Woman Rents Volkswagen At Atlanta Airport. Then She's Shocked To See What Avis Gives Her: ‘I’m A Preferred Customer’

"It’s unsafe to drive."

Woman rents Volkswagen at Atlanta airport. Then she sees what Avis gives her

Photo by: mrs__jackson & Roman Tiraspolsky

Alexandra Samuels

By: Alexandra Samuels

Jan 20, at 6:00pm ET

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A woman is calling out what she described as an “unacceptable” key fob she says she was given with a rental car from Avis at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Crystal Jackson (@mrs__jackson) filmed the video while standing outside the car, casually twirling the key fob in her hand as she explained what happened. In the text overlay on the TikTok, she didn’t mince words. “@AVIS this is unacceptable!” she wrote.

“Why are you trying to rent me a car with a key that looks like this?” Jackson says in the video, holding up the fob for the camera. She explains that the key “literally fell apart” when she tried to unlock the vehicle.

She also made a point to note her status with the company. “I’m a preferred customer, and this is what y’all are giving me? This is highly unacceptable,” Jackson adds.

As if on cue, the key fob fully came apart in her hand while she was recording. The moment didn’t exactly come as a shock, given that the device appeared to be held together with strips of black duct tape.

The clip struck a nerve with viewers, quickly circulating on the platform. As of this writing, Jackson’s video has been viewed more than 33,000 times.

What If This Happens To Me?

If this happens to you, call the rental company right away. If you’re renting from Avis specifically, contact the pickup location or roadside assistance as soon as the key fob breaks. Doing this as soon as it happens helps protect you if questions about damage or late fees come up later.

And before panicking about cost, it’s helpful to check what coverage you have. Some rental agreements include extended roadside assistance, while certain credit cards cover rental car issues, including key problems. This helps, of course, because replacement fobs can be pricey, often running a few hundred dollars once programming is involved.

Jackson was smart, too, to take photos and videos of the broken fob. While this might seem tedious, it provides customers with a paper trail in case of a dispute later. Frequent renters know: You’re technically responsible for the keys you’re given, even if they fall apart in your hand.

In some cases, if the fob just stops responding, it may mean that the battery needs replacing. But if the fob is truly busted, you’ll likely need a replacement—and potentially a new car. That might mean returning to the rental counter or having someone sent out to your location if you’ve already driven off the lot.

Viewers Share Similar Stories

People who came across Jackson’s video didn’t hesitate to say she wasn’t alone. Several said they’d had the same issue with different rental companies.

“Mine was like that from Enterprise,” one woman noted.

Another commenter pushed back against blaming Avis. “I would not blame Avis for this at all,” she wrote. “Car companies are making their key fobs super cheap, and that key could have easily fallen out when it was brand new. The new VW fobs are horrible.”

Others chimed in with their own rental horror stories.

“National sent me a car with a key that was scotch taped,” another shared. “I’m an executive elite member. They are really letting their cars go too long on the lot. It’s time to send them off the sales lot.”

Some viewers focused on what Jackson should do next.

“Just take it back and refuse to drive it because it’s unsafe to drive. They have to switch you out,” one man recommended.

“Swap the car,” another commenter echoed.

Some commenters said experiences like this are precisely why they avoid certain rental companies altogether, while acknowledging that none are perfect.

“I never seem to use Avis because their prices tend to be higher than Enterprise and Budget, even with my discount,” one woman wrote. “But that right there is a mess because then they would try to blame you.”

“This is why we use other rentals like Enterprise or Alamo,” another added.

What do you think?

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“Please go to Hertz, they wouldn’t hand me that nonsense,” a third said. “All car rentals rip us off, but I at least didn’t hate it.”

Motor1 has reached out to Jackson via a direct message on TikTok and to Avis through email. This story will be updated if either provides comment.

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