5 Mar, 2018 → by ClaimboUser386048
AVIS is terrible, never use them

1

We planned a trip to Europe in the summer of 2017 with a Avis van rental picked up in Rome and dropped off in Paris. Avis is the WORST company I have ever dealt with for a rental and I will NEVER use them again. I had setup the rental in the US and had to pay almost $4K for about 2.5 weeks, they scammed me with a surcharge to return it in Paris instead of Rome of over $1400 but whatever, I needed a van and they had it. Where to start. The pickup was in Rome near the train station but when we got to the train station, they said it wasn't there? It was down the road in some building with a garage and they told me to walk down there about 2 blocks away in a terrible area. We go there and there are no signs, nothing saying anything about Avis. After asking in hotels and two other people near there, they said it was the top floor of the garage. We go to get there and 1 of the 2 elevators is out of service. Finally, we get there and they say they have to call for it, fine, they then proceed to sell me additional insurance for theft because they say it is high in Italy, I ask if it covers everything and the guy says yes so I take it. Of course the contract is in Italian which I don't speak so who knows what it says but he says that it covers everything if the car is stolen or items inside are stolen so it is good but all in Italian and he doesn't have it in English. First scam. We get the van and of course it is stick shift which most people don't drive and I asked for auto but that is what it is. Luckily I drive stick so I don't make a issue of it even though it is nonsense. We drive up to Piza and while there someone does break into the car and take out computer equipment. We try to file a police report but apparently none of the police want to take a report so after going to 4 different police stations, one will take the report. While in the police station and parked out front, I get a parking ticket which is ridiculous but more on that later, it is relevant. We continue on and when I am driving a light comes on to add blue??? I go to a gas station and find out it is additive to the diesel required to drive emissions wise so I have to add it, why it was empty, who knows. Another scam. We drive more and then a oil light comes on, I had to add a whole quart of oil. Again, why it wasn't full, no idea. More scams. So we get to Paris after having a ton of issues parking wise because the van was too tall to fit into any garage under 2.5m in height. I have on the agreement that I will return it at a specific location at 11 PM. We get there at 9:15 PM early and I go to return it. The Avis is closed??? I call Avis and they tell me yes, it is closed so why they allowed me to ask to return it there at 11 PM is ridiculous. They call 3 other places in Paris, all closed. So the lady asks if I can drive it to the airport to return it about a 40 min drive out of the city??? I said no, I am not doing that and will return it in the AM. Luckily I didn't have a flight. I show up again at the place listed to return it at 7 AM when they open, the Avis guy looks at the van and says, no, he won't take it because it is too big???? Seriously? He says I have to go to a different place at a train station and gives me that address. It takes me 1/2 hour to get there and the address is a McDonalds. WTF. I look up on mapquest and find one by the train station a few blocks further. No signs again. After searching around I find it in the basement and the guy says I can't leave it there, I have to drive it to a garage and park it there and walk back with the keys. I pay thousands and that is the service?? So I tell him I can't fit in a garage 2 m, he says no worries, it will fit. He then gives me a map because it is so hard to find the place. Another 1/2 hour on one way streets that go in circles and we find it, max height is 2 m, didn't I say that???? So I again have to drive back to the train station and I tell him, it won't fit. He says it will, don't worry about the sign, it will fit because they do it all the time. I disagree but another woman behind the counter jokes and says don't worry and makes a scraping sound laughing, not funny. So again, back to that garage and another 1/2 hour and it clearly says 2 m max height, so I listen to the guy and pull in. The sign overhead hanging saying 2 meters hits the roof and drags along it as I go in. I go down the hill and a huge metal bar is 3 inches below the roof. If I continued it would break all the windows and rip off the roof. So, I have to go back up in reverse and I finally park it on the street. Walk back to the train station and give them the keys and tell them I am done. They have an attitude that I parked it on the street but I didn't care. Then I get home and make a claim about the theft, Avis writes back and says it doesn't cover items inside, just theft of the vehicle. Another scam. That isn't what the guy told me when I got the insurance but since it was in Italian, they said too bad, that is what is says. So, I couldn't make a claim. Then, 2 months later they charge my card another $55 for the ticket. Not to pay the ticket, just to tell me that I will be getting it???? I dispute it an say that is BS, I am not paying someone to tell me I am getting a ticket but they say that is administrative fees to tell the authorities who I am. They reject the claim and I am forced to pay it. Another scam. Avis is not a reputable company based on all the above and I have no idea how they stay in business
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