A couple of weeks ago, I made a reservation for a one day rental car to be picked up today at 5:30 PM at ITH (Ithaca, NY). The woman on the phone told me that the counter closes at 5 PM on Saturdays, but they will wait for you if you make a reservation.

I arrived right on time at 5:30 PM, and there was no one at the counter. I walked over to the pay phone and called Avis. She said she would transfer me to customer service; the result was a recorded message saying that customer service is open 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM Monday through Friday.

I called again and explained the problem, asking her not to transfer me to customer service since they are closed. She put me on hold, and came back and said that there should be two people at the Ithaca counter now. I said, "One moment; let me go check." I walked around the corner, saw no one there, and came back to the phone 10 seconds later to discover I had been disconnected.

I called the third time and explained the problem, asking her not to transfer me or hang up on me. She said that the reservation says I will be there at 4:55 PM, and the flight information says "US Airways" but has no flight number.

I clearly remember saying that I would be there at 5:30 PM and being told that they will wait for me, since the counter closes at 5:00 PM. The 4:55 PM entry is obviously the latest time you can pick up a car before their official closing time.

I rented a car because the hotels in Ithaca tonight are sold out or horribly expensive (Family Weekend at Cornell University). I was going to drive to Elmira or Binghamton and stay there.

Instead, I had to pay $15 for a taxi to go to the only hotel less than $100, which is the Wonderland Motel, a cheap one story motel. This hotel is so cheap, I have to choose between plugging the AC adaptor into my laptop and connecting to the phone line because the two are at opposite ends of the room. $95 plus tax for this!

My short visit to Ithaca has been ruined because of Avis. They should cancel their "We try harder" ads.


When I complain to Avis, I am planning to demand three things from them, and I would like FlyerTalker's opinions (too much, too little?)


1) Documentation showing that the agent who took my reservation has been fired

2) A free one-day car rental

3) Reimbursement of the $30 taxi fare

Demand #1 is a major overreaction, and there's no way you'd ever get it even for something significantly larger than this. Sending you documentation of something like that could get them sued by the agent.

#2 and #3 are both pretty reasonable. I'd say ask for both of them, and don't be surprised if you only get one.

#1 is pushing it

I had something similar happen at Dollar in LGA about a month ago. Arrived to pick up my car - the counter was staffed but they simply said they had no cars left. After a long discussion during which they basically said that they did not have the responsibility to provide a car or alternative transportation ( I asked for them to pay for a taxi to my destination) unlike hotels and airlines and my refusing to move they did finally come up with a car.

Has anyone researched what a car rental companies responsibilities are if you have a reservation. Dollars point was that many people no show or make multiple reservations as your card is NOT charged if you no show , so they overbook. That is probably a valid point. By the time I got home I got involved in other things - but I am curious what the laws are

Why would Avis be sued? The tape will clearly indicate the agent is incapable of working at a job that involves answering the phone.

Tape???

Often call centers will record (on tape or electronically) the conversations involved for "quality assurance purposes".

It seems to me that firing someone over one error is a bit unfair (You know glass houses and such). Even worse the person may have been reading off an inaccurate data sheet.
Now if there was a pattern of the person making up stuff that would be different, but of course you could have no way of knowing that.

What about an apology? I'd put that at No.1, although give them a chance, it might come automatically.

Quite. You're going to get nowhere if you go in guns blazing.

I don't go in with guns blazing when something goes wrong, but when I get no response to a problem, I get mad. For example, one time the LGA Crowne Plaza overcharged me on a phone bill. I asked for a correction of it at the front desk and they refused, insisting that it really is long distance to call from Queens to Manhattan. That is when I load my guns and start blazing them.

Screw-ups are one thing; ****up after ****up after ****up is what makes me mad.

If you had tried to book this on-line, you wouldn't have been able to. If the counter/office is closed,it's closed.
It might have been prudent to directly contact the local office, not just a CS agent.
To expect an employee to stay after working hours for someone, who may or may not show, on a weekend is to have much faith in their fellow man.
I'll be surprised if Avis does much for you. Your best argument (there will be no tape) is a copy of when your plane arrived and the "logic" of the situation.
By thw way, don't you receive email confirmation on your Avis reservations?

I called because I couldn't book it on-line, and I assume is why I didn't get an e-mail confirmation.

It is not my responsibility to call the local office for verification. It is their policy that they stay after hours, 7 days a week, to meet customers to make reservations.

And where did you find this (in writing)?

If you had arrived at 6 or later, would you expect them to stay?

FYI- there's rarely anyone at the Avis desk at ITH even during regular business hours.

Not to hit you when you're down, but your first mistake was flying US-imp-AIR-d-WAYS into ITH in the first place. Always fly into SYR, where the rental car counters are open until 1am.

If you're lucky, Avis might give you a voucher for a free day. But I don't htink you should expect much else, if their official hours were until 5pm.

As others have stated, you will not get very far with your demand #1. There are issues of confidentiality pertaining to personnel matter. Even if they were to fire the agent, they will not provide you with any such documention citing company policy of having personnel issues remaining confidential.

While we all can sympathize with your predicament, please try to be rational with your demands for resolution. In particular, consider that the agent orally informed you that someone should be there after 5:00 if you made a reservation. An oral statement often does not carry as much weight as a written one. Further, how often have we encounter a CSR who have provided misinformation over the phone?

Also, with a car reservation, often no credit card is required for reservation. As a courtesy, we are asked to call to cancel a reservation if we can't make it. In the past, I have not always applied such courtesy when I could not make it to a reservation that I made. Is it fair for us to expect them to wait without any guarantee on our part that we would even show up to pick up the car? I for one would hope that car rental companies would not begin to require that we gurantee our reservation with a credit as hotels currently do. That really takes away the "no-risk" feeling of making a rental reservation.

Anyhow, I hope you will get some form of acknowlegment from Avis for the error committed by one of its employees. I also do hope that you really consider the demands that you will be making to resolve your dissatisfaction.