Update: Monday, 4:30 pm
New York, NY – One day after news broke that an Israeli customer had been refused service by Avis on the grounds that his identification was inadequate, the company’s corporate offices have confirmed that an apology has been issued and accepted.
Public outcry regarding the incident, which made the rounds on news sites as well as social media, has been loud and vehement, with many posts and comments on the company’s Facebook page expressing disbelief at the incident and vowing to boycott the company. An online petition calling for the firing of the two employees garnered over 1,300 signatures in less than one day.
In a written statement emailed to Vos Iz Neias, Avis said that it had concluded its internal investigation and that an apology had been issued to Bergwerks, noting that its employees should have asked for a second form of identification in addition to his driver’s license.
“We have found that we have been inconsistent in applying our policies with respect to documentation requirements with this customer, who has rented from us in the past without providing a second form of identification
We are committed to providing an outstanding car rental experience to our customers and believe that we should have done better here. We have spoken with the customer and apologized for the misunderstanding that occurred as a result of this inconsistency in applying our documentation policy, and the customer has accepted our apology.”
Avis said that it has never denied service to any customers based on religion or nationality and that it would take measures to ensure that all employees are better acquainted with the company’s standards regarding customer identification.
“We reiterate our policy that we do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin or sexual orientation. We intend to take steps, including additional training, to improve the consistency in our application of documentation policies.”
No mention was made of whether any reprimands were issued to the two employees at the 79th Street location or whether any punitive actions had been taken in regard to the incident.
——
On Saturday evening, Dov Bergwerk arrived at the Avis branch on West 76th Street and Broadway. Accompanied by his wife Ruth, the Bergwerks were planning to join friends for dinner in Westchester. Mr. Bergwerk, a senior vice president and general corporate counsel at the Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva, got out his driver’s license, reservation number and “Wizard” loyalty card – he’s rented from Avis dozens of times before – and anticipated the usual smooth transition into a nondescript mid-sized sedan.
That’s when the trouble started.
A reservation agent named Angelline declined to honor Mr. Bergwerk’s reservation, saying that it was company policy not to recognize Israeli documents. Stunned, Mr. Bergwerk explained that he had rented from Avis many times, including a car from that very same office on Thursday, November 19 – only two days earlier.
Mr. Bergwerk asked Angelline to access the profile attached to his Wizard card, which shows that he is an executive at a giant multinational company who has no regulatory issues and has rented from Avis, including at that very branch, many times without incident. She refused. They argued.
Eventually, a manager was called. Shamoura took the side of her reservation agent, also refusing to honor Mr. Bergwerk’s reservation or recognize his documents. Stunned and stranded on a Saturday night in New York, Mr. Bergwerk called the Avis main number and got through to customer service. The representative confirmed to him that the Israeli license was an acceptable form of ID and also mentioned that he could show his passport to ameliorate any ID concerns the on-site employees had. Mr. Bergwerk put the customer service representative on the phone with Shamoura, the branch manager, and at this point the story evolved. She now claimed that she was declining to rent the Bergwerks a car not because of the insufficient documents but because Mr. Bergwerk had “argued about the way I was being treated in front of other customers,” according to Mr. Bergwerk.
The Observer asked Mr. Bergwerk if he felt that, in the heart of Manhattan’s progressive activist community, he was being singled out for being an Israeli.
“While no direct reference was made to being anti Israel, that was my impression almost from the initial moment I presented my license and credit card as I have done over 15 years of business and leisure travel without ever being challenged. The agent stated that the Israeli license did not have the required info in English. I tried to demonstrate that the license had all the required info but she and the manager had no interest. Similarly, the fact that I have had many rentals at Avis and at this location was dismissed as having been ‘done by new employees.’”
New Jersey based Avis, owned by the Avis Budget Group (which also owns Budget Rent a Car and Zipcar), is one of the largest car rental companies in the world, with almost 5500 locations in 165 countries. The company has yet to respond to the Observer’s request for comment; this story will be updated to include an Avis response should it be forthcoming.
Ruth Bergwerk confirmed her husband’s version of events, telling the Observer, “Of course it was embarrassing. They wouldn’t even open our reservation and see that we have an Avis wizard number or that we had rented a car from the same location 2 days before. There was no way they would rent a car with that license. There was no way to reason with them.” According to both Mr. and Ms. Bergwerk, Angelline and Shamoura would not even provide their last names or employee ID numbers. Observer reporting confirmed that the manager is Shamoura Welch-Robinson, who has worked for Avis since April 2014, according to her LinkedIn page.
Mr. Bergwerk said, “I felt that something very ugly was going on. Discriminated against. When you deny someone a service and they present the ability to pay for that service and they dismiss you like your money isn’t good here, It’s very demeaning.”
The Israeli government provides a list of countries that recognize an Israel Driving License; as a close ally, the US has among the most generous policies and even Turkey and Singapore do so. Meanwhile, the Bergwerks never made it to Westchester last night. In something short of a tragedy—but with ominous overtones for those carrying Israeli documents—according to Ms. Bergwerk, “Our plans for the evening were ruined.”
It wasn’t just dinner. According to Mr. Bergwerk, “I was also planning a very personal visit this morning out of New York to a cemetery but [now] will not go.”
To sue cost a lot of everyone’s time and money. Send an email to the company’s CEO that you are no longer using their services. When ownership gets a taste of thousands of letters saying “our response is to use another rental agency” they will realize their losses. Perhaps Avis is so big it won’t affect them. For my part, I will silently just not use Avis. There are choices. Avis made their choice, now I made mine.
so many places seem to be trying it once, just to exercise their hate. This is not acceptable. Plus, the person who did it should also publicly apologize.
Once they saw a HUGE backlash, they apologized. I’m not happy till a head rolls. I’m going to stick to my decision not to rent from them anymore unless they literally beat Enterprise or hertz by 20 percent or more.
The best comment of the whole lot. Thank you for telling it like it is.
# common 34 nobody is forcing you to come spend Crown Heights for Tishrei, Yud Shavat, and Gimmel Tammuz and please be careful what you’re saying Avis car rental that is their problem not Crown Heights problem
they did ask for the second id. the customer is known w/them, and never submitted a 2nd id. it seems they were denied because they didnt have a 2nd id. why are we so quick to fire someone? apology was given. reading some of these comments show a slight hint of racism to the employees imo. mistakes DO happen.
and stop thinking everyone hates you!!! btw I back comment 34.
“we try harder”……?! They try harder to discriminate?!
were they Avis employees mussies???
They created a counter-accusation suggesting a premeditated plot to malign them- the typical response of the run of the mill low-life anti-semite. That may give them the illusion that they are in the right. But such a response will only further alienate a nice chunk of their customer base. Bad customer service, bad business practice and just plain stupid.
Maybe she didn’t like the way u spoke English. What does ‘Scram’ at u mean?
That says it all.
Sometimes it backfires when you’re arrogant and aggressive. As someone with experience in the hospitality industry, certain groups have a bad reputation. Remember, wherever you go, keep your cool and be polite. In the end you will achieve a better outcome, without the chillul Hashem!
Sign the petition
https://cotthosting.com/NYRocklandExternal/HTML5Viewer/ImageViewer.aspx?bHideCartFunctions=False&bIsRefresh=False
i know the clerk and had also a similar story i had to rebook my car cost me another two hundred dollars the lady scram at me i had booked a car with my canadian passport even thought i had a green card she scram at me and called me a liar and refused to rent it on that card in the end she told me that i could settle it when i came back of course nothing got settled when i came back was the worst experience i ever had renting a car though a lot of avis places… Read more »
No doubt the agent and supervisor are anti-Semitic. This is a big problem among the New York area African-American community, which is staunchly pro-Arab (with a few rare exceptions).
Some of you are happier just burying your heads in the sand thinking at least your head is safe….FACE IT, this anti semitism is spreading like wildfire and this was clearly an anti semitic act! and if we try to placate people so it will go away and we can continue doing whats easiest (for the moment anyway) it will only escalate until it will be like a runaway train and then it will be too late to say we should have nipped it in the bud. If this is truly NOT avis’ policy and the worker did this on… Read more »
Hu?
Div hikind hello! No cameras microphones? So bring cameras
Sounds like a perhaps incompetent clerk and a perhaps obnoxious and paranoid israeli complaining about discrimination. Can you imagine avis discrimibating against jews or israelis at an uber-wealthy upper west side location. Perhaps this is,a case of an entitled very wealthy patron annoyed acting imperiously with a poorly educated clerk? And their dinner plans were ruined! Must be anti semitism.
What does your comment have to do with your subject? Please explain.
They got to make a big deal about this and sue Avis Budget Group! I’m sure they can have a lawyer who will do it probono. We got to stop discrimination at its root! If they sue they will win! I believe their Stroy 1000% anyone who doubts is missing basic common sense… Their is also an element of a certain type of people who can be very hateful with a certain attitude towards Jews. They thought they’d just get away with it. If it were up to me I’d sue and won’t stop – I’d take it to the… Read more »
Who allowed him to rent on Thursday, apparently not following the procedures!
reserve and reserve and reserve- just dont show for pick up. they will feel that
I BELEIVE THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO BE WORKING IN A POSITION THAT THEY ARE
NOT QUALIFIED FOR.I CAN.T BELEIVE THEY ARE
THAT STUPID TO ACT AS THEY DID I AM SURE
AVIS WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS TYPE OF SERVICE
They want to up their profits by catering to the Muslim demographic. Lets see what happens to their bottom line when the Jewish and Israeli sector take their business to the many other options out there.
Really cheap – rent by the MINUTE, several are parked in Crown Heights, BP other frum areas
Here’s a do-able solution to a sticky situation: If you’d be willing to show a U.S. human rights official the last few months of documentation that your foreign customers presented when renting vehicles at this branch – especially the documentation presented by those from countries and Islands that do not belong to the United States – without altering, covering up, or eliminating ANY of these transactions/ documents, we will know that these two clerks were not being discriminatory. The question is not whether the clerks were abiding by Avis’ official policy, the question is whether that policy is, in reality,… Read more »
Calm down, nobody likes us because we cry for attention, don’t follow the rules, and reason based on allegory. If you stop doing that and act like normal Mench people, there would be less “with it” Lubavitchers being apologists and we could once again be proud of our heritage. As it stands we are a bunch of unlearned wandering Jews in the world of social media causing a mess because we don’t know what we are talking about and make all our accusations and complaints based on emotion rather than fact. If you are too lazy to learn, don’t comment.
Enterprise, National and Alamo are the same company. Avis is NOT!!! Get your facts straight!
It must be a different complaint. Your quote from Avis states Friday, but this article says it was Motzei Shabbos.
every Jewish should boycott Avis car rental me and my friend and family will
If Ava this does not respond definitively and publicly to this, we will start a boycott of Avis
Sue them for anti-antisemitism/discrimination and get money!
Boycott Avis this anti Jewish treatment
I doubt this is in accordance with Avis policy, they would lose lots of business if it was. If the story happened as it is being related, the agent was likely acting on her own behalf.
Avis is the same as National… This is why I always choose Enterprise.. Enterprise is totally NOT anti-semetic and does not discriminate..against jews, hindus,mexicans, syrians, iranians, pakistanis, Nigerians, iraquis, ISIS terrorists, etc. We are all the same.. But an Israeli..becomes a Federal case. This why Avis and National stock has hit rock bottom. Why rent a car from these antique rental companies, when you could have beautiful uber driver take you where ever want you to go.
This was posted on their Facebook page: “On Friday, a customer seeking to rent a car from Avis Car Rental was not allowed to do so because he failed to provide the required documentation. Visitors to the U.S. From other countries must provide both a valid drivers license from their country of residence as well as a valid International Drivers License or passport in order to rent from Avis. We are aggressively investigating the customer’s allegations regarding the handling of this matter, as we do not tolerate any form of discrimination. So far, our ongoing investigation suggests that this customer… Read more »
Go to Hertz across the street
until we get a public apology and fire those workers!
At avis at Newark airport, the manager and many staff are “MUSLIMS “
you see all kinds of nonsense aired on the local news stations, but you will never see this
its absurd
we should boycott forever not just 3 times, there are so many choices we never need to be treated badly
So go cry ro the choir
The owner Gil Cygler donates regularly to Chabad causes.
ya but the guy said he just rented 2 days ago. How did the policy change so soon?
rent from whoever is cheapest
What is the number so we can place a complaint?
No More AVIS, BUDGET or ZIPCAR!!! BOYCOTT these idiots until these two anti-Semites are FIRED!!!
It’s time that we Israel begins to boycott sales to any country, or agency therein, that boycotts, labels, rejects Israeli products or people.
If not the Israeli invention, no computer in the world would have an Intel chip.
contact Neal Goldner at Avis 973-496-1040
[email protected]
Imagine if it was a white agent doing the same to an African American!
Get her out, and her manager.
At least local radio and papers should carry this story — national news as well. Horrifying and disgusting.
after this
we should boycott avis till this two stupid anti semite are fired and an apology given to Mr. Bergwerk
At first I thought they were specifically declining the rental because of his israeli nationality (ie a BDS thing). Now it seems like they just had a dispute over the usage of a foreign drivers license at a US location..
I support Dollar and Uber
let us all Bar Avis And Budget on our next 3 rentals.
Please BOYCOTT AVIS until their policy is changed and the employees are terminated. This was totally Anti Semitic. Please join me in letting AVIS know that this will not be tolerated.
She should be fired immediately. an investigation should be open into this discrimination.