A woman who had to rent a car for a few days was completely stunned when the bill came much higher than the amount quoted at the time of rental.
Taylor Rowe shared a video on TikTok to report the situation. She began by explaining that she rented a car from Avis and the website said that to rent a “Hyundai Venue or similar,” the daily rate would be about $27.
“Avis, economy car for $27.53 a day, okay. I call; I book. Yes, $25 a day, I have to give an absurd deposit of about $200,” she began. This deposit is usually charged as a “security” and, if everything goes well, it is refunded upon returning the rental.
Even though she was confused about the outrageous deposit amount, she proceeded with the rental for four days. However, when she received the final bill, she was completely shocked when it came to $495.
“Four hundred and ninety-five dollars! Why? Why did they charge me so much per day?” Rowe exclaimed before revealing the “hidden fees” of $88 for each extra rental day, plus an additional $88 fee described as “period.”
Fortunately, she used a 10% coupon that brought a $32 discount to the final bill. Still, Rowe was not satisfied. “They sold me the illusion that it would cost $27 a day, and I did this for four days, and it came out to $500. So, if anyone can do that math, I’m waiting.”
Rowe is not the first (and probably won’t be the last) to be duped by hidden fees from car rental companies. In fact, last Tuesday (11), The Street reported that Avis lost a $19 million class action lawsuit for “improperly charging additional fees on car rentals.”
“Car rental companies are quietly boosting their revenue through extra fees, and recent lawsuits show how costly this can be for consumers,” wrote consumer advocate Christopher Elliott in Elliott Confidential.
The ruling indicates that a subsidiary of Avis, Payless Car Rental Inc., improperly charged renters for fuel service and roadside assistance without express consent from the customers, a practice that is becoming common among car rental companies.
Photo and video: TikTok @taylorrowe36. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
@taylorrowe36 Replying to @Delete this Tiktok ➡️ After getting hit with fees from the ‘avid’ rental car scam 🙄… booking on Turo feels like a dream. No lines, no hidden charges—just keys & freedom 🚗✨ #avisRentalCarScam #R#RentalCarScamT#TuroIsBetterT#TuroVsRentalT#TuroDreamT#TuroLifeN#NeverRentingAgainS#SideHustleTokT#TravelTokC#CarRentalHacksF#FYPF#ForYouH#HiddenFeesWhoT#TravelSmartV#VacationHacks ♬ original sound – Taylor Rowe | Entrepreneur
