Avis - FTP = First Time Preferred = Signature Required?

I rent 25 - 30 times a year and recently switched from Hertz to Avis. I rented at San Antonio airport yesterday (SAT) and was told that Avis corporate policy is that the first time you go to an Avis location as a preferred, you are required to go to the counter, wait in line, and check in so that they can physically swipe the card that is on file. They told me that this is company-wide policy at every location? Is that really true? If so, it destroys the value of being a Preferred renter -- i.e., not having to wait in line. I travel frequently to new locations, so this would be a really bad policy for me.

Hertz did not have such a policy.

Any experts know the real answer?

My understanding is that you only have to do this once and then you're good to go at any location. You wouldn't have to do it again for every new location you visit, only if you change the credit card on your profile.

Hertz has the same policy the first time you join #1 Club Gold. In my case, I rented from a neighbourhood location in my own city, so then Gold was configured for my upcoming trip to a location that had the Gold section. Where Hertz and Avis differ is that Hertz seems to update their system right away. I had a booking that read "Gold Service Not Available", and when I checked it online after completing the aforementioned qualifying rental it had changed to say "Gold Service Confirmed".

With Avis, I qualified for Preferred on a rental at YYZ, and then found my name not on the board on my next rental because it was a prepaid rental through Aeroplan. Then a few days later in Victoria the downtown office hadn't printed my contract and said "Oh, you're a first time Preferred". I guess it only reflects in their system on rentals you book AFTER you qualified.

Same happened for me on my first Avis Preferred Rental back a few years ago. They wanted to physically verify and swipe (?) my drivers license, and swipe my CC, and had me sign a few things.

Ever since then, I havent had to sign anything ever again, except at one rogue AVIS in Wilmington, NC, which insisted I sign the contract in 10 places, including lines he drew on the contract indicating fuel tank full, and no damage to the vehicle...

I

Hertz did not have such a policy.

Any experts know the real answer?

yes, hertz had this policy. When I signed up for hertz at Sacramento, the first time I used the program I had to see the agent at the counter.

that was a while ago, pre avis though.

As an avis expert, yes, if you book online, the policy was originally set up pre "electronic signature" laws, so you needed to sign and swipe the card. now that we have the electronic signatures, they could bypass it, but they continue with the procedure to cut down on fraud.