What is the point of making a reservation, if you show up to the counter and they say they have no cars?

I recommend an Avis Executive, VP or Regional Service Manager stop by and rent one of these cars at GRR to see this $h!t for themselves. Here's what they can expect: - "We are proud to feature a 100% smoke-free fleet!" is completely untrue. Most vehicles wreak of marijuana smoke or some other odor--be prepared to go back to the counter repeatedly until you can get a car or SUV that doesn't smell like skunk weed. - There is no interior cleaning in virtually all of the vehicles; windshield glass looks like someone licked it or wiped it with a greasy cloth. Receipts, wrappers, crumbs, etc. in cup holders and under the seats. - Don't be surprised if the "Oil Change Required" warning comes on shortly after departing the Avis parking lot. - Two numbers are available for the Avis Desk but neither of them will get you in contact with an agent at that location (616) 949-1720 and (616) 233-6330. - If you make a long-term rental reservation, you'll likely get a contract limited to only 30 days, regardless of what you reserved online. #2thumbsdown read more

Avis Car Rental - Oil Change Required, Dodge Durango, appeared within few miles of departing the lot. - Car Rental Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

The person who helped us at the counter was wonderfully friendly! Renting and finding the car was easy. The only downside has been that one tire was already giving us a low pressure warning. read more

2740 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI location (07-19-25): Months in advance - I reserved and prepaid for PREMIUM car, as we were going to a Chicago wedding and I wanted to treat my wife. (Toyota CROWN was included in this class). When we arrived, the rather unhelpful clerk gave us a scribbled form to go check car and write any damages. She said it was a white car was around back somewhere and use key fob to locate it! We did, and much to our surprise a KIA SPORTAGE was the car. I wrote a damages on the nearly 40k mile car and went to give to her. I specifically asked her if this was indeed a PREMIUM Class car. She said "YES, and it was delivered special for us the previous day." We went on our way but bothered by this. I called AVIS corporate, only to find out it was NOT a premium class. Corporate finally gave a 20% discount but would not comment on whether the car we received was even rented at that new amount. I told him the "clerk" actually lied to us about receiving a premium when the substituted a lesser car!! I have absolutely nothing good to say about Avis and this location on 28th street, Grand Rapids, MI. Buyer beware of this location and fraudulent employee (a weekend employee! woman)!! read more

I cannot express enough gratitude for the GRR Avis. Our flight arrived 3 hours late, which made it far past "closing time" and they stayed and waited for is. Thank you for going above and beyond and making our trip that much easier (after our VRBO canceled on us somewhat last minute). Well done! read more

Josh is always smiling and greeting you with respect. Always make sure you're getting what vehicle fits you best for your time of need. I had an issue with one car he didn't hesitate to make changes he was really nice. read more

Our vehicle malfunctioned with a constant annoying loud beeping. After be bounced around and given different phone numbers we finally got a hold of someone since we were in a different state. Avis said we could exchange the vehicle. After we drove 40 minutes out of the way (20 min up and 20 min back). When we got to Avis but after choosing a new vehicle the manager Wendy Gentry at Avis Budget Group 4560 Peterson Ct Grand Rapids, MI 49512 said we would have to pay $9.99 per gallon because the vehicle we were exchanging was not full of gas. Then she said we would have to take it up with the Avis back in Columbus, Ohio. She said she cannot get the phone number and call the other Avis, we would have to do that. After spending so much time there we had to leave to get back to our sons game. We left because she was being unreasonably trying to charge us $9.99 a gallon for gasoline even though we have already been extremely inconvenienced. They should not have tried to charge us for gasoline at all, and $9.99 a gallon is exorbitant! read more

2740 28th St and 2640 Alpine have the same owner. Tina and Stephen are here to scam customers. I rented using a valid code, from the Alpine location. I get a call we dont have any cars I need to send you to 28th. I get there and Stephen acuses me of Fraud. I am renting a car for my Wife and I. Her very large employer gives her the code to use. Since I am not my wife he tells me I am committing fraud and procedes to charge me double. No solutions, I have no alternative I am just stuck taking it from Stephen. Talk about a company committing fraud on their customers. If you have anywhere else you can go do it. Do not rent from Tina and Stephen, its a family of scam artists. read more

I will never use Avis again. it's unfortunate because it was my go-to car rental company. but after my last experience I have a very bad taste in my mouth. my partner & I rented a vehicle, and while on the highway we got a flat tire. the customer line for emergency help was utterly useless. they told us a tow truck would come within 3 hours, and never updated us that the 3rd party tow company had canceled that service- until we followed up. when a new tow arrived hours later they were hesitant to give us a lift to another nearby Avis (where Avis told us another vehicle would be available) & so Avis supplied an Uber voucher- in a city where there were none. when we finally found a cab to take us to the new Avis- there were no cars for us to replace the one we had (even though they said there would be) many mixed messages were given to us there like "we will have someone bring one from another location" etc. no avis' within the state seemed to have availability at that urgent time- whatsoever. & the front desk rep was no help either. It would have been one thing if they had outright owned that they wouldnt help us at that point but they just kept on giving completely mixed messages about what would happen next and stalling us for hours. we ended up getting a cab again to a different rental company thank god they had cars for us but after this whole ordeal which took up more than half our travel day- Avis would not give us a refund for the day we didnt use the car (after it was towed). I hope this company gets a makeover because I'm certain our predicament isn't unusual considering how much maintenance cars need.. read more

I don't even know where to start. I reserved my car online before coming to GR, only to be told at the counter that they didn't actually have the car I had booked. Instead, they gave me a substitute. Alright, fine, no issue. It's a bit ridiculous that in 2025 online stock does not reflect actual stock, but whatever. At least I thought. I was given a Volvo V60 with a faulty front camera. No big deal right? WRONG. These cars come equipped with auto anti-collision technology. Combine this with a faulty camera & what do you get? Nothing good. To say this car almost killed me SEVERAL TIMES would be an understatement. The car is BEYOND unsafe to drive, the fact that this Avis allowed this to be rented to me is irredeemable & largely irresponsible. I don't even know how I can safely go about returning it?? It slams on its brakes HARD & randomly, how can I drive this on the highway? I have no idea how the car has not caused a massive accident yet. & who will be held liable if it does cause an accident? Me. Ridiculous performance from this company. To say I am displeased is a massive understatement. My life has been put in danger by this car SEVERAL TIMES, imagine fully slamming on your brakes while going 70+ on a highway!! & randomly too?? How can I even react fast enough to prevent a massive accident when I'm not even in control of the braking?? Ridiculous. They should be sued for this. Would leave 0 stars if possible. Will NEVER be returning here again. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! Update: Although I thought my experience with this company was bad, it quickly got much worse after leaving this review. Today I called Avis to request that they take their vehicle back. To my surprise, they not only are charging me for towing, but also for the entirety of my original rental plan despite the fact that I'm giving the car back early. To summarize, they gave me a faulty car, put my life, as well as others', in danger by letting me drive the car on the highway, then proceeded to charge me for returning the car as well as the full price of what I would have paid if I got a fully functional car, for 3x the time I had it. Throughout the process I was bounced around between random Indians that barely spoke English working in overseas calling centers. Never once did I get to speak to a manager or anyone in charge. Never once was any acknowledgment made that I had been put in danger by their mistake. Never once was accountability taken by them. I spent hours on the phone with these people, and gained nothing. Not even an apology. To say that this company is run by some of the worst people in this world is an understatement. They make millions per year, yet decided to screw me over ~$600. No remorse for putting my life in danger. I signed a contract that said I would receive a safe, drivable car. They violated that agreement & suffered none of the repercussions. Imagine if I would have violated my end? I would likely end up in jail or sued. This has by far been the worst experience I have ever had with ANY company I've ever interacted with. If costumer opinions mean anything to you, stay away from them at all costs. Terrible people, terrible company, terrible experience. read more

of course beyond being understaffed on Christmas Day they decided to also make the line Budget too so we could all wait 2-3 hours for our car. truly the worst customer service every time. like Uber and taxis the minute we can put them out of business with an alternative it will Happen. also their rewards program is garage and preferred still terrible read more

Avis Car Rental - Car Rental Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Never renting from AVIS again. I prepaid a rental I picked up in Grand Rapids Gerald Ford Airport Avis on August 17, 2024. The agent gave me the keys to a Mazda SUV. The seat was stuck in the furthest position from the wheel. I went back to the counter. The next car was an 8 passenger SUV that had been in an accident. The left rear panel was bent toward the tire. I went back to the counter. The last car I was given was a 2017 Toyota that had over 54,000 miles on it. As I drove, I realized that it was not in safe driving condition. The car made a loud knocking sound, and shook when I accelerated. When I arrived at my destination, the cars "check engine" light and "low tire pressure" lights were on. On August 18 2024, I contacted Avis customer service to request a replacement car. The agent told me to return the car to Grand Rapids. Needless to say, there was no way I was driving that car anywhere else. I checked the local Avis location and there were no cars available. I spoke to 2 other Avis customer service reps who told me that I would have to call a tow truck at my expense. Several phone calls later, I spoke to an Avis rep that arranged a tow truck with no cost to me. The agent assured me that I would not be charged for the rental. I was charged the full amount for the rental. Several phone calls to Avis later, I received a partial refund . It was the first and last time I'll ever rent a car from Avis. read more

The only reason this Avis gets a 3 star is because of Evan the agent that helped over 20 people in line by himself while a co worker sat in the office...he never wavered or got stressed he just stayed calm and kept plugging away until everyone was taken care of...I will say that three of us that were helped had the same complaint, our cars smelled like smoke...so either they aren't cleaning them very well after smokers have gotten done with them or they just don't care...this does not show well for this company. read more

Do NOT use Avis Rental in Grand Rapids... Do NOT use Avis Rental in Grand Rapids MI. WORST CAR RENTAL EXPERIENCE EVER!!!! They may be a bit cheaper but they are TERRIBLE. We waited 45 in line, then were told it would be 30 more minutes for a car, then told another 30, then another 20. After TWO HOURS OF WAITING, we still do not have a car. read more

Avoid using Budget or Avis at this airport. When I arrived, I was told the vehicle we had reserved was unavailable and the only option was to put us in much lesser cars. After going round and round with the clerk, he refused to give me my license and credit card back so I could go ask for options from other rental companies. It was only after my husband had collected our luggage and arrived that he would give them back to me. The clerk was unprofessional, rude and condescending to me as well as my husband. We reserved through Avis, but it was the clerk at the Budget desk who we were dealing with. He refused to give us his name and the clerk at the Avis desk would not intervene and help. From reading other reviews now, it appears that this is common practice at this airport. Thankfully one of the other companies was able to get us a vehicle, but we did end up having to pay more. Highly recommend using another company if you go to Grand Rapids! read more

First time using Avis at Gerald R. Ford International Airport. I had a good experience - in contrast to some of the other reviews posted here. Upon arrival - I headed across the street from the Terminal into the rental car facility (last time I was at GRR 4 years ago - one took a shuttle bus to the rental cars). I'm an Avis Preferred member - but I've come to expect at smaller airports - there may not be a separate Preferred area or electronic board with names on it. When I arrived - the line was relatively short. Got my keys and was on the way! Upon return, pulled in, and had my receipt e-mailed to me. Very short walk into the Terminal. #Avis read more

Avis Car Rental - Car Rental Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Rented from Avis for years but probably no longer. I rented a vehicle from Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), 44th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI and was given a Malibu with 82,000 miles, pulled to the left, made concerning engine noises at speed and unbalanced tires that vibrated. Of course you dont find all these things out till you get onto the highway however, the 82,000 miles was a red flag I should have acknowledged. The fact Avis even has a car with this many miles and in this condition is hard to believe. I reported this to the GRR Avis employee and they offered no solution or seemed to care (did not get recorded anywhere that I complained). When I tried to reconcile this dangerous experience with customer service post rental, I was told I should have reported it (I did but no one cared) and that there was nothing they could do at this point because there was no way to verify this, which is convenient. There is also no way to report this on the app or website during a rental, also convenient. For customers and inevitably the person this car breaks on or causes a crash to, the plate number is (TN) 7Y98B4. When they say no one has complained previously, I hope you or your attorney find this review. Its sad that companies do not value safety or customer experience and would just assume insinuate a customer is lying, and lose a customer (in this case a whole company) over such a small easily fixable issue. I tried to call customer service and got someone in another country I could barley understand that just repeated lines off a sheet. With that being said, domestic CSR was no more caring or helpful. I was also charged for a whole extra day after arriving late by an hour in icy conditions but CSR has made it clear there is no exceptions to this. Would recommend you book for a day extra and bring it back early due to this. It seems I am not the only person to receive this level of service from this location or Avis CSR / Corporate which is sad. Eventually these will all add up to be a considerable chunk of business but the damage will be done. I tried to speak with every rep I could about this from calling, to facebook, to whatsapp links given by other customers (scam?). The end result was all the same. read more

Can't get a real person! Left my phone in the car when returning it and it's been 3 days. I can track it and know exactly where it is. At the rental counter in grand rapids. I can't get a real person on the phone to tell them!! It's horrible that I can see where my phone is and no live person to get it back to me!! read more

Make sure you check your rental for damage and document it before you leave. Avis will accuse you of damaging the car and send a demand letter for payment without providing any information, pictures, etc. $4,000. They do not respond to request for damage information or return phone calls. They work your insurance company with false information and threats. I was able to obtain the information three months after their investigation and sure enough the damage on the repair bill was dated prior to my rental time. Avis knowingly provided false information and submitted a fraudulent claim to my insurance. Sedgewick the company who represents Avis in this scheme lacks greatly in principles, basic investigation skills and also does not respond. Avis/Sedgewick will take the money and run. read more

We have rented from Avis for years and it is the only rental company that we use. My disappointment this time is the spray the was used inside the car and in the trunk. GRR airport is where we have picked up rental cars before. Never before has the vehicle smelled from something like Febreze or stronger. It was awful. I hope that cleaning the cars before sending them out again has gone by the way side. The trunk wasn't not vacuumed it had sand in it from the previous renter. We spent days trying to be in the rental with that smell. We drove with the windows down a bit. We even parked it over night with the windows open a bit. We would stop at people's houses and leave the trunk open to continue to air the vehicle out. I believe for some people this smell may be a health hazard. This smell experience hampered our enjoyment of the driving this vehicle. Please stop spraying this stuff inside vehicles. read more

This is the worst Avis location I have ever seen. Had a car booked as a preferred member and no car when we show up. Line is hour long and am told have to wait. This place is a complete joke and I will never use Avis again. read more

I'm through here twice a week, and it's great. I normally land at Grand Rapids Airport around midnight on Sundays, and the Preferred check-in is awesome! They are quick to recognize you, and treat you great! They have your paperwork ready, hand you the keys, and you can literally be out there ether in under a minute. If you have any problems with the car you've been assigned, they are great at working with you and making sure you are satisfied. Both John and the other gentleman working Sunday nights are the best! The drop-off system is awesome as well. It's covered and out of the elements, and the ladies that I work with on Friday afternoons are quick and efficient. As the other reivew says, literally you can drop off, and be walking into the airport in 60 seconds! 5 STARS. There really isn't much they can do to be better! read more

We were in a car accident and needed to get back home. Car rental companies were not allowing pick up at one location and drop off at another. When booking the car, the phone representative told me that if I changed locations after I picked it up they would allow it, and likely charge an extra day or mileage. All I had to do was call a number and make the change. When I called the number to make the change, they confirmed that I would be charged an extra day or mileage. Long story short, they charged an extra day, mileage, and a one way fee of $600. What was originally a $228 1 day rental turned into over $1300. read more

Plenty of cars here the past hour, but no keys. Um, what? No explanation from the Avis desk at Gerald R. Ford Int'l Airport in Grand Rapids, only that 'they' bring the keys to the desk all at one time. Horrible customer service, Avis. read more

Lashawn was awesome for me. My car, 25,000 miles, transmission went out. Needed a car. I was literally in and out of Avis in 10 minutes. She was great...first car,someone smoked in it. Told her I couldn't drive that. She had me another in 5 minutes. Somebody needs to pay her more. Seriously, you can't find enough people like her...she even walked me out to the lot to find the car.... read more

This location gave me the worst experience with a rental car company I've ever had. They changed the rate on me for the last few days I had the car and they charged me for the damage coverage that I didn't opt for. When I brought all of this up I was brushed aside and told they would let their manager know but that's all they could do. On top of that the employee that "helped" me out when I picked up the car was incredibly lazy and very rude. I thought i would save a buck over enterprise, and this is what i got. I will never use this company again. read more

The vehicle was much smaller than a typical mid sized car. And, i was charged an additional $107 for "excessive" sand. Which is ridiculous, considering we rented from a beach town (Muskegon)and only went to the beach one time. we are not a bunch of messy children, we are responsible adults and feel that the amount of sand tracked into the vehicle was not excessive. read more

Don't use this counter!! Their policy's are different from what you are promised online. They left my finance stuck without our rental that we paid for in FULL! To top it off they would not make a manager available to us to speak to. Bad communication. Bad costumer service! And they NEVER answer the phone! read more

We were late coming in due to delays -like arriving 2:45am and we let them know at one point and they promised to wait for us to get the car and they did. And upon returning car we left a phone in the car and the person who checked us in ran to catch us before entering the airport. Above and beyond customer service. read more

We tried to use Avis and it has been a nightmare! We are local and were trying to rent a vehicle to go on a trip and we were told that we needed a return flight itinerary at the desk to be able to rent? Excuse me? We didn't FLY in so WHY would we need a return flight itinerary? On top of that, the mastercard debit card that the website SAYS should be accepted, we were told was not acceptable. When I tried to call the counter to get some information about their policies, the phone wasn't even answered. So where it says contact the local office...good luck. All in all, a complete waste of our time and I will never recommend them to anyone. Enterprise has been super helpful through this all so if you need a car...use Enterprise. read more

Absolutely terrible service. Showed up to a 45 minute delay to pickup our car. Had to have a family member drive us to detroit so we don't miss our flight. So disappointing, zero stars if I could. read more

I had no problems renting at grand rapids. The person helping me was very nice, the car was good and they actually had cars when 3 of the other rental agencies were sold out. The only minor gripe I had was the inside of the windshield could have been cleaned better. It was streaky and a bit distracting driving through the heavy downpour. But overall I had a great experience. read more

pre booked and paid rental atlanta airport for drop off macon airport yesterday ford mustang when returned charge extra apparently it was a GT model not standard. did not ask for upgrade and was unaware just took what they gave me. This is a scam happened same place about two years ago pre paid camaro advised at pick up time they only had convertible would that be alright said fine along as there was no extra. same thing when I returned they billed me extra on credit card despite their internet deals so beware read the fine print . respectable rental car companies offer free upgrades when your hire vehicle is not available only had this problem at Atlanta Airport one way rental. read more

I am in the USAF and I was on orders to go overseas and needed to rent a car as my flight was cancelled but I could drive to my connecting airport. They told me over the phone that as long as I had my orders I could rent a car. Come to find out when I arrive to pick up my car that they cannot rent it to me because I don't have credit even though I have plenty of means to rent from them as well as I have family who was willing to use their credit card to pay but it "didn't match my drivers license". So as a service member to this country on orders to go overseas I simply cannot rent a car because I have a debit card. As well as the lady behind the counter was extremely rude from the moment I walked in and said good morning. It was "what do you want" read more

Customer service says that the charge for gas will come off when you return full. You return full and they say the charge comes off when they email the receipt. The truth is the charge comes off when you spend a frustrating half talking to off shore folks that don't speak English and finally scan the receipts to prove you are being overcharged. Apparently if you are #2 you don't try harder! Avis in English means AVOID. read more

Great service. My plane was rerouted to Grand Rapids and they rented me a one way car to get me to my destination. I did not even have a reservation. read more

This Avis location just made me a lifetime customer. I had a discrepancy in my bill and I was upset that the extra charges were not communicated to me prior to me driving off with the car. They went out of their way to make it right with me. Highly recommend this for GRR car rentals. read more

Do not rent from Avis. Bad experience. Overpriced, car was in poor condition, high mileage and I was charged for a bunch of "optional" coverages I did not elect to purchase. When I called customer service about it, they were rude and said I should have read all the screens before I signed. That it was my fault that the count agent sold me things without disclosing those costs/coverages. Never again will I rent from Avis. Bad business. read more

They have an excellent drop-off system. I was literally in and out within a minute! I didn't have any problems with pre-existing scratches on the rental or the level of the gas. read more

So Avis car rental has permanently lost a customer. After being an exclusive, loyal customer for several years, they refused to work with me on attempting to get a rental for my girlfriend so she could be at my coming home ceremony! The very ceremony to celebrate myself, and the rest of my unit coming home after being away from home for the past 11 months for the military! I usually don't ask for anything for spending the past 17 years in the military. But it would have been nice for them to at least attempt to work with me to come up with a solution to my problem. They did no such thing. Instead they told me there was no way for my girlfriend to get a rental unless she had a major credit card in her name. I don't post my issues on Facebook very often. But I think this is an issue that might affect a lot of people. So for the sake of saving someone else a lot of unnecessary headache, advise them to just go with any rental service other than Avis, or any of the three other rental services affiliated with them. (There are three of them) read more