Good experience with Autovia

Very satisfied

Following the car pickup instructions provided by the rental company at Milan Airport was a nightmare. In the pouring rain, no shuttle came to pick us up. We called the rental company multiple times, but no one answered or they said a car would arrive in ten minutes, which turned into several ten-minute intervals. There were plenty of shuttles shared by other services in the airport area, but some were unwilling to take us and others were fully booked. Most drivers ignored the address on our voucher. We couldn't book a ride-share service, and taxis refused to go there (maybe because it was too close). We had purchased full insurance through the rental platform, but the rental desk wouldn't acknowledge it (claims had to be filed with the platform). Because the platform was responsible for claims, road assistance from the rental company was non-existent. The rental platform was essentially helpless, providing only an international road assistance number. Over ten years of using this rental platform for overseas trips, we lucked out by not encountering these issues previously. The major lesson here: rent from a major international company, not a local one, and buy insurance directly from the rental company, not the platform.

Very satisfied

The car provided did not match the one I booked; I received an extremely damaged old vehicle. They claimed all cars were like that and had no Smart available. The staff had a terrible attitude, especially after learning I refused to purchase any insurance. They ignored my request for help with my 30 kg suitcase, and one of the female staff members complained of back pain. Ultimately, a passerby helped me with my luggage. The car was very old, had no USB port, and the central console screen was almost unreadable, so I had to use my phone for navigation. For pickup, they had to collect me from the airport, but communication was difficult in English until a local helped translate. I had to wait outside the airport for them, which was 5 km away. They charged €50 for dropping off the car at the airport, whereas my nearby hotel owner charged €30 for the ride. Overall, my 7-day rental cost me over €20 additionally, and the taxi to the airport cost me €30 for 5 km. They also charged me over €800 without explanation; I have notified the bank for investigation and they advised me to report to the police if necessary. Be careful when dealing with this company or any car rental in Italy, as even gas stations can be tricky.