Avis Charged Me €378 After Saying There Would Be No Damage Fee
From April 24 through April 26, 2026, I rented a VW Traveller from the Avis office at Düsseldorf Airport in Germany. When I returned the vehicle, I was told that there were two pinhead-sized spots where the paint had chipped. I was asked to sign a damage report, but the employee specifically assured me that I would not be charged for the damage.
Despite this assurance, €378 was charged to my card as a “damage” fee during the return process. There is no clear evidence showing whether the paint chips were already present before my rental or occurred while I was using the vehicle. Charging me this amount after explicitly stating that there would be no fee was extremely unfair and seriously damaged my trust in Avis.
When I contacted Avis customer service about the issue, I received a completely dismissive and unhelpful response that essentially amounted to, “This does not concern us.” Because Avis failed to honor its employee’s assurance and charged me without providing a reasonable explanation, I am requesting a detailed investigation and a full refund of the unfair €378 damage charge.
