Avis Southern Africa Arvostelua 

I'm convinced there is fraud or something going on at Avis. I rented a car, everything was fine, until they didn't release all of the funds they reserved on my credit card. They claim I took out a waiver, which I never agreed to. I even paid the full amount when I made the online booking before hand, and I chose the Super Waiver, so it makes no sense.

I've been battling with customer service for more than 2 months now trying to get this sorted out. But they have ignored me multiple times, and then they apparently "escalate it to the branch" but then nothing happens.

Would not recommend Avis to anyone. Scammy company, with very bad customer service.

I usually book through Europcar but decided to try Avis Namibia, as their offering appeared competitive on paper. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing.

Despite having pre-booked and prepaid, waiting time to collect the vehicle was unreasonably long (>30 minutes) even though there were only 2 customers (me being one of them) at the counter and 3 staff members.

When I later contacted Avis with a query, communication was poor, and resolving the matter required repeated email follow-ups from my side. By the way, if you prepay for a vehicle online and ultimately use it for a shorter period than originally booked, Avis does not refund the unused portion. Refunds are apparently only available if payment is made at the branch by credit card or cash. An important distinction to be aware of!

Based on this experience, I would not use Avis again out of my own accord.

I choose to rent a car from Avis because they are a supposedly reputable company, my experience with them does not really reflect this. Definitely more towards the cowboy outfit end of the spectrum. My main gripe is about them hanging on to my deposit. They have now had it for over 2 months, today when I actually went to the cape town branch and caused a fuss they said it should be back in my account within 72 hours. We shall see!!

I actually cannot be bothered to complain about their other faults but taking over twice the amount of time stated on their contract for them to return my money is unacceptable. It feels like if I had not gone into the office, nothing would be being done about this.
Suffice to say, as things stand I will not be using Avis again anytime soon.

They charge you hidden costs after youve dropped the car. The check in lady approves and says there are no charges and then they send you the bill. They double charged me for a baby seat and its impossible to get through to customer service. @OR Tambo - Terrible terrible company

I had the pleasure of being serviced by Avis - George on my trip to Oudtshoorn. My first encounter was with Shaleen- her smile and chatty nature left me feeling like an old friend being honest with the utmost attention. Then Emmanuel was as kind and as attentive - leaving me wondering if I was still in the same South Africa. Every staff member had a genuine smile. Extra care and willingness. I thought it was all a facade until I returned on Friday to be met with the same genuine enthusiasm and care. Avis made my stay memorable,comfortable and restored my confidence in service in SA!

Avis over charged my credit card, adding the previous drivers milage to my account, and then charging me for it.
After 20+ emails, copying in everyone from ZA to Global Customer Services, plus Global and ZA CEOs, Avis just reply month after month that reviewing and will get back, when in fact they are not, and just waiting for me to give up.

Avis stole from me, and then refuse to respond beyond automated responses.

DO NOT USE THEM, THEY WILL DEFRAUD YOU AND THEY WILL JUST IGNORE YOU

I am extremely disappointed with my recent experience with Avis Cape Town Airport.

I rented a Mercedes-Benz C200 and within approximately 30 km of driving identified what appeared to be a serious brake issue. To their credit, the vehicle was exchanged, but the experience went downhill from there.

Following the rental, I was charged nearly R5,000 for alleged tyre/wheel damage despite the original vehicle already having multiple recorded wheel and bumper damages and no joint inspection being conducted with me during the vehicle exchange. I have requested photographs, inspection reports and supporting documentation but have yet to receive satisfactory evidence supporting the charge.

I have contacted Customer Services multiple times and submitted a formal dispute, yet the matter remains unresolved.

Having worked in ultra-luxury hospitality for many years, I understand the importance of guest service, transparency and accountability. Being issued with a vehicle that raised safety concerns, followed by disputed charges and limited assistance, is not the level of service I expected from a premium international brand.

I hope Avis reviews this matter fairly and improves its customer dispute process going forward.

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE: IT IS MONTHS LONG BATTLE WITH Dudu Kgopa & Nonkululeko Masilela INDIFFERENT SUPERIOR SIBONGILE TO GET my invoices ! avis got time, skills , procedures to get monies but refuses to provide receipts i.e invoices . Hell

Will ensure the world knows of the ABUSES i suffered , including 'recovery' due to Dudu ' negligence & incompetence: She forgot or ignore sending link for EFT & Send Recovery person! Yet for these 11 months, AVIS/ Budget Still FAILING to provide Invoices Wonder WHy ?

Evidently is quite common , often FIN & Service issues HOW ARROGANT

If I could give 0 I would. Avis Cape Town are a bunch of crooks. I got a car with a fuel range of 580km. When I returned the car, I left a fuel range in there 640km more the I got it. I then got charge extra to fill the car plus the fuel duty. I am absolutely disgusted by this behaviour, plus it is fraud. I have emailed but apparently it needs to be filled for the next rental. But is was never full when I took it. Avis Cape Town will never see me again. If I can advise, please go somewhere else.

Good luck.

Avis contacted me afterwards just to tell me all charges remain. Stealing from the customer is allowed? If they do this to every customer to illegally charge for fuel top up plus admin fees. This fraudulent scheme brings a very good turnover every month. This is not cool and will not be excepted.

Dreadful customer experience - systems that don’t align, highly impersonal service.

Nobody gives a damn about the customer - avoid these people!!!

I have rented cars countless times without any issues except at Avis Cape Town.
They were supposed to provide a car with a full tank. They provided me with a car with two bars of fuel missing. Hence I returned it immediately. Their staff acknowledged it is their fault and I can swap the car for another one with full tank free of charge which I did.
Only after I returned the car they started demanding me to pay for the missing fuel in the first car that they provided without full tank plus refilling charge. I explained this to them several times by emails but no one seems to read them. They are only threatening with lawyers.
I don't know if they do these shady practices on purpose or they are just utterly incompetent but next time I will rent a car elsewhere where they do their job right.

Avis rental account E783169100

Never again will i use Avis rental, you deserve a fair 0/5
Your Guest experience of 0/5.
Plenty other companies to use.
A very cold experience, have a nice life Avis.

I actually came across these reviews after completing our South Africa trip using a Tank 300 from JNB, and I have to say I’m genuinely surprised by some of the comments. Our experience with the team was completely positive from start to finish.

Communication in the lead-up to the trip was excellent, with every question answered promptly and professionally. The vehicle itself was practically brand new, extremely well prepared, and equipped with everything we could possibly have needed for the journey.

At the end of the rental, the deposit was returned exactly as promised with no issues whatsoever. Overall, a fantastic experience and we will absolutely be using them again in the future.

Very disappointing and worrying experience with Avis Safari Rental.
We rented a 4x4 for a family trip in South Africa, expecting a reliable, safe vehicle properly prepared for this kind of journey. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely poor.
Within the first few days, we encountered serious tyre problems. One tyre was in such poor condition that it punctured after only three days. The other two spare tyres did not allow us to travel safely or with peace of mind. A garage later confirmed that their condition was very concerning. We were travelling with my pregnant wife and my 9-year-old daughter: this was not a minor inconvenience, but a real safety issue.
We also had another very practical problem: the system used to secure the spare wheel underneath the vehicle was not working properly. As a result, we had to travel with a spare wheel inside the boot, which is completely abnormal for a vehicle supposedly prepared for a 4x4 trip.
The tents were not waterproof either. We could not sleep properly when it rained, because water was coming into the tents. We were told this was due to unusual weather conditions, but from our perspective, the equipment provided was simply not suitable and not properly maintained.
Because of these severely degraded travel conditions, we even returned the vehicle one day earlier than planned. Despite all this, the company only offered very limited compensation, equivalent to approximately 200 euros, and only after many follow-ups. This amount does not reflect the problems we experienced, the safety risk, or the impact on our family trip.
I am deeply disappointed by this experience. When renting a 4x4 for travel in South Africa, safety, tyre condition, waterproof tents and serious customer service should be non-negotiable.
Beware of this company. Based on our experience, I would clearly advise renting elsewhere.

Note: This review has been condensed to allow for an update. The full account can be found on Google Reviews and other platforms.

We rented a 4x4 camper from Avis Safari Rental Johannesburg (Dec 2025 – Jan 2026). The rooftop tent leaked during every rainfall for 5–6 days, rendering the vehicle unusable. Visible cracks suggested a known structural defect.

A replacement was arranged but the agreed swap location was not honoured. Cross-border documentation was missing at departure and only provided after repeated follow-up.

The deposit was eventually refunded — but only after active follow-up. Based on hundreds of similar reviews across South Africa, this appears structural: withholding deposits until customers chase them down.

Despite months of emails, calls and a formal corporate complaint, no substantive response regarding compensation was ever received.

Update June 9, 2026: Avis responded publicly asking for my rental agreement number “to escalate the matter.” Purely for show. After a 5-month email exchange they know exactly who I am and can contact me directly. They choose not to. Hundreds of reviews — including many about deposit refunds — show the same pattern: public apologies, no real follow-up.

Picked an AVIS car up in J'burg after no sleep on an overnight flight, and no instructions to video and photograph the condition of the car, just waved off. Returned it 10 days later in Durban and a guy pointed out a scratch I couldn't see. We had looked after the car and cleaned it before our return, we had not scratched it. We were then asked to complete a complaints form in the office, without my glasses on. I just wrote in the box they showed me. We were tricked, it turns out it was a form to consent for a valet. No Avis staff member had mentioned a Valet or shown us why. Surely EVERY hire car needs fully cleaning before being used again - thats the nature of hiring a car and should be included in the price. But if we had known we could have got a valet done alot cheaper than £59. Except the staff hadn't completed anything on the form. No boxes had been ticked about a scratch or a valet proving they had not communicated what the form was with us and it was not an agreement at all, just a scam. They took £59 out our account, and still fighting to be reimbursed. Awful communication by Avis staff at both ends. We then hired exactly the same car from Cape Town AVIS, and returned it, cleaned it before returning and had no problem. So it was clearly poor service in J'burg and Durban, not us and how we drove or cleaned the car. Don't risk it - use another car hire company.

I have been in contact with BA who we booked it with AND AVIS South Africa for the last 2 months back and forth, and still not had a refund. They sent photos of the inside of a really messy car, saying that was ours, but that wasn't the state we had left it in! Especially as one photo had a car seat in it, and my kids are 20, 18, and 14!!! Its all been unecessarily stressful, but not giving up!

NOW CLAIM IT WAS 20% UNDERFILLED ON RETURN AFTER DRIVING FROM THE BP - FILLED TO FIRST CLICK - TO THE DROP OFF.
Returned car to CPT with full tank - filled up at the BP not a mile from the return. Booking was for 1 month. First car no power to carry three people and exchanged. Second car a bit knocked about and the Police pointed out worn tyres. Exchanged. Third car, like the previous two returned with full tanks and evidenced. Printer wasn't working at return (common issue) so I have a photograph of AVIS' screen showing all paid, nothing due! And yes, it has been sent to you! Emails not responded to and claimed refuelling charge. Send a follow up email and all you get is thanks for your follow up email. Shocking service and whilst not a huge amount, if every customer is charged this way...Maybe if someone actually looks at this I can get this sorted and get my refund [T8941DD4C] COMPLAINT ra126003172 As Mr T says, thank you for your attention to this matter.
NOW CLAIM IT WAS 20% UNDERFILLED ON RETURN AFTER DRIVING FROM THE BP - FILLED TO FIRST CLICK - TO THE DROP OFF.

First time using this branch, certainly the last time. Billed for existing damages that were reported, with photo's, BEFORE taking the vehicle. What's the point of taking a bunch of photos of damages and loading them on the app on pre inspection, if they will bill YOU for existing damages? Very disappointing!

Avis Capetown International Airport are still at these scams siting fraudulent damage claims & scratches to your returned rental car & refusing to refund your initial deposit. Warning take many, many photos & get a signed statement on any damage, however small, when you pick up a rental car from Avis - you simply cannot trust them - in fact don't use them at all.

I never had good experiences with Avis they always charged me more than rightfully but this time even though I booked INSURANCE that covered me for ANY WHEEL DAMAGE whatsoever they charged me an insane amount for tire covers that got stolen from my car in Cape Town. Clearly I was not supposed to be charged anything because of the theft as it says it right in the insurance details. I never got that money back despite a bunch of contact on my end and honestly that is such a scam I don’t know what to do anymore. Never rent with that company ever.