AVIS - Unacceptable Service and Car Rental Experience

Unacceptable Service and Car Rental Experience

Dear Avis Customer Service Team,

I am writing to express my I am outraged and disappointed at the appalling service I received from Avis at Cape Town Airport on 03 January 2025. My experience was a masterclass in incompetence.

I had booked a Group C (Intermediate) car for 14:30, but when I arrived, I was forced to wait in line for 1.5 hours to be served. When I finally reached the counter, I was informed that there were no cars available in my booked category. This was unacceptable, especially given the lengthy wait.

To add insult to injury, I was then told to wait for an additional 30 minutes for a car to become available. When the car finally arrived, I was presented with a Group O (Basic) car presented as an "upgrade", which is a significantly lower category than what I had booked. This was not only inconvenient but also a blatant breach of our agreement. Furthermore, Cape Town Airport branch doesn't bother to answer their telephones.

I eventually got through to AVIS call centre who were not able to assist. They were only able to give me the contact number for the branch in question and when asked to speak with a senior they ended the telephone call.

The lack of communication, organization, and basic customer service skills displayed by the Avis staff at Cape Town Airport is staggering. As a paying customer, I expect a certain level of service, especially from a reputable company like Avis.

I wrote to AVIS 04 January 2025 for their comment and an opportunity to address this situation. To date, I have not heard from a single person. This shouldn't be left to be lost in the wind.