AVIS scumbag!

[dixonsontour]

I know you shouldn't have to but joining the vip clubs of the car hire companies seems to avoid the hassle. It's free to do. You can usually go straight to the garage avoiding the hard sell desks. I suspect they are less likely to try it on with a vip customer too.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by dixonsontour

I know you shouldn't have to but joining the vip clubs of the car hire companies seems to avoid the hassle. It's free to do. You can usually go straight to the garage avoiding the hard sell desks. I suspect they are less likely to try it on with a vip customer too.

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We're no longer members of any suppliers club, but I'm in no doubt the only reason we don't get a hard sell at the Budget desk is due to only having a one day MCO to Cape Coral hire, on the return we take a two day hire but the Cape Coral office don't give hard sell. Budget used to allow Europeans to join Fastbreak, now it's only available to Americans. I'd use Alamo at MCO for OLCI and Skip the Counter but then we'd have to haul 40 miles, each way, to Fort Myers to drop the car vs the 10 miles to Budget's CC office.

[OnOurWay]

Wow, shocking behaviour! I used to work for Avis at Cape Town International and honestly cannot remember behaviour like this. I don't remember being paid commission either although my main role was not on the desk. We were expected to treat Avis Preferred clients as royalty and always offered these customers an upgrade free of charge where possible. This was in about 1995, so things may have changed since then. I am a lousy salesperson, so guess I wouldn'the get a job with them now!

[dexdis]

The hard sell has never bothered me as I just say no thankyou, but last year With Alamo, I took the basic car I had with the booking, a Chevy Spark, ideal for myself and my good lady, but the clerk resorted to 'the woes of such small car on our big roads', which worried me not one jot, I still smile at his parting words of ' jeez buddy, rather you than me', needless to say we survived! .☺☺

[Tretinker]

We had similar with Hertz at MCO this year which was awful! My DH could get talked into anything and I was ill from the flight so I sat with cases and children while he went to the desk under strict instructions to say no to everything offered... 20mins he came back telling me the guy was insisting we needed xyz. So myou sickbag and I go to the desk and I just ask him to process whatever he needs to process to give me my car, no we don't want anything else we've got everything we need. 20 mins he argued with me too and I was ready to explode.

Told him I was about to vomit on his desk, we're not paying for anything else and to give us our car, he pointed me to the toilets! Umm no thanks I want my car... then DHs credit card didn't work! I could have cried but it took longer to get our car than it did to fly from miami to orlando (a lot longer).

When we got to the garage that was a mess too, 3 attempts at getting car and a 3 mile walk to find the last one we were away but never again with Hertz for us. I know the rental places are bad but this was ridiculous.

I know you've had a bad experience with Avis but I do think they are all the same. We're doing the preferred this time in the hopes to avoid the desk.

[Stevelovesfl]

OP you need to read the rental very carefully before signing, difficult after a LH flight as I have fallen for this too with Hertz. His attitude wasn't great so Email the office with his name.

They often try the upgrade trick, "I'm going to give you a" which means you'll pay for an upgrade, stick to what you've booked saying again and again.

A good tip is to keep your fuel receipt for when you return the car. Put it on the dashboard and take a pic of it with the fuel guge and mileage all clearly shown, quite difficult in a covered parking lot. I have been charged before for fuel by Avis when I filled it up prior to returning it. I only did a few miles in it and they charged about 30 Euro's. Lucky I had the receipt still, so when I sent it in I got a refund to the card.

The joys of renting a car.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Stevelovesfl

OP you need to read the rental very carefully before signing, difficult after a LH flight as I have fallen for this too with Hertz. His attitude wasn't great so Email the office with his name.

They often try the upgrade trick, "I'm going to give you a" which means you'll pay for an upgrade, stick to what you've booked saying again and again.

A good tip is to keep your fuel receipt for when you return the car. Put it on the dashboard and take a pic of it with the fuel guge and mileage all clearly shown, quite difficult in a covered parking lot. I have been charged before for fuel by Avis when I filled it up prior to returning it. I only did a few miles in it and they charged about 30 Euro's. Lucky I had the receipt still, so when I sent it in I got a refund to the card.

The joys of renting a car.

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Agreed Steve - I always get a receipt for fuel when we return the car and ask the agent to check it, so far it's never been an issue and they wave it off and give me a $0 balance sign off slip from their machine.

We have to be so bloody vigilant with these agents and it really does annoy me. They were given no option when we rented long term, I'd to slap the contract/driving licence/credit card on the counter and say, no upgrades, no fuel, no offers, no insurance, no breakdown, nothing, zip, nada, please process my $0 to pay contract and I'll be gone. It may not sound polite but it did the trick.

[Charlottesumx]

Originally Posted by ChrisS

I'd to slap the contract/driving licence/credit card on the counter and say, no upgrades, no fuel, no offers, no insurance, no breakdown, nothing, zip, nada, please process my $0 to pay contract and I'll be gone. It may not sound polite but it did the trick.

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I like your style, Chris, but as you said, it's a shame we have to be 'impolite'!

It's so difficult to go through the rigmarole and stick to your guns when you're exhausted after a flight, so this direct approach seems the best!

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Charlottesumx

I like your style, Chris, but as you said, it's a shame we have to be 'impolite'!

It's so difficult to go through the rigmarole and stick to your guns when you're exhausted after a flight, so this direct approach seems the best!

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C, you could always try my other angle... slap your paperwork, dl and cc on the counter with... 'I'm tired, got a PMS headache that kicks in my bitch from hell gene, any questions?'

[disneytrio]

It's scadulous, what's really bad is how they get away with it with those poor folks who are 1st timers or only been a few times, we of coarse have been wise for many years. It is fraudulent !