[openfly]

Talking to the AVIS airport manager here in Cape Town yesterday. He said that they are now taking every car to the fuel pump at the end of a rental to ” fill it”, even though it is “full”. The final bill will then be amended with the fuel required to fill a full tank!!
I pointed out to him that it would be very easy for the staff to take a fuel can along and fill that up, then charge the customer! Then, if the customer checks his bill, he will notice an additional amount added. Yup, stolen money from your cc….But only if the customer notices the charge! Total fraud.
I now challenge any extras on my Amex that come from AVIS.

[AnthonyDunn]

This may be a bit OTT for some but I now routinely photograph any hire vehicle at the time of collection (and from all angles) and will have the paper work amended before driving off if there are any dinks not yet recorded on the paper work. Ditto at dropping off – lest anything happen AFTER we’ve dropped it off and no-one is around to check it. Never mind about the supplier not trusting its customers, this customer now no longer trusts his supplier. Time to try elsewhere?

Incidentally, when I rang AMEX back in the UK, they did helpfully make the point that they do have a dispute resolution service available in the event of a stand-off over the €97 mysteriously and inexplicably charged to us by AVIS NAP.

Watch this space.

[LuganoPirate]

Great idea Anthony. I’ll do the same from now on.

[LuganoPirate]

Openfly, that pretty awful considering the fuel station cannot be more than 500 metre from the Avis drop off at CPT.

[CathayLoyalist2]

Openfly, if you have the time or inclination a letter to the Avis CEO in South Africa or locally challenging that practice might be eye opening if and when you got a response

[LuganoPirate]

Thinking about this, there may be a bit of private enterprise at work here between the avis staff and garage!

[openfly]

Hey LP…what are you suggesting??!! Surely nothing underhand, I hope!
I can’t possibly imagine anything so deceitful would happen in SA.

But….you are so right! 🙂

[openfly]

When I arrived back in the UK this morning there was a letter from AVIS informing me that I am now a Presidents Club member….wow….I can do no wrong now and have them grovelling at my feet! I even get a free phone contact….

[openfly]

@ CathayLoyalist…..now that I am an Avis God, I shall demand an explanation from the SA CEO and let you know!

[CathayLoyalist2]

Openfly, I wait with bated breath!!

[BigDog.]

AnthonyDunn – 29/06/2015 13:51 BST

Yes taking photos at pick up and drop off is a great safeguard – especially if you casually mention it (eg ask if it is ok) to the checking agent.

As an aside, taking out your own insurance can save over 50% of the extra insurance/CDW etc over the renters equivalent

[AnthonyDunn]

Hi Big Dog. Taking the advice of others, I took out an annual car hire excess reimbursement (Collision damage waiver) policy and got mine through insurance4carhire,com. This cost me £39.99 all in – and a snip if you are going to be hiring several times a year as I now do. Fingers crossed that it simply remains in my document pack.

[NTarrant]

I have usually taken out the additional insurance to reduce to remove the excess. But I remember another customer having something like £600 blocked on his card in case of damage.

If you have one of these policies will they still do that?

[lloydah]

I took out the same insurance as you AnthonyDunn which has served me well in the past. Sixt still blocked 1000euros though, but this morning received the invoice for just the original amount of rental. So Ok this time.

[superchris]

Thank you all for the comments. My goodness I opened up a can of worms there!

Annoyingly I didn’t get time to set up a ‘protect my bubble’ type excess policy before I left so ended up stumping up the 20 euros a day to waive the excess. Oh well.

Interestingly, the staff at Mahon was incredibly relaxed when I took the car back to them not even giving me any paperwork. I think they were quite offended when I insisted on getting signed paperwork saying the car was full of fuel and no damage (reinforced by lots of pictures).

I have to confess, I do tend to be a slave to BA miles at the expense of good service and based on this experience will try local operators in future.

[Author]

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