Bad customer service Avis Sandton

At the beginning of this year I booked a car over Avis.

The pick-up was scheduled for the 13/03/2018 at 6pm. We arrived the Avis center in Sandton at 6.30pm. After long discussions (30min) he told us the car was involved in a car accident. Then he told us we have to wait he will arrange an alternative because at this station there is no other car. After another 30min he asked us if it’s possible for us to drive to the Airport. We said no and asked for a delivery to my Apartment. The arrangement was to deliver the car at latest by 9.30pm at the 13/03/2018. At 9.15pm I called him and was asking for an update, the reply was he can’t do it today but he will bring the car at the 14/03/2018 at 7.30am-8am. At 7.50 this morning I called him again and was asking what is the status. He rep**** that Avis is not accepting American Express (which was given to him on the day before). After transferring the details of another account the car was finally delivered at 8.30am.

Overall its a bad way to handle customers. It was all very chaotic and at no point it was clear what will happens next. For my parents it is also a bad experience. It’s their first time here in South Africa. We planned to go to the restaurant yesterday evening but due to the lag of Information and the not clear advises we were not able to go there. Furthermore and much more annoying, they planned this morning going early to the Pilansberg. Due to the whole delay they were not able to do the planned/ booked things.

Below main items which are definitely a no go: 1. If the car was really involved in an car accident, why could not somebody from Avis call us in advance and tell us the Situation. 2. The bad manner of behavior with the customers. We were waiting 1 hour+ to get new Information 3. The question to go by our own to the Airport and pick up the car. 4. The call this morning, obviously they did no paper work yesterday. It could happen that some credit cards are not everywhere accepted but this should have been noticed yesterday not 10min before the delivery. 5. After all no real excuse.

Its the duty of the company to make the customers lives easier and this expectation was clearly not met by Avis. I wouldn't recommend or use Avis in Sandton again.