Budget Rent-A-Car

Budget Rent-A-Car

 1.1/5 (150 reviews)

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Overall Rating1.1 out of 5
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Budget Rent-A-Car Reviews

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Page 1 Reviews 0 - 10
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: May 26, 2023

They booked our car and reached 15 minutes before the pickup time to compensate for the delays. There are 45 more people in front of us and only two agents available who are extremely slow. In line for 3 hours.

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Rated with 1 star
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Verified Reviewer
Original review: May 26, 2023

Our plane got diverted to Ft Meyers on our way to Ft Lauderdale. Decided to rent a car and drive. Guy at the Ft Meyers counter was super nice and helpful. Charge was 82$ - a little steep but we decided to take it. He said “it says return at 11:00 pm but you have to pay for 25 hours so you’ll have it til this time tomorrow.” Got to Ft. Lauderdale- went to the counter to add a few more hours to our 24 hour car. The lady at the counter said that she couldn’t help us and we had to call the reservation desk. Called the 800#. That guy said he couldn’t help us because he had no documentation showing that we picked the car up in Ft Meyers. Literally 3 hours earlier. Had to go back to the desk - I told that guy the situation and said we needed to get an extension on our rental. He said “this rental is only until 11 pm-“. I explained the guy in Ft Meyers said we had it for 24 hours - he said “oh he was probably a new guy and didn’t know what he was doing.”

In order to add a few more hours it was going to be an additional 85$. We were so frustrated- we checked it in - ended up forgetting some personal items in the car. Went back 30 min later to retrieve them - no one found anything. I have no idea what the final charges will be. Do not recommend using Budget at all. It is definitely not a “budget friendly” car rental.

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    Rated with 5 stars
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: May 26, 2023

    On many occasions that we have rented from the Budget location at the McLaren airport. It's always been a pleasurable experience. The staff is very helpful and the manager that has helped us a few times. His name is Michael **. Is always very knowledgeable, and seems to be a real leader for the staff. Experience leaves us to come back the next time we are in Las Vegas.!

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    Rated with 1 star
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: May 24, 2023

    These people can't tell the truth. A $7 toll in CA. Costs me 26 Plus dollars. They never disclosed that I didn't have an option. Called Customer Service 5 times. They hung up on me twice. They should find another name for it because it has nothing to do with service.

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    Rated with 1 star
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: May 24, 2023

    They misrepresented the total price they were charging me. Then lied about the refund or amount held on my credit card. I called to speak with the customer service representative and they could care less. Ridiculous!!!! Not an ethical business. Deceitful and sneaky. Shop elsewhere!!!!

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    Rated with 1 star
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: May 23, 2023

    Prepaid to save money, after I checked in they ask if I wanted all this additional stuff, not knowing much about LA I thought ok if I don’t use it I’ll get my money back. Such a ripoff!!! Will never book another rental with Budget ever again!!!

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    Rated with 1 star
    Verified Reviewer Verified Buyer
    Original review: May 23, 2023

    Same experience as: "Geoffroy of London," only it was AFTER I declined insurance and signed the contract, and as I was leaving that the agent said, "I'm going to give you full insurance because it's cheaper". AFTER I signed the contract. Additionally, when I received the contract the signature is not mine. I didn't catch what was occurring at the time. This is scary for consumers. Budget Rent a Car should be audited and fined for this predatory and illegal practice. I had to have a hard conversation with customer service who clearly knew this was a common practice before they removed the charges.

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    Rated with 1 star
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: May 12, 2023

    Car was reserved for noon at the Sacramento Airport. I arrived 45 minutes early. The line was huge. It took over an hour to get to the counter. Two agents were working. Four work stations were vacant. Every other rental car company was well staffed and getting customers in and out within minutes. My son arrived 30 minutes after me, picked his car up from Enterprise, and was out in less than ten minutes. I will never rent with Budget again.

    4 people found this review helpful
    Rated with 1 star
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: May 9, 2023

    This was my first experience with Budget. When we got to the agency at 11:00 AM to pick up our car (that I had pre-registered for 4 month prior) we were asked to wait for it to come to the location. About 20 mins later the car showed up. When going over the car pre-inspection they noticed that the cars registration was expired. So we were taken back inside and asked to wait while they found us another vehicle in its place. 20 more minutes later they showed up with another vehicle, again during the pre-inspection they noticed that this car had the same problem (expired registration). The next 40 minutes were spent calling around to other budget rent a cars to find a car for us.

    We were then told we needed to go to another location to pick up the car. They ended up giving us a mini-van when I paid for the other vehicle. After 3 hours, I was finally able to drive away with a car. It was just an all around miserable experience. It left a really bad taste in my mouth and I don't believe I will ever rent from them again.

    4 people found this review helpful
    Rated with 1 star
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: May 6, 2023

    I rented a car for a road trip in California last month. When arrived to pick it up, I’ve been ask to pay 460$ “deposit”, that would get returned 48h after giving the car back. It’s been 3 weeks and still haven’t received this deposit. After calling their customer service plenty of times, I’ve been informed that the 460 was not a deposit at all, but an insurance that I told I didn’t want to get. In short, they are stealing from their own customers. If you’re planning to rent a car through Budget Car, just run away!!

    5 people found this review helpful
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    Budget Rent-A-Car author review by Lauren Fix

    Founded in 1958 to appeal to the cost-conscious consumer, Budget is one of the most popular car rental brands. It serves renters in over 120 countries from its more than 3,000 locations. Budget is owned by Avis Rental Car.

    • Business-friendly rates: Business customers can save up to 30 percent on car rentals with a BudgetBusinessProgram account.

    • Prepay and save: For customers who book and pay in advance, the Pay Now rate saves up to 35 percent on the cost.

    • Inexpensive no-show fee: At Budget, the fee for a no-show is only $50 on a missed pickup; everything else is refunded.

    • Discounts: Active duty, retired military and their families can all save up to 25 percent on rentals. AARP members can enjoy savings of up to 30 percent off Budget base rates when renting a vehicle from a participating location in the contiguous U.S. and Canada. Rent a car for up to four consecutive days, including a Saturday night, and save $20.

    • Fast reservations: Budget advertises a 60-second reservation process, letting travelers reserve the vehicle of their choice on the go and in just a minute.

    • Truck rental: Budget features a reliable, diverse commercial truck fleet, nearly 1,900 convenient U.S. locations, daily, weekly, monthly, local and one-way rentals for business or moving.

    by Lauren Fix Auto & Finance Advisor

    Lauren Fix, also called The Car Coach, is an automotive and auto finance expert. Her understanding of vehicles has made her the “go to” person on TV, radio, print media and the Internet. She has authored multiple books and writes a column for several outlets, including Parade Magazine, NewsMax and Car Coach Reports. She is a regular guest on major news and morning shows, discussing the latest updates on cars and car financing that will help drivers make smart decisions when buying, maintaining and financing cars.

    Budget Rent-A-Car Company Information

    Company Name:
    Budget Rent-A-Car
    Year Founded:
    1958
    Address:
    6 Sylvan Way
    City:
    Parsippany
    State/Province:
    NJ
    Postal Code:
    07054
    Country:
    United States
    Website:
    www.budget.com