Avis Benefit Not Honored in London

[m9350f]

I booked a car through the AARP link to Avis for my husband's and my trip to London last October. When we arrived at the Avis counter, we were told that the no cost additional driver was not applicable. After arguing for a short while about their denial of our benefit, we reluctantly agreed to pay extra for the second driver (~$170) rather than use a different credit card which would have forfeited our primary car rental insurance (more costly) or cancel the car rental (not an option).

I tried reaching AARP via email without success and am still chasing Avis's headquarters for reimbursement of the additional money we were required to pay. It is now three months after I initiated our request and we are still waiting for Avis to resolve the issue.

At the very least, I cannot see us ever renting from Avis again. Their customer service has been abysmal. However, being unable to reach AARP via email is unacceptable and is giving me great pause about renewing my membership. If there are few benefits, what is the point?

[m9350f]

I wanted to provide an update and warning for anyone booking a car internationally with Avis through AARP. We finally heard back form Avis' International Resolution Team. Their representative informed us that benefits other than discounts do NOT apply to international rentals. She specifically called out AARP, USAA, and Costco member discounts and benefits.

We are treating this as a lesson learned and will be more selective about our choice of car rental agencies moving forward.