Avis complaints: phone, portal and damage it won't charge

Avis complaints: official channels in Spain

These are the contacts on Avis Spain's contact page (in Spanish):

The company named in Avis's general rental conditions for Spain is AVIS ALQUILE UN COCHE, S.A.U. Those conditions also say the complaint contacts appear in your rental agreement and in the office's specific conditions. Avis's contact page doesn't list a separate line for English speakers, so use the contacts above and write in English if you prefer.

If you booked through a broker or travel website, Avis's contact page asks you to contact that company directly about the booking. For a charge Avis made after the hire, such as for damage or fuel, use Avis's contacts above. If you hired outside Spain, check your rental agreement for the company and its contacts: these are Avis's contacts and terms for Spain.

What Avis doesn't charge: minor damage

Avis's general rental conditions for Spain define minor damage ("daño menor" in the Spanish version), which you don't have to report and which, they say, you won't be charged for:

• Scratches under 25 mm long, or of any length if the paint surface isn't broken.
• Dents under 25 mm across that haven't broken the paint.
• Stone chips under 3 mm across, with no dent.
• Wheels or wheel trims: scuffs with no breaks or holes.
• Upholstery and mats: damage under 3 mm on seats and under 10 mm on mats.
• Interior: stains or marks that ordinary cleaning or polishing removes.

If you're charged for something on this list, dispute it in writing, quote that definition and attach photos with something that shows the size, such as a coin or a ruler.

Inspection and damage charges at Avis

• At pick-up: any existing damage that isn't minor should be on your rental agreement. If you find damage that isn't recorded, Avis's conditions ask you to report it before you leave the office.
• At the return: Avis always inspects the car and recommends that you're there, so you can agree on any damage. If you aren't, it inspects the car without you. It allows for normal wear given the mileage and length of the hire.
• The charge: damage costs are added to what you owe and taken automatically from your card. Avis's conditions say you won't be liable if you can show the damage wasn't caused by a breach of the agreement or by your negligence.
• How the amount is worked out: with a damage matrix that applies an average repair cost for each clearly distinct item of damage, by vehicle group, based on standard industry labour rates, the price of manufacturer parts and loss of use.

How to dispute an Avis damage charge

1. Ask for the details in writing: where the damage is, photos of it and how the amount was calculated from the damage matrix.
2. Compare with your evidence: photos or video from pick-up and return, and the damage recorded on your agreement. Our guide to disputing hire car damage explains what to look for.
3. Check the minor damage definition above, and whether the mark could be normal wear.
4. Send your complaint through the customer service portal or by post, saying what you dispute and the outcome you want, with your evidence attached. You can start from our complaint letter template.
5. Keep proof of what you sent and when. If you phone, follow up in writing.

Fuel and fines

• Fuel: if you don't return the car with the agreed level, Avis charges for the missing fuel in eighths of a tank, rounded down, at a "Pay on return" price per litre shown on your agreement, which includes the cost of refuelling. Keep the petrol station receipt and a photo of the fuel gauge.
• Fines: if Avis receives a fine or charge relating to your hire, it charges an administration fee and, if it paid the fine, the fine itself. Check that the offence falls within your rental period.

If you bought excess cover elsewhere

A standalone excess insurance policy, or cover bought through the booking website, doesn't stop Avis charging your card. You normally pay Avis and then claim from your insurer, so ask Avis for the damage details, photos and invoice your insurer will need, and check the policy's time limits. Our guide to being charged the excess explains how this works.

If Avis doesn't reply or rejects your complaint

• Free conciliation: Avis says it is a member of the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS) and of local car rental conciliation services, which review disputes independently and at no extra cost to you. If you disagree with its final answer, you can refer your complaint to the relevant service, and Avis says it will tell you which one. According to Leaseurope, the ECRCS covers rentals booked in one European country and picked up in another, booked directly rather than through a broker; participating companies must abide by its decision, while you remain free to go to court.
• Consumer bodies in Spain: a municipal or regional consumer office can take your complaint. Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs explains the official channels (in Spanish).
• If you live in the EU, Iceland or Norway: the European Consumer Centre in your own country can help with a dispute with a trader in another of these countries. If you live in the UK, the UK International Consumer Centre can help.
• Your card issuer: if your card was charged an amount that was not fixed when you gave it as a guarantee, and it is more than you could reasonably have expected, you may be able to ask your card issuer for a refund within eight weeks of the charge. This comes from articles 76 and 77 of the EU Payment Services Directive and, for UK cards, regulations 79 and 80 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017. Ask your bank how it applies to your card.

How does Avis compare with other companies? See our comparison of ten car hire companies in Spain: deposits, deadlines to dispute damage, fuel and conciliation.

Common questions about Avis complaints

What is Avis's complaints phone number in Spain?

Avis Spain's contact page gives +34 919 332 824 and 902 248 824 for customer service after your hire, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00. Complain in writing through its customer service portal as well, so you have a record.

How long does Avis take to reply to a complaint?

Its conditions say it aims to resolve general complaints within 10 working days and damage complaints within 15 working days.

Can Avis charge me for a small scratch?

Not under its conditions: scratches under 25 mm, or of any length if they don't break the paint, count as minor damage and aren't charged.

Do I have to be there for the inspection when I return the car?

No, but Avis recommends it: if you aren't there, it inspects the car without you. If you can't stay, photograph and film the car, inside and out, when you leave it.