Does Avis Even Know What a Privacy Policy Is?

Leslie

November 23, 2003

It started 10 days ago when my kid's car was in for repairs and the car dealership arranged for a courtesy rental at their expense. When the Avis employee showed up with the rental and started to fill out the rental agreement, I asked him for Avis's privacy policy. He assured me that Avis doesn't do anything with my name, address, phone number, credit card information and other details, but he didn't have any written privacy policy with him and wasn't even sure the rental agency had any copy of one.

Ten days later, I'm still trying to find out if Avis even has a written policy.

A few days ago, getting somewhat testy at both the lack of response to the web site form I sent them on Day 1 politely requesting their policy and the lack of response to my inquiries to the local rental agency, I called the corporate headquarters in NJ at (973) 496-3500.

After getting bounced around, disconnected, and bounced around some more - and after having to explain to two employees that I wasn't asking about their web site's privacy policy but about the private information collected on rental contracts - I was told to call a number in Virginia. The gentleman in VA had no idea why I had been told to call him and (yes, you probably guessed it already), he gave me yet another phone number in VA to call. Calling that number put me into voice mail for someone's executive secretary, who called me back to tell me she had no idea why I had been referred to her, but she gave me the phone number of a legal assistant in corporate offices in NJ.

When I called the legal assistant in NJ, she was not aware of any privacy policy, but she promised to investigate my questions and call me back by Friday. It had to be Friday, she said, because after that she was going away on vacation.

I hope she's having a nice time on her vacation, but she never called me before she left, and I still have no written statement that explains what Avis does with all the personal details and credit card information they collect. Do they share it with any or all of their many "partners?" Why won't they put something in writing that is given to customers? And if they do have a written privacy policy, why do none of their employees know of its existence and why is it so damned difficult to get a copy of it?

C'mon, Avis. You say you "try harder." Let's see some effort to be honest with consumers about what you do with the information you collect from us on rental agreements and usage.