Some followup:
When I contacted Avis on the following day, the customer service rep agreed to credit the prepaid amount back to my card with no no-show fee (normally 100 USD) deducted. The two amounts (credit for prepaid rate minus 100 USD and the credit for the 100 USD) were credited in separate transactions one or two days apart.
I had time to follow up on the compesation with the Customer Service last week. They promised to send me some vouchers in (snail) mail. Nothing has arrived yet. I was also given the phone number for the Security Department.
I contacted the Avis Budget Security Department today. A friendly agent told me that the ban was placed in a year when I was in primary school. She removed the matching name from the list immediately.
Originally Posted by
Auto Enthusiast
Normally Avis and Budget are the same company. At any other large corporate location, you would have also been turned away at the Budget counter. However, at BUF, Budget is an independent licensee, whereas Avis is corporate. Hence the different policies.
I know that, so I was afraid from booking anything with Budget. But all the other companies quoted so high prices for an almost immediate pickup that would have been really prohibitive. Had I been denied with Budget also, a friend of mine from ROC would have picked me up.
Originally Posted by
Often1
1. Find daytime regular business hours when you don't have other pressures so that you can have a cool, calm & collected conversation.
2. Call Avis & explain what happened.
Thanks for the advice, I did exactly so.
Originally Posted by
Often1
3. You may need to follow with a letter attaching a copy of your DL. If you send the letter, I would keep it very short and sweet so that what you are asking for is clear. Put simply, you are [U]not[U] on the DNR list. But, somebody who is an approximate match is and you do not want to be confused with that person.
It seems that a few e-mails and a phone call did the job. But, just in case, for my next rental with Avis/Budget I will have a backup reservation as well.
Originally Posted by
drzoidberg
Sorry to hear of your predicament.
OTOH, Budget is also running the AAdvantage promotion, albeit with a different coupon code. Perhaps you'll at least be able to recoup some AA miles through Budget?
I was aware of that promotion, but did not have enough time or patience to look it up when making the reservation.
Originally Posted by
Insiderdude
Funny, when I saw this I thought thread I said to myself -- hey I was there with this guy last night. - I was dropping off a Hertz car, however. You were speaking to the counter agent on the very right explaining to him you would lose your money on a prepaid reservation ---I overheard the conversation but left before its conclusion ---it was getting really late.
To be honest, the main problem was the time of day. Had it not happen at 11 pm, I would have been much calmer and probably a better solution could have been found. You probably saw me during my second "try". By that time I had already made arrangements for a plan B (reservation with Budaget) and plan C (friend in ROC) and all I really wanted was just a written proof that I showed up, but they refused the rental. Initally, the customer service phone rep told me that the reservation was a no-show in their system, and only agreed with the refund when I told her that I had written confirmation about my presence there.