Western USA, California San Francisco, Highway 1, 17 Miles, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles

Renting and returning the car was very convenient. After getting off the plane, you can follow the signs to find the rental location. For returning, just drive to the designated spot and leave the key in the car.

Had to wait in line for almost an hour

No prior service at all

Service attitude, waiting time, and vehicle condition need to be addressed separately: Our flight arrived at 10 PM local time, and we got to the rental office around 11 PM. Many rental companies are located on the same floor, and some had no staff at their counters. AVIS had the longest line, which we didn’t expect. After waiting for half an hour, it was our turn. The procedure was normal. The clerk asked if we needed an SUV and how many people and luggage we had, then gave us a Jeep Cherokee. I asked if it was the Grand Cherokee, and he said yes. When we went to pick up the car, we realized the model was much smaller than what we booked. We called the rental company several times but they needed time to process it. Eventually, we went back to the counter, by then the male clerk had gone off duty and we were helped by a female clerk. She admitted we were given a downgraded car and offered a full tank of gas as compensation, which didn't matter much as gas is cheap in the US. We asked for the price difference, and she printed out the receipt showing a difference of $220. It was clear we were downgraded without any notice. After confirming the downgraded price, we took the car since they didn't have the same class available. This whole process took us a long time and we got to our hotel very late, making this experience very unpleasant.

Poor vehicle maintenance led to a breakdown during the trip. When we called AVIS, they asked us to tow the car to a designated location, but later denied instructing us to do so. There was no replacement of the same type available, so we had to downgrade. They also refused to compensate the difference. The company is careless and dishonest.