Avis Calama

We had a good experience with AVIS during our trip to Atacama. Firstly, the pick up process went smoothly. I reserved a vehicle online and checked-in via the avis.cl website which saved us time as all required documents can be uploaded in advance. However, still be prepared to wait for extended time since the staff could be busy with other clients. They do require the vehicle to be washed (interior too) and fueled when returning so plan ahead before you return the car. There is a gas station (shell) located 5 min drive away from Calama airport so it isn’t too inconvenient. Despite the gas station is opened 24hr, the car wash starts operating at 9 am so keep it in mind if you’re catching an early flight. Moving on to the returning process, just park the car at the original pick up parking lot (as far as I know there is only one parking lot in Calama airport) and return the key and the parking ticket to the Avis counter (same as pick up) and that’s it! Really straightforward. They also offer self return service which can be completed by dropping the key and ticket in a small box on the counter. Overall, a smooth and satisfying experience. The car was new and clean, took us around the desert without any issues!

If you have issues with this business, please file a complaint with SERNAC Chile - it’s like the Better Business Bureau and can help force resolution. They helped us get our money refunded and reimbursed! We never received our contract, at time of signing nor after. Still waiting. Our rental was terrible - we broke down and were told they called the tow and ETA was 20 minutes; but they didn’t call for 2 hours and stranded us for 3 hours in the desert, making us miss our flight. No resolution or reimbursement offered, told that I can expect only a reply sometime after 30-45 days. They’ll also delete your comments and block you on social media.

THEY WILL SELL YOUR BOOKED CAR TO OTHERS! Upon landing and arriving at the Avis counter, I was informed that my prebooked car was canceled and no vehicles were available, despite having a confirmed reservation. This was a complete surprise as I had received no prior communication or notification regarding this cancellation. The staff at the counter did not offer any proactive assistance or alternatives to help with other rental counters to secure a replacement vehicle, but instead only handed me a printed internal regulation stating that bookings are canceled two hours after the reservation time. Furthermore, I received the email cancellation only after I attempted to collect the car at the counter, which indicates a failure to properly notify me in a timely manner. This situation caused significant inconvenience and disruption to my travel plans. It appears that the car I reserved was sold to another customer without any effort to reach out to me or provide any support.

Avoid AVIS – Terrible Experience We were two travelers excited to rent a car and explore the Atacama Desert, but our experience with AVIS turned into a nightmare. We booked and paid for our rental online, scheduling pickup for 1:00 PM. However, when we arrived at the AVIS office at the agreed time, no one was there—neither an employee nor the car. We waited for an hour and a half before finally contacting customer service. They apologized for the inconvenience, admitted there had been a mistake, and promised to send someone with the car as soon as possible. I cannot imagine how long we would have waited if we hadn’t made that call. Another 10–15 minutes later, an employee finally arrived with the car. At this point, we were hopeful that things were back on track, but unfortunately, the ordeal was far from over. Before we could take the car, we were asked to pay a deposit of 400,000 pesos. That seemed reasonable, so we proceeded to make the payment. What followed was two exhausting hours of trying to pay using every method available to us. Finally, the employee informed us that debit cards were not accepted – only credit cards. This vital detail had never been made clear during the booking process or on their website. Since all five of our payment cards from different banks were debit cards, we were unable to pay. After three hours of waiting and multiple failed attempts to resolve the issue, the employee simply drove away with the car, stating she needed to go to lunch. This left us completely stranded. This experience was incredibly frustrating for several reasons: 1. Poor Customer Service: After keeping us waiting for an hour and a half due to their mistake, AVIS made no effort to find an alternative solution for payment, such as accepting a higher deposit or arranging a bank transfer. 2. Lack of Transparency: The requirement to use a credit card instead of a debit card was not clearly stated during the booking or payment process. This lack of clarity wasted hours of our time and left us without the car we had already paid for. In summary, if you plan to rent from AVIS, ensure you have a credit card and plenty of patience. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend this company – 1 out of 5 stars, and we’d give fewer if we could.

Slow and unfriendly staff; cleaning (inside AND outside) of the returned car was requested by staff when we picked up the the car, although we had an extra full care package booked for 20$/ day; we had to drive around in Calama before returning the car to find a car wash and finally to wash it, which in total took us about an extra 1 hour in the return process; the liability (third party) conditions were only 3 million pesos instead of 2500 UF, which advertised and which is why we booked the full care package. Fortunately, we did have to use it. No signs indicating car rental return location. So we lost more time asking people on the street. Finally no one was there to hand back the car and no was was interested in, that we had fully cleaned the car!!! That was definitely the first and LAST time renting a car at AVIS