Hartmann

I am an Avis First member using my company's AWD. I almost always book Standard or Full Size vehicles depending on if I will have anyone riding with me. Last week at LGA I was given a Chevy Cruze with 35k miles on a reservation for a Standard. I figured it was a fluke and had already waited 10 minutes for an EZPass so I just took it and went. This week, another booking for a Standard and received another Cruze, this time with only 500 miles (much better but still drives terribly).

Is this because of my company's rate or what? Our corporate policy is actually full size but I rent standards when I am alone simply because I don't need a bigger car for myself.

It's not a huge money difference between the standard and the intermediate sized vehicles but if I make a reservation for something and you consistently give me something below what I reserved, it gets old fast.

R7U

I once booked VW Passat (full-size) in DUS and got MB B-class, which is not full-size car. Another time I booked Audi A4 in FRA and got VW caddy, again downgrade for me. At least I got 20% discount on that last rental.

IAHtraveler

Email CS and ask for compensation? (More than just the ~$3 + taxes that you're rightfully due)

bkafrick

By just taking it and going, you're sort of implicitly agreeing to the downgrade. You always have the option to wait for a car in the class you reserved to become available.

You could complain, as IAHtraveler says... I wouldnt expect very much besides some coupons.

I think you have to determine for yourself if your time is more valuable than the car you receive.

Hartmann

My time is more valuable, but I will bring it up when I return it, especially after looking at the receipt that is printed to see if they charged me for a standard. If they did, then it will get escalated.

I was just wondering if anyone knew why this type of thing happens. Is there some preference or is it simply because they don't have any cars in the class that I reserved?

mittencuh

Could just be some error in the assignment system. Especially since it's been a Cruze both times?

IAHtraveler

For LGA, the Cruze still shows as Intermediate. My guess is: they don't have any Standard cars, so it's beneficial to them if they give you something smaller and you just take it. If you complain, they can easily swap you to something reasonable, but (I assume) they're hedging their bets that you'll just take it and leave (and they're right on this assumption, unfortunately).

IceTrojan

You could just reserve a full-size and leverage that for a better-equipped smaller car.

flown-the-coop

I recently arrived at HOU and was offered a GMC Terrain when I had booked Luxury. Said that's not exactly luxury, to which the agent replied "but its rents for a higher rate". I asked to either get a luxury class car or have the rate downgraded. They eventually pulled around a Cadillac XTS.

There reason for not having a luxury car available: "The head guy is coming down today and we have to keep the luxury cars for them". I told them the 'head guy' should see what its like when he books a full size and gets a basic Cruze.

IceTrojan

If this was what was said, perhaps a quite note to CS, cc'ing the HOU station manager and any regional managers you can find, will point out the folly of their ways.