Jimmy28

So I got a car from DFW today and got in a bit early and the preferred board had me go to the Preferred Center. There was a good line at the center and since I had opted in to Avis Now the other week at DFW, I figured I'd see if the app would assign me a car. At this point it was 5:52pm and my rental was scheduled for 6pm.

So when I bring up the reservation list, it has a "Pick Up" icon next to the reservation so I think I'm set. I click it and it brings up a Ford Fusion and a few other details. Thankfully I decided to read those details as one of them was an "Early Pickup Fee" to the tune of an extra $139 and change. That's right, 8 minutes early and had I clicked OK, I would have paid an extra $139.

I've definitely never heard of that before, never had problems arriving a bit early for a rental (never more than 30 minutes), and never even had a fee mentioned once at a counter for an "early pickup". I've even gotten car assignment emails long before I've landed and hours before the scheduled pickup. But this was only the 2nd time I've used the Now app (wasn't early the first time), so I'm guessing it's something they've got programmed in automatically, but hopefully it's a glitch that the app doesn't know the difference between 8 minutes and say 8 hours early.

At least the good part was that they were tight on cars (despite the lot being full), so after asking if I was by myself, my full-size turned into a brand new Camaro SS

So be careful with the Avis Now app if you get in early and don't have an assigned car.

LReyes66

The only time I've seen a early pick up fee was when showing up couple of hours early without a car ready and waiting for me. Other times they assigned me a car way early in the morning hours before my scheduled pickup and picked it up early with no fee.

phalkon30

With the recent fire at the EWR Delta terminal, I got a different flight into JFK, then bussed it to EWR to pick up my rental. I was a few hours early, never even thought about being charged extra, never was charged anything.

Actually ended up with a Ford Expedition XLT (paid intermediate!)

jhurley

Avis EWR wants to charge $684 for 33 minutes using the app.

IAHtraveler

Please share some more details.

• What was the car reserved and daily rate (was the $684 an extra days charge)?
• What was the original pickup/drop off times? It's possible picking up before a certain time or making the rental > a set time period, the rate you booked was no longer valid.
• Did you actually pickup the car or wait 33 mins? If you picked up the car, did you talk to anyone or just pay it? Maybe it auto-repriced to a walk-up rate due to the time change?