1 reviews | Active since Jan 2012
Unacceptable Customer Service and Outdated Practices
I recently had an incredibly disappointing experience with Avis Car Rental South Africa, specifically at the Pretoria branch, following a booking made from our home in France through CarJet.com.
My ultimate dissatisfaction was primarily shaped by two key factors:
Digital Card Rejection: In an era of digital evolution, it’s inconceivable that digital cards issued by digital banks are not accepted for security deposits. Despite the clear shift towards digital banking globally, Avis South Africa seems stuck in the past. Worse still, no viable alternative like EFT was offered to resolve the issue, leaving us stranded without a vehicle we had already paid for.
Abominable Customer Service: After reaching out to Avis via email to seek a resolution, I received nothing beyond an automated response providing a case reference number. Despite this, Avis closed the case without even the courtesy of a follow-up email or call. This level of disregard is not only unacceptable but reflects poorly on a global brand that should prioritise customer satisfaction.
No response, no resolution, and the booking was cancelled without notice. It is worth noting that the only reason we came to learn of this was by making our way back to the Avis Pretoria branch, after no email response came forward 48 hours post submission.
This experience was a significant inconvenience during my holiday in South Africa. It is absurd that such outdated practices and dismissive customer service persist in a market where customer reviews shape brand trust. Avis South Africa needs to adapt to the realities of modern banking and prioritise customers with solutions—not leave them stranded.
This ordeal has tarnished my perception of Avis globally. I will not be recommending their services and strongly advise others to reconsider their options.
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. I can understand how disappointing this experience must have been, particularly when your expectations were not met during what should have been an enjoyable time in South Africa. It’s clear that both the digital card rejection and the lack of follow-up from us caused significant frustration, and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and stress this situation caused you.
You’re absolutely right that in today’s digital age, it's essential for companies to adapt to modern banking practices, for security reasons we do not accept digit cards, especially for our international customers as also there is a lag when it comes releasing holding deposits on digit cards, we do offer our customers to pay the holding deposit via a link that is sent to you and you pay the holding deposit, but this amount would be debited off your account, it's disheartening to hear that our branch fell short in offering a solution that would meet your needs. The lack of timely communication and resolution only compounded the frustration, we do apologize on the front also as we are currently having a backlog on email and are working hard to remove it.
Please know that your concerns are being taken seriously, and we will be sure to pass on your feedback to the relevant team to address these shortcomings. Kindly assist us with your reservation number for the booking that was made.
Once again, we sincerely apologize the inconvenience caused to you , and we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. If there’s anything more we can do to assist you or discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Avis Team
Best regards,
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. I can understand how disappointing this experience must have been, particularly when your expectations were not met during what should have been an enjoyable time in South Africa. It’s clear that both the digital card rejection and the lack of follow-up from us caused significant frustration, and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and stress this situation caused you.
You’re absolutely right that in today’s digital age, it's essential for companies to adapt to modern banking practices, for security reasons we do not accept digit cards, especially for our international customers as also there is a lag when it comes releasing holding deposits on digit cards, we do offer our customers to pay the holding deposit via a link that is sent to you and you pay the holding deposit, but this amount would be debited off your account, it's disheartening to hear that our branch fell short in offering a solution that would meet your needs. The lack of timely communication and resolution only compounded the frustration, we do apologize on the front also as we are currently having a backlog on email and are working hard to remove it.
Please know that your concerns are being taken seriously, and we will be sure to pass on your feedback to the relevant team to address these shortcomings. Kindly assist us with your reservation number for the booking that was made.
Once again, we sincerely apologize the inconvenience caused to you , and we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. If there’s anything more we can do to assist you or discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Avis Team
Best regards,