Avis Car RentalReviews of avismontenegro.com

Like so many others on here, we experienced what can only be described as a scam at Tivat airport and are quite frankly shocked that both the airport and AVIS are allowing it to continue. We had seen this on TV before but thought this practice was long gone. We have used AVIS in many other countries, but as this experience was SO bad, we will be avoiding them in future out of principle. My partner and I had a really distressing experience with the staff here at Tivat, Montenegro. Firstly, we waited in a queue for over an hour (only 2 others in front, but taking an alarming amount of time in a private booth with their staff) already delaying our holiday. Noticeably there were no other queues for the other hire car companies at the airport. Unfortunately we had booked online with booking.com in advance (which turns out to be pointless anyway) otherwise we 100% would have gone with literally any of the others. We were made aware that something untoward was going on when both people that had gone into the private booth before us came out looking shaken and explained that our insurance might not be valid and therefore they had been persuaded to pay extra. The room has a poster that explicity states not to photograph or record the staff, which immediately sets off alarm bells - like we're the ones committing an illegal activity, and not the staff! Pretty sure this is only for airport staff, and i'd argue they're not airport staff. The sign to me says 'we're up to something we don't want filmed.' Despite booking through Booking.com with enhanced additional full insurance, the staff (a man and a woman) very aggressively attempted to force us to buy their extra insurance for more than £200 which was nearly double the price of the original rental. They claimed our insurance was invalid in Montenegro as it is outside the European Union. When we insisted we had coverage and that it was valid and that we wouldn't be paying theirs they went from pleasant to visibly angry and threatening and stating that we would be driving illegally. My partner then stated that he thought it was a scam, at which point, the woman (who had been texting instead of sorting out our car) got angry and yelled at my partner that because of what he'd just said, if any marks or scratches at all were found on the car when we returned it she would charge extra! We were flabergasted. They didn't provide any documentation or evidence for what they were saying, and seemed to be using the tactic of making people wait as long as possible until they became too worried and paid up. We think they are probably paid on 100% commission or something that encourages this behaviour. They explained that they are a franchise of Avis - but Avis have their brand associated with them and that's unacceptable. What's more, people dropping keys off had to interrupt at various points so they didn't miss their flight (completely ridiculous and inefficient process) and explained to us that they had the same thing and refused/accepted the insurance, but they were also very unhappy with the experience. We left feeling stressed out and honestly, with a bad perception of Montenegro right from the start of the holiday that something like that (we've travelled a lot and not experienced it elsewhere) was still happening here. We felt on edge the entire holiday wondering if we had made the wrong decision or if we damaged the car, when ironically, the car was the most beaten and battered hire car we've ever hired! No way could they have ever proved if we'd done anything to it! It was falling apart. My partner is an engineer and was sure there was an engine issue too. Which makes me think all these people that they're collecting money off because of cars being damaged - what are they spending it on?! Because it's not to fix the cars. Funny enough, when we dropped the car off and finally found a staff member (they weren't there when we arrived) they weren't bothered about checking the car. If you have any sense you'll avoid this branch like the plague and consider boycotting Avis entirely until they deal with criminals operating in their name. I wish I'd been the one to book the hire company as I never would have booked this if i'd seen the reviews. Lesson learnt. Absolute SCAM. AVOID.

We booked Avis at Podgorica Montenegro airport through online. The associates at the airport are scamming tourists charging 40 euros per day additional for insurance else they are taking 5000 euros deposit. They are charging 187 euros if you take the car cross border. They could not show any company policy regarding the charges and told us the associates make the rule. Not nice very rude. Stay away from them.

My husband and I travelled to Montenegro and had booked and prepaid a car at Podgorica airport. On arrival my husband twisted his foot on the way down the stairs from the plane. Instead of picking up the car, we took a taxi to a hospital so he could have his foot checked there. Fortunately, he didn't need to be treated, but we decided to go to our rented apartment and to pick up the car the next day as my husband would be the driver. We hoped that a night's rest would get him ready to drive. I called AVIS at the airport to tell them, that we came to pick up the car the day after. I spoke to an employee who barely spoke any English, and was informed that we were supposed to pick up the car at 4pm and because we didn't arrive at that time, we would have to make a new booking... When I tried to question this practice and explain what had happened, the employees hung up in the middle of the conversation... We subsequently tried to call many times, where we got hold of different employees who could not make themselves understood in English and were clearly annoyed that we called. Several times we found that the phone was just hung up on us. We eventually gave up trying to communicate with AVIS at Podgorica airport and hired a car from another company instead. We cannot accept that our money has been thrown out the window because we didn't pick up the car at exactly 4pm as stated in the booking, or the next day for that matter. When booking a car at an airport, there is a risk of delays etc. so the pick-up time will always be indicative. We have never experienced such rude and arrogant service from a car hire company. When we god back home, we tried to write AVIS Montenegro serveral times also without any answer

Shocking company Avis/ Budget Montenegro- stay well clear!!! - Rip off merchants and dishonest! Had already paid for car insurance via Jet2 website/plus extra Axa. Avis/Budget would not release the hire car unless I paid a further Euros ca.250 (7 days) for their insurance. Got them also to sign paper to say this so.could to take up with Jet2 upon return.to UK. Picked up car, which was dirty and full of scratches and dents- advised at check out if I made anymore I would have to pay for them! On return to UK advised Jet2 of the issue. Jet2 carried out a review and Avis/Budget "lied" to Jet2 in their saying it was my choice to take out insurance and no refund would be forth coming and Jet2 refused to do anything and suggested I take up with my travel insurance. Shame really thought budget and Jet2 had better customer service ethic and reputations to uphold. Aparently not- don't trust either

Awful car hire company. Kept us waiting nearly an hour at the counter and added on extra insurance even though we already paid for it via Ryanair. Ended up in a lengthy argument to get it removed and made us feel humiliated in front of a huge line of people (who themselves had been waiting an hour). Note that we only spotted it by luck, if we hadn't they would have charged us for it Honestly, just pick ANY other company except this one, horrible horrible experience

SCAM. Absolutely DO NOT USE EVER We paid online for full insurance. When we arrived, they had added another £409 extra insurance to our bill. They did not show this to us, took our card details for the deposit and then left that cost on there. I tried to recover this via Virgin Money (credit card) but was unable as they had added it to the policy that you sign off on to get the car. This was a clear scam and if you read other reviews below you will see the same issue. Why is hiring a car in so many places such a thankless task. They also gave us a car with no registration plate so we also had the added delight of being stopped twice by traffic police

Bad service by the manager Djani Tivat Airport. When I collect the car he said I need to buy new insurance because the insurance I bought online with the car it’s not valid. I told him i paid for car rental and insurance fully covered how come it’s not valid and he ignored all that and charged me €300 extra that money it was saving for my kids holiday and he toke it from me to his pocket. Pleas avoid this guy his got bad attitude and worse experience how to treat and talk to people.

We rented a car for 1 week. at Tivat Airport, Montenegro. Unfortunatly, there were a minor accident with the car, and our 300€ was not returned. I was OK. But we came to late with the car, caused by queue at the border controle between Bonia and Montenegro. We called at 4PM to inform about this, We returned the car at 8PM 1,5 hours to late, but was told to return the car at 8 AM in the moning, (We was also to late for our plain). I was forced to pay 143€, for the delaied return of the car.