Avis is a well-known car rental company that has got people out of trouble on many occasions whenever they are in another state and need a vehicle; however, it recently was involved in a viral TikTok that made everyone rethink the next time they need a rental car.
The video was posted by @moneyhoneyrachel, who was clearly furious after she received a ticket, not once, but two times, because Avis gave her two different cars with expired plates, which caused her to receive two tickets for $50 each.
‘Never Rent From Avis’
Rachel starts her video by explaining that she rented a car from Avis and received the first ticket for the plate. So she returned to the company and requested another vehicle, which had a crack on the windshield. She then went back again and asked for a third car; they gave her one that was filthy, so bad that she took pictures and videos. Still, she took it because it was functional.
The second citation was left on the car’s windshield while Rachel was in isolation because of COVID. She found out after her roommate noticed the ticket, which was also for having an expired plate.
Customer Service Wasn’t Helpful
Rachel explained that she was told to contact customer service, yet, she tried to communicate several times, but none of them was helpful. People were tagging Avis in the comments, but there haven’t been any responses from the company since the video was posted on September 22nd.
There were many suggestions in the comments, such as, “I’d be calling and writing the CEO. Also, you don’t own the car so you are not legally obligated to pay a fine on a car you don’t,” and another, “Cancel the credit card. And issue a new one. Simple.”
Most users agreed that she must take legal action to get justice; like someone pointed out, “Get a lawyer to draft a letter of your rights and get ready to sue.”
This Isn’t The First Time
This seems to be a constant issue among rental car companies since something similar happened in Cincinnati in 2011 to a man called Christopher Elliott, who shared his experience with Hertz, yet, the company paid for his ticket. As a result, many people have asked for legal advice in an online forum after they have gone through the same problem.
One user shared a recent incident with Avis, saying, “They’ve been getting shady. Two of my past three rentals they ‘erroneously’ charged me for fuel. Smells like a scam.” In contrast, another said they should use Enterprise, another car rental company since they never had any issues.
Are They Gonna Pay For The Tickets?
In the last part of the video, Rachel makes an update about the situation a few days later. Avis told her they would automatically charge her for both tickets since they had her credit card and personal information.
She made a last update on the comments, “Update 9/22 6pm: Avis just dropped off a replacement car to me. They made some promises to me regarding the tickets and refund but no update yet.”
