and I though this was the last email to AVIS

On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 9:21 PM, Kalinca Copello wrote:

Dear Mr Vassen,

I would like to first address your email dated 12th of March – which due to busy work schedule I wasn’t able to reply.

1st, regarding: “She then wanted the Manager's number sms to query about admin fee. The manager's number was sms to her and she did not contact the manager Friday,Sat or Sun.”

I received a call from AVIS Umlhanga on Friday around 2pm, when I was in the middle of a meeting. My meeting finished around 4:15 and I immediately tried to contact Michell. The 3 calls I made to her phone I received either ‘busy’ or ‘unavailable number’. I did not try to call on Saturday and Sunday, simply because during the day I was travelling between rural areas and settlements, and I had no time to waste with anything that wasn’t work, including AVIS.

2nd: “Monday morning we charged her card. After charging her card she called and spoke to Michelle the manager to reverse charges on her card as she opted to pay cash.”

On Monday, when I called Michell, differently from what she reported to you, she informed me that my credit card was charged on Friday – not Monday. I wonder who to is she ‘adjusting’ the information’. And, as you obviously should know, I had no means to find out that my credit card was charged on Monday, because it’s an international card. I can see that they tried to suggest that the only reason I called on Monday was because I was already charged. I ‘wonder’ what they were trying to achieve…

Now regarding the comments from Umlhanga in your last email dated 20th of March:

3rd : “I ACTUALLY SPOKE TO HER A COUPLE OF TIMES AND HELPED HER WHEN I COULD. SENT A DRIVER THRU TO DOWNTOWN TO DROP OFF HER CASH DEPOSIT.”

Umlhanga did not do me a favor by dropping the money downtown. They should have given me the check when I returned the car, or have offered to make a deposit into my account. Dropping off in Durban was the minimum after telling me: ‘yes, you can pick up your check in Umlhanga…”

4th : “WE JUST TRIED TO CONTACT HER AGAIN BUT SHE DID NOT PICK UP THE CALL”

Since I asked Umlhnaga to send me a fax of the bill – which they should have done before charging me, according to the law – I have never received any call from them. Are they again trying to suggest I’m avoiding them?

5th and last: “AS FAR AS I KNOW THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. SHE HAS PAID DURBAN DOWNTOWN FOR THE ACCIDENT DAMAGE IN CASH AND THEY HAVE REVERSED THE AUTHO AMOUNT.”

No, Mr Vassen, the issue was not resolved. After my second visit to AVIS Durban Central, I asked them to inform AVIS HQ that I want a written document (email or fax) saying that the amount in my credit card was reversed and including the cancelation number. So far, I have not received anything.

It’s clear to me now that Customer Service is not really interested in hearing my complaints or even apologizing.

I will no longer waste my time sending more emails or making phone calls. I’m sure the readers of my new blog will agree with me and help me share this experience with future clients. This exchange of emails will give them a very good idea of the kind of service AVIS is providing.

Have a good day, Sir.

Kalinca