AVIS car rental in Italy - don't do it!

Not sure the details but they rent based on class not the exact car shown.
In your case a Van may have been a different class and a different price structure than the SUV you were given, so you may have every right to complaint ; I am not sure if so I would escalate the issue with Expedia.
If not it is bad luck.

The Italian office of Avis you rented from only licenses the right to use the name Avis from the American company most likely ; so US Avis likely won't do anything.

Some companies I know have fleet vehicles where you would get the exact car booked ; but those are often Luxury rentals ; not sure if for a van it would ever qualify so outside of that you are booking like classes only ; rarely will you get the car pictured.

If you rented/reserved a 7 passenger van and they gave you a 5 passenger SUV, then you have a right to complain and expect compensation.

If you reserved a 5 passenger van and they gave you a 5 passenger SUV that didn't work as well, then you are on thin ice.

If you really got downsized from what you reserved, then a BBB complaint and complaint with your state's AG or business licensing office may be appropriate.

I long ago figured out that some familiar names in the U.S. rental car industry are actually franchised in other countries. I usually go through AutoEurope.com or Hertz.com when renting as I've had better luck with them--and I think Hertz in Italy is company owned.]
It's unclear if the $467 additional charges are for insurance or for the second car plus insurance charges.
Although my home insurance company covers me on rental cars and my credit cards provide secondary coverage on rental cars, Italy requires optional physical damage and theft coverage--mandatory by government regulations. But the good news is that the coverage is cheaper than other countries. Where they'll get you often is on personal property theft charges--coverage usually received from your homeowners' policy on your house. I decline the personal property theft coverage in Italy.
If you have a beef, you'd have to go directly to Avis in Italy.

My only add on of advice is not to book something odd (7 person van would count as odd) through a third party site, like Expedia, when the vendor has an easy to use, comprehensive website. Even if Expedia has a better price, it can be worth the extra money to book direct and be clear about your needs.

Note: I am a travel administrator for a large government agency and have seen all manner of rental car shenanigans in secondary and tertiary markets here in the US.

I agree with Max. If you use a third-party vendor, you have to deal with them. Just like airlines will refer you back to Expedia or whoever you bought your ticket from if there is a problem - you are the airline's passenger but not their customer. Same principle for car rentals, apparently.

Odds are that a 7 passengers van would require a C1 driving license.

No rental agency in rural Tuscany would have that kind of vehicle "in stock" as only a few people can drive them.
Some Avis employee that holds a C1 should drive it to that agency on your request: price apart, I wouldn't try to organize it through a third-party based abroad. Expedia probably knows nothing about the 3.5 tons rule to drive a van in Italy.
cltluvdogs, when you selected the van on Expedia did the site specified a model? Do you remember it?

It is not true that Avis Italy is a separate company from Avis US. They were consolidated years ago as Avis became worldwide. The info is disclosed on their website.

It showed a Fiat Ducati on the Expedia site. They did have them as we watched one drive away. If a special license was required, you'd think Expedia or Avis when I called them direct would have said so. The description shows for 9 passengers, 5 doors, 2 large bags, 3 small bags. What we got - Renault Espace 7 passengers, 5 doors, 1 large bag, 2 small bags. We were traveling with a small roll on & med backpack each. Not exactly heavy on luggage.

I didn't see where you were picking up.

I found Renault Traffic or Ford Galaxy as the top level van in Florence, with pickup at the airport or in the city, presumably by the train station. When I go to Avis.com, I see at FLR the option to get a 9 passenger van, the Ducato 2300 mjt or similar.

I'm sorry you've had this experience. I would recommend booking directly in the future. Price with the aggregators, but if you need something particular or odd (like a big van), I'd recommend booking directly. Seen this sort of thing a lot, as described above.

I thought you needed much more space for luggage.

You are right, you can drive a Fiat Ducato without any special license.

Fiat Ducato does not require the C1 license. The B license (regular car license for up to 8 passengers+the driver) is sufficient because the Ducato is under 3,500kg.
European rental cars use the 4 letter ACRISS code. If the second letter is not a V, you are not guaranteed a van. A lot of people see the photo and rent but the car might be a SWAR (Standard size Wagon Automatic Regular unspecified fuel) where the second letter stands for wagon. If it's a Renault Scenic, a SWAR or SWMR, it can accommodate 7 people, but it's a SWAR therefore they can give you an equivalent SWAR which may accommodate only 5 pax.
When you rent a car in Europe check your reservation. AutoEurope for example will have the ACRISS code in the reservation papers they send you. If you want a passenger van make sure it's a SVAR, SVMR or even a bigger FVAR, FVMR. The 3rd letter (A or M) is the type of transmission (automatic or manual, unspecified wheel drive), if you want all wheel drive look for the corresponding transmission letters.

If you reserved a 9 psgr van and they gave you a 7 psgr van, I think you have a legitimate complaint and claim.

All rental agencies show 'this car or similar' so a specific make/model is uncertain, but a 7 psgr is not 'similar' to a 9 psgr, in the ordinary usage of the word.

You may have to set aside a day to sit on the phone with Avis customer service and go up the chain of command until you reach someone who can address your problem. Your reservation through expedia likely shows a reservation number for Avis as well as expedia's number. No? Does your Avis res show the 9 psgr vehicle? If so, I would get on the phone with Avis and not 'go away' until they resolved the issue. Letters are too easy to ignore.
Good luck

As I mentioned in a pm to you, Expedia acted as your travel agent and if their website said you were to receive a vehicle that would transport your party, it would be Expedia's responsibility to ensure that you received it. Therefore, contact Expedia as they should have primary duty to correct your problem.