BEWARE OF AVIS CAR HIRE
 

Travellers should avoid AVIS CAR HIRE at all costs, I recently rented a car at Athens airport for a two week period.

Unfortunately I was forced off the road by a GREEK DRIVER the car sustained minor damage along the near side.

I returned the car to the airport naturally expecting to have to pay an insurance excess charge, imagine my horror to discover the excess was €1000 euro YES @1000EUROS.

IN Other words NO INSURANCE FOR DAMAGE ....

ON TOP OF THIS THE FUEL TANK WAS ONLY HALF FULL.

One again the AVIS CONN KICKED IN !!!!! They charged me for a full tank of fuel at €70-51

I filled this car from the Totally empty light for €75 euro, this included 23% FPR.

THEN AVIS HAD THE AUDACITY TO STEAL FROM ME A FURTHER 23% FPR

SO THEY CHARGED THE FPR (VAT) on this fuel TWICE THISIS THEFT AND I HAVE INFORMED THE GREEK FPR Tax Authorities.

GO TO EUROPACAR THEY WILL GIVE YOU A FAIR DEAL WITHOUT STEELING FROM YOU

Hi Palmer and welcome to Fodors. Nice that you joined so you could post this. We are all a bunch of really nice people who like to sit around and compliment each other on great posts. If I may be so bold though,

DID YOU READ THE CONTRACT!?! Oops, I'm sorry but it seems to me that pretty much every auto contract lists the deductible.

Wait, wait, I feel another attack coming on...

HAVE YOU EVER RENTED A CAR BEFORE!?! Whew, don't know where that came from. See, there is this thing that rental companies tell you about, that fill up thing. Pretty much anyone that has ever rented a car knows about this scam and fills up prior to drop-off or bites the bullet.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed your trip. Oh, and we'll be having our afternoon tea and effigy burning of Avis at 3pm GMT tomorrow.

:-)

dave

This is your first post, and all you want to share is your bad experience with Avis?

I have rented cars from Avis Greece many many times in the last 20 years, not even once have i faced a problem.
This is why i prefer to book from Avis also when i travel abroad.( and got never disappointed)

What probably happened to you, is that you had only a regular Collision damage waiver, so you had to pay your participation of 750 Euro plus 23% VAT. ( Look at the term and conditions of Avis, at www.avis.gr)

That means that the damage maybe wasn't as minor as you think it was.

What does a GREEK DRIVER have to do with anything? You were in an accident, the car sustained damage, and you didn't have proper insurance for it. Your fault, not Avis's.

Anytime you rent a car in Europe, whether through Avis or another company, you're obligated to return it with a full tank of gas or you'll get hosed in costs by the rental company to refill it. Your fault, not Avis's.

Next time, read the contract and comply with it.

Yeah StCirq, can you imagine...a GREEK DRIVER driving in GREECE? I mean I could forgive a driver from Estonia or China or the US, but GREECE? Whew, no wonder the OP was upset.

Darn, there goes my non-snarky award for the week.

:-)

dave

daveesl, you did a wonderful job of enlighting the OP. I caught just a hint of attitude but nary a snare of snarkiness. I vote that you are still in the running for the award of the week.:)

daveesl - :)

At least the OP informed the GREEK Tax Authorities (and not the Estonian, Chinese,or U.S. ones). That's sure to fix everything!

This posting about Avis is all Greek to me.

Suggest you:

1) Quite whining
2) In future read the contracts you sign
3) Understand that in europe VAT is applied to everything
4) Pay attention when you rent a car - every agency in every country I have been in charges you at an outrageous rate for fuel if you dont return the car full

Aside from that Avis is a franchise, so any complaints would be about one place, or at least one general area/country as to practices. What happens in Avis in Greece is irrelevant to Avis in other countries.

Christina
Avis ( franchise or not) has Terms and Conditions that apply to every rental agreement-contract.
When renting a car, the first thing one should do, is to read these terms and conditions.
Avis is Avis no matter where !!! Avis Europe has almost no differences in their terms and Conditions, as they are following the general policy of the company.

You should always inspect any car that you are renting as you pick it up and have the company document existing scratches, dings, dents, etc. I don't think your problem is specific to Avis/Budget.

I just rented a car from Avis in Europe and had no difficulties at all.

One needs to always do their due diligence when renting a car.

this includes:

Checking the car for damage, taking a photo and having it noted by the agent if there is any

understanding your contract and what you will be responsible for in the case of an accident

realizing that every rental company in the world charges a fortune for gas if you return the car with the tank not full (unless you have proof that you received the car that way)

We have rented from Avis in Athens on three occasions and had no problems, nor did we experience problems with them in Germany or Austria. EuropCar is actually the only rental company that has caused us a headache by charging bogus charges to our credit card months after the rental, which AutoEurope took care of for us.

> assumed the company was aware of this. <

Never assume, because if you do you make an ass out of u & me.

Always take photos of the car before you leave the garage.
Make sure that the agent has signed off on all damage.
Read the contract.
Stop whining.

((I))

<< We noted a small scratch at the back of the car, but assumed the company was aware of this.>>

Then you're a fool. Any blemish = tell the car company immediately. This is true in the US.

And the tank refill screw job is part and parcel of the rental contract in the US too. Anyone who doesn't expect the same in Europe is just not paying attention.

The two posters who are lambasting Avis are both one-time posters. What car rental company is putting these trolls out there me wonders...

Don't think it has anything to do with other rental companies. Just people who go through life clueless - and then are amazed/horrified/scandalized and hysterical when expected to follow the same rules as everyone else.

Two things everyone should do when renting a car:

(1) Use a credit card that provides rental car insurance. The credit card will then reimburse you for the deductible.

(2) If you see a scratch... at the minimum, take a picture of it, or - better - a series of pictures showing that you're in the rental company's lot. Make sure the picture is time stamped. This will be evidence enough to win any case.

The ONE thing that everyone who rents a car should do is:

remember that they are the ones who rented the car and nobody really cares that they had some bad experience because they were too lazy to do their homework/due diligence/whatever you want to call it.

We just had a great experience with a one-week Avis rental in France.

I dealt with Avis directly and got a rate lower than what I found on Autoeurope. Not a lot lower but lower.

We were given a car which IMO was nicer than the type/category I had reserved. GPS was included at no charge, and there was no charge for pick-up/drop-off in different locations. The car was in good shape, both interior and exterior, and very clean.

The tank was nearly 1/2 full when we picked up the car and not quite full when we turned it in. Avis gave us a very generous credit for about 1/3 tank of gas.

No complaints with Avis from me.

I have seen that many people have had the same problem.
As many, I refused to pay the all risks insurance, I had never had an accident before and it was the worst moment to have one.
So that I rented my car in London, and I have an accident in Dover's ferry port, a bit more than an hour away.

A polish lorry driver crashed my car when I was stopped. It was last May.
They not only charged me the 800 pounds for the insurance excess, but also the full fuel tank, what is obviously not fair, because i had the accident just 2 hours after I pick it up.

They didn't want to give me back the amount of money that they took unfairly. I didn't want the full amount, because I understand that I didn't return the car with the tank full of fuel, but just because I had an accident, and even the police said my car was not able to drive anymore, so I went to the closest AVIS store, instead of going to the petrol station. I understand if they charge me some money for that, but not the full tank. After claiming by phone and email, they didn't want to give me back my money. I was so upset for this unfairly thing, that I went to the office where I picked up the car, and fortunately, the kind man working in the office, the only fair worker from avis I have ever met, give me back the money charged for the fuel tank.

But I am still waiting, after 8 months, for getting back my money charged because of the accident. I know the fault was not mine. But after emailing them 20 times, they always say they are not able to reach the responsible, the insurance companies don't respond and so on. They always give me excuses.

And yes, I read the contract, which says that in case of accident they would charge me 800 pounds, and later, if the insurances companies decide that it is was not my fault, they will give me back, but in the contract they dont say that they lack of professionalism to help the customers, or keep the customer inform when they have paid a unfair amount of money.

I know people who have had the same problem than me in EUROPACAR, and they are really happy with the resolution of the problems. So I would never rent a car in AVIS, and I recommend not doing so.
Cheers

>>>I refused to pay the all risks insurance, I had never had an accident before<<<

You don't seem to understand the concept of insurance. The point is it protects you from FUTURE events, not ones in the past.

I know I took the risk. Anyway the fault was not mine. there was a policeman who witnessed the accident. but the problem is that the lorry driver is from Poland, and I rented the car in London and the accident was in Dover's port. And they say they cannot find the lorry driver nor the insurance company. I filled all the required documentation with all the details required after the accident, the policeman helped to do so. I am almost one year waiting for an answer. It is sad that a big company like AVIS struggle to find a lorry driver or an insurance company, even if it is out of England. They have offices and stores in everywhere. It should be easier for them. And it is not just that. They didn't take a copy of any document I filled. I have had to send them twice the documents with the driver and company details. and I email them every month to know about my case, otherwise, I wouldn't know how the case is going on, because they never contact me to let me know about it. I am starting to be tired of emailing them and not been informed. It is like they dont care about my situation, the 800 pounds they took from me and being not my fault, they still don't email me to inform me. If i dont email them in 2 months, they dont give me information about the case. That is not professional for a big company like them. NEVER AVIS.

And what about the fuel? they charged me for the whole tank, even having the accident 2 hours after I picked up the car. You think that is fair? At least there was a nice guy in the store who sorted it out for me, giving me back the money of the full tank. However, after calling and emailing them some times, they just said that they couldn't give me back my money that they charged for the full tank, even if I just used a quarter or even less of the tank, and that I couldn't fill it up because the car was not able to drive. NEVER AVIS.

Neveravis, once foreign vehicles leave the UK the drivers are very hard to track down, and many get away without paying fines for traffic offences. How much trouble and expense do you think Avis will expend trying to get back the £800 for you? You took a chance, and now you are paying for it. Live and learn. ;-)

I dont see how it is not your fault...you didnt take the extra insurance therefore when you have an accident, even when it is not your fault, you will pay. That is why you pay for the extra insurance.

This all sounds pretty fishy to me. If you are an experienced renter you already know what the rules are with insurance. In Australia and New Zealand the excess is about $3,000, this being reduced right down if you pay the extra. You need to access if it is worth it and in an area that is likely to have other tourists driving in unfamiliar areas let alone any bad local drivers then obviously it is worth the extra. I recently had a few days in my own country at a crowded tourist spot and took out the extra insurance, felt so much more relaxed about driving in the area. I only rent from the 'top four' including Avis and Budget and have never had a problem. Also if you don't return the car with the tank filled up they will charge a premium so it's your fault if you didn't do that. Try posting something positive about your trip and next time remember to read the small print before driving off..

To drscheel and others
I experienced a similar situation with Hertz in Australia. There was pre existing damage on a black car, a missing drivers side door lock cover exposing bare metal. The damage was so obvious that I wrongly assumed they knew about it .

Many times in the next six months I would kick myself for not taking a photo of the damage.

The company claimed I caused the damage and duly debited my credit card for several thousand dollars.

It took about six months and many emails, but I got reimbursed for every cent.

I pointed out to them that either; they didn't check the vehicle after the last hirer, or (and I suspect this is more likely) that the last hirer had the extra insurance.

Don't give up

I have no particular love or dislike of Avis but I find it strange, Nikolai, that you seem to have registered just to post to this old thread.

Hmmm

Yes, car rental companies often have obtuse contracts and try to hose the customer every chance possible. People who rent regularly are aware of this and know how to protect themselves. But, this kind of victim blaming is beneath us all. A bit of sympathy with the useful information would perhaps be more appropriate?

(snarkiness for the GREEK driver being fully warranted :) )

To the posters who have had a bad time with car rentals :
Unfortunately, every car rental company is the same.

I'm glad to have read this, as I plan a trip to Greece (to/from Athens airport) & Italy (arriving at Naples, leaving from Pisa) I will need to book car hire in both countries, and we may book twice in Italy, depending on the extra charge for dropping off at different location.

Thanks for all the warnings. I will read documents very carefully and make sure any damage to cars is noted .
I am wondering, though, why such different prices?
For 6 days in late May in Athens, Greece skyscanner gives (compact 2-3 doors) rent.it charging 85 euro, next cheapest is autoescape - 144 euro, rentalcars.com 177 euro, sixt 308 euro! All seem to be the same kind of deals.

I have hired cars about 8 times. They usually offer you the full tank to full tank option, or full to empty. I reversed into a nasty concrete bollard once in a car park in Nice. The hire car parking guy was unnecessarily rude to me about it, but I had the insurance so they didn't charge me.

But I do need to book again for May. Am I best booking now or waiting? Or is that impossible to know? It seems to be a minefield out there. I've never had a car-hire problem, but I have been reading some horror stories on reviewcentre.com

I booked a car in Athens through EconomyCarrentals.com The car was supplied by Avis. There was a strike on when I returned the car to the airport after a week. There was no gas to be had... all the service stations had run out. The lady at the Avis desk charged me 60 euros for gas which, since the car was running on fumes, is about what it would have cost elsewhere. She could have charged me 100 euros per the contract if I failed to fill it but she didn't. I wouldn't hesitate to use Economy and/or Avis again. I've often heard it said that budget.gr has excellent prices too. .GR not .com

Avis has been my go-to place whenever I wanna rent a car for my trip. I recently hired from Avis through carrentalsmarket.com and the service was ok. Booked through the app i downloaded, after comparing rates and then payed when i got to the counter. I've never had issues with them .

i have used Avis plenty of times, never had any problems. in Greece, i have rent from Avis 3 times. 2 in Athens and one in Katakolon (near Ancient Olympia). all the times, i had no problem, no over charging or anything else. unfortunately, the second time i rented from Athens airport, i had a small accident (my fault), but i had extra insurance, so they didnt charge me anything. if you are not sure what you are signing, READ the contract before you sign and add the extra insurance if you are still not sure. in Katakolon, i was there just for few hours as part of my cruise, the service was more "personal" than in big cities, had great recommendations of what to do while there from Avis staff. have also rented from Avis in UK and in Italy, no problems there as well.
keep in mind that avis.gr has fixed prices, not the same for avis.co.uk though.
what i mean is that if i want to book a car for June, whenever i book it (now or a day earlier) it will be tha same in .gr but not the same in .co.uk
As for Katakolon there is an Avis site katakolo-rentacar.com just for the cruise ship passengers with the same prices all year.
now, i have booked a car with Avis in Valencia-Spain, hopefully the service will be great there too.
I have also used Budget once in London, great service too. Not happy with Europcar again in London, but this is my personal opinion at that time.