CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Greg Barton’s family traveled from North Carolina to Italy.
“It was beautiful. It was great,” Barton said, describing the trip.
He rented a car for two weeks.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
“We decided, for convenience purposes, to return the car a day early,” he said.
Barton thought that would save him some money but instead, he said the opposite happened.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Atlanta traffic stop for phone leads to discovery of bricks of cocaine, 100 lbs. of meth, police say
- Will Georgians get another special tax refund in 2025?
- Georgia lawmakers file red meat bill, would ban advertising plant-based or lab-grown items as meat
Thinking he’d saved a little, Barton was told to pay even more. The AVIS Car Rental company charged him about $1,000 to $1,500 more than he’d expected.
“I thought it was a mistake, so I contacted the office there,” Barton said.
He says it took a lot of back-and-forth and then eventually, he says, “[AVIS] sent me a copy of the contract stating that if you return it early, you are subject to a different rate.”
Barton said it was information he didn’t see in the contract.
“I don’t think everybody reads those things in detail,” he said.
The terms and conditions say, “If you return it earlier or later, a different or higher rental rate may apply.”
Channel 2 Action News sister station WSOC reached out to the company for more information.
It responded, saying that “AVIS has contacted the customer and explained that the rate for the rental defaulted due to the early return. We have resolved the issue and refunded the difference. We appreciate the opportunity to address this customer’s concerns.”
“I feel great,” Barton said. “I appreciate your help with doing that. It was a long process, but we feel good about it.”
The takeaway? Make sure to read the fine print, even if you’re doing something “better” for the company.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
