A woman was surprised with the vehicle she received as part of Avis’ “mystery car” rental option. This choice effectively leaves customers’ cars up to the company’s choice when they arrive to pick up their ride.
TikTok user Annie (@unotheunit) documented the whiplash she received for making this choice in Social media sharing.
While much of her TikTok profile is often dedicated to posts about her cat, Ono, this photo montage was all about her car rental. Upon arriving at the Avis rental site, the “mystery” was finally revealed. The company delivered its keys to a large truck equipped to hold 12 people.
“From your point of view, you chose the ‘mystery car’ from Avis rental car,” she wrote in an on-screen caption on the first image of her slideshow. The photo shows her taking a selfie while in the driver’s seat of the truck. There are three rows of seats behind it. Next, a photo of the exterior, as well as another caption, is displayed on the screen. “I give you: the 12-person pickup truck.”
She then shows a selfie of herself in front of the truck parked on what appears to be a historic main street. Finally, the last photo shows another photo of the 12-passenger truck, giving viewers a peek at its length.
What passenger cars does Avis offer?
According to the car rental company’s website, Avis offers a 15-passenger Chevrolet Express van or a 12-passenger Ford Transit van.
Although the Express and Transit may seem like nonsensical, nonsensical minivans, the modern offerings come with updated amenities. For example, car dealer Gordon Chevy points out that He crosses In fact, it comes equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Although you may be surprised to get a large truck for your mystery car, you can at least use the turn-by-turn navigation app of your choice.
Avis “mystery car”
According to the company’s website Avis He already does Offer a surprise vehicle option. But there are some caveats worth considering. “Mystery vehicle may be gas, hybrid, electric or similar,” Avis wrote in its description of the offer.
Depending on where you are traveling, your plans may need to be adjusted. For example, if you’ll be driving in a city with tight parking spaces, cruising around in a massive Chevrolet Express may not be ideal. Furthermore, if you need to rely on parking garages, not only will you incur additional costs with such an unwieldy vehicle, but some garages may not have enough heights or spaces to accommodate it.
Furthermore, if the only vehicle available is an electric car and you plan to travel long distances, you may need to modify to ensure access to charging stations. Or you may need to do your best to locate places that offer supercharging, in which case you will also have to ensure that the necessary connectors or adapters are available.
Planning ahead for how many passengers you may have may also be worth considering. If you’re in a group and everyone is lugging a large number of bags, relying on Dealer’s Choice could end up causing you to have a bad time at the car rental site. And if you’re counting on buying yourself another car in case you don’t like the mystery car you got, be prepared to be told there are no other rides available.
Is the mysterious Avis car worth it?
However, leaving the car you get up to chance can pay off. As users mentioned in the Bob is Oil Guy forum discussion, this is often the choice “The cheapest option.”
Engine1 He evaluated car rental options from Newark Airport (EWR) and confirmed that choosing the Mystery Car was one of the more affordable offers, but There was Cheaper alternatives. The “Pay Now” option for Secret Whip reached $42.49 per day. However, economy and compact cars like the Hyundai Venue, Toyota Corolla or Kia Soul were priced at $40.79-$41.99 per day. Average electric cars like the Kia Niro cost $38.24.
one Reddit A user who posted on the r/TravelHacks subreddit inquired about the effectiveness of selecting the mystery vehicle option. The responses ran the gamut. One said their friend “always wins the jackpot with the mystery car. Like a big SUV or a go-kart. No one ever gets a small car.”
Another said, “Their company used mystery bookings last year and a poor guy got a compact car. But others got a really nice SUV or sedan.”
Commenters vote on car rentals
People who responded to Annie’s video shared similar unexpected car rental experiences. One person wrote: “I booked a Toyota Corolla once and when I got there they had a bunch of Saturn Sky convertibles and I asked them if I could have one of them jokingly and they said, ‘Yes, it’s in the same class.’ It was a blast.
Another commented: “I’ve got the Polestar 2 as the equivalent of a Kia Niro. I’ve talked my way into getting a ticket this weekend.”
One shared how they inadvertently ended up with a large pickup truck. “They gave us an F350 for a wine tasting in Napa,” they said.
While another said they ended up with a small passenger vehicle: “I once drove the mystery car and drove off slowly in a Chevy Spark,” they wrote.
Engine1 I have reached out to Avis and Annie via email for more information. We’ll update this if either of them respond.
