Avis Charged Me €1,550 for a Nearly Invisible Dent and Removable Marks
From May 9 through May 18, 2026, I rented a Skoda Octavia Combi from the Avis office in Frankfurt for a family vacation between Frankfurt and Munich. My reservation and rental agreement number was 321843001. Because I was traveling with my children and wanted to avoid even the smallest problem, I treated the vehicle with extreme care and used covered parking whenever possible.
Returning the vehicle turned into a complete nightmare. An Avis employee claimed that there was a dent on the rear-left side that was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, along with scratches on the bumper. Avis then issued a repair invoice for €1,645.61 and demanded that I pay €1,550, approximately $1,732. I am absolutely certain that I did not cause this dent. The video I recorded when picking up the vehicle does not show such a microscopic detail because the parking garage was dark and had strong light reflections. Even the Avis employee who accepted the returned vehicle struggled to locate the alleged dent in the company’s own photos.
The supposed bumper “scratches” were nothing more than dust and luggage marks that disappeared when wiped with a wet wipe. Despite the exceptional care I took with the vehicle, Avis is demanding an extremely high and unreasonable €1,550 payment. I feel that the company is taking advantage of the fact that I am a foreign traveler. This has left me shocked and seriously inconvenienced. I had also purchased additional insurance through Pegasus, making Avis’s approach even more disappointing.
I have not paid this amount, but Avis continues demanding it through the invoice it sent me. I completely reject such an excessive repair charge for damage that either does not exist or consists of ordinary removable marks that could happen during normal use. I am requesting an independent review of all pre-rental and post-rental records, photos, and videos. I also demand the immediate cancellation of this unfair and excessive damage invoice.
This experience caused me severe stress after my vacation and completely ruined my family’s enjoyment of the trip. I believe Avis owes me a sincere apology for treating me like a suspect and allowing this dispute to overshadow our vacation. This extremely negative experience has completely destroyed my trust in the Avis brand.
