Pinetown Renter Beware! - DO NOT RENT FROM AVIS

I should have paid attention to the reviews on Google. They allow you to rent a car with an issue, then when you return it they blame you for damages and make you pay to repair their broken vehicles.

I rented a Renault Kwid. I inspected the vehicle, and nothing seemed wrong at first, I drove it home and parked it. The next day, I went to the local shop (3km down the road), but I saw the front tyre was low. I called the 24-hour emergency line to find out if I must get it checked or not, and they advised me not to but to contact the Pinetown branch where I got the car. I do just that and call Pinetown; they advise me to either return the vehicle or put the spare tyre on if pumping it up with air doesn't work. I go to the local Engen and pump the tyre up, then proceed to park the vehicle to do my shopping. Two hours later, I returned, and the tyre was OK, with no signs of going flat. At this point, I feel great because maybe they just didn't check the pressure before giving it to me. On the drive home, the car felt fine, handling was fine, but a faint noise came from that wheel. I was returning the vehicle the very next day, so I parked it off at home and thought it was better to drive straight there with no detours, just in case. The next day, it sounded fine on the drive up to Pinetown. I did not hear anything which could have indicated a problem, so I assumed all was well, and went straight to Pinetown to return the vehicle.

When returning the vehicle, I mentioned the tyre, and pumping it up seems to be fine; I didn't note the noise because I didn't hear it on the journey back, so I assumed it was our roads since they are not maintained. The man inspecting the returned vehicle came back frantic, with such drama, stating how I drove the car in this state, accusing me of hitting a pothole.

I did not hit any potholes; it's easy just to blame the driver and potholes in South Africa, but at that moment, I started thinking this was a setup. Maybe the tyre was low on pressure to hide the issue, so I would not detect it. I‘m not a mechanic, so how would I know? When pumping up the tyre, maybe it revealed the issue. I don't know.

Furthermore, I advise you to NEVER fill out an incident report because I was made to fill one out on the tyre issue but they are using this against me and saying I admitted guilt. Please DO NOT fall for this like me; they are sharks looking to **** you, it's seriously ********, and these people should not be in business.

There are reviews on Google about this same very issue with Avis where they give you a faulty car, then blame you when you return it and charge you to repair their fleet. Its a very dirty way of doing business, and I for one will never return to Avis South Africa (and I was a first-time customer). DO NOT RENT FROM AVIS.