ChristianKiev

I'm normally renting with SIXT - but last month in Venice I decided to rent from AVIS.

Did the reservation online, entered my President number and got a good rate for a Fiat 500L. When I've shown up at the office near the railway station I was asked from my President card.

I told the lady behind the counter that I don't have the card physically with me but can give her my number. She said 'No! I need to see the card because everybody could give her a number'. I said that she could check online number, name etc. She said 'no!'.

Now she started to check my documents and the info in the computer. She asked me: 'where's Odessa?'. I answered 'in Ukraine'. Her answer was 'OHHHHHHH!!!' After a few seconds she asked: 'You're German, living in Ukraine, holding a Swiss credit card?'. I told her 'yes'. She said: 'I'll not give you a car!'.

I was shocked, had already many rentals with AVIS in the past. So I asked her 'why?'. She told me 'Because it's our car and you could steel it'. Now I was shocked and very, very angry. I told her that my CC has a higher limit than the 500L costs, so what?'. She was insisting not to give me a car.

Only when I really got loud the manager arrived. After another 20 minutes of discussion (the line behind me was now really very, very long) I was able to get the 500L.

Is this normal with AVIS that they do require the AVIS card physically? With SIXT I never had to show my card, even don't have it with me.

djk7

I rent mostly in the US, but I've never carried my Avis card. Lots of people rent who are not even preferred members and don't have a card.