avis.cr

Disappointing Experience with Vehicle Rental

I reserved a vehicle with the company on October 26, 2025. On December 12, 2025, I confirmed via WhatsApp that the vehicle would be all-wheel drive (AWD). I was familiar with the model I booked, but needed assurance due to the poor road conditions from our previous visit and the requirement for a larger vehicle for our luggage. They confirmed it would be AWD. Upon collection, I was informed that the booked vehicle was unavailable, and they could only provide a smaller Nissan model. Although it was also AWD, it lacked a spare tire, which was a significant issue given our plans to drive on unpaved roads. Additionally, they initially attempted to charge me more than the agreed price for this inferior vehicle. After questioning this, they deducted $400, which I reluctantly accepted. I raised concerns about the missing spare tire and the agent indicated I had to accept the vehicle or leave without one. Their only alternative was a pickup truck, but it wouldn’t accommodate our luggage securely. Left with no choice, we took the vehicle. The car was fine until we experienced a puncture in a remote area on January 13, 2026, early in the morning. We tried to repair it with the provided kit, but the damage was too severe. When we reached out to the company, they directed us to contact the insurance, which failed to send assistance. They took the vehicle away and arranged for us to be dropped off at our accommodation. We found ourselves stranded without transportation. The company did not respond to our calls or WhatsApp messages promptly. Eventually, they replied late in the day, stating they had no vehicles available and could only offer a taxi to our accommodation. Despite sending multiple messages and attempting calls, we received no further communication. We explained our need to leave our current accommodation by January 15, 2026, and that we incurred costs for transport on January 14 and missed an excursion on January 13 due to their failure to provide the reserved vehicle. After being left without further assistance, we had to find our own way out of a very remote area, leading to significant additional expenses. We relayed this to the company, but only received a response two days later, offering a minimal reduction on the rental that did not compensate for our losses. This lack of communication was particularly frustrating. They should have at least informed us that we needed to make our own arrangements. As a long-time member of the company's loyalty program, I have rented from them many times in other regions without such issues. This experience was exceptionally disappointing.

Date of experience: Jan 19, 2026