Jump Start Charge

Old Apr 15, 2015, 9:58 am
  #1  
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Jump Start Charge

So flyertalk friends what should I do here?

As a background I am a very frequent Avis renter, preferred etc:

A few months ago I rented a brand new Kia from Avis. After driving to my hotel 300 miles away and parking to unload luggage I went back to the car and it would not start! I was offered a jump start by hotel and co-workers but declined and called Avis as I was concerned the car was at fault. Avis responded that they would send someone out and give me a jumpstart/check the battery. I asked at least twice if there would be a charge and was told no charge whatsoever.

An hour later the call out guy arrives and we jump the car. He thinks there may be a bad cell in the battery (car is brand new) and confirms there will be no charge.

I continue to drive the car with no more issues (weird) and return it a few days later.

Now I find a charge on my Amex statement for $53 for a jump start. I call Avis customer service twice and am basically told I cannot prove the helpdesk told me no charge and they are not going to issue a refund. Pretty much called me a liar.

Clearly I am shocked and upset they are treating me this way but I am also now getting angry and will not let this drop. Here are my questions/thoughts:

1, Is this the way Avis treat someone who is one of there best customer. Clearly by the response and attitude of customer service they could not care less. I have spent thousands with them this year already and get treated this way.

2, All calls to help desk are recorded so evidence must exist for the initial call I made where I was told no fee. Can I push to get them to release the call detail?

3, The car is brand new (Kia) and already covered by a free customer call out. How can Avis charge me for something covered by a new car warranty. Can I find out if they got a refund from Kia?

4, It would be interesting to see if other folks have had the same issue with this car in subsequent rentals. Can I find this out?

Thanks for any help.
jtatlanta is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2015, 6:40 am
  #2  
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Wow, that's quite a disappointing experience! Hopefully you're able to get it resolved.


Originally Posted by jtatlanta
1, Is this the way Avis treat someone who is one of there best customer. Clearly by the response and attitude of customer service they could not care less. I have spent thousands with them this year already and get treated this way.
Define "best customer"? Just because one spends a bunch of $$ with them, doesn't mean best. I'd presume Avis looks at profit, not spend, when trying to define best customers. And I think Avis treats everyone identical on issues like this; doesn't matter if you're Joe Schmo with no status, Avis First or a Chairman.


Originally Posted by jtatlanta
2, All calls to help desk are recorded so evidence must exist for the initial call I made where I was told no fee. Can I push to get them to release the call detail?
Just because it's recorded doesn't mean it's saved. I highly doubt they'll be able to pull the recording, even if they wanted to. Very doubtful you can get them to give you a copy of this.


Originally Posted by jtatlanta
3, The car is brand new (Kia) and already covered by a free customer call out. How can Avis charge me for something covered by a new car warranty. Can I find out if they got a refund from Kia?
Again, very doubtful you'll get this information without a subpoena. Also, are you sure this was covered under the car warranty? Not all "typical terms" that come with cars are offered to fleet sales. This is part of why they get extremely low pricing offered.


Originally Posted by jtatlanta
4, It would be interesting to see if other folks have had the same issue with this car in subsequent rentals. Can I find this out?
Further, very doubtful Avis will give you this information without a subpoena.

If it were me, I'd go through the Better Business Bureau or fight the charge on your card. However, if it started every time without issue after the jump, they might try to claim that you drained the battery and the jump solved the issue you caused. Not saying you caused it, but just preparing you for an uphill battle. Good luck!
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Old Apr 16, 2015, 3:26 pm
  #3  
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Dispute the charges with Amex. They are very "pro customer" with disputes.
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Old Apr 18, 2015, 1:30 am
  #4  
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I think if you read the forum, Avis does not come across as the most trustworthy or ethical company. So, it seems anything goes - your reserved car might not be there, AvisFirst terms change without advanced notice, etc.

Today, when I returned my car at ORD, the guy behind me had a hole in his front bumper (it seems some cover fell off). Avis wanted to charge him for it. Luckily, he had a pink slip documenting that defect. Now, I wonder what happens with the next guy who gets the car. Would Avis automatically document it or it would be up to the next guy to notice it and document it?
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Old Apr 18, 2015, 12:37 pm
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Well good news. There is a specific section on the Avis site where you can escalate a dispute as long as you already have a case number. I did so explaining what happened and a nice person called the following day and refunded the money so case closed for me

Seems like customer service have no power do to anything so this is the way to follow up in a dispute situation.
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Old May 10, 2015, 3:45 am
  #6  
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At first I was wondering how this was even a topic of debate. The car that you rented from AVIS had a technical problem so they had to straighten that out. If anyone should have a right to charge for that problem it should be you because of the time you lost waiting for them to put it right (but I'm sure there's a clause in their contracts excluding these kinds of claims). But then I read this comment:

Originally Posted by IAHtraveler
Also, are you sure this was covered under the car warranty? Not all "typical terms" that come with cars are offered to fleet sales. This is part of why they get extremely low pricing offered.
Are you saying that they have found a legal way to make their renting customers responsible for the technical integrity of their cars because they didn't pay for warranty? Is this something to be aware of when renting with AVIS (or any other company)? Please advise.
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Old May 10, 2015, 5:46 pm
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Originally Posted by txl
Are you saying that they have found a legal way to make their renting customers responsible for the technical integrity of their cars because they didn't pay for warranty? Is this something to be aware of when renting with AVIS (or any other company)? Please advise.
Read your rental agreement (yes, the multiple page document that you agreed to in very small fine print). You'll see you're responsible for pretty much everything about the car.
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Old May 11, 2015, 8:32 am
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Originally Posted by bkafrick
Read your rental agreement (yes, the multiple page document that you agreed to in very small fine print). You'll see you're responsible for pretty much everything about the car.
You're responsible for it for anything over which you have control. If it gets a flat because you drove over a nail, you're responsible. If the battery dies because you left the lights on, you're responsible. If you get in a car with 40k miles, drive it off the lot, and the engine seizes up 200 yards down the road because the oil had never been changed, no way that's your fault. Similarly, if the engine seizes up because of a manufacturing defect, definitely not your fault.
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Old May 11, 2015, 3:00 pm
  #9  
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Thanks for the replies! Overall, I guess they are reassuring. From my point of view there's nothing wrong with being held responsible for damaging a car that isn't yours. I was just worried that you would be held responsible for wear and tear...
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Old May 15, 2015, 11:17 am
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Originally Posted by cestmoi123
If you get in a car with 40k miles, drive it off the lot, and the engine seizes up 200 yards down the road because the oil had never been changed, no way that's your fault. Similarly, if the engine seizes up because of a manufacturing defect, definitely not your fault.
In theory, sure.

How much shall we wager that AVIS would claim you did something to make it happen and try to bill you?
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Old May 15, 2015, 1:49 pm
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Originally Posted by bkafrick
In theory, sure.

How much shall we wager that AVIS would claim you did something to make it happen and try to bill you?
They might try, but they'd have to make a case. Anyway, I really don't care. My credit card and Avis could fight it out between themselves.
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