Avis was very Naughty at LHR
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
Avis was very Naughty at LHR
Picked up a rental at LHR today. I had booked online with the pay upon arrival option for the price of 107.80 GBP. I came to pick up the car 1.5 hours early, they said no issue as long as you bring the car back without exceeding that you do not exceed the 4 days. I picked up the same car i had booked and took no extras (insurance, fuel, etc.).
I asked them for the rental contract before leaving, they told me 'oh don't worry sir we will email it to you'. I drive off, come home, check my emails and see that my card was preauthorized for 500 GBP and that the estimated cost for my rental will be 227 GBP! I call avis immediately and ask them, and they said hmmm that is weird, we can see on the booking that you booked the car for 107.80 GBP! They said they would call me back. They called me back and said the balance is zero, and not to worry as you are not formally charged until you return the car.
I am not happy and i do not trust them. Will I be safe?
It is so naughty of them, the email says rental agreement 'e signed', but in reality I did not sign anything!
I asked them for the rental contract before leaving, they told me 'oh don't worry sir we will email it to you'. I drive off, come home, check my emails and see that my card was preauthorized for 500 GBP and that the estimated cost for my rental will be 227 GBP! I call avis immediately and ask them, and they said hmmm that is weird, we can see on the booking that you booked the car for 107.80 GBP! They said they would call me back. They called me back and said the balance is zero, and not to worry as you are not formally charged until you return the car.
I am not happy and i do not trust them. Will I be safe?
It is so naughty of them, the email says rental agreement 'e signed', but in reality I did not sign anything!
#3
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
It's hard to comment without seeing the price breakdown from the rental contract. It certainly could be explained by the extra day. The computer system only knows that you picked up 1.5 hours early, not that you also plan to return 1.5 hours early. It still has your original return time. This could in turn kick you from a daily rate (which is typically up to 4 days max) to a weekly rate (which typically starts at 5 days or rather 4 days and X hours). The other thing they could be adding on is prepaid fuel, but if you bring the car back full, you will be credited back for that. If you'd like to post the detailed price breakdown, we can certainly help you analyze it definitively.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
It's hard to comment without seeing the price breakdown from the rental contract. It certainly could be explained by the extra day. The computer system only knows that you picked up 1.5 hours early, not that you also plan to return 1.5 hours early. It still has your original return time. This could in turn kick you from a daily rate (which is typically up to 4 days max) to a weekly rate (which typically starts at 5 days or rather 4 days and X hours). The other thing they could be adding on is prepaid fuel, but if you bring the car back full, you will be credited back for that. If you'd like to post the detailed price breakdown, we can certainly help you analyze it definitively.
i printed both the original and revised contracts and put it in the glove box so will take it with me when I return the car to make sure there are no fun and games !
#6
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 880
I've been stopped as well but usually showing the app with the info usually works
#7
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 309
Some time ago I had a reservation with Avis-Heathrow. I arrived on time but reserved car type was not available. Everything with Avis went bad thereafter. I will not patronize that location again!
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
Care you elaborate what else went wrong after that?
#9
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Dubai, UAE
Programs: Avis - PP, Bonvoy - Plat, BA - Bro, Hilton - Dia, Miles&More - FTL, Skywards - Sil, Sixt - Plat
Posts: 258
Usually I have great service at Avis Heathrow, but there was one occasion where I agreed to the extra £20-something a day to reduce the excess (the previous time that we had snow) on a three day booking that I had pre-paid through BA.
Unfortunally, after getting my credit card statement I was billed £187 after handing back the car and upon checking the bill on the Avis website there are all these extra insurances that I didn’t agree to. I’ve currently got a query on this bill going through the Avis system.
Unfortunally, after getting my credit card statement I was billed £187 after handing back the car and upon checking the bill on the Avis website there are all these extra insurances that I didn’t agree to. I’ve currently got a query on this bill going through the Avis system.