Fool’s News

I will never rent a car from Avis (or Budget) again.  I hope you won’t either.  It does not provide customer service.  Rather it seemingly hates its own customers.

On a recent trip, I accidentally locked a suitcase in my rental car.  The rental location did not have spare set of keys.   So, Avis charged me for the locksmith fees.  Don’t they have insurance for that kind of stuff?  My rental agreement mentions nothing about locksmith fees.  Avis has also charged me for two (2) days of rental at the “additional” day rate for the time the car was locked.  But, if refuses to provide me with any verification that it actually affected its business.  In other words, it refuses to show me that they had to deny someone a car rental or give someone an upgrade based on the unavailability of the car.

Here’s the best.  I suggested that Avis should put its lock box for key return outside the airport door.  I was informed that that would not be secure.  It is a lock box.  I informed him that it was not secure to leave an unlocked car in a parking lot.  He told me that an airport is a busy place and no one would take the car.  Doesn’t the same analysis apply to the lock box.  If the airport is secure enough to leave an unlocked car in the lot with its keys inside, shouldn’t a locked key return box which is attached to the airport be equally secure – if not more so?  This Avis representative said whatever came to mind even if it was illogical or directly contradicted his earlier statement.  

That alone shows a complete disregard for customer service.  

Speaking with Mark, he very promptly informed me that Avis is not responsible for anything left in the vehicle.  Good customer service.  How about:  ”Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.  If it’s still there, we’ll do what we can to get that back to you.”  Asshole!   It is abundantly clear that Avis does not care for its customers.  In these particularly lean economic times, Avis should have more respect for its customers.  

Avis got its money.  I hope it was worth losing my business forever – literally.  There are many other options there.  Even at the rinky-dink airport at which I rented this car there was a Hertz location. Hmm… eating the locksmith fee of $125.00 or losing thousands of dollars of future business?  I truly hope that Avis goes the way of other businesses.  I’m sure Avis would not warrant a government bail out.  So, hopefully it will just disappear off the face of the planet into the obscurity which it deserves.

If Avis actually does “try harder” (yes, that refers to its slogan “We try harder.”) – excuse me while I chuckle – I hate to see how shitty it would he if it didn’t try harder.