Warning - Avis car hire Ibiza airport - don't use them!

[DJpromoter]

This is the first time I've ever had any hassle or unauthorised charges from any car rental company (approximately a 15 year period).

But one bad experience and I'm afraid I will share it in public, and suggest not to use Budget or Avis (I won't use them ever again anywhere in the world).

It would also be interesting to hear if anyone else has experienced the same problem when hiring a car in Ibiza.

My car rental was back in July. Booked with Budget, but they are owned by Avis so it was Avis branch at Ibiza Airport I got the car from. My rental included a full tank of fuel, so I returned the car with a full tank.

No problem at all with the staff at the airport, the guy performed the usual checks for damage, mileage and checked I had left a full tank of fuel. Everything ok then, so back home I go.

But when the charge came out my bank account it was higher than the agreed cost of my booking. Raised it with Avis/Budget and found out they had charged for fuel. Got nowhere with them in getting a refund, so then disputed their transaction with my own bank. The results of this investigation arrived today in the post.

Piss poor recommendation from my bank as they say I need to contact Avis/Budget This despite the fact that they know I have already done that, since the bank won't investigate the dispute until you first try getting the refund directly...

However the documentation the bank have provided that they got from Avis is thorough. Breaks every charge down clearly. However their documentation also confirms that they have either made an admin mistake or they are genuinely at it to extort extra money from me, with the statement "customer picked the car with full tank but the car was returned with half tank".

Erm, no it wasn't!

Anyway, I'm now going to try the European Consumer Centre (http://www.ukecc.net).

The amount Avis have stolen is only 80 euros, but it's not the amount but the principle. A '**** happens' approach is not the path I take when I've been stolen from. If I don't get any success with consumer agencies in getting my money back I'll start a website forum for recording complaints about Avis/Budget from around the world.

Avoid these chancers!

 

[kimajy]

I've also rented from them (through Budget this year as it was cheaper - same cars - and last year several times as Avis when they were good value).

Never once had such a problem and always returned car full, sometimes with a 'sign-off' but also with dumping the car late at night and putting the keys in the slot. Their final contract paperwork is probably the best of all the companies at the airport in my experience - full detailed breakdown of final costs showing nil to pay, if you get this from the guy in the car park lot when you hand the car back.

It does sound like you've had an unfortunate experience there (extremely annoying, I know, but their final contracts show the final fuel level and do 'close off' accounts and credit card authorizations, so can't understand how this happened unless it was an error by the guy who checked the car back in).

 

[woodruffe]

do you have a petrol receipt.i have used cars over the years and get one.also note now the milage.but importent one is a signed letter to say the car is ok.not just someone saying ok.

 

[tclubber]

This can happen with any car rental company. On Ibiza, I got screwed by Aurigacrown once (back when they existed) - got a car with less than a full tank, got it noted on the contract and returned with the same level, but they charged me for refueling nonetheless. Never had problems with Avis, Hertz or Autos Mari on Ibiza.

So for me, it is not an argument against Avis - the same can happen with Europcar, Hertz or any other company. One thing I always do is to take photographs of the dashboard before and after the rental (with both the mileage and the fuel level visible). But it doesn't help settle the dispute if the company is simply ignoring you.

Disputing the charge with the bank will probably go nowhere, because nowadays you have to sign an authorization when renting the car. I think the bank cannot do anything if the car rental company has a receipt with your signature on it.

 

[JPF]

This can happen with any car rental company. On Ibiza, I got screwed by Aurigacrown once (back when they existed) - got a car with less than a full tank, got it noted on the contract and returned with the same level, but they charged me for refueling nonetheless. Never had problems with Avis, Hertz or Autos Mari on Ibiza.

So for me, it is not an argument against Avis - the same can happen with Europcar, Hertz or any other company. One thing I always do is to take photographs of the dashboard before and after the rental (with both the mileage and the fuel level visible). But it doesn't help settle the dispute if the company is simply ignoring you.

Disputing the charge with the bank will probably go nowhere, because nowadays you have to sign an authorization when renting the car. I think the bank cannot do anything if the car rental company has a receipt with your signature on it.

If we all refuse to use Avis, then no one will ever use Hertz, Rynair, EasyJet.

We will never drink a The Rose & Crown in the High St, eat at the Rising Sun in West St.

We will never own a Ford Focus, or ever use South West Trains.

We will never stay at those 1 star or 5 star hotels that once in a while gets a disgruntled customer.