After landing at the airport, I decided to upgrade my original booking to a Mercedes-Benz CLA. I paid an extra £40 plus 57p tax, and the nice thing about the upgrade was that I didn’t have to return the car with a full charge.

AVIS closes at 3 p.m. on Saturdays. That day I couldn’t find the key drop-off box, so I didn’t manage to return the keys before they closed. To avoid any misunderstanding, I emailed AVIS right away to explain that the car had already been returned, but since I couldn’t locate the drop box, I took the keys with me and would bring them back first thing the next morning.

Early the next day, I went back to the branch just to return the keys. Thankfully, there were no extra charges. The staff later told me the key drop-off box is mounted right up against the wall and is really discreet, so it’s easy to miss if you’re not looking carefully.

The AVIS staff member who helped me this time was very patient and had a great attitude. He even suggested that I could contact him directly next time I need to rent a car, which felt really thoughtful. But now my biggest concern is actually the insurance. When I booked through QEEQ before, I used the insurance provided by the Chinese platform, which I’m familiar with and find easier to buy, communicate about and claim on. If I rent directly in the UK in the future, I’m not sure how I should arrange the insurance, what level of coverage is really necessary, what protections I shouldn’t skip, and how straightforward the claims process would be if something happened. Those questions still make me a bit uneasy and confused.