I booked a car rental for four days through a work perk and got a great discount, and Avis Preferred status. This allows you to go to a priority counter for faster service (although no one else was waiting at the time). We were about an hour early than our scheduled pick-up time but they were still able to let us pick up. We booked a full size car and ended up getting an SUV type vehicle, which was nice. The cars are also cleaned thoroughly. We've had rental cars that were clean enough but this one looked as though it had really been detailed, and I really appreciate a clean rental car. It just makes it so much more comfortable to drive. For drop off, we were able to drop off in Downtown for no price difference (not sure if this is a Avis Preferred benefit or not). Overall, it was a quick and smooth experience - not something you can often say about airport rental car pickups. read more

Ordered a Toyota Tacoma truck or similar vehicle and was given a beat down volks wagon that had low tire pressure from the start and broken sensors that made our trip very difficult. Stay away from this rental spot as they bait and switch when vehicle inventory is plentiful and they will still give you a run of the mill lemon. AVOID. read more

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTACT THIS OFFICE!! Their phone only ever goes to voice. Tried 100+ times at different times of day and they never pick up. read more

I booked with Avis through Priceline. When I went to pick the vehicle up I was overcharged $23.98. the manager told me this was because sometimes Priceline doesn't know about all of their charges. So, exactly where do they draw the line on sneaking in this extra charge they didn't mention? Upon further investigation the actual charge was for a damage waiver I specifically declined. The manager was rude. Apparently they only have one person to do everything per shift. Priceline did refund the money. Avis refused to. When I filed a complaint with corporate they sent me a very generic apology. It was the first and last time I will ever use Avis. read more

25 people in line for 2 agents Preferred line 1 agent no people needing attention. Avis is spending time selling insurance and upgrades read more

Avis - Car Rental Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

We were here to return the rental car. This Avis location is open 24/7. There is always someone on site that will be able to help. It was not difficult to find and best of all after returning the car, the airport domestic and international was just across the street. Another great thing is the skytrain was there too. So basically you drive the rental car to the parking lot return area and someone will walk up and examine the car. It was easy peasy to return the car here. read more

See all

I would give zero stars if I could. First, their customer service line gave us false information. I revised our reservation under the impression that I didn't need to be with my husband when he picked up the car. When my husband arrived with our 2 kids, he waited for over 45 minutes in a long line - the longest line of all of the rental desks. Once he got to the desk, he was told I had to be there in order to get the original quoted price. Not once did someone tell me this over the phone. I was in Vancouver and could've made arrangements to be there. Then the rep behind the desk told him he could come back with me when returning the vehicle and the manager could adjust the price. I also called their customer service line and was told the same thing - "everything can be adjusted, they haven't charged you yet". Surprise, when I get there the line is longer than any other line at the airport. We wait and were disappointed yet again. The manager and rep refused to do anything at all. This even though the price was DOUBLE what our confirmation email stated. DOUBLE. If it was a small increase we might understand but to not even try to help when we were being charged double the quoted price is absurd. I will never use Avis again. read more

I intended to rent a car one way from Vancouver airport to Whistler for a mountain biking trip. The fee was $96 US. When I got my reservation confirmation email the booking had it returning back to Vancouver international Airport the following morning. I tried to call and change it so I could drop it at their Whistler location, but was told no cars were available. To keep the car my entire stay, even though I would never need it, was going to be over $600. So I'm paying $350US for a private ride up there because I arrive after the last shuttle. I canceled my reservation with Avis six days in advance since they had no one-way rentals available and they still charged me a $50 Canadian cancellation fee!! I will not be renting from Avis ever again! read more

Do Not rent an electric car!!! Avis gave us a Tesla ( there was an upcharge for a non electric) however there is no charging station near the airport (Avis was not helpful in telling us where to charge) and you have to return it at the same charge level as received. We spent a considerable time trying to find a Tesla charging station - found one in Burnaby in an underground parking garage... just got the bill from Avis - not only did we have to pay for the charging (which is understandable) but we were charged $.50/min aka $30/hour! for parking, then they added a $2 admin fee! Total rip off! read more

They are letting their employees steal lost and found items and they don't do anything about it. The two staff I spoke to were rude as well. Very passive aggressive, especially the female manager. I was told that they are "not responsible" for things left in the car. They don't have to be responsible but there is a difference between "not taking responsibility " and "institutional neglect and letting employees steal things left and right for extra income" If they know their employees are stealing lost items that actually belong to their customers, they should make some effort to stop the crime. Install a camera, do some investigation, etc. I am going to file a police report. read more

Be aware - if you are an Avis preferred member, and american- you will be forced to pay for your car rental in USD and pay an additional 3% exchange rate service fee. Apparently this is "in the small print" when you enroll as Avis preferred. there is no way to opt out when you pick up your car rental. I see this nowhere in the Avis preferred conditions "small print". This feels like a scam, and I will not rent from Avis in future. read more

Super easy to get a rental! The process is straightforward. Just make sure to know their hours and drop off instructions!

I posted earlier complaining about the long line I endured at the Avis counter at YVR (Vancouver International Airport). I did complain to their Customer Service and was credited back some of the rental fee for having to wait over an hour at the car rental counter. Avis did stand by their reputation, and in all fairness, I am now giving them 4 stars. read more

Vancity gets a deluge of tourists during the summer. So no surprise there's been an outbreak of complaints during peak season. Avis had the best rates for a budget rental @ YVR. And they were still open for late arrivals (11pm-ish) Also a smaller crowd of customers at this hour so that helps. It wasn't super obvious how to get there: you go down the walkway to the right of the parking structure across from the airport's main exit. - They didn't have the economy car available, so I got the (NWA approved) Impala. I wouldn't recommend a large sedan. Bigger hassle parking it in the congested downtown area and especially sucks in Granville island. + Not much of a wait (due to late hour) And pickup process went smoothly. +/- They don't handhold you much. You have to go find your car in the lot. + Key drop was nice. And worked for a 5AM flight home. +/- They had a lingering hold for on my CC that made me think I got hit with an unexpected charge. Whew. ps use your blinkers! Or the locals will scold you. Also read up on traffic laws / driving difference before you go. You're not in America anymore! http://www.bcrobyn.com/2017/02/americans-driving-in-vancouver/ read more

Avis - Everyone will know you're an American tourist - Car Rental Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

See all

Located at the airport, I can imagine how busy car rental places are. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon and the line was super long......as well as the other car rental companies. Thank goodness for the preferred members line. Months ago when I was renting from Avis, at a different location, a very kind man working the desk told me about the app and how easy it would be on future rentals. I prepared myself and downloaded the app, logged in, and was ready to pick up once I got to the airport. The process was fast, easy, and even got a complimentary upgrade on my SUV. The issue was that I had to drop off my rental before the office opened at 5am. I got to the return area where they had big signs that said "note the KM, license plate number, etc. and drop off your keys." Okay. I went in, no paper or pen for me to write anything down and I spend 5 mins looking for the key drop box. Enterprise had a box clearly on the counter. Thankfully an Avis worker walked in and told me not to worry about writing down the information......as instructed on their big sign, and said the key drop was the slot in the door......BEHIND the counter. Yup, that can be very confusing for folks who are half awake so early in the morning. Overall, my experience at this location was enjoyable and easy. read more

The deal was good, but I would definitely pay a bit more to others if I knew it would be such a hassle! After 3 hours flight now I had to stay another one hour in the line just because there were only two clerks serving the crowd, and it was 4 pm, nut last lunch or after hours. read more

Avis - Car Rental Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

Understaffed. Literally nobody at the counter to get my car. I would not recommend using AVIS YVR. read more

This was a sh** show! When I arrived at the counter at Vancouver airport, there were about 8 people in front of me with only 2 workers at the counter. And each customer was taking forever. The line kept getting longer and longer. I think when I left there were about 20 people in line. They did add a few workers as the line progressed but it still took about 45 minutes to get to counter and process my paperwork. The counter people were very polite and helpful but it should not take that long to process a car pickup. I then waited probably an hour to get my car. I think it had just been returned and it had to be serviced and washed before I could take it. There was a very nice manager who helped my car down, along with some others who waited a long time too. He was very polite and really wanted to help me but it took him forever to actually find out where my car was. It should not take an hour to actually get a car. And I rented a GPS that required a cigarette lighter hookup and it turned out there was not one in the car. They might want to check that before giving me a GPS that won't work. I was able to call Avis customer service though and get a refund for the GPS. They definitely need to get their act together. And reading other reviews, this seems to be a common problem. Definitely won't be use Avis in Vancouver again (or maybe ever). read more

Unreliable service. The staff's ok, but the management's not run in a way that allows for the process to move smoothly. The Customer comes last here and they'll politely tell you that with a smile here. Plus it's like being in line at a welfare office. I counted 25 people in front of me and a queue moving at a rate of about 5-10 minutes/person. Pretty pathetically slow. Almost missed my Ferry to Victoria because I didn't think I needed to allocate 2 hours time to pick up a car. Also, they don't honor debit/credit cards so if hot wire allows for it and you show up with only a debit card, you're up shit creek and they'll politely tell you this with a smile without any solution. Avis B.C. pretty much took a huge dump on 2 hours of time that was supposed to be used for a relaxing vacation in B.C. Come on...book fewer customers or hire more staff to run operations in an efficient manner. Fire the management and hire more staff. read more

BEWARE - we travelled from Australia to Vancouver with a pre-booked car through AVIS direct. Had read the terms regarding credit car requirements but thought because we had a Visa/Mastercard Debit, wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately the day we arrived was incredibly busy and we had to wait nearly 3 hours before getting to the front of the line to speak with someone. Once at the desk, the man (and also manager on duty) explained that because we didn't have an actual credit card, we were not allowed to hire a car. My husband offered to pay the entire cost up front (damage deposit included) but they refused to budge. We also had a Canadian credit card number and photo ID to use (from my parents), but because the person and card were not physically there with us, they refused to accept it. Our card has the ability to hold funds and previous manager was able to honor our booking so unsure what the problem was this time. I understand it was busy but staff was incredibly abrupt and unwilling to try and help us in anyway. Ended up walking to the next desk over and got a car in under ten minutes. No credit card required. Will not be renting from AVIS in the future! read more

Avis car rental is a prime example of the worst service and customer service possible. We reserved a car rental for 12pm on a Sunday afternoon, waited in line and received our paperwork for the rental. The representative asked us to stand at the curbside to wait for our rental to be brought to us. We waited, and waited, and waited. Twenty minutes later, we inquire on the whereabouts of our rental and they responded that they "forgot" to ask someone to bring it around, so we continue to wait. Meanwhile, all the other renters are receiving their cars at the curbside, while we and our luggage are left standing there wondering where our rental is. Fifteen minutes later, we ask again where our rental is, they reply with, "it will be there shortly." A total of 53 minutes later, I get fed up. Rentals begin charging when the reservation starts and we were paying for the rental and didn't receive our car! I go to the counter and demand to speak to a manager because we still hadn't receive our car after 53 minutes and Dereje tells me I need to wait in line (about 15 people long) to speak with someone even after I inform him that I had been waiting 53 minutes passed my rental time and still hadn't received my car at the curbside. He told me that it was the summer time so everyone waits a long time to receive their rental. I clarify and ask him, "you really think 53 minutes past a rental reservation is a reasonable time to wait for your rental?!?!" He replies, "Yes. In the summer time!" Shortly never came. My sister ended up looking for the car given the description on the paperwork. The car ended up being within sight of where we were standing at the back of the parking garage. It was not delayed due to someone not returning it on time, it was not far away, nor was it being cleaned. This delay was unnecessary and unreasonable. THANKS FOR NOTHING AVIS. TERRIBLE SERVICE AND TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! Rent your car from Avis if you want to waste your money and your time! read more

I've been traveling for business for 10 plus years and I will say most rental agency experiences are abysmal. However, this one takes the cake. Returning the car the attendant points out a very small rock chip in the windshield that was more than likely there when we rented it given our driving was around the city and slow. We were then instructed that we needed to go fill out a form to close the contract. So I walk up to two employees doing nothing at the preferred counter only to be instructed to go to a line for returns where there were zero employees working. After 15 minutes of standing there and receiving no help, while the same two employees continued stand in their lane doing nothing, I got pissed and demanded they help me. Then come out the forms - all over a silly rock chip that could have been repaired in the time it took them to make me suffer. Avis sucks... read more

Exceptionally rude employees. At least 10 minutes per customer to see any kind of progress in the reservation. "Avis Preferred" I am told, means that all information is prepopulated so the wait should be less. That is false. The non-preferred line seemed to move faster- because there were 7 agents. Total disaster and I don't recommend renting from this provider. read more

Avis - NO happy customers. - Car Rental Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

See all

The service I got at the counter was stellar, it was upon returning the car that I ran into some hiccups. I should've read the reviews and I would've seen what both Sherry W and Michael L ran into. Upon returning the car they pointed out a bunch of minor scratches and dings which were on the car before I took it out. I've gotten used to all the rental car spots here in NY not giving a shit about any of that and only caring about big dents, accidents, common sense damage etc. The agent who received the vehicle immediately pointed out a scratched wheel on the driver side and claimed it was fresh. Not possible when I rented for one day and parked it at the airport hotel lot and returned it the day after. Even if I didn't how often do you get curb damage on the left hand side of the car? This isn't NY, there aren't that many one way streets. I pointed out the fact that at no other rental car business I've ever encountered did I need to point out this type of "damage" only major issues. I also pointed out if I knew they were going to be so microscopically anal, I would've taken the counter agent up on "grabbing her if I noticed any damage not marked on the paper" (there were 3 major dents noted on the paper before leaving). It was only after this mildly heated conversation did the receiving agent mark that it came back in the condition it left in. Lesson learned. I'll definitely never make the conscious choice to rent at this Avis, unfortunately I made use of Hotwire and this was the surprise company given after reserving. read more

Very long line waiting to get a rental car. Can more helpers be at the counter to serve? 1-star But, their associates were nice and very helpful. Updated to 3-star read more

if I could give Vancouver airport AVIS a negative star, I would. So I rented a car originally for a week, however I had to return it after 2 days, due to an emergency call to return home. Upon returning the car, the attendant told me that they would send the receipt by email, which they did . They had charged for an entire week, some $300 USD more than they should have done. I had to call AVIS international to complain and have the excess charge adjusted, however I am wondering what percentage of people, especially business people would have the time and energy to call back. Vancouver airport Avis should have not overcharged to begin with. read more

Long line-up, being serviced by one person working slowly while two others idly shuffle papers, ignoring the customers. Very rude when we ssked if they could help us. Thrn yhe size of vehicle requested wasn't ready, and we had to wait for it to be brought in from the holding yard... We were told it could be half an hour or more. Also told ot was a regular thing. read more

The only reason that I wouldn't give Avis more stars is for an unfortunate experience we had with the desk associate. When we came to pick up the car on our first night in Vancouver, the associate who spoke with us was extremely rude. He seemed nice enough at first, but when my husband spoke up to provide information the associate was asking for that I didn't have, he snapped at my husband in a very disrespectful way. "Hey! I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to her." We were both extremely taken aback by this unwarranted response. When I defended my husband, the associate curtly snapped back at me that he needed me to answer since the credit card was in my name. Even if this was the case, the manner in which he spoke to my husband (and me) was shocking. He was very cold to us the rest of the time, and when I said, "Thank you," at the end, he said nothing, but turned and walked away even as we were still standing there at the desk. Other than that, the process was fine. The car was clean and basic. Dropping the car off was also quick and painless. It's unfortunate that the only true interaction we had with an Avis associate was extremely poor, but it was a very off-putting start to our Vancouver vacation - enough to warrant a mediocre review. read more

Bad experience when returning a car. I called up avis customer service and gave them my agreement number. The reservation was for 31 days but I asked if I could get it reduced and pro-rated for 30 days. They checked out the reservation and said yes, the total would be 30-40$ less than what it was. On returning, was told customer service on the phone is wrong and my rate is a monthly corporate rate so the charge is the same for 28-31 days and that there is nothing they can do. If this was the case, they should've told me that when I called and I would've kept it another day. Not good customer service. read more

This review is for the YVR airport Avis location. Unlike my horrible experience with Budget YVR, my experience @ Avis was pretty great. -They were quick to get me in and out with no BS. -The prices were fair and they even hooked me up with the car I wanted for same price as the special they were running on BMWs at the time. -Returning the car was easy and QUICK. They didn't waste my time or overcharge me like Budget did. -Good selection of cars available. read more

Who wants to wait 45-60 min more for a car after traveling? The answer is no one. This location seriously needs more staff or a faster process. Do not rent from here. read more

Avis - Car Rental Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

We reserved a minivan 4 months ago, set our pickup time at 11:30am and walked up to the counter at....11:30am. But...there was a line which we waited in for 45 minutes and when we got up to the counter we were informed they gave our minivan away to people who showed up early or walkups. So we were told we'd have a Ford Flex and even though it wasn't what I wanted they assured me it'd fit my group (4 adults, 2 children in car seats, a large case with my bicycle in it and all of our luggage for a week). The girl said, go stand curbside and it'll show up in 10 minutes. 45 minutes later my wife walks back to the counter and asks where our car is and we find out they cracked the windshield washing it. HEY HOW ABOUT TELLING US!? So they say they have no more 7 seaters but a Ford Expedition is coming in and once they wash it it'll be ready for us. Of course I take it, but we spent over 3 hours at their garage, and narrowly missed my check in time for Ironman in Whistler. Do not rent with this company if you care about being on time. I was not the only customer being treated this way, I saw half a dozen other groups completely put out and angry. It was an awful experience, for all in our group. read more

Been waiting 3 hours to get a car I have a reservation for. Literally they are helping a new customer every 30 Minutes!! I flew from phoenix and literally the flight was shorter to Vancouver then the wait for my car read more

Don't rent a car with Avis! I'd give them zero stars if I could. They have caused me nothing but stress and they have no idea what customer service is. They're untrustworthy, unreliable and not worth your time. They initially ruined my weekend but not it's creeping further into my week. 1. To start with they rented me a faulty car 2. I returned the car but they were unable to provide me with a valid alternative - ruining my weekend plans 3. They have charged me a 'no show' fee although I clearly showed - I had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with their unapologetic representative and have the receipt as proof 4. Dealing with their customer service has been nothing but a painful experience. They have consistently refused to take any responsibility or even try to understand or help. 5. Emails are not followed up - causing further frustration and dissatisfaction read more

I'm convinced that Avis nickel and dimes its customers... I picked up my rental picked up at 4:09PM and returned it at 5:01PM a week later. That's not even an hour over but Avis has decided to charge me a full day's worth, $150! Never mind that there was traffic or extenuating circumstances, no questions at all, just decides to add this extra charge. On top of that, I'm being charged a fuel fee, saying i returned the car with 7/8 gas! I FILLED THAT CAR UP BEFORE I RETURNED IT! This is awful AVIS. I travel a lot, am a business traveler and this is not the same type of care or service I have received with other car companies.. Very disappointing experience that needs to be corrected. read more

There's good and bad Avis locations. This is one of of the bad ones. This Avis tries harder than other companies not to answer the phone. Maybe Avis management tries not to hire enough people to do so? Either way, Avis needs to answer the damn phone. This Avis also doesn't mind leaving you stranded, and endangered bad area of town. This Avis can go to f'n hell for that. Avis also meeds to stop talking about how they try harder. Gimme a break. Words have meaning, you know, and "trying harder" rarely applies even at hood Avis locations. The good locations are merely decent, except when exceptional employees work hard to be human and kind and take it over the top. Avis' general policies perhaps aren't so great. Anyway, this particular location is very strange for Canada, where people are generally more helpful. I expected this to be an Avis locations that went over the too, but not so. Needs to quit or be completely changed. read more

OMG! We arrive at the Vancouver airport and excited to rent a car. No kidding, over one hour in line and that's with a reserved car! It's Labor Day weekend! Duh! It's a no brainer! Hire more help. Worst experience I have ever had! Whatever happened to top-notch customer service? I mean, serve us coffee or something! We will NEVER use Avis again! read more

Stranded at Vancouver international airport. Had my reservation prepaid through Avis. They refused to let me have the car because they don't accept Visa Debit card "at this location" or cash as deposit! Randy at the rental desk was an absolute piece of work. Never again with Avis! Ever! read more

If I could leave no stars or minus I would. I reserve a car for the south terminal at YVR only to find no Avis counter. I arrived at the terminal at noon with a 1pm appointment in Tsawwassen. This would be plenty of time if my car was at the terminal. They advertise with the south terminal address but the counter is actually at the main terminal! I took the shuttle which was 25 minutes with traffic to get there. Then the Avis counter is 10 persons deep with only 3 of 7 stations open. I ended up leaving and getting a cab because I was already hopelessly late. Avis you are a crap garbage useless lying company. Never will I use your service, this is inexcusable. Complete false and misleading advertising! read more

After my previous rental car fiasco this one was quite a great change. I called ahead of time to ensure that they had a 24 hour drop off as my flight out of YVR was at 6AM. Unlike other companies i called, someone at their desk actually picked up and answered all of my questions. So we arrived and the person behind the desk, Shon (i remember this because it was a strange spelling of the name Sean), was incredibly friendly and was not pushy about insurance or GPS or any of the extra stuff I always deny. Dropped off the car. and put the keys in the slot. Eezy peezy. read more