I was refused service because the system didn't recognize my Real ID drivers license as valid. It's good enough to fly but not rent a car?!
I was denied my rental because both of my credit cards “did not have a UV watermark on it”. I have never heard of such a policy, and this was completely unclear to me prior to me booking the rental. I then asked my friend to pay for me because her card had this watermark, but was again denied since the card had to be in my name. So I thought I could book it in her name and add my license too it, but apparently, in order to add my license, they need to add my credit card as well, which, as described above, they apparently couldn’t take. So, I had no choice but to cancel my booking, call the third parter insurance provider to refund my policy plan, and now I am stuck in Madison, unable to return home for a fine print rule I never knew about. Or maybe I just don’t know how car rentals are supposed to work.
I got the bait and switch that rental car companies are notorious for. I rented a medium size 'premium' car and got a Toyota Corolla... a long shot from a premium brand or mid-size car. Secondly, I thought I was renting from the Madison Airport location, but it was actually the service center, about 1/2 mile off the airport. No offer from Avis to fix it, or give me a ride, even in a dirty returned car, to the other site. Luckily the weather was nice and I was not in a hurry, so the walk was enjoyable.
The pick-up location call to say they would be closed that day. So I had to go to a different location but they didn’t inform me they didn’t open one hour later then the original location. Had to sit around for an hour and got charged extra for airport avis fees. The car had a used glass pipe in the center console and the car smelled like smoke. So no one checked the car before it was given to me. I was already running late from the delay so didn’t have time to change cars.
I used MSN for the pick up location code when I booked the rental. When I got to the Madison airport, the AVIS desk, I was told that was for an AVIS location a mile away. The agent said I could pick it up at the airport, and not the location a mile away, but it would cost $130 more. It was just too much trouble to figure out how to get to the other location so I paid the extra $130. The car was fine, the agent was fine. I was very unhappy about the mix-up on where to pick up the car.
Terrible - Avis tried to add $113 on to the total rental charge. Didn't take the car at their price.
