Ripped off with rate changes
 

I am mailing a letter to Avis about this. Has anyone else been in this situation?


I made a reservation for a mid-size car at GSP for four weeks at $168/week. I didn't think I would need a rental car for four weeks, but I knew that the charge would depend on how long I actually used it. I verified this when I picked up the car.

I returned the car one week and four days later. I was charged $268.99/week and $38.42 a day! I asked the agent why the rate was so high, and he said that's what the computer says.

Of course, the computer rules all. "We try harder"? Not this time, they didn't.

I just checked the rates, and it's still $168/week or $28/day. The rate difference plus fees and taxes amounts to an overcharge of $174!

JS,

This certainly sounds like an outrageous situation. I would have called about this. A letter may take a bit too long. I for one, have little sympathy for the rental car companies; they seem to charge ridiculous rates to those who either don't look hard enough for discounts or don't understand the game. Thank goodness for flyertalk, as I've saved hundreds with the Avis codes. What do they care? At least they are getting my business rather than having a car sit idle on their lot. Good luck.

Good idea -- I will call them tomorrow instead of mailing a letter.

dispute the charge with your credit card company.

UPDATE:

I just called Avis and they adjusted my bill for a $164 credit. Close enough to the $174 I had calculated, and no need to dispute it with the credit card people. That's a last resort, FCTSTY.

I believe the problem stemmed from my original reservation of four weeks, which they automatically convert to one month. The lady on the phone said that their monthly rate begins at 28 days.

If I run into this situation again, I will make a reservation for three weeks and that should eliminate the problem of new rates being pulled out of nowhere.

[This message has been edited by JS (edited 03-10-2003).]

I had a similar situation with Avis last December. I rented a car in Des Moines for a week. I used my corporate AWD code when making the reservation on line. When I returned the car, the charges were about $75 too much and they had charged me for mileage driven above 100 miles per day. My corporate AWD provides a discount and unlimited mileage. I immediately complained and the agent at the counter reran the billing with the corporate AWD. I also had a printout of my on-line reservation to back up my claim, but it was not needed in this case. Since then I have had another incident of the AWD being changed but the discount and other benefits happened to be the same as my corporate AWD so I didn't bother to ask why it was changed. The morals are, (1) always know what you expect to pay and the codes that get you to that price and (2) always get a written or printed copy of any reservation you make showing the agreed to price and codes and have it with you.

With both Hertz and Avis, they overcharge frequently when the car is not returned at the specified time. With both Hertz and Avis, they are more than happy to correct the problem either at the check-in desk or via email to customer service.

QL

Something similiar happened to us in YVR when we returned our car early. A quick trip back to the desk and about 5 minutes of computer work sorted it out.

-- Dambus