Stay away from Avis car rental at Orlando airport!

[CapeG]

I am posting this to try and save another family from being taken advantage of from Avis car rental.
We booked a mini van with them for our 10 day rental. I had pre-paid for the car rental so when picking it up we declined ALL extra's. I know that they try to up sell you but I did my research before and knew we needed no extra insurance etc. The representative told my husband what boxes to tick and where to sign and we went on our way.
We made the mistake of not checking the confirmation we were given at pick up or the receipt at drop off because we were not expecting any additional charges seeing as we had declined everything!
When I got my credit card statement I saw a charge from Avis for $186. My husband called Avis and was told it was for a charge for XM radio and for an additional insurance.
We declined all extra's so the representative added additional extra's without our knowledge. My husband tried to explain to the customer service line and after it being sent higher up we were told by email the charges would remain.
We feel like we have been robbed and very upset that even though we declined extra's we were still charged. I know we should of checked the confirmation when we picked up but we trusted the rep and ticked the boxes he said, signed and went on our way.
We hope that people read this and think twice about using Avis. I you have no choice but to use them, then please check the breakdown before you sign anything!

 

[csjordan]

I am posting this to try and save another family from being taken advantage of from Avis car rental.
We booked a mini van with them for our 10 day rental. I had pre-paid for the car rental so when picking it up we declined ALL extra's. I know that they try to up sell you but I did my research before and knew we needed no extra insurance etc. The representative told my husband what boxes to tick and where to sign and we went on our way.
We made the mistake of not checking the confirmation we were given at pick up or the receipt at drop off because we were not expecting any additional charges seeing as we had declined everything!
When I got my credit card statement I saw a charge from Avis for $186. My husband called Avis and was told it was for a charge for XM radio and for an additional insurance.
We declined all extra's so the representative added additional extra's without our knowledge. My husband tried to explain to the customer service line and after it being sent higher up we were told by email the charges would remain.
We feel like we have been robbed and very upset that even though we declined extra's we were still charged. I know we should of checked the confirmation when we picked up but we trusted the rep and ticked the boxes he said, signed and went on our way.
We hope that people read this and think twice about using Avis. I you have no choice but to use them, then please check the breakdown before you sign anything!

Wow, so sorry this happened to you. Could happen to any of us! I know I'm really bad about rushing when picking up cars, etc...,especially when headed to WDW! Did you check your receipts to ensure you did, indeed, request the extras (even if by accident)? If so, I guess you are stuck with the charges. I will make sure to take more time to read the fine print!

 

[CapeG]

We declined ALL extra's verbally! However the rep put in that we asked for XM radio and an extra insurance which we did not. My husband signed the screen like he was told and we went on our way.
Upon reviewing the contract now we are home there is a x next to accepted where it states XM radio and the insurance.
Avis are sticking to "you agreed and signed your name" line. However we did not agree…yes we were told to sign our name so we could finish up.
Also on the contract we were given at pick up it says we declined Liability waiver however on the receipt we were given at drop off it says liability waiver and a charge of $131.
We were told by Avis they reviewed the contract and the charges stick. No-one called to talk to us about our complaint or to get our side of the story.
We understand from a business point of view it shows accepted and my husbands signature but we NEVER accepted any extra's.

 

[csjordan]

We declined ALL extra's verbally! However the rep put in that we asked for XM radio and an extra insurance which we did not. My husband signed the screen like he was told and we went on our way.
Upon reviewing the contract now we are home there is a x next to accepted where it states XM radio and the insurance.
Avis are sticking to "you agreed and signed your name" line. However we did not agree…yes we were told to sign our name so we could finish up.
Also on the contract we were given at pick up it says we declined Liability waiver however on the receipt we were given at drop off it says liability waiver and a charge of $131.
We were told by Avis they reviewed the contract and the charges stick. No-one called to talk to us about our complaint or to get our side of the story.
We understand from a business point of view it shows accepted and my husbands signature but we NEVER accepted any extra's.

It seems to me that if the contract indicates you waived insurance, they should honor that! What crappy customer service!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I would take your complaint to social media...via either Avis' Facebook page and/or Twitter, if they have accounts on those sites. These days, those seem to be the best avenues for actually getting a customer complaint resolved.

Did you actually use the XM while you were in the vehicle? That might be a sticking point...

 

[Jarmo]

Yikes... I'll be picking up a car from Avis on Saturday. I usually like to use Alamo so I can do everything at the self-serve kiosk but this was booked with air miles so Alamo wasn't an option.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll be double checking the paperwork

 

[CapeG]

No we never used the XM radio, we had no idea the car even had it.
My husband has been posting on Avis FB page but they keep deleting it! The page is FULL of complaints!!!
I am very frustrated because other than the initial phone call to find out what the charge was and asking to speak to a supervisor no-one has called us. It was sent to be reviewed and I was emailed to tell us they looked into the paperwork and we accepted the charges so they will not do anything about it.
My husband contacted the email they put out on the FB page and last night they replied to say they are sending our additional comments to be reviewed.

It's all very shady and a lesson learnt that you can not trust anyone, you have to look at all the small print etc.

 

[Jarmo]

You can call your credit card company and explain the issue. You can request to file a "chargeback" for the additional fees and they may be able to get your money back.

 

[okeydokey]

Dispute it with your credit card company and call Avis and tell them that you did it. Maybe they will waive the charges to avoid the hassle. If not, maybe the card company will rule in your favor.

 

[carmelhp]

Dispute it with your credit card company and call Avis and tell them that you did it. Maybe they will waive the charges to avoid the hassle. If not, maybe the card company will rule in your favor.

Do NOT call AVIS after filing the dispute. File the dispute right away. The credit card company may ask for additional information, just tell them your side of the story, and what steps you took to resolve it, if they ask.

 

[NotUrsula]

That X on the contract was probably where you were supposed to initial that you declined it. The way that the contracts are usually written, all such extras are included unless you actively decline them.

For future reference, ALWAYS join the company's customer club before renting a car. Your club profile will include all of your decisions on these issues, and the contract will print out with them already marked. No up-sell for members.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

it's just not Avis in Orlando that has poor customer service and questionable business methods, there are many. We were loyal Avis customers, always used them for all travel. I'd reserve on line, and or via phone but always confirm with a phone call and insist they email me a copy. If something not on my copy (carseat for example), I'd keep calling until it was stated on my copy. Too many times we'd get to Avis for them to say "I don't see a carseat on the reservation." Then I show them my copy, "they say Oh," And once even said we don't have any more car seats. They always, and I stress always try to give me another rate than what I reserved the car for at either pick up or drop off. Once it was over a $200 difference at pick up. Told the lady that it wasn't the price I reserved, she said "that's the price I show on my screen." THEN I show her my copy and she says, "that's a good rate." and changed it. I call every time I complain that their business practice is less than honest. We just don't use Avis anymore. Not worth it and I'm not dealing with a company that has such questionable business practices.

 

[mcjaco]

I've used every form of rental company over the past twenty years. Avis was contracted with a previous company. Never had issues with them. Declined coverage (which you should do anyway), and I've never heard of any company charging for XM. If it's on the car, it's on the car.

Currently I use Enterprise for business. Same thing. Decline coverage (your personal ins. covers you). and the satellite radio is part of car, if it's available.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would contact the BBB. As well as letting everyone you know on Facebook and Twitter, and whatever other social media form you use.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I would make the twitter and facebook thing a daily activity and constantly hashtag and tag them. I would also post on every single Disney Message board and Orlando Message board you can find and hot link them if possible. I would then make a blog post about it if you blog or create a blog to just have this out there in the world of internet blogs, then share that post on Facebook and encourage your friends to share it as well. Maybe even start a Facebook page about Bad Rental Car Experiences.

 

[Conquer1]

I agree with some of the others that have posted. Contact your CC company and dispute it and they should initiate a chargeback.

 

[feistygalkmc]

I work for a car rental company (not Avis) but just some advice on charge backs, just because your cc company gives you back your money doesn't mean Avis won't come after you for the chargeback. A lot of people think that because their cc company found in their favor they are free and clear of paying the bill but that isn't really the case. Basically if you don't pay for the chargeback then Avis will send you to collections. It is best to deal with the company directly honestly. Now, with that said, yes, typically once you sign for items the rental companies don't like to give your money back. I mean, let's face it, that's one way they make their money and are in business this probably happens about 80-90% of the time. Practically NO ONE reads what they are actually signing for but there are also rental agents who cheat the system as they receive commissions and are held accountable to a goal of the ancillary products they sale. My advice is to contact the customer service department and ask to speak to a supervisor or manager. If/when you initiate a chargeback it will do nothing for you because you will still receive the bill anyway from the rental company and you are back at round one. Good luck!