro for 'damages'. 950 EURO!!!
It has been 3 months, I've contacted customer service multiple times asking for my money back or even an explanation. So far they have been unable to provide me with anything.
Either its insurance fraud and they are taking advantage of my private insurance or simply taking advantage of a young, foreign female, travelling alone who doesnt speak the language.
I'm appalled!!!

Have rented from Avis dozens of times, most often at the Berlin Mitte location:

- Staff are friendly
- Frequent upgrades if vehicle class unavailable
- Was only once charged for minor damage, which actually occurred (damage charge was inflated, but insurance covered it)
- Easy to access car lots / garages
- Fast pick-up & easy going with off-hours drop-off's
- Their good rates inclusive unlimited KM's put them a notch above the competition

Middle of summer vacation in Europe and Avis at Munich airport has 3 desks open (one only for business) and about 200 people standing in line. It is a serious embarrassment for them how slow and poor client service they have. Staff up, it can not be a surprise to you how many customers you will get since the absolute majority prebook their car and indicate when they will pick it up.
The car rental business needs to step it up and get in the game.

Avis Dusseldorf (yet again). You should hang your head in shame for immoral business practices. If I ran my business in the same way you do I would be run out of town within the day. The sad fact is that one office sullies the whole Avis brand (including Luxembourg who have of the best rental offices of any car hire).

Return car. Show the agent a little dirt in the back which was there when I took it out. He said no problem. 6 days later I see a €150 charge on the credit card. No email, no final invoice, nothing.

For me it's nothing. I have insurance, time on my hands, and the strong sense of justice. I won't get my €150 back but I'll make sure that between the 100s of emails I'll send off to every board member has the effect of finally knocking some sense of morality into this corrupt branch.

Booked and prepaid through holidayauto.com, got a free upgrade from Ford to Volvo due to unavailability of the booked class. After return Avis charged my CC extra for Navi System which I never booked and winter tyres which were initially included. No response from customer service. Have to get refund through CC charge refusal.
I will avoid Avis, FYI, so far Enterprise Rent a car at the airport has been fair and will use them next time again.

I just waited in line for quite some time to talk with customer service in Hamburg Airport as I had some question regarding a booking I already had done. I wanted to ask if it was possible to change the return destination of my booking and sadly I was meet with a very rude woman. When I said that she was rude she just hang up on me!

Should you AVIS have interest in what employee it is that will do harm to AVIS which I have used many times and with ***** star experience you are very welcome to contact me and get the phone number that I called Avis with. Im sure you then will be able to see who needs to learn true customer service or be place in another work where she is not in contact with your clients.

The worst car rental return I ever had with Avis or any other comparable company on this planet. You follow the Airport signs to car rental and enter a parking garage. You would find Avis signs but no further advice on how to return the rental. No staff around, no further signs. We just parked and asked locals - long story short: it took us 30 minutes to find the Avis office at the arrival hall (!) and they ask us to go back to the car with them to check for any damage. As they wouldn't know the custumer return times, they have no stuff at the parking lot - what a great reason! Overall the process took 1h - luckily we were very early for our flight. As I complained about this poor service, they even started to laugh at us. Unbelievably for a brand like AVIS...