AVIS Costa Rica Anmeldelser 

Avis did not inform me about the following policies:
1. They require a letter from your credit card company stating they will be responsible in the event of an accident in order to rent a car. The mandatory government insurance is also required
2. Avis holds an additional $1000 US deposit for 30 days when you rent a car.
3. Avis insists on you signing documents which have not been completed and refuses to give you a copy.

Our experience with Avis was absolutely horrible and every client (dozens) we encountered both getting the car and bringing it back was like “I can’t believe what a scam this place is.” They are dishonest about charges, outright lied to us about multiple things, and have horrible customer service. Rent from literally anyone else.

The car rental company was a mixed bag for me. The folks there were super nice, which was a plus. But man, everything took forever, and all their paperwork was in Spanish, which threw me off a bit. Also, they were pretty keen on pushing extra insurance I didn't really need right from the start. While there were some good vibes from the staff, these downsides were kind of a bummer.

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! Surrounded by 4 salesmen, threatened and bullied when no other customers were around. They refused to take us to the airport. Charged me $200 for nothing. I recorded everything on my phone. Contacted Avis 3 times when I returned back to the states...NEVER received a response back or an apology.

SCAM WARNING / SCAM WARNING! DO NOT RENT A CAR FROM AVIS IN COSTA RICO UNLESS YOU'RE AN IDIOT. THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO START OFF YOUR TRIP THEN TO GET RIPPED OFF. YOU GET AN GREAT PRICE WHEN YOU BOOK IT. WHEN YOU ARRIVE TO PICK UP YOUR CAR THEY CHARGE YOU A $1000 DEPOSIT AND $50 PER DAY INSURANCE, OH YOU WANT ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THATS EXTRA. ALSO, THEY DON'T TAKE DEBIT CARDS. 3 STRIGHT CUSTOMERS A HEAD OF ME WALKED OUT AS DID I. THE PERSON BEHIND THE DESK WILL TELL YOU TO GO F YOURSELF WHEN YOU COMPLAIN. HE'S PROBABLY USED TO BEING YELLED AT FROM THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMER PER YEAR. ALSO, HE TOLD ME SINCE I BOOKED IT INTERNATIONALLY I HAD TO CANCEL IT AND HE COULDN'T. I CALLED AND TRIED TO CANCEL AND GOT HUNG UP ON. AVIS DOSENT DESERVE 1 STAR IT DESERVES MINUS 10 STARS!

Overcharged by $250. No explanation as to what costs were for. Unable to resolve. Staff simply refused to discuss the charges.
I should have known this would happen - at collection there were other customers with disputes on charges, and again on return. Nobody was getting the price they had originally agreed, and the explanations from the staff were not convincing.
Be prepared for a hike of 20-30% on whatever you think you're going to pay.
Other companies seem little better. Certainly ends your holiday on a sour note.

I traveled with my family, with two small children, July 15th 2022. I had made a reservation online and when I flew into San Jose and took the shuttle to their lot, they had given my car to a couple in line before me, and then told me they no longer had my car. They then said the only available option was for a car $600 more than what my reservation was for. This company tries to con tourists. I went back to the airport and EuroCar saved the day. Avis in Panama also did the same thing to me...don't rent a car with this company in Central America...it's a scam.

I rented a car with Avis in San Jose Costa Rica. After bringing the car back with a full fuel tank I got an invoice one day later of 230 dollar. I went back to the office where they told me they made a mistake and they would send my file to costumer service to refund my money. Now 4 weeks later and still haven’t heard from them. Not a single mail. I contacted them already 6 times. DON’T RENT A CAR WITH THEM, THIEVES!

We rented from Avis in Liberia, thinking this was a secure choice in a foreign company. It is important to note that this is a franchise, not corporate. We were required to get insurance, and actually accepted a higher amount of the insurance for about $20/day more. On the road, we blew a tire. It was at the time we noticed how bald the tires were, which was dangerous on the roads. We changed the tire ourselves. We called Avis franchise who dismissed it and said to call the insurance company. We called the insurance (after 1 hour on the phone trying to reach someone) and finally got someone on 02/06/2022 at 5:10pm. They said it was a recorded line and they acknowledged the report. After multiple calls, Avis franchise brought us a replacement car for the remainder of our stay but we had to be persistent. We had an early morning flight and didn't want to drive on the roads back to the airport at 3am with no spare. We got back home and found a $150 charge on our credit card. This was the deposit we had paid Avis. We disputed the charge and they provided "documentation" that said the 1 tire was $150 which shockingly was the same amount as our deposit. More important, the $150 charge was from Nissan, which is the car dealership next to the Avis and who owns the Avis franchise. Even with the insurance, which was a premium charge, they said the tire wasn't included. If you see the images, you will see how bald and dangerous the car was that they rented to us. It should not have been rented to begin with with those tires. They were unethical and dishonest in every interaction. More importantly, we did everything 'by the book' with the insurance and Avis, only to get charged an unreasonable rate for a tire when we got back to the US. The insurance is a scam, so don't get more than you have to! I would HIGHLY recommend any other company than this Avis franchise.