srodr

Today I got an email receipt for a rental at SAN that I had reserved a few weeks ago, but never picked up??? It shows that I picked it up at 9:25pm on Feb 12th and returned it at 6:04am today and that I drove 215 miles.

I am about to call Avis to get this cleared up, so I hope they don't try to give me any problems since I'm not sure how I could prove that I never picked it up? Being a preferred member, I don't even have to sign anything when I get a car, so I can't even use that angle to prove I never showed up.

Has anyone had this happen?

IAHtraveler

Wow, I've never seen this before. Even though you're a preferred member, you have to show your license somewhere for every reservation (either at the counter or to the lot attendant when pulling out).

I'd definitely call them. If not, I'm sure a quick call to your credit card company will sort things out.

Tuneman1984

Do you have a common last name? Not asking you to post it publicly, just wondering. Could be that the booth agent grabbed the wrong booking if yours was still in their system.

gj83

This was my first thought too, but I have a top 5 common last name and I'm usually the only rental with that name (after 3 years of weekly rentals) so the odds of that are low but not impossible.

The people checking the documents are usually pretty good. I switched states and got a new license and the Avis people made me get that fixed.

Sounds like the OP needs an alibi.

ezmonee

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I wouldn't worry too much. I have had this happen before. Remember several things. Your credit card is your best friend. Contest the charge. Avis mgr's will be required to produce proof that you picked up the car. Usually when this kind of thing happens, its because a car was switched to a new renter because of a no show. They end up tracing the car's assignments and look at the contract stub, security video and more often than not we were able to figure out what happened and charge the right person. If need be I can go into greater detail when I am no longer on blackberry.

srodr

I called Avis and was told that while not too common, this does happen. She told me that maybe an agent opened the contract and was called away before closing it. In any case, she told me that it should be corrected in 1 or 2 days, so IŽll watch my account for the correction.

ezmonee

yes, thats how I remember it too. I can think of six or seven different ways it can happen. the most common is the dreaded "double movement." two different cars on two different contracts. An agent notices, and instead of giving it to a manager and fixes the problem, the agent just closes both contracts, rents the car, and goes on unaware that someone will get a bill.

Car gets assigned to driver 1. Driver 1 doesnt show. Agent pulls tag and gets distracted and re-assigns the car without voiding the original contract. Driver 2 gets car and leaves. Car is now on two different contracts. It will show up on the vehicle reports within a week for managers to follow up on.

Car returns in under a week. Gets checked in, computer notes "send driver to counter, unable to check in at rover" driver 2 is pissed off, just wants to get going. At the counter, agent closes out both contracts in order to properly get driver 2 his bill. Line ensues because its not a quick procedure, maybe 5 min to correct, but longer than the driver anticipated.

after 24 hours, if the agent who closed both contracts doesnt notify a manager, the rental posts.

As I said before, it happens, but its an easy research and fix once its identified, the problem is its not always identified.

things to consider- When you leave the lot, you posess the proper paperwork already, so the gate guard will not spot it. only the check in rover can spot it because it wont know which contract is bieng returned.