So I just opened my mail today, and I had a lovely mailing from Avis First with the sentence, "Your AVIS FIRST(tm) membership status has changed." on the front. I figured I was not going to make it again this year, since my company has basically canceled all travel, but what I found inside was pretty funny. It was a beautiful, glossy piece of paper letting me know that I had fallen from grace, and was now just Preferred status with them. They also let me know that if I complete 12 rentals or 35 rental days with them in 2009, I can have my FIRST status back.... no thanks. There's a reason I no longer do my personal rentals with them, but that's another story.

The kicker, though, was my new Preferred card. They got my Wizard number wrong! It's missing the last digit... maybe a new "security" feature so no one attempts to rent a car posing as me? I'm not sure how they'd fake the drivers license check at the gate, though, but who knows what masterminds could come up with

Anyone else have the pleasure of getting this letter?

CLG