Rental car company charges man more for early return

CHARLOTTE — Greg Barton’s family traveled from North Carolina to Italy,

“It was beautiful. It was great,” he said.

He says they rented a car for two weeks.

“We decided, for convenience purposes, to return the car a day early,” he said.

Barton thought it would save him some money.

Instead, he says the opposite happened.

ACTION 9: You may have money just sitting there with your name on it

He had to pay more: About $1,000 to $1,500 more than expected.

“I thought it was a mistake, so I contacted the office there,” he said.

He says it took a lot of back-and-forth and then eventually, he says, “[AVIS] sent me a copy of the contract stating that if you return it early, you are subject to a different rate.”

The terms and conditions say, “If you return it earlier or later, a different or higher rental rate may apply.”

Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke still reached out to the company, and it responded: “AVIS has contacted the customer and explained that the rate for the rental defaulted due to the early return. We have resolved the issue and refunded the difference. We appreciate the opportunity to address this customer’s concerns.”

“I feel great,” Barton told Stoogenke. “I appreciate your help with doing that. It was a long process, but we feel good about it.”

Ensure you read the fine print, even if you think you’re doing something better for the company.

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