Avis Southern Africa Anmeldelser 151

Beware, there are thieves at work here. A few weeks after returning the car and giving me my deposit back, my credit card was charged R450. I was not given any warning, information or confirmation. After several emails to customer service, I got a reply that it was supposedly for the traffic fine administration fee. The email was anonymous (the name was intentionally removed from the footer of the email), where previous emails were signed by name and surname. When I asked for this ticket or any formal confirmation that I was charged this amount, I stopped getting any responses. Scammers.

Move with caution! This is the second time I have been taken advantage of by Avis. After being assured that I would only be charged for one day of rental and being ensured that returning the vehicle at a specific time the next day would not incure additional charges, I was charged an additional day regardless. After disputing this, I was told that I could enter a dispute which I did. A few hours later, I was invoiced for a second day...for a few extra bucks they manipulated out of me...can't say I am surprised being it the second time and giving them the benefit of the doubt for the second time at my expense...again! Go Avis!

Initially my experience with Avis was positive with no issues in booking and receiving a car however, after receiving my invoice my opinion changed drastically.

I filled up the tank of petrol and I took the car for a full wash to ensure that I would have no surprises on receiving my deposit back. Well.. I was still surprised.

I contact customer support on the 3rd of December to find out what the charges were relating to that were taken off my deposit.

The first customer support agent I spoke to said that she was unable to tell me what the charges were relating to and said that I should contact the branch directly.

I attempted to contact the branch directly multiple times but I was unable to get through.

I then contacted customer support again and spoke to a different customer support agent who was able to assist me.

After investigating the invoice the agent told me that it seems I was charged for toll gate fees. I asked them how this is possible as there are no e-toll systems in KZN. They told me that is it not an e-toll fee but an e-tag fee as apparently you still get charged for going through a toll gate because of the e-tag that is on the car (whatever that means). The agent started reading out a list of toll gates that I had supposedly driven through and I told them that is absolutely impossible, as I had only been through one toll gate the entire time I was using the car, and I paid cash for the toll gate.

They then told me that they would escalate the matter to the relevant department and that I would receive an update within the next 3 - 5 business days.

It has been 10 business days and I still have not received any response.

I have sent an email and received no response. I have called multiple times and every time the line is busy. I have given Avis multiple opportunities and ample time to rectify the issue or to just communicate with me before publicizing however, it seems they just do not care and are happy to steal my money, with no reason to justify it.

The fact that the invoice does not go through some sort of auditing process to ensure the correct amount is being taken from the customer is concerning.

The lack of customer service after you have given your money over is shocking.

A proactive resolution from Avis is non-existent.

At this point, I have written the money off as clearly I am not going to receive a refund, let alone a response, and I have written Avis off as an option to use in the future.

Sadly this company are just not up to it. The vehicles we used, yes there were 2, the first broke down, we're comfortable and quite new. However they were not up to arduous conditions that can be found in the Central Kalahari game reserve or Savuti roads in Botswana. The alu-cab camping gear on the back of the vehicle was at least 2nd if not third or fourth hand. And on the second vehicle it appeared to be cobbled together from bits of other camping backs. The support received when a problem occurred was poor and the onus was on us to get anything done. After years of using Bushlore for safari vehicles Avis was an enormous shock in terms of quality and service.

After 6 weeks my deposit has not been refunded nor has two emails to the customer service division received any response. All the reviews report the same. There is obviously a financial benefit for them when withholding the refund. They are not concerned about customers. Avoid these guys at all cost.

If there was a 0 they would have got one. Worst company ever.

Had a curtesy car with Avis Thohoyandou in September, deposited R4000, even today i am still fighting to get my money back, no communication or response from Avis. They actualy giving "we dnt give a f@#$" vibe

I too would offer ZERO based on recent experiences with AVIS.
1) I am a Preferred Plus customer but was kept waiting for 45 minutes before an agent became available and then another 20 minutes before a car could be found.
2) I specifically told the agent that I did not want any of the insurance upgrades as these were already part of my standard travel insurance. After returning the car all extra insurances had been charged ! !
3) I had ordered and was provided with a WiFi dongle that did not work. The following morning, I went to AVIS in Harrismith to exchange non-working item. I was referred to office at Pietermaritzburg, they too did not offer one but provided a Garmin which, I was told would not be charged.
4) After car was returned, I discovered that I had been charged for the non working WiFi AND the Garmin.

I submitted a formal complaint with a demand that all unwanted extras be removed from my invoice. Over a week later have not had a response and not received a refund.

Will raise this as a dispute with credit card company and with BA Holidays through whom original booking was made.

Habe vom 26.10.2024 bis 28.10.24 EinFahrzeug bei Avis gemietet. Nach der Rückgabe wurde mir noch ein Abzug auf der Kreditkarte gemacht für Benzin. Habe jedoch das Fahrzeug am Flughafen Johannesburg aufgetankt. Quittung des Auftankens und Foto von der Tankanzeige an Avis gesendet. Bis heute keine Antwort!
Ich rate bei jeder Fahrzeugrückgabe bei Avis auf eine finalisierte Rechnung zu bestehen um diese Betrügereien zu unterbinden.

If I could give zero stars I would.
Firstly I had to wait long before getting my vehicle.
Then the vehicle was so old that it sounds like the vehicle is falling apart with doors ratteling and the dashboard ratteling.
There is clearly a problem with the gearbox as well as there were several instances where the car dit not allow me to put the vehicle in drive or reverse it just stayed in park. I had to switch off and restart the engin several times before it went into gear.

The worst however is that they now want to charge me after the fact for damages that was indicate on my contract as existing damages to the vehicle.

I WILL NEVER ECOMMEND ANYONE TO USE AVIS!!! I rented a car and returned the car with a scratch NOT a dent but a scratch at the back. An email came that I owe avis an exorbitant amount of money quoting a front bumper and light. This is ENTIRELY false. We have been going back and forth about this.....

While I had vowed to ever again use Avis since a few years following a spurious accusation that I damaged a car and was charged insane money, I had booked a car from O’’Tambo airport and that was the final stroke.
Let alone how under staffed, slow and unpleasant they are, my latest issue with them is that I did not pass security checks to their satisfaction because I have a French passport and a UK driving licence!!!! Try make sense of this one???? After debating endlessly that it is not a crime to be French and reside in the UK, hence a UK driving license which both show the same residential address in the UK, I had to walk away to avoid getting more aggravated by totally incompetent and unpleasant people.

rented a car from Avis on 03/09/24 and returned it 10 days later on 03/10/24. When I brought the car back, they claimed there was a dent—A DENT I COULDN'T EVEN SEE! I used my phone light, inspected every inch, and guess what? No dent. But a few days later, I get an invoice with a damage charge AND they had the audacity to claim I returned the car on October 6th instead of the 3rd, inflating the rental days!

If that wasn’t bad enough, they slapped me with a R651 toll fee after I only passed the Zambezi toll gate in Pretoria FOUR TIMES! The toll charge is R14—so how in the world does that add up to R651?

I’ve disputed the charges and contacted them multiple times, and surprise, surprise—my emails are being completely ignored. I even asked for the panel beater’s invoice for the so-called damage, and they never sent it. This company is a joke, and I’m sure they’ll pull the same **** on the next unsuspecting customer.

DO NOT TRUST AVIS! They will rip you off and then ghost you when you ask for explanations.

I rented a car from AVIS BOTSWANA recently. Starting in Gaborone, Botswana. And returning the car in Johannesburg (one way). My contract says that I will pay only BWP16,764.82 Which is the equivalent of AUD $1,866.43
I did arrange to keep the car 3 (three) days longer and the company was happy with that.
At the JOHANNESBURG AVIS a racist woman confronted me about a "DENT" in the vehicle. I could not see any "dent". I even made several videos of the spot. There was no dent. Even my credit card (Amex) AGREED WITH ME : that there is ZERO DENT. Amex gave me back all my money !!!
This racist woman wanted bribe money from me, to solve "the case". I refused. Then she tried to trick me, into writing a report of my part on "this dent".
I refused. She was very angry.
I have the contract of BWP16,764.82 And I have various photos and videos of NO DAMAGE at this spot.
Now AVIS JOHANNESBURG charged my credit card for an extra AUD $4,498 !!!
** LUCKILY AMEX GAVE ME ALL $4,498 back.
This is pure revenge on me, for not paying a BRIBE in South Africa - which is a very corrupt, very dangerous country.
This is another form of MODERN EXTORTION !!!

AVOID AVIS - 87% of the reviews only give them rating of 1!!! The service we received from AVIS was abysmal from start to finish, causing significant stress and inconvenience. My complaint from the car hire on 29th July '24 isn’t being addressed by AVIS.

Overcharging: Far exceeding the confirmed amount with no satisfactory explanation provided.

Substandard Vehicle and Service Failures: The vehicle failed multiple times, leaving us without transportation for days and forcing us to incur additional taxi expenses.

Incorrect Vehicle and Unhelpful Staff: The vehicle provided was not what was booked, and the staff were unhelpful and dismissive.

Return of Replacement Car: When we returned the replacement car to the airport, a member of the Avis team inspected the vehicle, confirmed that everything was in order, and approved the return, YET charged us for damage which is fraudulent, there was no damage.

Additional Expenses and Inconveniences: Due to the car's repeated failures and the subsequent delays in resolution, we incurred additional taxi expenses to continue with our planned activities. The stress and inconvenience caused by the unreliable vehicle, the substandard replacement, and the unhelpful staff significantly impacted our trip, we were left dealing with constant vehicle issues and logistical challenges.

Considering all these issues, a very small and inadequate refund offered is both disrespectful and unacceptable. The amount proposed does not come close to compensating for the extensive disruption and emotional distress caused. This offer does not reflect the gravity of the situation or the level of service failure experienced.

On top of this, I paid for additional services but were rendered useless during my recent car rental experience. For example, Peach of Mind, Roadside Assistance.

The vehicle’s repeated failures and lack of effective roadside assistance directly contradicted the value of the services I was assured of.

Despite multiple breakdowns and the vehicle being out of service for an extended period, the promised support was neither adequate nor timely.

Given that these services did not meet their advertised purpose and did not provide the peace of mind or assistance promised.

I had a puncture on the outskirts of a city and they refused to come and change the tyre.

a scam, I am waiting over a month for my R10k refund and I never got it?

We were given a car with several damages, some of which were not listed on their record card as we had to point them out to them. However we received a phone call a day after we left the country and were told that a scratch had been discovered on the bumper. Despite having sent an email to explain that it was most definitely not caused by us and was possibly another omission from their initial list of damages, we were still charged for it without further communication.
Very disappointing.

Why is it that you guys cry for the deposite but can't repay it. Used Toti after i was hijacked, my wallet and cards where taken but they insisted i make the deposite first before i can receive the car. The guys in accounting need to improve their services. Very disappointed

After using Avis for years, all over the world, I was shocked by my most recent experience:

On collection at OR Tambo, I was told that there was no reportable damage to the vehicle, but we noticed a scratch that was not shown on the vehicle status report, so I duly photographed that and notified Avis by email. We did not notice a small scratch/ dent on the door sill as lighting was poor and it was half under the car. Both scratches were pointed out to us on return of the vehicle (neither of which were perpetrated by us and neither of which were on the original status report) and after indicating that we had seen and reported one of them already, they quickly advised us of impending charges for the other scratch. Not only did they want in excess of R3400 for the scratch repair, they also charged us for an additional 2 days of rental and another 100km of travel.

You have to wonder if this is all orchestrated, especially when I can clearly prove they did not record one of the scratches that I was aware of at the outset. I cannot prove the second scratch, however I am a very experienced driver and I know that this scratch most certainly did not happen on my watch (note this scratch is not car park rash, it can only happen while driving over an obstacle such as a kerb)