Guy Betsy
Aug 16, 09, 8:11 am
I had booked a compact car for pick up at Penang (Malaysia). But I didn't know what sort of car they had for me so I also booked a similar category car with Hertz.
Upon arriving in Penang and checking with both car companies, I decided that Avis had the worse deal. Even though the car was better, their accidental access wasn't. If its without the additional insurance, they wanted to hold a US$4300 (MYR 15,000) access on my creditcard ! If I got their additional insurance, it would have been US$430 ( MYR 1,500) access. Still in my opinion to be too high.
Hertz, on the other hand was only US$ 150 (MYR 500) on their additional insurance. No car company in Malaysia will reduce the access to zero.
So I told Avis that unless they can match Hertz's rates and insurance policy I will not take the car with them.
Then the agent said tht she will charge me a cancellation penalty for cancelling on the spot. I asked what if I no showed? Then she said that would be different. But since I did show up, she will go ahead and charge my credit card on file!
Is this legal? Then she asked me to sign on the dotted line. I refused. Cos if I signed it, it meant that I accepted their cancellation. I told them that they didn't match Hertz's rates so I won't take it. The agent actually scolded me for being 'unprofessional'.
I guess I shall challenge the charge when it comes through my cc then. But really. After that experience I might just not rent from Avis in Malaysia ever again.
Upon arriving in Penang and checking with both car companies, I decided that Avis had the worse deal. Even though the car was better, their accidental access wasn't. If its without the additional insurance, they wanted to hold a US$4300 (MYR 15,000) access on my creditcard ! If I got their additional insurance, it would have been US$430 ( MYR 1,500) access. Still in my opinion to be too high.
Hertz, on the other hand was only US$ 150 (MYR 500) on their additional insurance. No car company in Malaysia will reduce the access to zero.
So I told Avis that unless they can match Hertz's rates and insurance policy I will not take the car with them.
Then the agent said tht she will charge me a cancellation penalty for cancelling on the spot. I asked what if I no showed? Then she said that would be different. But since I did show up, she will go ahead and charge my credit card on file!
Is this legal? Then she asked me to sign on the dotted line. I refused. Cos if I signed it, it meant that I accepted their cancellation. I told them that they didn't match Hertz's rates so I won't take it. The agent actually scolded me for being 'unprofessional'.
I guess I shall challenge the charge when it comes through my cc then. But really. After that experience I might just not rent from Avis in Malaysia ever again.