Originally Posted by
DC_infrequentflyer
In the 150+ rentals I have had with Avis, there have been a many number of times that I have been in a rush and I have waved to an attendant walking to the car, that I'll take an "email receipt" and run off to catch a flight, never had an issue like this in the past. Never thought of this drop off habit as "strange" as I've seen many a coworker and others do the same, but hey, there's always a first time right? I should be more careful in the future.
Anywho...your post gave me some ideas, so yes it was an "attended drop off". The attendant came in, I took my bags out from the trunk and told him keys were inside the cupholder and flashed the gas receipt saying I had topped off the gas. He then sat in the car,checked the miles and gave me a receipt.
So for that to have happened - the key fob would have had to be inside the car, right? If the keys were on me he couldn't have started the car?
In my confusion and stress I had forgotten that detail. So if I hear back from Avis or see a big charge maybe I will tell them that.
Yes, the key must be inside the car to start the ignition. But if the engine was already running then they could have moved it without the key.
One time at ORD I had the agent drive me back to the terminal to catch a flight. I forgot that I had the fob in my pocket and only realized as I was going through security. I was surprised that the agent was able to drive the car back to the Avis station without the key, but they did.
I hustled down to baggage claim and gave the key to an Avis bus driver (because that is what Avis told me to do when I called them to let them know I still had the key).