Budget Car Rental Reviews
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About Budget Car Rental
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Budget Rent a Car provides car rentals at more than 3,000 locations worldwide. The company supplies a variety of vehicles, including economy cars, SUVs and vans. Budget offers flexible rental options, making it accessible for budget-conscious customers.
- Clean and well-maintained vehicles
- Affordable pricing options
- Poor communication from staff
- Long wait times during peak hours
Budget Car Rental Reviews
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Reviewed Sept. 18, 2014
I booked a budget car from Chicago O'Hare airport for one week from 8/5/14. I booked through Rentalcars.co.uk an online booking service. I paid for a Ford Escape or similar and additional driver CDW all paid for up front. The staff at O'Hare said, "Everything is paid for, you just need to sign this tablet to confirm the contract and the additional driver has to sign it for insurance purposes."
We both signed an electronic tablet, were assured again that there were no additional charges. The staff then took the electronic signatures and drew up a contract with $506.83 additional charges on it. They printed the word 'agreed' in each additional charge. We never had sight of the contract until we dropped the car off a week later. As we were late for our flight and Budget had already kept us waiting we did not read the contract before leaving. The first I knew of it was when the extras hit my credit card bill.
I have been arguing with Budget and RentalCar.co.uk since. They continue to insist that I signed a contract in the full knowledge of what was in it. They have since accepted that they have double charged me for the extra driver (they had no choice here I have it in writing that it was prepaid but they added it on anyway). They have offered me £50 compensation which I have refused. As far as I am concerned my signature was taken and used without my consent to steal over $500 from me. I have exhausted every avenue with Budget and will now have go legal with them. I think they believe most people will just give up after a while, but $506.83 of fraud isn't just going to 'go away'.
Reviewed Sept. 17, 2014
My husband and I rented a car in August out of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Upon returning the car we filled up at the Shell gas station not a mile from the airport. We returned the car in the garage and the attendant said he would process it so we didn't need to go to the desk. We just received our credit card statement and Budget Rent A Car is charging us $129.00 because they said we returned it with only a half a tank of gas. After speaking with them we need to provide a receipt for fuel. Well we have the credit card receipt showing where and when but not the actual gas receipt. Thanks Budget. My husband and I are in our fifties, have rented many rental cars over the years and this is the first time we have ever encountered such a misrepresentation. We will never use Budget again. Dishonest company.
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014
I was never notified that this car rental requires $400 deposit and good credit in order to rent with a debit card. My reservation was prepaid with AAdvantage miles and cash. They simple did not offer to assist me or give me a choice but to go to a different car rental that I was able to rent without any problem. This car rental was sold out and simply decided to give me a hard time and bad customer service.
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
As a frequent traveler to the US and Canada, I use to rent cars at different airports with different rental car companies. I was unlucky enough to rent a GMC Yukon XL last August in Montreal by BUDGET. I'm willing to warn customers against some snares embedded in Budget's rental contracts in Canada. First, customers are not informed from the start of what the compulsory insurances cover or not. Second, you are not informed that there will be a drop off surcharge of approx. $100 with no other reason than the following: "non pkg items" including "energy recovery fee" (I refueled the tank just prior driving to the airport) and an incredible $72 "tire mgmt fee".
Third, I was unlucky as a rock caused a crack in the windshield. As I mentioned the incident to the clerk when I returned the car, I was told that the CDW insurance did not include tires or glass coverage. I was later contacted by the Avis Budget Claim department with a grossly overpriced claim that was including $428 for the windshield, $223 of labor cost, a $50 "administrative charge" and a $104 "loss of use" surcharge. I asked invoices to different auto repair shops in Montreal for this model. The windshield value is $300, the labor cost $80 + taxes.
Beware of BUDGET dishonest business practices. Renting a car by BUDGET could prove much more expensive than it appears, even if you commit no fault. I will never again make any contract with BUDGET, and turn to the HERTZ counter instead in the future.
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
When dropping off car, husband was told we dented the car which was a small scratch (which was old). We did not have time to debate the issue as our flight was leaving early which was 7-17-2014. We received a letter stating it was 588.86 which they stated was a follow up letter (we never heard from them till Sept 1st). We had no choice on paying this bill. We will never use Budget again.
Reviewed Sept. 8, 2014
Budget just lost a loyal customer today. I am a military spouse who is relocating on Government orders. I rented a vehicle from Tucson International Airport to drive down to Sierra Vista, AZ. Less than 24 hours of the vehicle in our possession the A/C completely went out in the vehicle. Since we're in Arizona with high temps and a monsoon, let's just say driving around was miserable. I called Budget Roadside/Customer Service. We were told by Budget Customer Service, to first take the 2014 Chevy Cruze to a service center for diagnostic testing. If it was more than just refilling the coolant, to call back and they would "happily" tow a new vehicle to us from Tucson and pick up the previous rental at no additional charge. After having to pay $110 out of my own pocket for a diagnostic (which thankfully I'm told I'll be reimbursed by Budget) I was told by the Chevy service center rodents had previously chewed through the censor, causing the vehicle to "think" it was -40 degrees outside, not allowing the A/C to work. The Chevy service center also said that it has been some time since this occurred based on what they could see, so since we had only had the car less than 24 hours, it more than likely happened with a previous renter or while sitting in Tucson.
I called Roadside back and told them the situation and we would obviously need another vehicle. I was then told that to now exchange the rental car, if I was not willing to drive the three hour round trip to Tucson to get a new rental car (mind you, if you are watching the news, there is a flash flood in Tucson, where one person has died already, I'm sorry I don't want to put our lives in danger since I don't know the area very well). I would be charged a service fee (probably $400-500 due to mileage) to have a new rental car towed down to me, because this issue does not affect the drivability of the vehicle. SHOCKED, is an understatement. I cannot believe this is how a company that for One - would treat a military family this way, who is literally using their vehicle to look for a new home for a permanent change of station and Two - I work for an insurance company that actually recommends Budget and offers a discount because of their excellent customer service and has used them myself numerous times. I obviously will be telling all my military friends, family and my own customers during their time of need (since I work in auto claims) that they should not use Budget Rental Car.
Reviewed Sept. 8, 2014
Credit card was charged a 'cleaning fee' of $150 two weeks following delivery of a perfectly clean car to the rental agency at Tampa International Airport. With a little web research, there are plenty of others who have fallen prey to this obvious corporate scam. Please get the word out. Don't use BUDGET!
Reviewed Sept. 3, 2014
I was at the Tucson airport and needed a large vehicle. I went up to Budget, asked how much it was for 2 day rental - they said it be little over $300 so I said fine. The customer service rep set everything up and told me ok it’s $390 and I said what happen to little over $300. He said you are covered for everything - insurance and everything - you don't have to worry if you get in an accident so I said fine. Two days later I come back to return the vehicle and my bill was $550. I had to complain and they still charged my credit card $445. Now a month later I get a letter saying the vehicle was dirty and they will withdraw $75 from my credit card. Never again will I use Budget...
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2014
I rented a car. It was a FORD SILVER FIESTA veh. # **. I REQUESTED A NON-SMOKER CAR, I got a smoker's car. The smoke smell was soooooo strong a full bottle of air freshener did not take the smell out. And the other thing is my reservation was for 2 pm pick up, I got there 1:45 pm and had to wait until 2:30 pm before I could get a car. It would have been nice if someone could have called me to let me know that they did not have any cars until that time. They did not change my pick up time from 2 pm to 2:30 pm. THE YOUNG LADIES WAS VERY MATTER OF FACT. This is why it is better SOMETIMES to hire mature people. I HAD TO WASH MY CLOTHES AFTER I DROVE THIS CAR TO AND FROM MY DESTINATION. This was not a good experience!!!!
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2014
I pre-paid to reserve a hybrid at the San Diego airport Budget Rent-A-Car. To be certain the car would be available, I called 4 days ahead of the rental date and was assured that if I reserved a hybrid it would be held on the lot for me. Well, the end of this story is predictable - there wasn't a hybrid on the lot. Additionally, the car I ended up with had a push button ignition, which didn't work some of the time, requiring multiple attempts to start the car causing me to be late for two meetings. This was the first and last time I will use Budget-Rent-A-Car.
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2014
Upon arrival in Denver after more than 20 hours of flying, I went to the rental counter at Budget where I had reserved and prepaid £419 for a car online through Holiday Autos. The clerk went through the normal questions regarding upgrades and extra insurance, which I all verbally declined. I was presented with the contract and after so many hours of flying, admit I did not read it carefully. I had paid online in GBP and when I saw the amount on the contract I thought it was roughly the amount I had already paid converted to USD, so I signed the contract and went on my way. Several weeks later when I returned home I noticed an extra £301 on my credit card from Budget. It turns out those were all additional charges for extra insurance I had verbally turned down to the agent.
Admittedly, I should have paid more attention to the contract I signed but I feel the agent took advantage of my state after 20 hours of flying and the fact that English is not my first language. The agent never went through the contract with me - only printed and indicated where I had to sign. I have rented cars many times all over the world, including the US. This was my third trip to the US this year and had no previous problems renting cars. My immediate complaint to Budget only resulted in a short letter stating they were sorry I was unhappy with my service but offered no action. Needless to say I will NEVER rent from Budget again and urge everyone to read the fine print - even when you are tired!
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2014
Made an online reservation for a given amount. Went to the airport knowing full good and well that they would try and up-sell me any and everything. Said no-no-no to all offers. They presented me with an amount twice what I had a reservation for. I did not sign and said “Look I do not want any upgrades or anything that is not required by law”, multiple times. I said I wanted to pay the $189.00 indicated on my reservation. The rep said ok and showed me a screen for the amount I agreed to, which I signed. I later got a bill for twice what I agreed to. The customer service agents responding to my inquiries were rude and unresponsive, ultimately moving to sarcasm and hanging up on me. Don't do business with them. UNETHICAL!
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2014
I reserved a weekly car with rate at $117 with taxes and fees. On day it was due, I called customer service to extend another day. I asked them for pricing and they said it would be $117 + $31 for the extra day, totaling roughly $150. I said fine. When I went to return the car, they charged me $180 ($130 + $30 extra day + $20 in taxes and fees). I showed them the confirmation I got for $117 showing taxes and fees and the customer service who quoted me the $30 for extra day also confirmed the $117 but they would not accept it. I was livid and will never, ever rent from them again. They do not honor their prices online and I will be contacting Costco Travel who I placed it thru. I also called Costco Travel and all they kept telling me was to talk to the guy behind the desk who is wanting me to pay $180. PISSED today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2014
Budget Car Rental sucks quoting one price to get your reservation and charging a higher rate at time of rental when they have you trapped with no car at some airport. Avoid them like Ebola.
Reviewed Aug. 21, 2014
We rented a car from Budget in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho May 27th, 2014. We were at the office at our appointed time, but there was no one at the office. After waiting about 15 minutes, the owner drove up in a nice looking Nissan Altima. The owner drove it into his garage area and kept us waiting longer until he finally came in and rented us the car. He asked some questions, pointed out some paperwork and gave us the keys and turned his attention to the another patron.
When my wife and I walked out, we walked around the car to note scratches or dents etc. We were surprised that he did not walk out with us. We started on our trip from Idaho to Mt. Rushmore. We were 1/2 way into the trip, and pulled into a rest stop. My wife was waiting for me when I came out and pointed to the front right bumper. After inspection, we saw a tear under the bumper. Someone had damaged the right bumper way underneath and had apparently tucked the tear back up before returning the car to wherever they dropped it off.
If this car had been put on a rack, this damage would have been noticed. We immediately tried to contact the office and after several hours of trying, we finally got someone that we could explain this damage to. We both (however, I was driving) have clean driving records. We did not do this damage and tried to reiterate this to the owner's co-worker. We were told to not worry about it. We bought duct tape and repaired the tear so it would not get worse. When we returned the car, we were again told not to worry about it. That was June 2nd.
On August 15th, we received a letter from Budget Claims Dept. saying that an inspection of the car we rented had sustained damage and we owed them $407.40. There was no mention of what type of car, or any information on damage or estimates to get it fixed. We wrote them back asking for a copy of the estimate and damage to the car. On 8/21, they called us and asked for an e-mail address so they could e-mail the documents.
Obviously this is our word against theirs and they had us over a barrel. So we paid it. Our warning to anyone using Budget Rental agency. Have them put their cars on a rack and look underneath to see if there is any damage that they may be hiding from you! We are not convinced that the owner himself didn't already know about this and hoped to get a patsy like us to fix it. Needless to say, WE WILL NEVER USE BUDGET RENTAL SERVICE FOR ANYTHING AGAIN!
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2014
I had set up a prepaid rental to be picked up in Seattle WA. We arrived a half hour early and went to the rental desk. They were having computer problems and it took 45 minutes to get the car. I was traveling with my 8 year old grandson who is a very good traveler. He was weary from a 3 hour flight and was on the way to see his mom. I was dealing with rude desk people and a tired boy. We needed a child seat and found out after a short time it had a problem. $18 wasted. When examining my credit card charges from the trip I noticed a $125 charge from Budget. I call them and was treated very rudely. I asked about the car seat problem and was told there was nothing they could do about it because I didn't complain that day. They had no explanation for the additional charge but said they would refund $108. I will never use Budget again.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2014
Complete rip off. You pay the same as the other companies. Then they ask for £23 per day for the CDW or pay £850 for any damage. I said no, so they reduced it to £13 per day. THEN THEY CHARGE YOU A DAILY ROAD TAX FEE. COMPLETE CON ARTISTS, BOOK ELSEWHERE.
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2014
I rented a car from Budget at Charleston International Airport on July 28, 2014. The car was very nice and very clean. I returned the car on August 2, 2014 to Charleston International Airport with a full tank of gas. Upon entering the return lot, the Budget Rep scanned my car, but came up with a different customer's reservation. I was told to go to the desk in the airport to correct this. The rep at the desk took my rental agreement and looked up my info on the computer. He saw the problem and told me "you're all set, we just have some computer work to fix on our end." I stated my concern about being charged for someone else's rental and I was assured that everything was fine and that I would only be charged for my rental, $315.26. Off I went to catch my flight home.
2 Days later I called Budget again to make sure there wasn't going to be a billing issue. I was re assured by the Rep that everything was corrected and I would only be charged $315.26. I received my credit card statement about 1 week later and there was the charge from Budget $792.10. I called Budget immediately and was told that I had returned the car to Norfolk VA and had neglected to fill the tank, therefore I was being charged an additional $392. I explained what had happened and that I had been assured that the error had been corrected.
A supervisor got on the line and told me that all the info would have to be sent to Budget Headquarters for review and I would be notified in about 5 days if I would receive a refund. 5 days pass and no phone call or email from Budget. I call back on day 6 only to be told by a different supervisor that this process will take about 2 weeks. The error was on their part, why am I the one that is made to wait. Doubt I will be renting from them in the future. I will update if/when they contact me...
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2014
In the past six weeks I have rented from Budget twice. The first rental was a dream. The employees at the office were beyond professional and went out of their way to ensure that I was happy with my decision to rent from Budget. However, when I ended up at a different local office my experience was anything but pleasant.
On July 23 I went to the Budget office at 8231 Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond, VA. The agent was friendly but did not provide me with the same type of vehicle as I had received from the office I had previously used. In fact, the agent told me I should not have received the vehicle I was given because the Camry was larger than the free upgrade allowed. So, he gave me a VW Jetta. Though the vehicle was great on gas it was in horrible condition. As I was rushing around preparing to drive to Tampa for a family emergency I noticed what appeared to be a nail in the tire. By this time the rental office was closed. I called customer service and was transferred to roadside assistance.
The representative from roadside went as far as to suggest I change the tire myself and drive to another Budget not more than 50 miles from home. There was no way I could do this because by the time a Budget office would be open the next day I would be several hundred miles down the road. I asked if Budget could just bring me another car and was told that I would have to pay for a two-way tow. I was also advised that I would have to pay for someone to come out and change the tire because I didn't opt to purchase roadside in my rental agreement. Please note that I was dealing with an out of state emergency and did not have the ability to drive to my airport 45 minutes from home at a cost of $6-8 in tolls in order to switch vehicles.
As it turned out the nail was just the head of a nail but by the time I realized this I was fuming. The tire pressure light was on so I put air in all 4 tires and headed to Tampa. During the trip I noticed the steering was really difficult and tight but thought it may be the way the car was made. However, I spent the entire 13 hours holding the wheel to keep the car in a straight line. Due to the family emergency I was unable to contact another Budget until Sunday, July 27. Finally, I found helpful agents who went above the call of duty to help me with my problem. The representative at the Brandon Sears location test drove the VW and discovered that the power steering was problematic as was the transmission, traction control and other systems. This car could have left my daughter and me stranded or caused us to have an accident.
Upon realizing this I was extremely angry that the first agent put me in this vehicle, obviously without doing a proper inspection to ensure that the car was mechanically sound and safe, and that roadside assistance wanted to charge me to bring another vehicle to my house prior to my trip. If I had the money to pay extra I would have taken a plane instead of driving, but my financial status dictated that the car rental was the only viable option.
I would like to believe that the policy of Budget is not to put customers in unsafe vehicles or to charge them for every problem that arises, but this experience makes me doubt that. Had an accident occurred because of the problems with the car I was given I would most definitely have filed a criminal negligence lawsuit against Budget and had it left me stranded and caused delay in getting to my family I would have filed a civil suit against Budget to compensate me for the car rental itself and for the mental anguish I would have endured due to not being with my father in an emergency situation.
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2014
I booked my rental car online and got a good deal. When I got to the reservation desk, a gentleman double checked the rate, said it was still good then offered the extras to which we replied "no thanks". Then he brings up a screen that shows insurances. My husband said "no thanks" but the gentleman stated that by Florida state law, we had to have the SLI insurance. So we agreed that since we "had to" have it, fine. We signed the paperwork (dumb mistake).
When we went to return the vehicle, we found an extra 68 dollars on our ticket. When we called to ask about it, the phone agent told us the insurance was optional. After we told our side of the story, they still refused to refund any of the money!! HORRIBLE customer service!! If you rent through them, use a coupon. You can find a ton online and when you get to the desk, do NOT believe that you HAVE to have the insurance, ask for a manager! It will have you at least 60 bucks!
Reviewed Aug. 11, 2014
August 11, 2014. Budget car rental, 333 College St. Toronto ON. Car picked up at 9:30 AM, dropped off at 5:45 PM. Purchased collision-damage-waver for approximately $25. Car was undamaged until I entered the Budget lot to return it. Then I ran into a high (10 inch) concrete curb immediately in front of the office. The curb was unmarked and impossible to see because it was hidden by another car and is the same colour as the paved lot. I was told that I should not have parked in that location. Yet another car was already parked there and there is NO SIGN to indicate no parking. Then I was told that I should have backed in. There was NO SIGN to indicate that fact.
The collision with the concrete curb resulted in a small scratch to the bottom of the front modesty panel. Despite having purchased the collision-damage-waver I was told that I nevertheless had to pay for the damage. This is unfair, the damage was due to faulty construction in the Budget lot, lack of appropriate signage and lack of warning of a hazard. I am not responsible for this predicament and I am not liable for payment.
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2014
I attempted to make inquiries about an admin fee I was charged, but Budget had no record of the charge, and could not explain why it was not in the system (my credit card was charged). The customer service representative started giving me a passive-aggressive responses and attitude to questions he clearly couldn't answer. I did not get a satisfactory answer to my problem, and it remains unresolved.
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2014
I reserved a full size in Austin and they gave me an F-150 truck which wasn't a problem. I returned the truck with a full tank, purchasing 17 gallons 3 miles from the drop off. The attendant was busy and told me to leave the keys which I did. Five days later they charged me $142 extra for 14 gallons of gas, saying that the truck was half full. The truck has a 26 gallon tank. It was full and they were too busy to check when I returned it. They say I can submit a fuel purchase receipt that I don't have because the service station was unattended and did not print a receipt. I don't know where they put the gas or who pocketed the money but these guys are crooks in my book and you should steer clear.
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2014
As we were inside the Budget office signing the paperwork and picking up the keys to our car, a traffic police was writing a ticket because it was parked illegal in the street outside (not by us). We saw it, two witnesses, and the Budget staff saw it too. They asked us to bring them the ticket and they would take care of it. Several months later the ticket of $107 was charged to my credit card. I called Budget to resolve the issue, was bounced between different persons and finally to an answering machine. I tried this twice with the same result. Then I wrote them a letter/e-mail explaining my story and received back a generic response "that I am responsible for all tickets during the rental of my car". Seems they ignored or didn't bother to read any of the details in my letter.
I received information from ATS working on behalf of Budget that our car was rented from 8.56 am to 9.20 am the next day. The ticket was issued 9.20 am the first day. We all saw the person writing the ticket at the same time we were handed they keys, how can we have picked the car up 24 minutes earlier? The rental agreement was for 24 hours, not 24 hours and then some minutes. It seems to me that someone altered the pickup time to make sure we got the ticket. The ticket location is on the street outside the Budget office. We rented the car to go places, not to leave it in the street outside their office. With all this information at hand, Budget customer service would not even open a case for me.
I can understand if a mistake happens by one staff member of a big company, but that their customer support cannot resolve it after this much of my time being spent is not ok. I contacted my bank to reverse the charges. Investigation is currently pending. Hopefully they will solve it, but one thing is certain. I will never go Budget again and I will ask everyone I know to do the same.
Reviewed Aug. 6, 2014
I recently rented a vehicle from Budget and I got so many prices for a rental car till it was pathetic. After getting car the first week, decided to renew car the second week. Went in to local place, no one knew how to put new card on file. So the people told me I was okay, just wait until closing before charging me. Started to receive calls like I was a criminal stating investigators looking for car. All that over a mistake that people from Budget made. I will never rent again from Budget. Bad business people.
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2014
We reserved a Budget rental car on for a Sunday delivery. I used Expedia to get the best rate. They only had 2 cars left, a ford fusion and a camaro. We were 3 adults with our daughter flying in later so the camaro was definitely not a choice and I had reserved a full size car. They didn't accept the Expedia price. Told us it would be 350 dollars with tax fee etc and everything it was close to $400. Then they told my husband it was Sunday and they couldn't check our insurance bringing the total up to $665 and a $1000 hold on our card, which when we returned the car it would take 2 to 3 days to release our funds. Josh was our attendant..condescending is a little lite. We have rented cars at all hours and this was the first time we've had this problem. This will be the last time we will ever use this price switching condescending company.
Reviewed Aug. 4, 2014
On May 12, 2014, my wife and I rented a rental car from Budget Rental in Norfolk, VA for a one day, one way rental to Washington, DC. I stayed the night of May 12th at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in DC in order to catch an early morning flight to Anchorage, AK. When preparing to leave the hotel the morning of May 13th, we found that one of the tire on the rental car was flat tire.
I attempted to change the tire, but the spare tire was missing, so I called Budget Roadside Assistance (BRA). They said that a replacement car would be sent to me and a tow truck would pickup the car with the flat, but that it would be over 2 hours before either arrived. I told Budget that I needed to catch a flight in less than 2 hours and that the spare car would not be of any help. I asked if I could just leave the car for pickup by Budget and they agreed and gave me instruction to lock the car except for the driver's door and place the key under the floor mat. I did that and proceed to the airport to catch my flight.
About a week after arriving in Alaska, I received a couple of phone messages from Budget about extending my rental agreement, so I called Budget Customer Service to find out what was happening. They explained that they were having trouble recovering the car due to problems accessing the base, but assured me that I would only be charged for the one day rental.
About a week later, I noticed a pending Budget rental Car charge on my credit card for several hundred dollars (much higher than anticipated), so I called Budget Customer Service and was given the same info about base access. The pending charges were never finalized so I thought that the problem was solved until about July 19, 2014 when I received another pending Budget charge on my credit card for over $2700.
On Monday, July 21st, I called Budget Customer Service and found that they were charging me for 8 weeks of rental, so I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told the supervisor would call back within 48 hours. I did not receive a call back so I called again on July 28th and asked to speak to a supervisor but was again told that they would call back. I did not receive a call back so called again on Aug 4th and after explaining the issue again, asked to speak to a supervisor. This time I was able to speak to a supervisor named Alexander. He said he would call back in a few minutes and did so. He explained that Budget felt that I was responsible for the time that the car was out of service and that the charges would not be reduced.
I do not feel that I should be held responsible for the charges other than the one day as I followed Budget's instructions and had no control over Budget's access to the base. I made it clear when I called roadside assistance that the car was located on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and they fully understood where it was located. There was nothing in the rental contract that forbid driving the car onto military bases. I have disputed the rental charge with my credit card company, but don't have a resolution yet.
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2014
About one month after a rental, I received a letter from Budget claiming I returned a car five gallons low. Though the letter came with no enclosures or other documentation, and did not give a date, I knew immediately it was incorrect because I by habit return cars full. I complained and sent a gas receipt, which I just happened to have, to Budget, and they reimbursed the $46.50 (!) they had charged me for the falsely claimed 5 gallons. So this is not the issue.
Instead, here are the concerning problems with my ordeal: 1) As stated in the budget receipt, I returned the car full. 2) As stated in the budget receipt, I drove the car 89 miles. 3) There is a policy of charging <$15 for returning the car without a receipt after driving under 75 miles. 4) No information on either the location or the date of the asserted return is given in the letter.
The first two facts suggest a serious error in charging me for five gallons one month after the rental. The third fact indicates an intent to overcharge me. The fourth fact shows an attempt at obfuscation that would prevent me from understanding the charge. Doesn't it appear, given these four facts, that this was a fraudulent attempt to extract $46.50 from me one month after my rental?
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2014
We have had two very major issues with this company, both of which involve employees lying or being misleading with us. Our problems started when my sister called and asked if Budget charges a security deposit, whoever she spoke with blatantly lied and said no. Just to be sure she even called back and asked again and again whoever she spoke with said Budget doesn't charge a security deposit. When we arrived at the service counter and was indeed charged a deposit, we were surprised. It was my first time ever renting a car and so I was unaware that it was an industry wide practice to do so. The second problem arrived when we received our balance. First, there really should not have been much of a balance because the car was pre-booked online and that balance was paid in full. We added a driver and so I understand the additional charge for that and increased taxes for the increase.
What I don't understand is how the agent could tell us we could upgrade for just an extra $15 when what she really meant was an extra $15 per day. Being my first renting a car, I wasn't entirely sure how the whole balance situation worked. It was even more confusing because with the "extra $15", the extra $65 for the additional driver, and the security deposit the number equaled our balance which seemed perfectly reasonable. I didn't know those were additional charges of $15 per day and that security isn't included on the bill until AFTER I signed the contract. When I called the agency for some clarification on the matter, there seemed to be a general disregard about agents misleading customers. The car was really nice, but hardly worth the financial trouble it caused! If you're going to rent from this place please be sure to carefully review your contract and do NOT assume the agent has your best interests at hand!
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2014
According to the agreement I was totaled 197.06 dollars. But when I returned the car at the airport, the guy who took the car from me charged around 236 dollars. He said the tank is not full. But I explained him that when I took the car it was not full and it was 1:30 am and it was all empty and no one to assist or ask or tell about the fuel. Actually, I didn't notice that the agreement says full tank. I thought I am taking a quarter less than full so I’ll return at the same amount. So I returned it with that amount and also told this to that person who took the car. Then he said ok, I will waive it off for you. Since I am an international tourist and I have come back to my own country, I can’t go and ask that guy that why didn't he remove that fuel charge now as he told me.
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2014
Rented a car in Providence, Rhode Island and upon returning, noticed I had an extra charge on my bill. I called the location I rented from in downtown Providence RI and the owner took my call (did not identify himself as such or as any authority until a later call). His first assumption is that I did not fill the car up with gas because I did not drive it very many miles and I was being charged for not providing a receipt. I informed him I did fill it up (he did not believe me) and he never told me I needed to provide them a receipt. He then launched into a diatribe about how I had to pay them and it was all my fault and I must not have heard him because I had my kids with me (my terrible kids who make me deaf in public were actually off to the side with my wife). I have never met a ruder person in my life. He then gave me the run around and had me call the location I dropped it off at.
That location had me call him back at yet a 3rd location and when he answered and took my call, he waited 10 minutes in to identify himself as the owner and the person I talked to earlier. Again it was all my fault and now I was "making things up" about our earlier call. I finally got the national number from him and lo and behold, they removed the charge with no hassle (I had filled up the car w/ gas at the exxon down the street from the airport, I was able to locate the charge on my bank card which of course wasn't good enough for this guy because he made up his mind. I was wrong before I spoke to him). Why this person had to berate me, accuse me, give me FALSE information about how to solve my problem, and NOT give me the correct customer service number for 45 minutes is beyond me.
Will never set foot in this place again, have already informed my work that I refuse to use the rental company for business as well. After all of this hassle from what astonishingly is the owner of this franchise location, the national number solved my problem in under 2 minutes. I cannot believe I endured this person for something that took 2 MINUTES to solve.
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2014
I recently rented a vehicle for vacation in Colorado. I rented the car from the airport rental location. I took the 12 dollar a day upgrade and was very pleased with the little chevy equinox that we rented. They held 200 for a deposit and assured me that it would be credited back when I returned the car. We had a great time... and the car performed well. Upon returning it, I stopped at a car wash and cleaned it inside and out and filled it to the top with gas. Turned it in on 7.23.14. Still no deposit return. Won't be dealing with Budget rent cars again.
Reviewed July 30, 2014
When making the reservation, I very clearly stated I would be picking up the auto at 1:30 on a Thurs and return at 3:00 the following Mon. THEY priced my rental at 4 days. Yet when I returned the auto they charged me for 5 days... The taxes and fees went from $48.05 to $65.68. That is an increase of $33.63... Since I was comparison shopping, I chose Budget because the price quote was less than it was at other companies... But now I see I didn't save anything... Not happy with being overcharged!!
Reviewed July 29, 2014
Las Vegas, prepaid online with no protection. Waited 1hr at location, agent directed me to press buttons on screen. We stated again we wanted no extra coverage. Returning the car, I find an extra charge over $200 for extras we did not ask for. Too bad.
Reviewed July 29, 2014
I arrived a weary traveler due to a sad family loss. Feeling somewhat covered financially since I had prepaid my expenses so I did not have to deal with finances during my visit. Upon arrival at Budget Rental to pick up my prepaid economy car that was to be Hyundai Accent or equivalent I was face to face with a 2-seater Fiat. When I expressed my dismay I was told this was economy and I would have to upgrade to get a larger car at a fee. No compromise. When I got home and called I was told basically to read the fine print. Budget Car rental is now in the on budget business. In addition, prepaid fuel means you are paying for a full tank of gas regardless of the amount of gas left in the tank. So renters beware.
Reviewed July 27, 2014
My daughter just drove a rental truck from PA to Largo, Florida. She paid and had no problems, so she decided to rent a car from them prepaid online. When she went to pick up car, they told her she didn't pass credit check, kicked her out of office and told her to call for refunds. This is after they trust her to drive rental Truck 16 hours????? Where's her money? What happened to customer service? She said the girl with no name was rude!!! We will never use their services again and I will check into our legal rights.
Reviewed July 26, 2014
I am at the Salt Lake City Budget counter and have just been told that "they have my car but it's in the other lot. I can wait for it to be shuttled to this lot or I could have an SUV right now for only $25 more per day." I asked Bou how long the car shuttle takes and told me it could be 30-40 minutes. I asked if they always play this bait and switch with their customers and she said that she had the car, just not there. Bait and switch. Avoid Budget.
Reviewed July 26, 2014
I booked a one day rental, Las Vegas location, via Expedia.com on 7/19-7/20 2014. First issue, stood in line for 1.5 hours waiting to receive my rental, 70 customers in line and 2 agents working. By the time we received our rental it was too late to take the planned drive to Hoover Dam. I was charged a $100 deposit upon pick up and another $200 when I returned the car the next morning, along with the $29.00 rental fee. Why I would be charged another 200 bucks upon return is beyond me. Budget use to be a reputable company - not anymore! If they're looking to close the doors of their business they're on the right track. Absolutely horrible customer service! Thank goodness for social media, I have forewarned all of the folks in my circle to steer clear.
Reviewed July 22, 2014
Me and my fiance rented a car from the New Haven, CT location while on vacation. We decided to end our trip short and bring the car back a day early, 26 hours early to be exact, with a full tank of gas, as required by this company. They said the gauge was not touching the tip of the F and we would be charged 100 dollars. We said ok, brought the car around the corner to put 2 dollars in gas but the gas take would not take it on the count that it was full. We told them that the tank is full and would not let us put anymore money into it. They said there was an air pocket in the gas tank hence why the gauge would not touch the tip of the F. They said we might still be charged for it and there's nothing they could do, PLUS be charged for an Extra day still even when we brought it back a day early. They began to yell at us that there was nothing they could do and to take it up with customer service. SO RUDE and disgusting, I never in my life!
Reviewed July 19, 2014
I rented a car from the Kent, Washington location and paid in full at time of reservation. The transaction posted to my account. After returning the car Budget charged an even larger amount to my card without my authorization. Budget is now saying that they are charging me extra ($455) because I didn't use the vehicle for the entire time. I'm a Fastbreak customer so all my rental agreement/paperwork was signed in advance. Also paid in advance. Didn't ask for anything for the unused part of my rental but also should not be charged extra.
Reviewed July 16, 2014
Reserved a vehicle online for use during my vacation. On the second day of my vacation we had a flat and had to spend hours getting it repaired (company said it was my responsibility). Third day had another flat one block from where the first was repaired. We got a replacement vehicle and was proceeding with our vacation when the brake light came on in this vehicle. We therefore decided to minimize our driving for the rest of the vacation. At the end we also had a bill for the tire repair.
Reviewed July 16, 2014
I rented a car from Budget for three days. I prepaid online, $93. When I went to pick the car up the person at the location said their computer system was down and she was not able to look up my reservation. When I returned the car, I took the online reservation with me but she did not take it, the computer system was still down. The car was filled with gas when it was returned.
A few days later I saw a $216 charge from Budget on my credit card. I called the 800 customer service and asked why I was charged an additional $216. The rep who only gave me a first name said that the pre-paid funds were not used (my credit card was charged) and that he would refund the $93 only. I said it was not my fault that their system was down but they needed to refund $216 not $93 as I did not change the reservation, they did.
I also found out there was a $14 gas charge tacked unto the bill. The reps reason was since I got a different class car (which I did not ask for but desk clerk could not check what I had reserved) that was the reason for the extra charges. I asked to speak with a supervisor and he refused. I filled out a complaint form and two different customer service reps have said they can't find my original reservation even though I can pull it up on their website with no problems. Today I checked my credit card statement and it is all screwed up. I called Amex and will let them handle it from their end as Budget's staff seemed to be incompetent.
Reviewed July 15, 2014
After I had rented a compact car online and paid for it, I got to the Denver Airport Budget where I talked to Jay and he told me that a Volkswagen Beetle would be what I would get but that people going into Beaver Creek drove SUVs because an SUV was needed to get up and down the mountains. First of all, a Beetle was not listed on the website as a compact car. I had never been to Colorado but didn't think his SUV story was true. After his repeated claim for 30 minutes, my daughter and I got so disgusted that we just told him to upgrade because we wanted to get the car and go. That was my fault but it was also based on 2 lies that he knew weren't true.
I then get a condescending letter from Jann ** with Budget customer service that says, "We understand that when traveling often times our renters are in a hurry to begin their trip, they may be experiencing fatigue due to long flight times, or they are rushed to make their destination." So, according to her, it is the customer's fault that their agents are using deceitful methods to make more money.
I had flown for one hour and 45 minutes. I was rested and excited to be there. I was not the least bit fatigued due to my LONG FLIGHT. I left irritated and in a hurry because Jay was doing everything he could using misinformation to make more money. I will NEVER use them again. I also contacted Travelocity and Capital One. They need to know their customers are being lied to and ripped off by Budget. I paid $649.16 through the internet and then paid $264.25 for the upgrade I didn't need.
Reviewed July 15, 2014
Was given an outstanding price on a rental on the day I was arriving by email from Southwest Airlines that beat all other prices by many dollars. Got to airport. Was given the run around for about 15 minutes and then was told which car I would get. I told them that I had to sit in it first (I am a big person) to see if I could drive it, and they told me to take that one or pay for an upgrade to a bigger car. The woman could not have been more rude. I was humiliated and treated like an animal. I complained to the company and they sent me an email sticking up for the woman. Rent from anyone else, just do not rent from Budget....EVER.
Reviewed July 12, 2014
I was badly treated by your manager at Oakland Airport when I was picking up a rental car on June 27, 2014. After standing in-line for more than one hour which I don't mind, the car I thought I was getting was not available. I was made to wait for the Chrysler 200 Sedan for extra 30 minutes or more. The service lady (Lavon) was very helpful but the manager Sue was a nightmare. She ignored me when I tried to have a conversation with her the first time. When she eventually stop to talk to me, she was very rude with I don't care attitude. I tried to talk to see why the delay and why others who came at the same time as us had all gone. She just look at us and walked away saying "you will get the car when it's ready". At the end, we end up in a dirty Impala.
Reviewed July 11, 2014
I was in a hurry with my young daughter at the Seatac airport looking for a one-way rental to the Sacramento area. I explained that I wanted a rental without mileage. I am hard of hearing and did not have my glasses. The Budget agent showed me the price for the car and I agreed. When I arrived at my destination, the desk clerk said that my fees for the one-way rental was now actually $449 not $221 that I was shown on the agreement. Budget is the worst business I can imagine. If you are a senior or in a hurry to rent a car be careful. There are people out there that will take advantage of you.
Reviewed July 11, 2014
I rented a car for a week with Budget at Charleston, WV from the Yeager Airport site. When I returned my vehicle, I was parked in the 20-minute unload zone (so we could get our luggage, etc into the car we were headed home in). I went inside to bring the keys to the counter, etc. and told the lady behind the counter (Jennifer) that I was parked in the 20-minute zone and asked if that was ok. She said I would get a ticket if it wasn't moved and I then asked her if she wanted me to move it real quick and she told me to not worry about it, that she would do it (she already had the keys by this time anyways). I asked if she was sure. She said yes.
Today I got a $100 parking ticket in the mail because she did not move the car and to boot, it wasn't even moved until 12 hours later. She didn't even bother when her shift ended! In the report I received from the police office (this is what gets to me the most), she told them that I said "I'm in a hurry. I don't care" when she told me about the car needing to be moved! I did NOT say that. I asked her if she wanted me to move it and she told me she'd take care of it!!!! Guess I got burned by a LAZY EMPLOYEE.
Reviewed July 10, 2014
2 jerks at counter at Budget Rental 111 Rte 109 Farmingdale, NY. They don't explain why they don't accept debit/check cards. They don't tell you that it costs extra to return early. The Indian guy here was raised by wolves. He has ZERO customer service training. If you call Budget national phone number to complain or question the policies, they can't answer?????? Also the car was filthy. All around a bad experience. I will never use them again. ENTERPRISE is so much better.
Reviewed July 10, 2014
Rented a Budget small car through Priceline and bought insurance since I would be in the Dominican full of reckless drivers. When I got to Budget in the Dominican Republic, the rep told me that Priceline's insurance would not be acknowledge there and if I want insurance I would need to buy theirs and get a refund through Priceline. I have no phone with me so I take their word. What a huge mistake. I called Priceline and they told me that of course it covers all collision damage and that it seemed like they just told me something to sell insurance. Now neither Priceline or Budget have refunded me. Budget customer service rep said they will not refund me because they have no way of knowing what was said and that this insurance was optional. This is news to us because apparently it wasn't when we were at the counter. So upset! I'll never use them again and tell others on social media never to use them!
Reviewed July 8, 2014
Did a one-way rental from Chicago Midway to another airport in a different city in Illinois. Rented the car at 10:30 p.m. and returned it the next day at 10:05 p.m. (rented less than 24 hours) and was charged an additional $145.00 because the car was returned after the facility had closed at 10:00. I had proof of the return time on my cell phone from a picture I took of the gas gauge and odometer on the car, along with a pic of the car in the Budget lot. Have returned cars to closed facilities in the past with no additional fees.
Manager refused to deduct any money from the rental because he said the policy is written on the INSIDE of the ENVELOPE in which they place the written and signed contract, but not on the contract itself. I told him I had rented from Budget for years and had never been charged over my 24-hour rental for returning when the facility had closed. He said it's a new policy and that it's in the terms and conditions. How unethical that they fail to post this policy where customers can clearly see it, such as, at the rental counter, but instead choose to bury it in the fine print. This company completely scams its customers. Also, they've stopped cleaning their cars before renting them to customers. Once a great car rental company, now a joke.
Reviewed July 5, 2014
My daughter and I planned a 10 hour car trip to Las Vegas and decided to rent from Budget since their prices were significantly less expensive than other car rental services. However, when I arrived at Budget to pick up my car, I was told that all they had was a SUV in the lot when I had ordered an intermediate several weeks in advance. The woman at the counter told me that an intermediate would be there at 10 if I wanted to wait. This setback would make us arrive at 9 pm in Las Vegas. She told me they couldn't guarantee what cars they had on the lot all of the time, even though I had reserved it in advance. I was upset for not getting the car I wanted and don't suggest ever renting there if you want fair service.
Reviewed July 3, 2014
I am sooo angry and surprised this company would be so deceitful!! I rented a car from this company BUDGET RENTAL CAR so I could get the cheapest rate. When I got to the rental area the man kept trying to sell us an upgraded car. I told him that no the car is fine, we do not need an upgrade. He then tried to sell me insurance.. I said "no I have insurance, I do not need additional insurance." My girlfriend was a witness to this whole conversation.
When I returned home from vacation, I found that he did charge me for insurance which was an extra $210!! I called the company and the girl was VERY RUDE and said I signed papers saying I wanted insurance, and there was nothing i could do about it!!!!!!!!!! I WILL NEVER EVER USE BUDGET RENTAL CAR AGAIN!!! Car rental in Tampa Florida.
Reviewed July 3, 2014
Budget has some really bad practices. Unlike most rental cars that just put an authorization on your card, they actually charge a deposit to your card. I rented from them on Friday morning at 8 am. The charge showed on my credit card right away. I returned the car on Saturday night at 8 pm. I returned it a full day early.
I received an email on Monday stating that they were going to refund my card the difference between the rental and the deposit about $150. However the refund never came in on Monday. So I called in on Tuesday. She said it may take 7 days so I emailed the company. They said it may take 15 days.
I am a business owner with a merchant account. I know that you can refund as fast as you charge. It was no problem to charge the card. It is not a problem to refund it. They choose to not refund it. They are basically taking a loan on my money and earning the interest. I am not in business to loan money to rent a car companies. This is really bad business etiquette. I will not rent from them again.
Reviewed July 2, 2014
I had rented the vehicle at Ft. Lauderdale airport for transportation to the Miami cruise Terminal E at the port of Miami. The rental agent mentioned dropping off at the Miami port is better since they will provide free shuttle to the terminal. If you notice, there is a change in the reservation for dropping at the port instead of Miami airport. As per agreement, I brought the car to drop off at 2ND Street, Miami FL. (Port of Miami location) on Sunday 18th at 1:30 PM. To my dismay, the budget rental agency had closed at 1:00 PM. Since my cruise was leaving shortly, I had no choice but to park the car in the Terminal D parking garage.
I appreciate someone from your office go over to collect the car from the Terminal D parking garage. Once you enter the garage, go all the way to the end and turn left. After making the turn, you will find the car in the last parking spot on the right. The keys are in the cup holder. I made several calls (as the notes on this reservation should show) prior to the ship departure to Ft. Lauderdale airport and Miami airport budget agencies to have a person collect the car. I was disappointed with the outcome. I was told the agency at Miami port will have to go and collect the car. Please honor this request and get this request to appropriate agency to have them collect the car from the location mentioned. Please email me a confirmation when this request is completed.
Reviewed June 28, 2014
In April, I rented a weekend rate car from BUDGET in MPLS. The total was less than $100 for 3 days. I asked to extend the rental for 2 more days. BUDGET now says I owe them $367. I also got a letter from headquarters stating that I damaged the car. NOW they say they have no record of that (I have the letter). The phone rep was exceedingly arrogant, said she would send me a copy of the agreement-billing, which I never was able to get from the place where I rented the car. She never sent it. I asked to speak to a supervisor; she said that a supervisor would call back within 48 hours (at her convenience, of course). I think I was scammed by the local agent and the company is just stonewalling. I have used BUDGET often in the past (about 40 times). This incident is making think twice about a future rental.
Reviewed June 25, 2014
I pre paid my rental 1 day before my trip and I ask the employee what else I needed to bring to the store the day of the rental. He told me just the card I used and my license to be better prepared. I even call their 800 number to be sure, the person there told me that since I had use a pre paid card, they will put a hold of $100.00 on it on the day of the rental. So next day I went to pick up my car and the employee (same one I talked over the phone) told me that I couldn't use that card. He was very rude when I remind him that I asked him the day before about it, even there was a manager there and she asked him not me about the situation and they didn't let me talk. He told her that he has explained to be VERY CLEAR the day before about this. And I remind him that he didn't, that it was in the 800 number were they told me since he didn't even mention anything to me about the type of cards they accepted.
I left and cancelled my reservation and even before leaving there was another customer and I hear them tell him that the card he was presenting cannot be used and he was asking them why since he had a reservation and had called before going there too. I did the cancellation through the 800 number because this man even told me they were going to take $50.00 for cancelling fee, fee that was waived by the budget customer service 800 number once I explained all to them. How in the world if he told me that I couldn't use that card I was going to be in that store getting my car?
It does not make sense. If I had known that I would have got a different rental car place, I would never go back there and I would never recommend nobody else to go there either. Rude people with no interpersonal skills and I'm pretty sure that because the manager was there, he was trying to make her see that he had done his job by saying that he explained something when he didn't, but she didn't even had the courtesy of listening to me.... I had rented cars before and this is the first time something like this had happened to me, however I can honestly say it would never happen again since I will never go in there... and I may be only one person but I will not get tired of telling people not to go there ever....
Reviewed June 24, 2014
My Partner and I were charged $250.00 on our credit card, extra, because of pet hair in the back seat of my rental. I was not told of this problem prior to getting my credit card statement. $250.00 seems like an excessive amount to vacuum a seat. I did not really notice excessive pet hair from my small 9-pound dog. We disputed it with Budget, to no avail. We even asked for a supervisor. They left a voice mail on our phone. I guess they are not on my Pet-Friendly Travel list. We have rented many times, will never again with Budget or their partners. Car was rented in Minneapolis. We will dispute it with our credit card company as a charge we did not approve of. When the car was dropped off, the Man checking us in looked at the car and said nothing about pet hair. Beware of hidden charges on good deals.
Reviewed June 23, 2014
Rented a truck and was told I had till 430 the next day; now they are charging me an additional $121.68 when i made it back before the time; the male sales rep was extremely rude to me, refused to explain the additional insurances they were requiring you to purchase. I am handicapped. I had to walk from the end of the terminal to the pickup area without any assistance from these rude people. And the truck was nasty. Had a spider inside the truck, not something you want to see when you are driving down the expressway at a higher rate of speed.
Reviewed June 21, 2014
I recently rented from Budget Rent A Car at Orlando International Airport. After watching customer after customer arguing with counter reps, it was my turn. When I presented my reservation, which included the purchase of the Budget Insurance, I was forcefully told that the State of Florida Required that I purchase SLI insurance and if I didn't they would check. After 20 min. of arguing, I finally gave in, purchased the insurance just so I could get my car and begin my vacation. Only after talking to the adjacent rental car company and reading my rental agreement did I realize it is not required. If Budget is so desperate for extra money, they should raise their rates, not lie to customers about unnecessary insurance coverage requirements. Shameful and they have lost a long time Budget customer.
Reviewed June 15, 2014
I rented a car from Budget after a red eye flight from LA to Toronto. After walking through up and down floors, I found the rental place. Got the car, no agent to do the walk-through, just got handed the slip. The car was parked front-in of course in a dimly lit parking lot. I drove away. Hardly used the car all week long. Swear I didn't get it hit. Going back, I'm told it's damaged in the front. I had no idea. Now they want me to pay $1400 for it. How's that for a car I didn't hit, hardly drove. I am being screwed. I know, what I should have done is pull the car out, inspect it, be thorough, but fool me I trusted that Budget wouldn't rent me a damaged car. Don't trust them, cheaper yes, but you pay in the end.
Reviewed June 13, 2014
Rented car through Costco travel services Budget for best price and nearness to dealer where my car was in for service. Rental agents did not have the car until four hours after the reserved time even though I called them in advance to confirm. Found the car to be filthy and disgusting inside and out. Food all over car interior. When I requested that they clean the car, I was told they do not clean the cars. At an hour and one half from close, was told take it or leave it on a Friday night, and headed out of town. Took car only to discover it was more gross than I thought. Called Costco travel who assured me dirty cars were not acceptable and transferred me to Budget who they said would take immediate care of my concern.
Was connected to Michelle operator #** who assured me Budget cleans their cars and filed a complaint so I could take the car and exchange it out. When I asked how to go about getting a clean car exchange, she started giving me names of other Budget locations explaining that I would have to call around to see if any other location had a car they would be willing to change out to me and that I would have to ask them if they would be willing to do so. When I requested help from her in doing so she became angry and abrasive. When I asked to speak with a manager, she demanded my phone number and email saying that all the managers were unavailable on the phone and would be unavailable for a VERY long time. I gave my phone number but declined to give my email both of which they already have on my reservation (like after this experience I want them to send me promotional offers??!!). Then she said rudely "I've taken your phone number but since you won't give me your email don't expect a call back" and hung up on me!
I called Costco travel again to their Budget rental line and was told it's not corporate policy to rent dirty cars blah blah blah. We'll exchange it out right away blah blah blah, was given the phone number to another location and told I'd have to call them and try to arrange a change out blah blah blah. Costco agent couldn't even give me the customer service address to write a letter to share my experience with their travel arrangements with Budget.
Car renters beware. I'll go back to my regular car rental service. They pick me up anyway... I'll just post one picture. I think those are feathers caught up in the gap at the headlight! NICE!!! Thanks consumer affairs for this forum. I've subscribed to your newsletters. Wish I had read about the 446 Budget complaints before I reserved. Here's to #447! And based in the complaints looks like my rental car saga is just beginning. I'll make an update!!
Reviewed June 13, 2014
I rented a car for 1 day. I was conned into paying for insurance which my insurance would cover. I returned the car on Sunday, which they were closed. They claimed, without proof, that I was an hour late and charged me $97.00 for an extra day. No one will call me back! I would be very careful when dealing with this shady company!
Reviewed June 10, 2014
I got to Santo Domingo and Budget didn't honor my reservation. They demanded 499 for the week. They explained I didn't book it directly and they won't honor my reservation with Priceline.... I will address this further with Priceline.
Reviewed June 5, 2014
We went to Washington DC just last weekend. I have used Enterprise before, Great company! But this time, we went through Budget rental. Everything was very good, I have no complaints on the car, except that it was dirty in the outside, no big deal. My problem is that NO ONE READS YOUR PAPERS, (budget) I got charged twice for gas, because I did NOT READ! We ran 52 miles, it cost me only $8.75 to filled the car back up! Of course, for $8.75 I am not worry about gas, I FILLED THE TANK TO THE MAX! But they say I had to show them a receipt that I filled it up! WHAT, You dummies don't know to see your tank is full to the max?
I got charged $17.+ and when I got home they CHARGED ME AGAIN another $17.11. All this for gas? YOU could not fill anymore gas into that car, which was filled up right before returning it! Last time for me with Budget! I call them and will return (supposedly) my $17.11, but not my other $17.49? Charged twice for gas, they never did put in the car. I returned the car with a max out full tank. You have lost a customer! For a whole $17.11... Next time circle the part in your papers that said, if you run under 75 miles you have to show proof of gas purchase! Someone is simple Stupid, can't read the gas gauge! Not a fair deal, I will never rent from you, EVER!
Reviewed June 4, 2014
I flew into Wichita and rented a "car" from Budget Rent A Car. It was a discounted Ford Cargo Van which was supposedly full of gas when I received it. After driving it around Pratt and Preston for a few days, I returned it to Budget, having fill the gas tank at a Phillips 66 service station about a mile from the Wichita airport. A couple of days ago, I received a letter from the Wichita Budget manager, Shannon **, indicating that they had to put 2.3 gallons of gas in the vehicle and charged my credit card $25.43. Budget charges an exorbitant per gallon rate of $8.99. In my opinion, this is a SCAM. I filled the vehicle with fuel in good faith. I am assuming that I returned the vehicle with very close to the same amount of fuel as I received it.
Reviewed June 4, 2014
Our rental car experience all went rather smoothly until after we had returned the car. While checking in at the airport our travel guest realized her bag was a few pounds light and she had left a bag of clothing in the storage well behind the drivers' seat. We immediately returned to where we had returned the car and were told the car had already been driven away not more than 15 minutes later. We immediately started calling Budget trying to have her clothing located and returned. We kept getting shuffled back and forth - call here call there, no one willing to help or care in anyway. We made at least 6 calls and no one offered to mediate in any way. On returning home, we found a Budget Car Customer care email address. We have written about our problems, and 24 hours later got an email saying our letter has been forwarded to the appropriate office. Five days after we returned the car, and no one has been willing to find this poor girl her clothing!!
Reviewed June 3, 2014
Stay away from Budget Car Rentals. My wife went to Vancouver and rented a car from Budget, returned it at 5:11am due to her return flight being at 6:45 am. Someone was there to check vehicle back in, when given her receipt she noticed she was charged for Insurance @ $25.95 per day for 5 days. Now here's the rub, before she left I called my Insurance Company to see if we had Insurance for car rentals and we did for all of Canada and USA which we pay a additional yearly fee for. So my wife says no she doesn't want the Insurance because she already has coverage, so when she returns vehicle that early, there is no one in the office to correct the situation, just the guy checking in vehicles for damages and to see if you brought it back with a full tank of gas.
Now I call Budget Consumer Complaints, they can't find any info until I tell them it's a Independent Budget System Owner. They patch me through to the Vancouver Airport Office. As soon as the line changed, phone went to a busy signal. Now I'm mad, so I call the Vancouver office myself. They connect me with their Consumer complaint, people get put on hold, line goes dead. I call back and get a different girl on the phone and she says I can connect you. When she does, it says they are busy and to leave our phone number and they will return our call as soon as our turn comes up as all calls are answered in order they come in. Five hours later and I'm still waiting, I went on line and discovered the horror stories about Budget Car Rentals in BC from other customers so everything is closed now, so will contact Head Offices Consumer Complaints again and flip out. Stay away from Budget Car Rentals so you won't get ripped off. Check out their scam on damages to return vehicles.
Reviewed June 2, 2014
I have frustration. I need help. My father is terminally ill. I have taken FMLA from work to travel from Seattle where I reside to Ogden, Utah where my father lives to assist with his care and spend quality time with him until the inevitable occurs. Since I will be gone for greater than 60 days, I thought it more prudent to rent a car than to pay for several suitcases of luggage on an airline to take with me. I did my price checking and decided on Budget Rental Car. I made my reservation with them via phone on the 27th of May and received a confirmation number. Note since I am requesting a one-way rental car, I was notified I must pick the car up at Seatac as no other Budget location in our area rents cars one way. I was quoted $370.00 or so on the phone for the one-way trip dropping off at Riverdale Road in Ogden, Utah.
I showed up to Seatac on Saturday, May 30th, at 1130 hours. Melissa was the customer service representative that assisted me. She was having some trouble finding a car that I could take one way, but ended up upgrading me to a compact car for the same price and since I was planning to return it within 24 hours, she quoted me a price of $273.00. That was a bonus. She and I conversed about my situation and why I was travelling to Utah. She reviewed the left side of the contract with me which denotes the totality of the financial burden in detail, then asked me to sign, which I did.
I drove to my Dad's house in Ogden, Utah and arrived Sunday, June 1 at 1000 AM. I reviewed the contract to find the physical address of the drop off location which is on the right hand side of the contract and I noticed it listed an address in Shoreline, Washington. I contacted the phone number on the contract which is a 206 number, supposedly the Seatac Budget location to speak with a Budget representative to make the correction and get the physical address of the drop off location. The Seatac phone number rings into the National Budget car center so I had 4 choices, reservation, extend reservation, roadside assistance, or billing.
I selected billing, waited for a reasonable amount of time for a Sunday morning (3 or so minutes) and explained my situation. I was informed that I would be charged an additional one way $250.00 fee for the car and that she couldn't make the change in the system. Only a customer service representative (which I thought she was) could. She transferred me. Another few minutes on the phone and the male customer service representative told me the same thing and I told him that's not what I agreed to and he said, "You signed the contract, take the car back to the drop of location listed on the contract or pay the additional fee", AND that I had to contact Seatac location to actually make the change.
I hung up and contacted the phone number for the Seatac location once again listed on the contract. Again, the number sent me to the national call center where I spoke with someone different, explained the situation, and got transferred again to another customer service rep who after explaining the situation for the fourth time told me to hang up and call the Seatac number and dial zero as soon as the voice picks up and that would take me straight to the desk. I followed these instructions and received detailed directions on how to drive to the Seatac location from either the North or Southbound directions. I called back the number again, asked to speak to the highest level supervisor and asked for the address in Ogden of the Riverdale Road location, explained my situation, and he told me to take the car to that location for assistance, which I did.
*Sigh* My very sick father who is frail, outfitted in a T-shirt and sweats with a ball cap to cover his balding post chemotherapy head, weary from his ascites, splitting finger nails, constant pain, and other symptoms associated with his condition, dutifully got into his vehicle to follow me down to the Riverdale Road location. By this time, I was steaming mad. I walked into the location to see a young 20 something female working alone. The lobby was empty and I walked my dad to a chair, walked over to the counter and started to explain my situation and before I got 1/2 way through, she interrupted me and stated, "We don't take one ways here at this location, you have to drive to Salt Lake City Airport (50 miles away) to drop off the car." I calmly smiled and said, "No. I'm not driving this car to Salt Lake City. I want you to listen to me and assist me with my problem."
I explained the situation to her. She then contacted the Salt Lake City Location whose manager told me most certainly that the car needed to be returned to Salt Lake City and that the only people that could make the change on the contract were the people at the Seatac location. I insisted that I was not going to make my very sick and terminally-ill father follow me on a 50-mile drive to Salt Lake City for their internal errors and issues. I simply wasn't going to do it. I insisted that he call them for me as I had already tried to contact that location for the last 45 minutes and I was not about to spend the next 45 minutes in their sea of "customer service". He said I had to contact them, gave me a different 206 number to call. I had the young female rep dial it while I was standing there and the number went to their national center again. Lucky for me the young gal became the primary communicator as I was in tears and so frustrated I was losing my ability to communicate effectively and all of this in front of my dad.
She made several calls to various numbers and, was told by the national call center that she could take the car at her location to which she argued she didn't have a "license" to take the car at her location, placed the call center on hold and called back the manager at the Salt Lake City location. I received small gratification from this dynamic because now your representatives had to deal with your representatives who seem to not know their own system, rules or how to get me to where I need to go or who I need to talk to. More discussion between the three of them occurred and after 10 or so more minutes, he gave her instructions on how to accept the car into her location and she said I was good to go. I asked her how much they were going to charge my card and she said she didn't know, "they" would call me. Despite all of this, I dropped the car off on time and the verbally agreed location between Budget and I.
So, lesson learned. Take time to read the entire contract in detail including the drop off location address despite the fact that you have two conversations with people in front of several witnesses as to where you are going and where you are to drop off the car. I do not want to pay the one way $250.00 fee I was threatened with on top of my contract, nor do I wish to pay any late fees or transfer fees, or any other fees Budget has in store for me in addition to my agreed contract fee.
Can any of your qualified people help me? I am frustrated, sincerely believe I was misled and taken advantage of, placed in an unreasonable position, inconvenienced and embarrassed in front of my Dad, whom I want to show that I can handle my own affairs without issue in his greatest time of need. This is the last thing we should be dealing with. I am already financially devastated from all of the travel I have had to incur as a result of his illness.
Reviewed May 29, 2014
When I returned the rental car at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Rental return, I was issued a Receipt. The receipt reads as follows: TAX 15.300% 62.02. My problem is that 15.300% of 146.73 = $22.44, NOT 62.02. In fact, $62.02 is 42.26% of 146.73. The service agent at the rental car return said I have to call customer service, the receipt prints automatically and she has no control over the tax being wrong. I called customer service. The rep I spoke to refused to listen to me as I tried to explain that 15% of 146.73 is 22.44, NOT 62.02. She kept telling me tax is not refundable or changeable - again, she simply was not listening to me.
I demanded a supervisor and was told there are no supervisors for me to talk to. I'd have to leave my name and ph# and someone would call me back in 24 hours. I will never rent from Budget again, and am now on a campaign to tell this story thru reviews on every web review site I can post it on, hoping to inform people to stay away from Budget. It's a shame they choose to lose customers over an obvious error like this overcharge of $39.58. I travel for work and use a lot of rental cars. Budget just lost a lot of my money over this 39.58 overcharge, and I hope everyone that reads this review will take their money elsewhere too!!
Reviewed May 28, 2014
We had made our reservations online in the US using Booking.com to pick up a car at the Budget office in Galway, Ireland. We planned to drop off the car at the Dublin Airport. We were to have the car for 12 days. When we arrive at the Galway office, we are told that our credit card was not valid to cover the mandatory insurance. This is correct. There are a few countries which will not honor the Visa/MC policies and Ireland is one of them. (This was a lesson for us, to check and double check when your travel and plan to rent a car in another country) The agent at the desk proceeds to inform us of the various insurance options, all of which were very expensive, but they will not rent the car to you without it.
What we were not told was that we could have canceled the reservation we had made (pay a minimal fee) and book the same car along with the mandatory insurance using the online Budget site and walk out the door saving ourselves approx $700+ dollars. They have you over the barrel and laughing all the way to the bank because there is no recourse, nothing you can do. You are being overcharged and they know it and why should they tell you how you could have saved a great deal of money when they are legally swindling you because of the way these companies are protected. It leaves you with a very bad taste and not the kind of experience you want to have when you are traveling to another country and there to have a pleasant time.
Reviewed May 26, 2014
I used reward points from a hotel loyalty program towards a budget rental vehicle. I opted for the insurance which according to the receipt should have been about $200. I also rented a gps which was $50 for the trip. However, the vehicle I rented came equipped with an in-dash gps navigation unit. When I tried to return the gps they said they could not take it off the bill and there is absolutely no way for them to know the vehicle already had gps before they rented me the mobile gps. In addition, there are charges that aren't explained on the receipt such as "@non pkg items, add pkg chgs". When I got angry the lady behind the counter went to speak with the manager and he wouldn't come speak to me. I called customer service and they also were not helpful in any way. I will never use budget again and will urge every else to let that company fold.
Reviewed May 22, 2014
Budget charged me $233 more on a total of $629 for a 3-hr return delay which they were forewarned about. They also tacked on a gas charge when I returned the vehicle more full than when I received it (I saved all the receipts to prove this). The 37% surcharge (which includes gps rental, insurance etc for an extra day) is excessive and arrogant and bad business policy. Shame on Budget -- consumers should know as well as better business bureau. When I called it in, the attendant also told me the same thing - "you might as well keep it another day," but I did not do that - just returned it 3-hrs late which changed the cost of my Budget SUV rental from $209/day to $287/day. Never Budget - stick to Enterprise or Zip Car.
Reviewed May 20, 2014
Rented a car in Marrakech, Morocco for two weeks travel in the country. When I asked for a map of Morocco I was handed a glossy map of the tourist center of Marrakech, the kind of cheap map you get at hotels, full of ads and that falls apart after a few uses. If I wanted a country map I had to buy my own at a nearby newsstand. So for a $600.00 two-week rental, Budget is too cheap to provide a map (it says it's under no obligation to provide maps!). When I complained to Budget and asked for a $10.00 credit to the charge they insolently told me, in effect, that they didn't have to provide maps and would only give me a credit towards a future rental. No thanks. Don't need them.
Reviewed May 16, 2014
I prepaid for a rental, then explicitly told the counter agent that I did not want the extra insurance as I was covered by my credit card. I then initialed a long confusing list of charges, with no total--should have read it more closely of course, but I was tired from a long flight and seriously didn't think this type of ins ripoff was still going on in the US. The final bill was almost double what I had initially paid. I called to complain and while the charge was removed, the agent chastised me for not being more careful - best of all. When I said Budget should be more careful and I was not going to use them again, she said "So then, we're not going to refund you the money". Unbelievable!!! I got the money in the end but what a nasty experience.
Reviewed May 13, 2014
When picking up my car, the Budget rep asked me what car I drove at home. I replied a Buick Rendezvous. He said, "Great, I'll put you in a Nissan Rogue, initial here, initial here, sign here." And off I went. When I returned the car I noticed the final price was $100 more than I thought it would be, but I was in a hurry and so I signed and went. Upon inspection of the receipt, I realized I had signed for a $20/day x 5 upgrade for the Nissan Rogue. I have called to complain and get this resolved, but they only offer to credit $50 back. What is right is right and I will only accept a full credit. It appears that Budget is complicit in this criminal behavior. I will not rent from them again and I suggest, if you do, buyer beware.
Reviewed May 9, 2014
I was charged an upgrade fee after being told there would be no extra charge. Why would I want to pay an extra $15/day after renting through Priceline? I asked the mpg of the upgrade vs. the compact car we rented and was lied to by the CSR. I was told the Compact Focus got 22 mpg vs. the Full Size car at 36 mpg. I tried to resolve the dispute through the BWI rental location to no avail. I called Budget Headquarters at (918) 624-4210 and was pleasantly surprised to have the upgrade charge reversed after explaining my story. Moral of the story: never accept an upgrade when renting a car, even if told there will be no extra charge.
Reviewed May 6, 2014
I made a reservation on the phone for a car with hand controls at Canada’s largest airport - Toronto Pearson and was quoted 182 including taxes and fees. Someone was supposed to call to confirm and no one did. I called to make sure they would be installed and was informed that the price was increased to 383.00! ALSO, they stated they were not willing to put the hand controls on a car but only an SUV and were charging me for the SUV. The most ridiculous part is that I am in a wheelchair and cannot transfer into a SUV by myself therefore making the request completely moot. Apparently, Budget will only install hand controls in a SUV at the Toronto Airport location which totally defeats the purpose of the client who needs them in the first place. Also would like to mention this was only made clear to me 4 days before I was to pick up the vehicle. Not happy with the service at Budget and no further assistance was offered.
Reviewed May 3, 2014
Location: Budget Rental Car DFW Airport - I booked a standard car via Priceline at Budget Rental Car DFW Airport. I´m a German native and live in Europe. I always book at Priceline and never add any upgrade or insurance when I pick up my car. I have rented so far approx. 200 cars within the past 10 years. Never had any issue. At check in I ALWAYS refuse any upgrade sell or any additional insurance since I have my own coverage.
Anyway, I booked a standard car at Budget Rental Car DFW for USD 29 day, plus taxes. On January 24 I pulled up at the Budget desk around 10.30 pm after I landed at DFW. No issues at time of pick, no discussion on upgrading or any additional insurance. To be very clear: the agent never ever asked if I wanted to upgrade my booking. I took the car they handed over (a Jeep Compass 2WD, which I assumed was the standard car I booked), got through display and found charges saying 30 USD/day plus taxes. So I asked the agent what the charges are for, since I have a voucher from Priceline and my car is prepaid. The agent responded that these are the usual potential extra charges which will be removed from my Amex card once I return the car. So I signed on the display, got the keys and left the desk.
After 5 days of rental I returned the car at the rental facility without any issues or discussion at all. After my return to Germany, I found out that Budget charged me for 192 USD for this rental, which I immediately disputed with my credit card company, since I was able to provide the voucher showing that I already prepaid the car. After a couple of weeks, Amex returned to me saying, that I signed for an “upgrade” to a higher car. Which I immediately refused, since there was no discussion at all about upgrading the car when I showed up at the Budget desk. Get the facts: I booked a standard car at Priceline for USD 29. Why should I add another 30 USD to get an upgrade to a “mini SUV”, 2WD? The purpose of booking with Priceline is to get the best rate available. I paid USD 59/day for a Jeep Compass 2WD (including a weekend!!!) which would have cost at that time and day not more than 30 USD/day for this size/class.
So I immediately contacted Budget Customer Service saying in specific that I did not request, nor was it ever part of our conversation at the desk with the agent trying to upsell or anything like that. They responded saying: “We encourage the customer to read their Rental Agreement at the counter when they pick up their cars….” And I responded: “I did!” And furthermore, asked the agent what are these charges for who were appearing on the display? And the Agent responded saying, those are the regular “potential charges” which will be put as a hold on my card until I return it. Once I return the car, as usual, I must expect that these charges will be released from my card. Dear Budget Rental Car: how about if you encourage your employees not to fraud the customer!
All communication with Budget US was via email, so I called Budget Germany Customer Service to explain what has happened. And now watch out: Budget Rental Car Germany disagrees to these business practices and the ethics of Budget US in general. I talked to a Budget Customer Service Agent for about 45 minutes, and the overall message I received was: “We know about the upsell scam at Budget in the US due to many complaints from German Customer who have rented cars in the US. Foreigners are always perfect victims since they rarely have the chance to complain once they return to their home country.
To make it even worse, as a matter of fact Budget Germany confirmed, the customer service agent at the desk receives commission on any upsell, and Budget Management strongly supports this practice. So get facts: Budget Senior Management strongly supports upsell scams at their rental locations in the US. The German Budget Car Rental does strongly disagree to Budget US practices and their bad business ethics.
A very simple screen of the involved agent at Budget DFW and his (victims) clients would have probably brought questionable practices to the surface and would confirm my allegations. I actually did approve to pull the surveillance camera records for that specific day in January, but Budget refused to look up details and records, and/or to further investigate my complaint. Budget Rental Cars US keeps this business practice and strongly supports this upsell scam to their employees.
After I filed a complaint with the BBB, Consumer Affairs, and furthermore contacted Christopher ** for support, I'm now looking for an attorney in the Washington, DC area (I frequently travel to Washington). My case seems to be different that all the "usual upsell scams", since I have proof from Budget Germany that Budget is aware of this scam. I certainly offer my full support to anyone who has similar experience with Budget Rental Car Fraud.
Reviewed April 27, 2014
Let me start by saying for all of you with opinions, this is just my story and I'm probably 40% at fault. We rented the car from Priceline and paid in full $340 and change. It was 6 days and we were to the minute with picking up and returning the car. We have three children and one need a booster seat. On the Priceline website they said there maybe a charge for this. That was the last a heard about the charge until I saw an $83.06 on my credit card. At the counter in Houston, Pedro never mention the price of the seat. He just asked if we needed one and said he would be happy to get one out of the warehouse. We took one and drove off. When returning the car, we noticed on our receipt a charge for $83.06. We asked what that was for and they said we were not being billed anything.
After reviewing our credit card I called Budget CS and found myself talking to Terry in Oklahoma. She explained to me the charge was from the CBS. What was that??? (Child Booster Seat) It was abbreviated and never pointed out that the seat was $13.00 A DAY/PLUS TAX!!! I would not have picked up on the abbreviation until after she said that, now it is clear. BUT I think Pedro should have mention the charge to me. I could have gone to Walmart and bought one for $20 and thrown it in the trash after our trip. But the worst part of Budget was Supervisor Regina **. She was rude, condescending, arrogant and did not have any customer relation skills. She told me too bad Pedro never said anything about the charge and that I should have known what CBS stood for and that she was not going to listen to me anymore and that it was a valid charge. And too bad for me and that she was the only supervisor there and there was no one else for me to talk to and she was as high as I could take my complaint.
I will never rent from Budget again and I have learned my lesson about reading the fine print and I don't care if there is a line behind me. I will take my time. I feel while I should have caught the charge it also most certainly should have been pointed out to me. Regina, I hope you don't get your 2% raise this year. You need to be retrained.
Reviewed April 12, 2014
I rented a vehicle via ebookers and was charged a fixed price. I then discovered on my return home that Budget had charged me an extra $300 at the end of the rental. I did not agree to these charges but Budget tell me I signed for them. What I was led to believe was that I was signing for the rental of the vehicle and to abide with the rules and regulations. I did not sign to include those other extras and I said so to the clerk but as it is 100 pages long of rules and regulations and you just want to enjoy your holiday you just sign and collect the car. I had no idea that Budget were a bunch of unprofessional cheats and I will never rent or recommend Budget again!
Updated review: April 15, 2014
I gave 3 stars because of end result only.
Original Review: April 11, 2014
Car rental booked through AA.com for a trip to Kingston, Jamaica 4/2014. Pick up was 9:30 pm and the lot was in darkness so previous damage to vehicle was not completely visible. Accepted the word of the attendant who was very unhelpful as it was nearing closing time. The car had many scratches documented upon pick up already when notice by using my cell phone flashlight. Who would have thought to look under the front bumper for damage? The vehicle was not a new model but no other car was available and the front desk person was not helpful or accommodating. Upon morning return of car a different attendant inspected the car and advised me of damage under front bumper after stepping back about 6ft to see it.
It's been three days. They are holding my deposit of $1k and no answer to my claim. I have been calling only to get that an assessment charge of $250 may be deducted but waiting on manager review. I am extremely upset by this occurrence as I did not damage that vehicle. All else was intact. $250 to repair a paint chip. You have got to be kidding me. This car had dials for air conditioner and AC vents couldn't be adjusted because broken but yet they want to charge me for a paint chip that was there when car was given to me but not documented. It is a scam. They are unfair. They are unhelpful. They are liars. I went to that country not on vacation but due to a death in my family and having to deal with this is unbearable. It is intolerable.
Reviewed April 10, 2014
You would be better off walking than take a chance renting from Budget. How they run their business is exactly what their name says - on a BUDGET! When you rent a car from them, they don't guarantee a certain car or class, just a vehicle. So if you rent a large vehicle because you need that much space for the number of passengers and luggage in your group, you would expect to have a vehicle as such waiting for you. But not so with Budget, you most likely will get a car much smaller. So much smaller that you can't get everyone and the luggage into the vehicle. Then what? Well you have to rent another car from them.
We had a group of 5 people with 6 bags of luggage and had book a LARGE SUV only to be given a small SUV with no other choice. Needless to say, we couldn't even begin to fit everyone and everything into the car they gave us. How nice of them. We had a 200 mile of travel in front of us and was totally screwed. Do yourself a favor and when you need a rental car, STAY AWAY FROM THIS PATHETIC COMPANY!
Reviewed April 10, 2014
I rented a car from Budget (BMW) for 6 days fully insured. Got on the highway, a stone hit the front windshield, cracked it about 4 inches. Now they are asking me for about 1800 US dollars for it. I checked on social media for anyone with same problem. Nobody believe it.
Reviewed April 10, 2014
Three weeks after dropping of car (03/20/14), they decide to put charge on our credit card $75 for vacuuming the car. Do they not vacuum every car after a use? Also why after three weeks such things can be seen and charged for at time of return if necessary and they do this after the initial bill has been signed and paid for! I do admit some sand in car but Florida known for sand - not dirty otherwise, and this type of business should own a vacuum. This is where credit card fraud starts with companies holding numbers. I also have called the customer care line now two times with them "a supervisor" will call back and they do not. Also, at the desk when we rented the car, we inquired about a transponder and we were quoted $14.95 per day. Have found out that the price was really $3.95/day - who was really getting the other $11.00 (turns out we didn't need one)? We paid as we went and that total was $5.00. The car was fine but the company kept trying to upsell everything - and the insurance being very hefty. We will not use that company again - consumer beware! Apparently, they have pictures of the sand we shoveled into the car.
Reviewed April 4, 2014
I went the OAK airport Budget car rental to pick up my car that I had prepaid for. My rental dates were from Saturday, March 29th - Friday, April 4th. At the counter I upgraded to a BMW at the rate of $250 on top of what I had already paid. While driving the car, service light came on "Drive Moderately. Brake pads need to be changed. Call service center". Approximately 20 mins after the service light came on, we reached our destination & I called roadside assistance. They took the report & assured me that I would receive a replacement vehicle at 10:30 am the next day & someone would call prior to the drop off. The replacement car would come from Budget at LAX in Los Angeles, CA (closet Budget to my location at that time).
Next morning March 30th at 10am no call. At approximately 10:10am I called LAX Budget and explained to the rep who answered that I was calling to inquire about my replacement car and wanted to know the status and car model they'd be sending. He very rudely cut me off, did not listen to anything I was saying and kept telling me he couldn't help. I asked him how he could know my situation without looking up my rental number/information. He said he has no order to send anyone any cars and kept arguing with me. I informed him that I am STUCK due to the car not being safe enough for me to drive and his response was the same. I asked him, got his name and he didn't answer and then he HUNG UP on me.
After that I called roadside assistance who put me on hold for 15 mins and then transferred to customer service who then transferred me back roadside assistance. They then confirmed that someone should have been there at 10:30am with a new car for me and like the other roadside assistance reps also confirmed that my replacement would be a BMW since this was a upgrade. They then scheduled a new drop off time of 12pm since Budget rental did not drop off at the originally scheduled time.
The car eventually arrived but at approximately 12:30pm; however it was NOT an upgraded BMW, but instead a Dodge! I advised the towing service that I refuse to accept a standard car when I've PAID in advance for a BMW. He apologized and informed me that told the rep at LAX that the paperwork says BMW and that he could not take the Dodge. He said the rep didn't care and said take this car. At that point I got back on the phone with customer service, roadside assistance, and the rep at LAX who was also very unhelpful and also hung up!!!!!
This seems to be a pattern at LAX. I then again spoke to roadside assistance and this time furious for obvious reasons! I told them I wanted to return the BMW and not get a replacement due to the horrible service I had received. It was now close to 1:30pm and I had spent my ENTIRE vacation trying to resolve this. Not to mention I had now paid $80 for parking a vehicle at my hotel for two days! Roadside assistance scheduled a pick up for the car and said they'd call me to give me a time for pick up. At approximately 3pm, I received a call from the valet at the hotel stating the tow truck is there to pick up the car and if I should release it to them. I was 3 blocks over and had to walk back which I did immediately and it took me approximately 8 mins. I saw the tow truck parked outside and I asked valet to pull the car up which took approximately 65 seconds.
When I turned around I saw that the tow truck was gone!!!! I AGAIN called roadside assistance to confirm where the tow truck was and they said he left because he didn't want to wait!!!!!! I was APPALLED!! He literally waited less than 10 mins after arriving without notice and had the nerve to say he waited too long. He also was very rude with the valet service and yelled at them to release the car to him. At that point, I couldn't believe what a nightmare this had been. I just wanted NOTHING to do with this corporation. I had roadside assistance request another pick up and finally around 5:30pm the tow truck came and picked up the BMW on Sunday, March 30th.
After that point no one called or contacted me to discuss this matter or my refund. I have called OAK Budget rental (as that is what I was told to do by customer service) for a refund. To date, I have called approximately 6 times and left numerous detailed messages for Management. Every day they assure me They will call me back and to date No one Has called. Today again I spent 30 mins on the phone with Them explaining my situation yet again and he assured me that he would see to it that The manager would call by 8:30pm and nothing. I called at 9:30pm and They said He had stepped out! As you can imagine I was furious. Not only did Budget breach it's contract with me, I had to go on wild goose hunt to return the car and now to get my money back.
I missed all my appointments that I had that weekend and literally wasted my time and money all due to Budget's fault. I have also missed driving into work due to these car issues as I had made arrangements for the rental until April 4th & had to return on March 30th. Not to mention I had to rent a car through another rental agency and had to pay nearly $500 for 2 days! This has been the WORST experience I've ever had with a company. I can assure You I will never ever rent from Budget and will make my situation known to family, friends, and to all our followers on social media. It is a shame the way they run this "business". I never want to hear or speak of/to anyone associated with Budget!
Reviewed April 3, 2014
Recently shared a car rental with a friend in Florida. The rental agent at the desk was very friendly and seemed informative. He called someone in the garage to check on our rental and asked us if we wanted to upgrade. Assuming the car we asked for was not available, we asked him how much. He said no worries, he would take care of it. Nice guy .....right? Renter BEWARE!!!! He now had us in a false sense of security and we trusted this guy (both of us being new to the car rental game). He had my friend sign and initial a bunch of documents in a very hurried manner, all along talking, I realize now to distract us from reading the pages (the sad thing is we both know better than to sign something without reading it).
The original quote and deposit upon reserving the car was around $450 for the week. Now after returning the car and reading the agreement, they charged us another $580 for battery fees, tire fees, insurance, personal health coverage, counter fees, airport fees, etc, etc, etc.... We didn't need or ask for these items but stupidly signed for them. Now we are stuck with them. Another very valuable life experience was learned.... After reviewing many articles, it seems Budget uses a lot of tricks, from high pressure sales to mister nice guy tactics, to get that almighty dollar from you.

Reviewed April 2, 2014
Budget Car Rental Sucks Major Wind. Reserved car not available at airport. We had to wait (from about midnight to 1 a.m.) at airport for car (2 of us are disabled, one 85-year old in wheel chair). I rented a full-size car for the wheel chair and need for 4 doors. Car delivered will not start. When the driver gave us the car at the airport, he said they had trouble starting it but it seemed okay now. 1-800-354-2847 Roadside Assistance agreed to deliver new car at 10 a.m., showed up at noon. 1-800-354-2847 Roadside Assistance tow truck diver was abusive when informed car MAY NOT start. (Before the tow truck came I went to the car to remove my stuff from it and the car fob was dead. I had to use the backup key to get in the car. I did not know if it would start.) I only know how to start it with the fob. I did not see a way to start it with key fob dead. 1-800-354-2847 Roadside Assistance told me to take the car back to the airport (several miles). I cannot start it. I am VERY unhappy with Budget.
Reviewed March 31, 2014
3/16 vehicle rental online via Budget.com reservation with promotional code from USAA. My bill from this sale is itemized in the following way: car 191.15; options 0.00 (my assumption was that "fuel option" was promotional since not listed); fees & taxes 40.94. Total paid online: 232.09. 3/20: picked up car at Avoca Airport/Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. I immediately noted heavy cigarette smoke smell. I assumed it was from whoever parked the vehicle and would dissipate on drive to my home with windows down.
After 1 hour and still a strong smell I called customer service for Budget to report the problem. I advised the agent that I did not want to be charged a $250 cleaning fee. I was offered a $25 coupon but lost cell service before being able to discuss any further. I did not receive a call back. Before leaving to drive my 3 month old son and wife to Illinois (12 hours). I cleaned the vehicle left windows down for six hours in my heated garage in hopes that the smell would dissipate.
3/21: I drove my family in this vehicle 12 hours to Lombard, IL. Our clothing and luggage smelled heavily of smoke and required cleaning upon arrival. Despite this, I managed to arrive at the drop off location around 3:45pm where I waited in line behind other customers for some time. When it was my turn at the desk, I expressed my discontent and concern for being charged $177 for an extra day when it was obvious they had not charged the cleaning fee of $250 to the previous renter and if they did, they should deduct this from my rental. I was presented with a bill that listed $255 and the woman at the desk stated, "it's not that much more" and held out my bill of $232 for comparison. My assumption was that my total charges were $255. I was still not happy and staff at this facility advised me to call customer care to "see what they could do for me".
3/22: Upon checking my online bank statement, I see that I have been charged 232.09 AND 255.79 for this rental for a total cost of $487.88. I called the Budget office at Avoca in Scranton and explained my concerns to the agent. He advised me that this information would be passed along to his manager, who was not working over the weekend and that I would get a call back, this call never came.
3/23: I called customer service and explained everything. I wanted to know how my bill was itemized. I was informed that they could not see my itemized charges for 48 hours. I had been charged but nobody at Budget could tell me what I was charged for (1 concern being the smoking fee of 250). I was told during this call that a case would be started and that I would receive a call back around 2-3pm the following day. This representative stated that she would "get my bill back to what I was originally charged".
3/24: After 3pm and not hearing from budget. I called customer service yet again. It was explained that I was charged ~$75 for the "fuel option" that was represented as $0.00 on my original bill. I was charged $177 for an extra day’s rental for being late upon return but I was not charged the smoking fee. I explained how upset I was about the smoke smell for my family and 3 month old son and that our clothing and luggage had to be cleaned at additional expense. I also explained that my original bill did not represent a fuel charge. I was met with the statement "well fuel is never free" at which point I asked to speak with a supervisor. I was placed on hold for a long period of time only to have Angela (rep with budget) inform me that no supervisors were available. She stated that she would have one of them call me back, which I accepted. That was 2 hours ago and after 4 calls to budget I am done making calls.
Summary of complaints:
1. My original bill does not reflect charges accurately.2. despite advertising "100% smoke free fleet" I incurred extra expense and health risk to my 3 month old son because of a heavily smoke laden vehicle.
3. Drop off agent misrepresented my charges and failed to e-mail my bill as she stated that she would.
4. customer service routinely failed to answer questions about my bill, offer solutions or provide any clarity about policy.
Here is the quoted information from Budget's website: "Smoke-Free Fleet Policy - It's a Breath of Fresh Air!" "Based on an overwhelming number of renter requests, in the U.S. and Canada Budget maintains a 100 percent Smoke-Free Fleet. Any type of smoking (pipe, cigarette, cigar) is prohibited in all Budget vehicles. No smoking in the U.S. & Canada, our fleet is 100% smoke-free."
Reviewed March 27, 2014
I reserved a car online for Friday to a Monday. 76.99 for a weekend special and I figured it would be a bit more with insurance. I picked the car up, added the insurance and was on my way. Monday car was due back at 1:00, I called them said I have a late appointment and will return by 4 PM. The rep said ok no problem, no mention that I have to pay an extra day. When I got back he said, "Oh you have this till tomorrow, why don't you just keep it?" I said I had no idea, then he explained the extra charges. I said, "Well you have an hourly. I figured that's what I would be charged." He said NO, you it's an extra day." So I said, "Fine, that will help in the morning and I will return by 1:00."
I returned the car in plenty of time the next day. They charged me 76.99 plus $165.89. I AM TIRED OF THE RENTAL CAR COMPANIES CHANGING PRICES AND RIPPING ME OFF. I ENDED UP PAYING $242.88. I called to straighten it out. He charged me a late fee when I was not late at all ($10.00) and she told me there is no overcharge that it's accurate. Furious, never again. I LOVE ENTERPRISE! Get proof of your time of return and get proof of pickup time, gas and everything else so they don't stick you!
Reviewed March 27, 2014
They added an upgrade but didn't tell me nor ask for my permission, but did take the time to discuss other details of my rental leaving me to trust I had all the information when I was signing. I only found the SURPRISE upgrade upon rental return.
Reviewed March 24, 2014
I called Budget to rent a car and reached the 1-800-527-7000 reservation line several time after calling the local number with no answer. I reserved what I thought would be a Ford Fusion for $34.13 daily rate with total being $102.39 for 3 days. When I arrived at Budget I spoke with Lynn who advised me as soon as I arrived that she was about to close. I told her I had a reservation already for a Ford Fusion. She advised me for the amount quoted, I would have to pay an extra $30 for that car, even though that is what I was quoted. She was rude and did not take the time out to explain the insurance option to me.
I had to get a white Nissan Altima, which was dirty on the outside, but it was clean on the inside. My insurance covers me when renting cars and so when I called them this morning, they advised I had to come in and renew my contract but I would not be refunded for paying the insurance. The guy also told me that this would place another $200 hold on my credit card. I explained to him that Lynn told me that since I am using a credit card, I would not have a hold, that was only if I used my debit card. He told me that was not true. My experience renting from here was awful and I do not think I will rent from them again. I will be returning the car to them today.
Reviewed March 21, 2014
This is a mixed review, but the billing really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I rented a car from Budget in Vero Beach, FL at 1:25 pm on 3/10/14. I returned the car to Fort Lauderdale airport the following day at 1:30. As I left my phone in the car (idiot) the people doing the returns were good, they retrieved my phone, took 30 minutes, but they'd already moved the car to another location - but I got my phone back. Good for the crew. I looked at my phone when I got it back and it said 2:06. I'd been waiting 30 minutes at that time.
I was never offered any receipt, nor any confirmation number or any slip of paper documenting the time I brought the car back. Now, I'm being told it was checked in at 2:06 PM (which is still only 42 minutes) and I was charged $45.00 for the hour. WHAT? There was construction everywhere around the airport, every approach. US1 and 595 as they're building a huge overpass. I was sent through two detours. All things considered, you'd think they'd waive the charge. NO. Well, so long. I'm treated better elsewhere.
I assume they think people won't argue these excess fees. Seems a long list of people here who regret their Budget experience. Now I'm one of them. Feel I got off cheaply. I also hate car companies who tell you one quote and don't bother to add the taxes and fees to the total. Be up front, I always expected and got that from Enterprise.
Reviewed March 17, 2014
Got a car from Budget and it was prepaid including insurances but picking up it from Washington DC Dulles airport they added for me an extra insurance option I do not want and never asked them to add. Once I extend the rental for another month, they kept the extra insurance and insisted they cannot delete it. I was busy to get to meeting and started to deal with this over phone later in evening... 3 calls that ends up with no one being able to help me and once they put me on hold for 30 min!!! I feel like they just try to cash out any extra cent with tricks and taking advance of customer who do not read all small print text & are not 100% fluent in English language. Looks like I was then forced to pay extra changes for last month, and I still do not know how to get those charges off for the month coming. WiIl visit nearest Budget location tomorrow to tell them what I think of this!! A SCAM!!!
Reviewed March 13, 2014
I rented a car with Budget from their Airport Location in San Jose, CA. Upon arrival, I told the person who was assisting me that I am declining whatever it is that he is about to offer. He said okay. But at the end of the day, he charged me a total of $86.26 for a Roadside Assistance charges that I have clearly told him that I am declining. These people just want to suck every penny out of you. Another incident I had with them is that the person told me if I upgrade he would only charge me additional $20 and when I looked at my receipt it was $200.00 in total. I will never use Budget as rental company ever again!
Reviewed March 10, 2014
We prebooked our rental car when we purchased our flight ticket. We had paid for a Mid size car for 4 people. When we got to the rental company, the man said that they had no mid size cars left, so he was going to give us a smaller car. I told him we paid for a mid size & I want a mid size car. He said he would give us a mustang as the other 2 people that were supposed to come with us cancelled due to a death, but the car was going to be close to $200.00 more.
I told him I was not paying any more for a smaller car. He was going to give us a Kia. After standing at the counter for almost 1/2, dropped the price to $124.00. We were so tired, my husband just agreed & we took the mustang. All they were out to do is get more money from you. We will never never rent from Budget ever again. We will go with Enterprise and we will tell everyone. If you prepaid ahead for a mid size or what ever size car you book, that vehicle should be there for you.
Reviewed March 6, 2014
Budget Rent- a Car operates a bait and switch scam against their customers. We made reservation for a rental compact car at Budget rent a car at the Ontario for February 28, 2014 for the weekend rate of $98.00 plus applicable taxes and fees for a total of $120.00. Upon arrival at the location, we were given a Chevy Equinox; 10 minutes after we drove off the transmission of the vehicle became inoperable. We return the vehicle to the lot and was given a Ford Fusions, it should be noted at no time did the agent at the counter told us we were getting an upgrade.
On March 4 2014 we return the vehicle with a full tank of gas and notice our bill was now $249.64. When we ask why the increase we were threatened by a male agent who told us he will call the police and have us arrested. We took our flight home and the next day contact the Station manager Vanessa ** who also threatened us and refused to apply the proper credit.
Considering there are over 400 complaints against this company which all appears to fall along the lines of a Bait & Switch scam, I encourage all victims to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission or the Office of your State Attorney General Consumer affairs office. Or call (877) 382-4357. Do not let these crooks get away with this scam.
Reviewed March 6, 2014
In early February 2014, my husband and I rented a car from Budget at the Jacksonville, FL airport. When we renting the car online the estimated rate was $265.60. The woman customer service rep at Budget JAX counter told us that an upgraded vehicle had just arrived and there would be no additional charge for the upgrade. She went to get the keys before someone else claimed the vehicle. When we returned the car I noticed we were charged $394.00. The receipt indicated we rented a full size car but the vehicle charge was for intermediate (what we rented online). However the additional charges were for the upgrade.
Budget told me that on the rental agreement that I signed it did state the additional charge. In the haste of leaving the counter, this was not noticed. They did give us a partial refund but I feel this was because we made an issue about the bait and switch. The lesson here is that we took the clerk's word on no additional charges for the upgrade but we should have read the contract. I am writing this to warn customers that this may be a common occurrence. We have nothing else to go by, it is our word against the clerk but the fact Budget gave a partial refund tells us there is some truth to the bait and switch.
Reviewed March 6, 2014
Hostile, disconnected (no) receptionist assures you that you're a bother by simply walking in her door. One word answers - Scowl, Monotone. "ID and credit card." "Bill." And from there, she just repeats the rules about (in my case) the (non) use of debit cards without mail. Aesthetics: It looks nearly abandoned. I rarely see more than two cars in the lot and a customer or two, and it is on my daily commute route. Are car and truck rentals really what they do there? Oh, wait. She's got my credit card information and home address/phone numbers. So just in case, I'll leave that question for corp to answer.
I have had to use their location due to logistics, i.e. coordinating with family who drops me off or picks me up. Also, I hold only debit cards. The person who, today as a plan "B", attempted to rent the car and let me use hers asked to show the front desk person her water bill online and that worker wouldn't even look at it. She said it had to be a hard copy, and said to email it. We my friend went to email it. The woman said that there was no Wi-Fi and, later, that she had no way of her even receiving the email. She said that I should know what to bring since I rented there before, and I said that they should put these requirements on their webpage.
We remained at a standoff until I had to leave b/c it was past their 6pm closing time (My appointment was AT 6pm, mind you). She had to turn off lights and get ready to leave. Can you take away all of the rating stars? Miserable from the jump. My Fiction: Maybe her husband bought the business against her will and she's trying to ensure its failure. #TaxWriteoff CONSEQUENCES: Late picking up baby from daycare $$$, no way to work on tomorrow or Friday. Don't know how baby will get to or from daycare tomorrow. Time "wasted" following up with Corp. BTW, I got the number to Corp. from Customer Service on the phone. The Customer Service prompt (there are options like marketing, finance, and legal) on the corp. lines just gave me the number to the people from whom I'd originally asked for the number of Budget's NJ corp. offices.
Reviewed Feb. 27, 2014
Rented online with air miles and was promised a mustang convertible, we needed something a little bigger so we upgraded to a jeep. Brad in Kona HI printed the paper off and at the bottom of the paper it said that "I agree to be billed in CAD and my choice is final". The bill was to be 722.56$. When I dropped the jeep off they charged my credit card 722.56 US which worked out to 829.14 CAD. When I pointed this out to the gentlemen at the return desk he said it was US funds all the way, even though it was clearly stated on the bottom of the agreement it said CAD funds. These guys can make up their own rules as they go with no regard to any morality at all. NEVER AGAIN WILL I BE A VICTIM.
Reviewed Feb. 26, 2014
Budget Rental Car is the worst company to ever rent a car from. I started with a three day rental at $48.98. I needed additional time so I was going to reserve another car but the agent at the counter in the airport said it would be cheaper than a new rental to just increase for two days so I walked away with paperwork in hand stating $62.67. I was not able to complete my project and needed one additional day and remembering the agent said I could call in and do that. So I called in was told the total would be $79.73. I am thinking 6 days at $128.71 that cool, I done better but no time to shop, I had to finish what I was doing.
I returned the car at the end of my time and saw that they charged me $179.73. I wasn't happy but I figure I would know better for next time. Then a two days after I returned the car, I check my bank account and saw that they not only took $179.73 but also $77.48, the original $48.98 and they took $32.52 out of the deposit for grand total of $338.71. I hit the roof and called customer service and ask if they could please review because I think I was overbilled and he said no the charges are correct, he said the current quoted price added up to what we charged you. I said no, this has to be a mistake.
I then emailed them hopping they would get it straightened out and they said no not a mistake. I know nothing will come out of all my frustration with them. At least I hope who ever reads this will think it over many times before they use Budget to rent a car. I have made sure everyone I know who uses a rental car when traveling knows NOT to use Budget. I don't mind paying as long as I know and agree to the bottom line. What I was told over the phone is a far cry from what I paid.
Reviewed Feb. 20, 2014
I reserved a car for rental around Dec 20 2013. I had been quoted $750 for a 7 day rental and taking the car on a trip which I had to cancel because of the nightmare I went through with these people. When I got to the budget counter the lady said the car that I reserved wasn't available and I had no choice than to get another one but O explained to the counter lady I would be back to return the car. I called customer service and explained I was extremely dissatisfied and she assured me that if I was going to return the car they (budget) would credit my account.
I brought the car back 3 days later because of work. The man in the counter said there was nothing he could do to credit my account and said to call customer service again. As you can tell customer service is useless and rude. They charged me the same amount for 3 days as for 7 days and to this day haven't credited my account. This so called company has 407 complaints and bad reviews including an ex employee who spoke up about their scams. There is also a YouTube video and a lawsuit from ada.org. How these crooks stay in business is beyond me.
Reviewed Feb. 20, 2014
I reserved a car rental online...I was told I would have to get a credit check once I arrive if I would be using my debit card. I arrived at the local Budget facility and if I was in there 1 minute it was too long before the guy told me i wasn't approved. But here's the kicker, I have credit monitoring which sends alerts via email when there has been a change with my credit.. I've received two alerts, neither are from Budget. Needless to say besides being rude he NEVER ran my credit to see if I could be approved for the rental car.
Reviewed Feb. 15, 2014
In April I prepaid an economy car at BWI Budget by Capital One Travelocity site. When I picked up the car the agent was so nasty she at first couldn't find the reservation. Then she says, "Ok, what kind of car did you prepay?" I told her and she proceeded to give me the keys to Ford Focus. So far so good, right? When I return the car I get a second charge on my Capital One card. I call CS at Cap1 and they try to tell them it has been already paid and they take the charge off of my card. Then the nightmare begins... I get nonstop mail from Budget that I have an unpaid bill. I called 8 times but no one returns my call. I sent the receipts but to no avail. Now I got a letter from a collection agency. I will not pay this on general purposes that I think they are crooks. I later found out my problem is very common with Budget, they try to bully the customer and hope they pay twice!!
Reviewed Feb. 8, 2014
Budget website states that the port of Miami location has a shuttle available. When I contacted the office, they told me there was no shuttle available that I had to pay for a cab ride (additional $20). When I arrived at the office, I asked for a discount or a class upgrade for the inconvenience - the clerk offered me a FREE paper map! RUDE! When I returned the car (FULL of GAS) to the Miami airport, there was nobody around to check me in. When I received my credit card statement I found out that they charged my credit card for the FULL tank of GAS! This company is crooked & I would never deal with them again!
Reviewed Feb. 7, 2014
I rented a SUV online from Budget Rent A Car for San Jose, Costa Rica. When I arrived at the location, I was informed that I had rented the car in San Jose, California not Costa Rica. They had tried to get me to buy insurance before the mistake was discovered. I declined insurance as I have Road Star which covers me anywhere in the world. Once they found out the mistake they insisted that I take insurance or they would not rent to me. But what has me so upset is that they charged me a one way fee yet I returned the car to the very same location. I contacted Budget but got a form like letter stating they could not help me. The joke was the letter said fortunately we can not help you rather than unfortunately we cannot help you. I will never do business with Budget again.
Reviewed Jan. 25, 2014
What happened: I made an online reservation for a car for Sunday 1/26/2014. On their website, Budget in part states this language: "Free pick-up service available. Learn more." This is verbatim cut and paste. Because my reservation was for a Sunday, I decided to call up and check to make sure PICK UP (I am less then a mile away from Budget!) was available.
About the phone call:
Some over-emotional person answered the phone, then put it down on the counter and talked to someone else! I waited on hold for 6 minutes, after yelling "Hello hello" and my call was NEVER ANSWERED! .... I called back, got an answering machine "leave your number we will call you back" ... it's been THREE DAYS since then, NO RETURN CALL so far! ... Today Friday 1/24, 2 days before rental car pick up I tried this again ... called several times, line is busy, BUSY? at a business like this??? Finally, the "over emotional" picks up the phone, and only SAYS, "wait I need to change phones" .... NEVER ANSWERS ME and apparently crossed lines and the phone line is again BUSY BUSY .... HA ! I n-e-e-d to make sure they pick me up for the rental and, after FOUR days, I finally reach a person with a pulse who sounds like an aristocrat manner wise on the phone, but quickly turned into a monster when I asked about the pick up being it was Sunday .. I got roughed up, told "don't talk over me we do not provide the service, bla bla bla bla" .. Even though Budget DOES STATE on their website that pick up IS AVAILABLE .... this character now resorts to behavior which is beneath all low levels of "customer service" and HANGS UP THE PHONE?!?!?!?!?!!
Here I am, Friday afternoon, with at best, an "up in the air" rental car, that is IF I walk the mile to the rental office or GET A TAXI!?!?!?!! ..to the tune of $8.50 for just this O N E mile ??? OH no .. Budget does NOT pay for this, but they ARE advertising "Pick up available" on their website!.. My cup hath run over by now ... I called Budget's fiercest competitor (Starts with an E "hint" ) and on a late Friday afternoon got this: *A friendly voice answered the phone on 2nd ring and asked HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? *Clocking: within 4 (four) minutes, my reservation was all set and was asked "what time would you like for your E........e ride to arrive? *The rental car from this place was TEN DOLLARS CHEAPER than Budget, but Budget charged $10 "cancellation fee" when I cancelled my reservation with them online.
Rent a car from Budget: NO NO and NO .... did I say NO? Budget NEEDS to update their website reflecting that "pick up" IS NOT PART OF THEIR SERVICE and train their employees to say this word after picking up the office phone: H E L L O

Reviewed Jan. 12, 2014
My boss did a full prepay using Kayak for Budget Rent-A-Car to cover my trip to Cleveland. I just needed transportation from the Cleveland airport to Sandusky and back (a quarter tank of gas was used in total). The prepay was $225. When I got there, I didn't read the fine print and scrutinize everything I was given carefully. I'll chalk it up to inexperience dealing with car rental companies but this is the first time I've gotten taken like this. I ended up with $255 in extra charges. The only thing I agreed to was "locking in" the cheap gas rate that was offered. Sounds like a great deal if you don't notice the $57 service charge added to that (and not explained, of course).
I also apparently agreed to a car upgrade (VW Passat) although I would've been perfectly happy with the economy car. The agent offered me a "complete coverage" insurance but I said I didn't want to pay for anything beyond the minimums. That meant I got some $25 per day optional coverage. Once again, I should've had a lawyer present to go over the contract. I'm not even sure I can expense all this extra stuff and I may just have to eat it. Worse yet, I did call customer service and was basically told I agreed to all of this and the best they could do was send me the itemized receipt to look over. I did ask for it but haven't received it yet. The agent on the phone seemed annoyed that I was calling and I'm under the impression they get a lot of these "nuisance" calls. I'm sure it's annoying to them that customers won't just write Budget a blank check and make it easier for all of us.
Reviewed Dec. 30, 2013
I made the reservations in August for a Trip in December, and included our flight number in the reservation. We arrived in Cedar Rapids on at 6pm Christmas Eve after a 1 hour flight delay. We find a sign on the Budget counter that says, "We close at 5pm," and a sign above the counter that says "Cars Available." I check with the car rental desks on either side of the Budget counter and they no longer have cars available, but the staff for the other car rental agencies where still at their posts. So, I called the Budget 800 number and they try and call this local agency in Cedar Rapids to solve the problem. The agent then tells me no one answers the emergency number they have on file.
So here I am with my wife and two kids, on Christmas Eve, 70 miles from our final destination, stranded at the Cedar Rapids Airport. All because these people can't be bothered to keep the counter open to fulfill reservations for people on delayed flights. I asked the 800 number agent what they will do to get me to our final destination and am told, "Sorry, we can't help you!" I ask, "So you're telling me Budget has stranded us at this airport on Christmas Eve and you can't help me?" The agent asks, "What do you want me to do?" I tell her Budget can pay for the taxi to our destination. She checks with her manager and comes back and tells me the manager said no, Budget will not pay for the taxi.
I asked the agent to give me their position of not being willing to help us in any way in writing, and she refuses. After a very long further conversation, they begrudgingly agreed to pay $150 of the $220 taxi fare. Best part.... to date, no one has sent me an apology, or even attempted to apologize for this reprehensible and irresponsible customer service. NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL I RENT FROM BUDGET! Just check the Budget Facebook page for comments, not a single positive comment from any customer. Not surprising since customer service seems to be a foreign concept to these people!
Reviewed Dec. 27, 2013
Had reservation in St. Thomas VI, got there and they had no cars. I called 3 hours before we arrived and they said no problem! Now I am here for ten days in a condo, have no food, no way to anywhere without spending a fortune on cabs, get anything or see anything. NEVER AGAIN will I use Budget.
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2013
Quoted $82 for a three-day rental which ended up costing $281.88. Got no satisfaction from calling customer service. Basically it was "You signed the rental agreement, is there anything else I can help you with?" I lost it at that point, swore at the guy and hung up fuming. That is the last time we will rent from Budget or Avis. I rented from Hertz for a one week trip in London this summer and I paid what I was quoted. My advice is, if you are renting from this bunch, travel with your lawyer.
Reviewed Dec. 9, 2013
Budget Rental, Phoenix, Dec.7, 2013, Sky Harbour Airport - Situation in progress. Written rental quote of $405.90 which they did not honor. Aggressively tried to upsell to SUV model at around $1065 with price and information on screen before us. Eventually agreed (really under protest although protest not recorded in writing - we needed a car and had commitments - 1/2 hour discussion) for $492. Budget did not say what charge they were making on credit card and I found out the next day from my banking records they charged $1062 already to card even before we took the rental.
Hard to talk by phone with Budget representatives at airport. Call center people seemed to know more about contract and referred me to 3 different direct numbers at airport for managers. I have left messages at all 3 numbers but have not received a call back as of now. This situation is a work in progress. We also noticed that there was no vehicle inspection check or record when we took the car. I had a similar upsell experience with Budget at Cork Ireland airport in September. I have had very good experiences with Budget in Edmonton, Alberta where I have family. I am writing this at 1:20 pm on December 9, 2013 from the Sedona area.
Reviewed Nov. 5, 2013
I rented a car for 19 days and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, the toll is $6.00 I was charged $22.75 apparently based on the # of days I rented. I crossed once one way!!! Seriously!! So how can this be justified???? I called and complained resulting in a $11.80 reimbursement, a one-time only event. I did not receive confirmation by email as promised by the agent so I attempted to call to confirm and was cut off 3 times after being on hold each time. Is this good customer service? This might sound petty, however the rest of the bill with $150.00 charge for changing drop off and the $10.00 fee for whatever plus the rest of the statement adds up to a major annoyance. I will not rent from Budget again. Beware!! Those cheap daily rates aren't so cheap, of course they talk everyone into a more expensive car when you arrive at the counter. Live and learn!!! Their creativity for gouging is astounding!!!
Reviewed Oct. 12, 2013
On Sept.19th, my husband and I rented a Nissan Altima from Budget. We made an online reservation and picked up the car at the Port Columbus International Airport. We were satisfied with the amount we were being charged. But once we got the car home and took a look at it, the car was not very clean, but we needed it, so we kept the rental. When we returned the car on Sept. 23rd, the attendant said everything was fine, car looked good and gas was on full, like always when we return a rental and we then went inside and paid in cash. Now almost three weeks later, we noticed a pending charge of $250 in our bank account and we immediately call to find out what this charge is for and nobody could tell us.
So we go in to the location we rented it from and finally, they tell us that it is for a cigarette ash, which I do not see how that is possible due to the fact we don't smoke. They emailed me the pictures of the supposed cigarette ashes and we examined them over and over again. We find no evidence of any cigarette ashes at all and we also had several other people examine the pictures and they could not find any either. All you see is where there is dust on the dash board and small tiny gravel type rocks and maybe some dirt, but no cigarette ashes. This is total **. And they are wrong for charging us, without telling us first about these supposed ashes. I am attaching all three of the pictures they sent us. Please tell me if you see any of these mysterious cigarette ashes or if you see what we see, dust & dirt.
Reviewed Sept. 27, 2013
I rented a mid-size vehicle from 9-11-13 to 9-15-13 from Budget Rental (DFW). I rented online and was told that my charges were $33.25/day. Which amounted to $166.25 + tax. When I arrived my total had reached $300. The counter attendant told me that taxes were upwards of 40% at DFW. On the 26th, additional charges came out of my checking account in the amount of $13.91 which got me investigating further what I was being charged for. 1st: I was charged for a roadside assistance fee of $27 I didn't ask for. 2nd: the $13.91 was an e-toll charge. Which I didn't use $13.91 in toll charges!!
I called for an explanation and was told that I used a total of $2.11 in toll charges, the rest is a convenience fee. I explained that I didn't ask for this convenience and the gentleman told me that it's not a choice. I then told him that when someone rents a vehicle, they should be informed of ALL of the charges coming out of their account! I was then transferred to another person. She was not very understanding of the situation and only agreed to refund the $27 roadside fee. I received a receipt via email and here are additional BS charges! I will NEVER rent from Budget AGAIN!!
11.11% Concession Recovery Fee $28.59; CUSTOMER FACILITY CHG $4.00/D - $16.00; TRANSPORTATION FEE $2.20/DY - $8.80; VEH LICENSE RECOUP $2.25/DY - $9.00; EXTENSION FEE $10.00 - $10.00; Optional Services Total Taxable: $111.96 for Sub-total-Charges: $310.70, TAX 15.000% $46.61 = Total: $357.31. Also the car they gave me was a Mazda 2 which is a little bigger than a smart car. It was small, gutless and I had to fill it with gas every day!!
Reviewed Sept. 26, 2013
Rented Corolla from Ft. Lee, NJ Budget on Lemoine. Returned car after 10 days rental in essentially same condition as driven out of lot: clean, no sand, no soil, no stains, no pet hair. Because the carpet may have had a few tiny pieces of residual gravel from where driver & passenger's feet were, vendor gave me a warning that in future I might be charged cleaning fee. I challenged vendor's statements & asked him to show me precisely what led to his warning. He refused to show me, said I could look for myself.
For almost 40 years, I have prided myself on being responsible and careful about the cars I rent. I do not regard myself as the person who is responsible for prepping the car for the next person renting the car. If anything, vendor should have thanked me for returning the car in excellent condition. Perhaps, the vendor saw me as an easy "mark", I don't now, but if so, he was mistaken.
Reviewed Sept. 22, 2013
Recently I rented a car from Budget using my internet account from Southwest Airlines. The contract stated a mid-sized automobile from its Boise, ID airport location. When I arrived, the Budget representative strongly pushed a Mini Cooper vehicle. After trying to fit my luggage and myself into this extremely small car, I gave up and had an Avis person swap cars with a Volkswagen. Even though this was still not a mid-sized car, it was doable even though I hit my head every time I entered or exited the vehicle. I currently do not plan to ever use Budget Car Rental again...
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2013
Rented a car at the Kansas City Intl Airport location in July 2013. Reserved it online at Budget.com and picked it up. Signed the paperwork and hopped in the ride. Reservation including fees was around $45.00. A change in my plans yielded a call to Budget's res hotline to inform them of the changes needed. Not a problem... changed it from a local to one-way rental. New total with fees was now $261.47. I return the car within the 24 hour period as already agreed upon to their location in Lexington, KY. I inform the woman that I would like to use my debit card to settle the bill. Well, unfortunately Budget doesn't utilize a computer system that corporate, Kansas City, or Lexington all have access to. Each spot has no idea what the other place is doing. Awesome!
She can't input the final charge on her end, KC Budget has to do it. I supply her with all the pertinent info and my debit card to contact KC and have it taken care of. I leave and assume that's it. Dead wrong. Some hours later, a guy claiming he is the manager on duty for KC Budget says he is charging me $5XX.XX because the car was supposed to be a local rental. Nope... already called reservations and made the change... now charge me $261.47. Well his computer doesn't sync with corporate and he has to charge the ungodly amount because he has to fly someone out to retrieve the car. Ha! Laughable! I wish him good luck and advise I'll be speaking to people above his pay grade.
A few days go by and a charge of $716.35 appears on my credit card. I let the card company know it’s a bogus charge and inquire about the dispute process. A couple days later as I'm drafting the dispute letter, Budget refunded the $716.35 and then charged $50.00. I figured the accounting dept or someone noticed the bs charge, gave me the $700 back and felt that $50.00 was fair as an "oops, sorry" gesture. After calling corporate and KC once each and making no headroom with these clowns, I considered the matter closed.
Approximately three weeks later, Budget charges me $486.35. No communication, no explanation for it. At this point I've given up on this Mickey Mouse operation. Today I mailed a dispute letter to my credit card provider and sent an email to Budget Corporate. Waiting to see who fixes this mess first. I will be lodging a complaint with the BBB too. Budget has lost my future business, thanks to their Kansas City Intl Airport management staff.
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2013
Declined damage waiver. Noted on form. Provided requested insurance info. Billed for damage waiver. Car rented in Las Vegas. Cheated of 402.98 by Budget Car Rental.
Reviewed Aug. 23, 2013
I rented a truck to move from Oregon to PA. I was given a truck that needed an oil change, was leaking oil (found out after it was parked at my house overnight, called roadside assistance and took 6 hours to get to my house and repair. They had to send someone from Salem which is an hour away), the cab was full of trash and rotting food under the seats. The trailer had so much corrosion on it the straps would loosen up after 100 miles and had to be reset. The truck had 57k miles on it and no cruise control. Yes me knees still hurt.
Then 25 miles from my destination the brakes get real wobbly in the front end. Call roadside assistance again and 30 mins get a call from them they ask me 3 questions and then tell me they will get back to me. I ask for a time frame and he says, "I don't know. I need to find someone to come out there." This company and its roadside vendors are ridiculous. Budget at one time was a great company but like everything else it has gone into the trash. DO NOT RENT from them under any circumstances. I am retired military and have moved several times in my life. I have used Budget before but will NEVER use them again.
Reviewed Aug. 2, 2013
I flew into Charlotte airport on Saturday, July 27th, to attend a funeral for my grandfather. The airport had to hold flights leaving and coming in for about 2 hours due to severe thunderstorms. This development led to over 100 flights being cancelled including mine I (along with my sister and niece) could only get on standby. We were desperate as we had to get to Augusta, GA for the funeral. I tried to rent a car. Many others had the same idea and every place was out of cars. I now understand why Budget was opened as they would be most sensible people's last choice. I waited on a long line with one woman helping people. At some point a young man opened up another line. The woman was truly a moron as she helped two people, while the younger worker helped 6 people including myself.
My complaint though was the fact that they wanted to charge me 280 dollars to rent a car for about 16 hours to drive about 2 and 1/2 hours. I was amazed that they would take advantage of people who were in a tight spot. Reading some of these reviews makes me feel better as it is apparent that this is a terrible company filled with greedy people. I would never ever recommend them to anyone. If I reserved a car from that airport for Sunday, it would have been $15.99. Not sure how the price could change so drastically other than they knew people were in a bind with so many cancelled flights. I would never recommend this company to anyone.
Reviewed July 26, 2013
I wanted to extend my car for three more days, but before I do I wanted to know what the rates will be. Computer activated response booked my extension. At the end computer asked if I agree, and to that I said no. However, when I called the service desk, they keep repeating that my itinerary is extended and they cannot do anything. I explained to them that I said not to extend my itinerary. To that service desk said they will not return the money. I have decided I shall never rent a car from Budget in the future. I also advise everybody do not rent car from Budget. They are ill-mannered and do not support customer.
Reviewed July 19, 2013
I rented a car for $79.08... Several weeks later I was mailed a letter, then billed an additional $75 for what the letter called Excessive Soilage... pet hair. Yes, I had pet hair in the back seat. The inspector upon checking in said this was not a problem... Obviously a communication issue. I have been on the phone for the past hour, trying to talk with a sentient being employed by Budget, but to no avail. Hence the internet complaint route... BE FOREWARNED. DO NOT RENT A VEHICLE FROM BUDGET. They misdirect, lie and use your credit card to their advantage.
Reviewed July 18, 2013
I returned my car to Budget rental, Fairbanks AK airport. Few days later, hysterical person online claimed car was damaged due to yellow overspray paint. I informed them what was noticed came off immediately with water and I didn't give it another thought. I also let them know WD40 or numerous other compounds would take care of the problem. I apologized and thought that would be the end.
They sent the car to a repair shop and replaced parts from Bumper to Bumper. Total 0f $3793.00! They sent me a list of parts and some grainy photos claiming damage and need to replace. During my last conversation with Claims and Collections Mgr of Anchorage, she claimed front bumper was damaged and had to be replaced. Ridiculous! I did not damage car. They want to run up the bill.
I recently retired from the Air Force after 32 years of service. They want to run up the prices while gouging consumers and insurance companies. I plan to appeal to the authorities in Government in Alaska.
Reviewed July 17, 2013
My wife and I went to Chicago for 10 days. We reserved a car that they didn't have when we arrived from Florida. We chose another car which at the time was told it was in our budget and price range. Noticed from receipt that they charged us a upgrade fee of 200 dollars, which thank god we noticed. We returned that vehicle and obtained another.
Now the good part, we have a car, we are enjoying Chicago. Upon returning home, we noticed charges to the account which Budget is the culprit. 50 plus dollars and 16 plus dollars for tolls. I'm from Chicago so I know if a car has an i-pass, normally it's active. They gave us a car with an i-pass but failed to tell us we are liable for the tolls. Instead they charged the amounts for each car. After back and forth, we had no choice but to pay.
Now weeks later money is still being taken and no one can tell us why, really. They say it can take weeks or months for this process but someone else is driving the cars. The first one we returned was rented the same day we returned it, how do I know? Because I left my shades in it and called then went back to retrieve them, car was gone. Interesting.
Anyway, we have been on the phone with budget customer service and John **, Mr. we don't give out last names. It wasn't hard to get John. You sent emails to my wife. IDIOT with your first and last name. Anyway. This guy pulls the old put you on hold until you hang up move on me. The thing is I knew that and I didn't hang up, I let the elevator music play, I sat on hold with the New York based place until the phone just disconnected.
DON'T RENT FROM BUDGET. DON'T GIVE YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION TO BUDGET. THEY HAVE THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER SEEN. As a business something worth listening to owner I can see them in the future being sued fr stealing from customers. They are trained to make you spend money you don't need or have to spend. With your account info, they will take your money and leave you broke and penniless for a car. I WILL POST MY EXPERIENCE WITH BUDGET ON EVERY SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK I CAN FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS. BY THEN IT WILL HAVE SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE, OR UNTIL SOMEONE CONTACTS US WITH SOMETHING WORTH HEARING. As far as Mr. John **, his customer service is horrible, he needs to be fired, because of his disrespect this will go on and on and on.
Reviewed July 17, 2013
The Las Vegas Airport facility is trying to charge me for damages that I did not do. The previous renter left their damage slip in the car, noting the same damages. Budget is still charging me.
Reviewed July 12, 2013
I was traveling to Scotland and compared Car rental rates. I have used Enterprise in the past and they have always provided good service. However, this time, Budget quoted a better price so I went with them. I booked through Budget's own booking service and received confirmation of the reservation at the quoted price (including all fees and taxes). Upon arrival at Glasgow Airport at 7:00 am and tired after 14 hours of traveling, I presented my paperwork with the confirmation number and agreed rates. Representative printed up an agreement to sign which showed a price 30% higher than on my reservation confirmation. When pointing out I had an agreed rate and that was what I would pay, I was told his rate was correct and I could not have the car unless I signed his paperwork.
I then asked to talk to his supervisor and was told none was available at that time in the morning. I left the counter in the airport terminal, went to their booth at the car lot and confirmed the supervisor does not show up to work until 9:00 am at the earliest. None of the other rental companies had cars available so I either had to try and figure out public transport in a foreign country or fall victim to their bait and switch tactics. I went with the public transport. I will not use Budget again and advise everyone not to use them for foreign travel.
Reviewed July 7, 2013
I have rented from Budget several times but no more! I returned a vehicle a day early, clean and full of gas. When they came out to look at the car, they showed me "excessive" pet hair in one rear floorboard and in back area. We had just returned from a 13-hour overnight drive from Durango, CO to Grapevine, TX and we did NOT have a pet of any kind in that car and I could barely see the hair he called excessive. He said I either take it to vacuum it out or be charged $250 for detail of vehicle. I reiterated I had no pet! He only threatened the $250 fee again. I took the vehicle a few miles to a car wash who cleaned and vacuumed it out but when I looked, there were a few tiny white stiff hairs embedded in the carpet so I picked them out one by one though they were NOT mine.
I returned the vehicle and he approved it and I then told him again that first off, I would like to know where they take their vehicles that they charge them $250 to vac them and I’m certain they have a vac out back, to which I got no response. He held up the rental agreement and shook it at me and said I had signed that it was clean when I got it. I said YES I did, but first off, I was not asked to look inside. I was taken outside and asked to look for dents then told to sign off that there were no dents and they would get the keys. So they didn't even bring the keys out upon initial inspection. SO yes, I signed it but that hair had to be there when I took it as I did not have any pet in that vehicle!
Point is this... horrible customer service!!! Yes, I will be sure I look inside but had I looked inside the vehicle, I would not have seen the "excessive" pet hair as I had to look deep into the carpet fibers to pick them out. The fact that I had to pick a previous renter's pet hair out of the vehicle was beyond my belief! And the threats of $250 or $9 gallon gas, it’s all poor, poor customer service! I will not rent from them again! What happened to the customer is always right? Well, there are places out there that would have seen that and gave the customer the benefit of a doubt but not Budget Rental! I want to reiterate that I could barely see this pet hair and it was there when I got it. The vehicle looked better when I returned it than when I got it. NEVER AGAIN!! POOR, POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!
Reviewed July 6, 2013
We had a confirmed reservation, with a guaranteed price, for my sister to rent a car for the first time out of the Budget Nashville airport. She is a religious nun who was renting a car for the first time. My sister did NOT request an upgrade, but after the trip, I reviewed her receipt and she was charged for an upgrade and they refused to honor their original guaranteed rate. If they will take advantage of the religious, you should be wary of renting from them as well!
Reviewed June 26, 2013
We rented a truck. They have a sign posted saying you could prepay for gas at a reasonable price or if you don't return the car full of gas, it's $8.99 per 9/10 of a gallon I put $85.58 to fill the truck up. I drove 1.2 miles and turned in the vehicle, then got charged $55.00 for not returning it with a full tank. The FTC already fined them for these actions, but it seems like they are going back to old habits. I need two more people for class action against Budget.
Reviewed June 26, 2013
Where do I begin? I was hoping that these reviews were misleading and exaggerated truth. Unfortunately, they didn't tell the half of it. My story: I initially booked a compact car (Ford Focus) through the Vancouver Airport location for two weeks because of the lower prices compared to other car rentals in the area. I didn't have any issues getting the car after I landed and couldn't have been happier. My plan was to drop off the car at the Vancouver location after two weeks. I visited the Alberta area for the second week and happen to get trapped in Canmore for three days because of a STATE OF EMERGENCY due to flooding of all major highways going east and west, meaning there was no way for me to get out of Canmore and drop off the car in Vancouver.
I informed the Vancouver location of the issue and the assured me that there would only be a $25 drop off fee. I called back the day after to keep them updated on the situation and wasn't able to get through to anyone and left a message (that seems to be an issue with this location). Thankfully, the Tran Canada highway re-opened three days after I was originally going to leave but it was only to go east, with the closest location being Calgary. Keep in mind that going west from Canmore is still closed to this day (6/25/13), which is six days after the car was scheduled to be dropped off.
The day after I returned home, I noticed that there were these incremental charges on my credit card that totaled $2,000 which was 4 times more than the original quoted price. After being on hold for longer than I wanted, I spoke with someone who informed me that I was charged $300 to drop off the car in Calgary. I was also charged $15 a day x 16 (which includes the extra two days I was stranded in Canmore) because I visited the Alberta area and left British Columbia. I never crossed the border, just a different providence which is mere hours away from British Columbia. Apparently, they have a tracking device that documents every place that the car travels so please be aware of this! Apparently, this is in the fine print but was never verbally discussed. Personally, I've never heard of something like this and would compare it to going from Michigan to Ohio and being charged to cross-state borders.
Long story long, this particular location has no sympathy on the situation that I was put in and they're being incredibly uncooperative. Also, I feel very uncomfortable with being randomly charged even though I never received a final receipt and never received a phone call to discuss the matter. It's almost as if this location sets their prices lower and recoups the difference on the back end. There isn't coincidence that everyone else here has had other issues. Maybe not as dramatic as mine but I would think that any other car rental, even a small car rental, would be much more understanding of the situation that I had absolutely no control over. Please stay away from this car rental location!
Reviewed June 25, 2013
I arrived in Amarillo for a brief pleasure trip to Palo Duro Canyon. Budget counter employee was overwhelmed with one other customer. She had keys for cars, but said that they were not showing up on her computer. She eventually found our car - a Chevy Impala - and brought it to the door. The car was filthy and had been nearly destroyed by a tornado/hail storm 2 weeks previous. The windshield was cracked in multiple places, the hood, top and trunk had dozens of hits. Tail lights and rearview mirror were damaged. The price was about $2 less than Hertz per day, and they did not offer any discount for this wreck. Incredible.
Reviewed June 21, 2013
We prepaid for car rental. Pick up is at 12:00; we got there at 1:30 but called to say that we'd be late. I was told they had no cars to rent, that we should have been there on time. I explained to the mgr that we called. She admitted that we did call but told us the person who said it was okay to be late "had no authority to do that". Mgr., Lynn, told us that more cars would be coming from 2 hrs away. When that did not satisfy us, she said, "Well, I could be mean and cancel your reservation altogether." When I questioned her professionalism, that angered her even more. She said she would call us when the car came in. Long story short, she never called and our call was never answered at that location again. Wait, it was answered once and we were hung up on! Really??? So they had my money for 7 business days and I had no car!!!! Thanks, Budget, for wasting my time!! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!
Reviewed June 20, 2013
I rented a car from Budget in SLC Utah. I had reserved a full size car, Prius or similar. After I gave my information, they told me to have a seat, and they would bring the keys shortly. I waited about 10 minutes when they called me over and asked how many people are in my party. I told them 5. They said they issued me a Fiat, which only sat 4 comfortably. I said my request was for a Prius or similar, to which they replied, "We don't offer a Prius." I asked what else they had, and she said a mustang, which would be a lot more money. I told her I would get back to her in 5 minutes.
So, I was looking for another car rental company online for the next 10 minutes when she called me over again to tell me they had an Elantra, and it would be the same price. I angrily agreed since I had 4 kids with me who just wanted to get home. At the end of the trip, I brought back the car, and they see 2 cigarette butts on the floor. I had stopped to smoke, but used my thumb and forefinger to push out the remaining filter, got back in the car to leave thinking I could just dispose of the butts when I got to the airport so I didn't just throw the butt on the ground.
The lady said, "It's a $250 fee for smoking in the car." I was trying to explain, but she refused to listen. I go to fill out paperwork, and she tells me to write "I smoked in the car". I told her, "I'm not saying that because it's not true." Each time I refused, she told me, "If you don't write it, they'll fill this out and they can say anything. You'll be charged the full $250." She said, "I'll tell them the car didn't smell bad so they won't charge the whole amount." Basically, she said that if I didn't write, I would get charged the full $250 fine. I finally wrote it so I had time to catch my flight. Big mistake. They called today and said they're charging the FULL $250. I got angry, started yelling and cursing, and she LAUGHED at me so I hung up. This is the last time I will use Budget. Now, I'm $250 deeper in debt because they're liars.
Reviewed June 14, 2013
My brother and I reserved and prepaid a car from Budget from June 7, 2013 to June 10, 2013. We were going to Nevada where there is a no tolerance on drugs. My brother works for the government which also has a no tolerance on drugs. When we returned from our trip a day early, while I was cleaning the car making sure to rid it of all trash, etc., in the ash tray was a small roach of weed!! It sure the hell wasn't mine or my brother's. Had we been pulled over in Nevada, my brother would have gone to jail, lost his job, etc. So when we arrived, we brought the roach of weed, spoke with the desk clerk who then called the manager. Guess what? The manager said, "Sorry!!" Wtf. Sorry? Really, I then said, "Sorry wouldn't save my brother's job or keep him from going to jail." Sorry, are you serious?!!
Reviewed June 12, 2013
I rented a car from Budget. My rate was $69.99/day. High, right? Well, I got stuck in traffic and returned it 48 minutes late, and was charged $52! Even if I returned it 29 minutes late, I would still be charged that amount. I rented from many companies and returned late once at Enterprise - $8 an hour! Take my $52 and roll in it, because I will never rent from this company again! Customer service on the phone said, "Well, sir, you DID return late."
Reviewed June 7, 2013
Budget is the worst Car Rental experience ever. I booked an automobile online and prepaid to get the car I wanted. Upon arriving, I was told the car was not available, which is not surprising (because they all do that). Anyway "Palo" at Denver International talked in so many circles to get us to sign into something that we did not want (he even offered us a discount from an Airline which we did not even travel on) - our mistake in the end!!!! No one else was to blame but, do not trust or book with Budget - as we will never again.
Reviewed June 4, 2013
I made a request for a standard car (example was an Altima) and was quoted online at $129 for the 5 days we would require the vehicle. When we arrived, the sales person told me the standard car was a Corolla, but she could offer me an Impala (too large) or a Mercedes (yeah right). Then she offered me a small SUV (Escape) for $78 upgrade. Sounded okay, so she writes it up. Turns out it is $78 per day! With upgrade, taxes, fuel and insurance buy-down, my bill is $983! I am standing at the counter with three business people behind me at 8:30am. I signed the rental agreement. Stupid!
After I got home, I went online to Budget and requested a SUV (Escape) and the offer is $437.74 for the same add ons, without the upgrade. Why was there such a difference? I complained online and got a quick response requesting the rental agreement and receipt be sent to them via email which I did with a letter asking for an explanation of the difference. All I received back was a terse thanks for the business, but sorry you signed the agreement, too bad. No explanation. To me, this is a bait and switch rip-off. They pressure you into upgrades, scare you to buy insurance (which you do not require if your own car insurance covers, as well as credit card insurance), and it works to their advantage if there is a few people waiting in line.
I was waiting and I was first in line with only one sales person at the desk. I am sure they wait until there are at least three people in line before they bring on another sales rep. Now everyone is impatient and the pressure is on to hurry. Classic! I will never rent a vehicle from Budget again and will tell everyone I cannot to as well. I wish I had read this forum before using Budget.
Reviewed June 3, 2013
I always book with Enterprise but they were sold out as it was the end of the month. So I thought I'd give Budget a try. Firstly, their prices are higher, which is ironic. Second, the coupon that I found and entered into their online reservation system did not work in store. So they would not honor it even though it was working online and I had the reservation print out to prove it. Third, the service at the time of pick up was dismal. The guy was on vacation; he seemed like, taking his time and not giving a care that I have some place to be. I would not go back here even as a last resort.
Reviewed May 28, 2013
I used the Costco promotion in May 2013 and reserved at Chicago Midway Airport online. They did not have the Ford Focus "or equivalent" I reserved, but claimed the Fiesta was the same. It is not. They did not honor the "free second driver" part of the offer, claiming the computer would not allow it, and pointed to fine print about "at participating locations". It took a very long time to get the car. I will not use Budget again.
Reviewed May 27, 2013
I booked a car online through Budget. When I went to pick my car up, I met a very engaging salesman. I gave him my name and identification. He found my reservation and offered me other services, which I declined. He proceeded to tell me he needed a credit card for damages, gas and a $200 hold which would be placed on the card until I returned the car on time, which I did. He gave me the row number to my car and told me to enjoy my trip.
When I returned on time, no damage and a tank full of gas, I was told my card would be charged $78 ($20 per day) for an upgrade. I was furious. We never discussed an upgrade or anything. The manager was unapologetic and said I had signed it (which I did). I was thinking these amounts were part of the original hold. That was bad business, corrupt and dishonest.
Reviewed May 27, 2013
At Tampa airport the agent named Patrick tried to "upgrade" us from our full-size car to a "slick, sporty Dodge Avenger at no additional charge". I looked it up on my smart phone and found out it was two classes below a full-size vehicle. When I refused, he tried to upgrade us for an additional charge. When that didn't work, he finally told us that we would have to wait for a full-size car to be brought over from another Budget lot. After we finally left the airport, we came to a toll booth and stopped to pay the toll. The toll-taker told us that the Sunpass in the vehicle was activated, and we would be billed for the toll plus a service fee which totaled about four times the original toll. For these reasons, please think twice about renting from Budget.
Reviewed May 26, 2013
I had a family emergency and flew to Boston. I needed a car for a day or two, but wasn't sure how long I would have to stay. The Budget Rep recommended renting an economy car for the week at $365, telling me that if I returned it early, the bill would be pro-rated and I would only be charged for the days I used. They gave me a Jetta that smelled heavily of chemicals and perfume.
When I returned it after 2 days, they charged me the full $365. They explained that I had returned the car after 2 days and 1 hour, so they had to charge me for 3 days, and the daily rate for 3 days would be higher than the rate for the full week. I complained about the smell and they gave me a coupon for $50 off my next rental from Budget. (Nice!)
When I got home, I called to complain. The rep was very nice and told me that they could adjust the rate and save me some money. The next day I received an adjusted receipt for $365. They had lowered the rate $20 for the week and added $20 in new charges for tolls. In short, I had an emergency and needed a car. They took advantage of the situation and made as much money as they could.
Reviewed May 23, 2013
I was renting at Budget at PHL. I booked a full size car. But when I went there, they demanded $5 more per day for full size car and insisted that I booked an intermediate car. I did not want to pay more than what I already paid. Thinking that there was miscommunication in the booking, I just went ahead and got an intermediate car. However, when I received a receipt upon returning the car, I found out in the receipt that I was indeed entitled a full size car, but received an intermediate car. I suspected that the rental agent in the counter wanted to make extra money out of me by cheating the class of a car I booked. I travel practically every week and never experienced such cheating.
Reviewed May 15, 2013
I've been renting a car from Budget for the past 4 months. Every week, I would call in to extend the car rental. They would take the weekly rate out of my checking account plus an extra $10 a week to extend the agreement. Every 4 weeks, I would have to return the car and redo the entire thing over again. When I would come in after the 4 weeks, they would run my card again and take the full amount out of my account again even though they were being paid every single week when I would renew the car. Therefore, they have overdrawn my account by over $1000 with fees, etc., and now are saying they never double dipped and that they do not owe me any money. They are the biggest rip off company out there so please beware if you rent from them. They are very rude and not helpful at all.
Reviewed May 7, 2013
My wife and I rented a subcompact car with our airline miles for our 4-day trip to Tampa, Florida. When we went to pick up the vehicle, the rental agent was all about the up-sell. First, he tried to get us to purchase the insurance coverage. We politely told him that we are completely covered by USAA for any rental car. When that didn't work, he tried once again stating that most insurance companies will not cover any damages done to the vehicle such as scratches. Again, we told him we decline to add on any additional charges to our car that we purchased with our hard earned airline miles.
After that, the agent asked how much luggage we had. When we showed him, he said the vehicle that was reserved for us was too small to hold our 4 bags, plus fit my frame. I am 6'3 and have driven vehicles as small as a Honda Fit. He suggested we upgrade to a larger car for an additional $10/day. Getting tired of his constant up-sells, we agreed to upgrade to a Dodge Avenger. We now have learned that our free rental car is going to cost us almost $90. The rental fee that is covered by my airline miles does not cover taxes or other charges.
Now 2 weeks after the rental car was returned, I receive a letter from Budget stating that when the vehicle was processed, they discovered a stain on the seats of the car. They informed me that my credit card would be charged $75 for the cleaning service. I am thinking that this is quite the racket this company has regarding upgrades to a larger car. And if you don't take the insurance coverage, then they find something wrong with the car upon your return. I plan to dispute the charges with my credit card company as my wife and I could not possibly left a stain in this vehicle.
Reviewed May 2, 2013
I booked a Chevy Cruze with my Southwest Airlines ticket into Oklahoma City on April 24, 2012. I declined the insurance since the insurance was more that the car rental plus I have full coverage on my personal car. After trying that three times, the agent then tried to sell me an upgrade to a Malibu. The agent finally gave me the keys at the counter and the spot number and said, "Good luck." That was the first time I had a rental that they did not do a walk-around the car with me. I spent two nights in OKC and drove to Dallas for the weekend. During that same time frame, there were hailstorms Friday & Saturday (in OKC). When I returned the car the following Tuesday, then they did a walk-around and discovered hail damage on the roof of the car. It took nearly an hour before they agreed not to bill me for it because they had no documentation that it wasn't already there.
Reviewed April 30, 2013
I am writing about my experience in hopes that others will know how to keep themselves from being defrauded by the rental car companies. I'm sure Budget is not alone in its practices, but they are the culprits in this particular instance. We arrived in Costa Rica at 10PM and went to the Budget counter to pick up our car. I had done a lot of research on rental insurance coverage prior to our trip so that I wouldn't be conned into buying something I didn't need at the rental counter, which happens all too often. I found that my credit card covered collision damage in Costa Rica, so I declined all insurance coverage including supplemental liability and personal effects.
The representative then informed me that if I did not purchase supplemental liability insurance, they would charge a $2,000 deposit to my card. And if I had an accident, I wouldn't be able to leave the country. I didn't know if he was telling the truth, but it was late and seemed risky to assume otherwise so I bought it. I informed him definitively that we would not be needing personal effects insurance as we had been warned and knew not to leave anything in the car ever in Costa Rica. The representative then gave me the rental car contract to initial and sign in several places, which I did.
When we returned our car a week later, I saw that the personal effects insurance had indeed been added to the bill in spite of the fact that I had declined it. When I mentioned this, the representative said that since I had already paid for the rental, he had no way of returning the money and I should call Budget customer service upon my return to the US. When I returned to the US, I did exactly as told. After a week, following is the email I received:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the charges applied to your rental with Budget Costa Rica. The customer service department in Costa Rica advised as follow: Attached documents proving that the client accepted and signed SLI insurance without being forced. We have received a copy of your signed rental contract, which indicates your acceptance of the optional coverage(s). In light of this documentation, we find the charges are correctly rendered. We are enclosing a copy of the signed contract for your records. Thank you for allowing us to be of assistance to you.
Upon receiving this email, I called Budget and asked the representative if I could speak to whoever had the authority to reverse these charges. She said that no one did. I said, "No one in the entire company has the authority to reverse these charges?" To which she said no and I should contact my credit card company to dispute the charges. I then called my credit card company to dispute the charges. They said that since there was a signed contract, they would be unable to dispute the charges, but that they (the credit card company) would refund me the disputed amount anyway as a gesture of goodwill. The representative also said that she believed me because the same thing had happened to her, and they got these calls all the time from customers. I told her it seemed unfair that the credit card company had to pay for Budget's fraudulent behavior, but I certainly appreciated the sentiment (and payment).
In summary, Budget Costa Rica defrauded me into paying for insurance coverage I had specifically declined. And when I mentioned it, they said I needed to call Budget in the US. When I called Budget in the US, they said they could do nothing because Budget Costa Rica said I had approved it and no one at any level of the company had any authority to rectify this situation. This behavior is appalling and I wish someone could do something about it. I'm guessing that Budget provides financial incentives for its representatives to sell extra insurance coverage. This leads to fraud on the customer. Someone should file a class action lawsuit, if they haven't already.
Reviewed April 28, 2013
I reserved a car via Hilton Honors at a discounted rate. Great! I checked-in at Budget at General Mitchell Airport on April 26, 2013. Friendly rep who assisted me however upgraded my reservation without informing me of additional charges. When I returned the vehicle and made the manager aware of the charge discrepancies, he offered me a coupon instead of honoring the initial reservation amount. I sternly declined and told them I will never rent from them again. Despicable!
Reviewed April 12, 2013
I live in the US (California) and traveled to the UK. Before leaving, I reserved a Budget Rental Car through Argus. The agreed upon price was $490.97. In the confirmation email I got from Argus, it refers to "Optional Extras or Fuel Charges are payable at the rental desk." Note the keyword here is "optional". When I got to the Scotland airport, after traveling for 24+ hours and I was delirious with jet lag, they demanded I buy insurance for 501.50 pounds, which, at the current exchange rate, worked out to $796.36! That's 1.62 times as much as the original rental price!
Because I'm not used to either driving on the left side of the road or driving a car with a manual transmission, I felt having a car with an automatic transmission (which I reserved) was mandatory. Those were getting to be in short supply even when I was making my reservation weeks earlier, and were likely sold out by the time I arrived, so I reluctantly agreed under duress to buy the insurance. I was standing there with two suit cases in hand. My friend that I was meeting there had taken two weeks of vacation to spend time with me. I had made numerous non-refundable reservations, etc. I pretty much didn't have any options at that point.
I contacted Argus a day or two later at their website and they opened a ticket, but said the issue could not be investigated until I returned the car. Now, why on earth would that be the case? I'll tell you why: it's so that I would be more likely to hang on to the car, rather than shopping around for a better deal and returning the car early, thus minimizing the amount of insurance money they could extort from me. I called Argus a few days later and someone assured me (and I questioned it and clarified) that this $796.36 insurance charge was a deposit, not a premium, and that it would not be billed to my card so long as I didn't damage the car, which I didn't.
I returned home on April 2 and on April 4, they had attempted to bill me for the entire $796.36. They only got $671.33 because that's about all I had in my checking account. They got a little more than what I had due to the overdraft protection, and of course I incurred overdraft fees. I emailed Budget and they beat me over the head with the fact that I had signed their contract, and basically told me to go to hell. Argus is expressing a little more sympathy, but I have yet to get a refund. The guy said he would pull the audio tape of the conversation I had with the Argus customer support woman, and if indeed I was assured that it was a deposit rather than a premium, I would receive a refund. That was stated on April 8.
Today is the 12th, and I have not been given any updates, and I couldn't get the guy on the phone who was assigned this case, and he hasn't responded to my emails requesting updates. I think Argus and Budget are co-conspirators in this. If Argus had given me correct information, I would have shopped around for a new rental car, and returned the old one, thus, at least minimizing the carnage. But I was misled. I was put off until it was too late to do anything about it, and now, I'm out an extra $671.33. This is highway robbery.
To summarize, I agreed in good faith to pay the stated amount of $490.97 and I did indeed pay this amount at the time I made the reservation. They ended up charging a total of $1297.33 for the rental car. That's 2.62 times what was originally agreed upon. A rental company is well within its rights to charge insurance, but they should state their requirements upfront and in advance! They shouldn't spring this one at someone at the airport! Even their own contract lists these charges as optional services, but they refused to rent the car to me without me agreeing to pay these fees.
This is worse than bait and switch. Bait and switch at least gives the person the option to walk away. I had flown from California to Scotland, and I needed a rental car, and had reserved one, and had paid the agreed upon price for it. Then, after they had me over a barrel, they extorted another $796.36 out of me. I will never rent from Budget/Avis ever again. I suggest you do likewise.
Reviewed April 8, 2013
I rented a Honda civic from Budget in Missoula, MT for a four day business trip. I dropped the car off at the airport at 5:30am for an early flight, and since I had no choice, I left the keys in the drop box. The car was in perfect condition. A week later, I received a call from Purco Fleet Services reporting the car had been keyed, and I owed them $1,200. I refuted the claim and wrote a formal letter to Purco and was promised an investigation. A week later, a representative gets back to me saying the claim is warranted. They don't need to furnish photos or evidence of damage. They are using their choice of repair shop and loss of use is non-negotiable; they will no longer investigate. This is the most baseless claim I have ever encountered, and I will be working with my lawyer, the Better Business Bureau and Budget Corporate to resolve this issue. I highly recommend you avoid Budget at all costs.
Reviewed April 4, 2013
I went online to Orbitz and paid $717 for a plane flight and rental car for an employee to oversee a project on one of our golf courses in TN. Upon arriving in TN at 11:00pm, Budget refused to give him the car because he was not a major credit card holder. Although we paid for the car ahead of time, Budget asked for credit card for incidentals (like it's a hotel). We sent him with a prepaid credit card that had plenty of money on it to cover the incidental requirement, but they wouldn't budge. So he took a taxi for a 100 bucks, 66 miles to golf course. Obviously, the incidental requirement is a bit over the top. For one, there is no room service or cable in a car. Haha. Secondly, be it a prepaid card or a non-prepaid card, it's only as good as the available amount.
I'd like to say I called Budget for a refund and it was quick and easy, but it wasn't. First off, the number to call goes to Avis (a sister company which has no ability to make or check reservations or do any other business for Budget). And when I finally got the right number, they told me to call Orbitz, to which Orbitz then had me hold while they contacted Budget for the refund. Can you say huh? In the end, I got half the car rental money back. However, the rep for the company was really good at making sure I knew that a major credit card is different than a prepaid Visa card. How about a couple of vouchers and what not for the stranded employee? Jerks.
Reviewed March 23, 2013
I had a miserable experience that you should look to remedy. I have rented cars from both Orlando and Ft Lauderdale for the past 6 weeks. I rented a car this evening thinking there would be no issues. I get to the tolls and find that the eToll is not in the car. I freaked out as I just ran through a toll and could be fined. I take the next exit to avoid further tolls then got on the phone. Unfortunately, I ended up in some international car center that has no notion of the eToll in Florida. They attempt to pass me to the Orlando desk, and they drop the call. That happens again. Then on the third attempt, I asked for the number and got told that they do not have a number that can be dialed within state. They can transfer me and dropped the call again.
I went to the local gas station to get change for the tolls and returned back to Orlando Airport. Before I did, I reviewed my reservation and found out that because I arrived an hour early, they want to charge me an additional $34. No one told me this, or I would have simply sat there to avoid a 10% increase on my rental. When I got back, they told me that the new cars don't need it because it’s on the license plate. I asked why it doesn't show up anywhere. They state it’s automatic. What happens if I didn't want to use theirs? What happens if I used my own? What happened to informing the customer? At the very least, there should have been a mirror hangar to inform me of the new configuration. So, two hours of hassle later and all you have is an upset repeat customer. What do you want to do to correct it?
Reviewed March 21, 2013
Budget said they will rent me a car for $81.39. When I got there, they refuse to rent me a car and said, “We have to give you a truck for $568.78.” I had no choice but to take that. It cost me $190 extra gas. Shame on Budget. I need my money back. Thank you.
Reviewed March 19, 2013
I rented a car at the Portland Airport so I could attend my grandmother's funeral. I was thrilled that I got a good deal on Priceline at 60% off. My week long rental was only $179. I rent cars at least twice a year for travel and have never had any problems previously. How was I to know that I was about to engage in the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my life and be charged and erroneous $476? One day in NE Portland, I accidentally parked in front of someone's driveway and my rental car was towed. It took me 42 phone calls, two days, and 11 direct hours of dealing with the situation to even talk to someone who was helpful; 80% of all the customer service reps I spoke with were some of the most non-empathetic people I have ever come across. They were rude, sounded annoyed from the start, and had wrong information. I was hung up on three times during transfers, and they were all around unhelpful.
Apparently, it is Budget's policy that the customer cannot pick up the vehicle if it were towed. Every customer service person I asked (most of them just kept transferring me to the wrong person) could tell me that this was the policy, but no one could tell me where this policy was located or how I could get a copy. I finally found someone who could help me. He called the manager of the PDX airport Budget, and I am granted special permission to go pick up the vehicle from the towing company. I got back home and the vehicle I rented from Priceline for $179 is now costing me $1,000! My debit account that I used as the security card when picking up the vehicle has been charge $350, the full cost of the rental. I also just received a bill in the mail for $211 from Budget.
Let me break this down. I completely take responsibility for the fact that I parked in front of someone's driveway. I paid $202 for the impound and I have the $90 parking citation to pay. Forget all of the illegal parking fees and I will have paid $476 directly to Budget. (This does not include the Priceline rental fee I already paid.) Upon calling Budget customer service again to discuss this issue, I am told that the $350 that I was charged was for the towing fee and that I needed to prove that I paid the fee directly to the towing company. But $350 was the exact amount for a full price (non-Priceline) rental of the vehicle. I am convinced that no one knows what they are talking about.
To top it off, the bill I received for the parking ticket states that the violation amount was $181.50. I have the ticket in front of me and it was for $90 and is not past due. Then they have a line item for $30 handling fee. Where did the other $91.50 come from? This company does not have their act together and they are taking it out on the consumer. Not only was I two days without a car I rented, but they are charging me $476 in fees that they appear to have just made up. I am writing reviews everywhere I can and making a complaint to the BBB. I have never experienced such bad service in all my life.
Reviewed March 18, 2013
I reserved a car last Friday online with no problem. I arrived at 8:00am to pick it up from the Charlotte, NC location on Independence Blvd, and the person was late to open the store. He never apologized but was prompt in getting me the car. I reserved a sedan and got a compact but didn't care. I was supposed to return it Monday at 8:00am but didn't. I called but no one answered; nevertheless, I returned it at 6pm. I was charged a $10 late fee and $34 for that day. My bill was $54.74; no one could answer why I was overcharged, $10 + $34 = $44.
Two days later, I was charged an additional $15.00 which made my total bill $69.00 for 8 hours late. I called the manager who was clueless, so I called the main office. I spent over 90 minutes between both calls to receive a $10 credit, as if they were doing me a favor. I have no issue paying a late fee or even a day rate, but $69.00 with no explanation is piss poor customer service. The sad thing is that as a district manager with my job, I am obligated to use Enterprise. I chose Budget and paid out of my pocket because I personally dislike Enterprise's check out times. Needless to say, I have learned my lesson. Save your money and time; Budget is not the company they used to be! They will never see my face again and not because they wouldn't refund the astronomical charge, but because they never returned my emails or calls. I pass three car rental places to get to Budget. I won't anymore.
Reviewed March 12, 2013
On Monday, 3/4, I booked a hotel and rental car reservation through Orbitz.com, Budget booking reference #**. My debit card was charged $146.23 at the time of booking and was to cover our hotel, rental car and additional rental car insurance. On Friday, 3/8, we arrived at the St. Louis, MO Airport location at 10482 Natural Bridge Rd. next to the Hilton Hotel. I was informed at the time of pick up that a $200 authorization would be placed on my debit card because it was a debit card and not a credit card. Because my sister and I were taking a short trip and we both had limited funds, we agreed that my sister, Amy **, would put her credit card on file in the event of additional emergency costs. We were told at that time, no authorization hold would be placed on her card because it was a credit card and not a debit card.
At this time, the man helping us said that my sister would be the only driver allowed to drive during our trip even though the car was booked in my name. We asked how much it would be to add a second driver and we were told it would be $13.00. We agreed that $13.00 was reasonable and proceeded to add myself as a second driver. We were told at that time that the $13.00 would not be charged to my sister’s card until we returned the next day. My sister was asked to sign the pin pad reader to authorize me as the second driver and to acknowledge that she was giving her credit card information to be placed on file in the event of an emergency or damage charges. At no time did any additional fees come on the pin pad reader for her review. She simply signed the box that was on the screen with no additional information provided.
Also at the time of arrival, the man checking us involuntarily offered an upgrade stating that my sister looked too tall to fit in the economy model I had reserved. We both said that we would be fine, we were on a budget and it was just the two of us, and we did not want an upgrade. The man behind the counter assured us that he would take care of us as a courtesy. Again, we specifically stated that we did not want to incur any additional fees and we were fine. He continued to push the upgrade on us reassuring us multiple times that he would take care of us and not to worry about any additional fees.
Imagine our surprise when we returned the next day and were presented with a bill for $70.57. I immediately disputed the receipt with the man on the parking lot and told him there must have been an error as I had prepaid for my services at the time of booking. I was told to go inside and dispute the charges at the counter. I immediately went into the location and asked for clarification. The original man who waited on us the day before refused to even look me in the eye or acknowledge my presence. He knew what he had done, and he knew I was upset and not once did he come over while I was talking to the man at the counter and try to correct the situation. I waited for several minutes to try and get his attention and he refused to even glance my way.
The man who did wait on me on Saturday was no better. He simply typed in my reservation number, hit the print key and gave me a receipt showing that my sister had signed to authorize the charges of $70.57 and that they had done nothing wrong. I very loudly stated that the man to his left had waited on us the day before and assured us that we would not be charged an upgrade fee and that the additional driver fee would be $13.00, not $13.00 a day, totaling $26.00. The man said there was nothing he could do because my sister signed for the charges, when in fact my sister signed a blank authorization box on a credit card machine after being told she was signing to authorize her card to be added to the rental.
I asked for a manager and was told there was not one available. I was told I could call customer service, but that he did not know the number to call. I find that very hard to believe. The Budget Rental employee didn’t know the number for me to file a complaint - how convenient! I inquired again at the gate as we were leaving for an 800# to customer service and was told by the lady that she only knew the number for the branch location and we would have to look up the main 800#. As my sister was driving, I immediately did just that. I looked up the number on my phone and spoke with a gentleman who apologized for the misunderstanding and offered to refund $44.57 in upgrade and additional bogus charges of vehicle license recoup fees, and energy recovery fees, but that he still had to charge the additional driver fee of $26.00 because it was legitimately $13.00 a day and we should have known that the $13.00 quoted to us only covered one day of our 2-day rental.
I then asked for his supervisor. His initial response was to say he could request a supervisor for me, but I should know if I continue to dispute the matter, it is possible that I will not receive a refund of any charges. Seriously! So what you are saying is that if I continue to pursue a fair and valid claim of misrepresentation and fraud, I will be possibly penalized further? Amazing! I proceeded to ask to speak with a supervisor and was given a woman by the name of Jessica **, # **. Ms. ** was the most arrogant person I have ever spoken to on the phone in my life. That is saying a lot because I worked in a customer service call center for 10 years, the last 4 of which were in an escalated supervisory role where I was tasked with resolving customer complaints. Ms. ** was not only arrogant but was also unhelpful, condescending and rude!
Her answer to every statement I made was that it was my responsibility as the customer to know what I was signing for and that she as a representative had no responsibility to rectify the situation and the original man at the Budget location had no responsibility to be truthful to the customers he served. She further stated that not only was the issue 100% my fault, but that she was overriding the previous operators statement that my sister would receive even a partial refund on her card for the $44.57.
I then asked for her manager and was told there was not one available, but that she would put a request in for a Mr. Nicholas ** to call me back within 48 hours. At this point I was very skeptical that she was being honest and I pressed for a return phone number to call back when Mr. ** failed to call me back. She refused to give me a call back number several times, then claimed to not hear me, then very rudely provided me with a different 800# of 800-352-7960. I asked her to repeat the number several times and even read it back to her once.
While I was speaking with Jessica, we had arrived back at my home and my sister proceeded to call her credit card company to check on disputing the charges through their channels. Imagine her surprise when she was told there were pending authorization charges totaling $470.57! She was told by her credit card company at that time that these were just pending charges and my sister would have to wait until Monday to see what actually charged to her card before she could dispute anything.
It is now Monday, 3/11, at 10:13 pm CST. I never got a call from Mr. ** and my sister’s credit card has been charged the full $470.57. I even called on 3-way with her to her credit card company to verify these were no longer pending authorizations and actual charges and they are. I tried to call the 800# provided to me by Jessica and it never even rings, just tries to connect then immediately disconnects. My sister has now cancelled her credit card and will be disputing all charges with your company. I am writing this letter to ask you to do the right thing and credit the full $470.57 back to her card immediately.
The customer service and lack thereof that I have received with your company is horrendous. At this point, I will never use your company again and am posting this on my Facebook page as well to warn others against using your services. In the event that your company chooses to rectify the situation and do the right thing, I will post that on Facebook as well.
Reviewed March 5, 2013
I made a booking for a 7 passenger van - picking up in Glasgow and returning to London. I got a quote of $1,147.61. This included everything. When I got the confirmation email, I saw that the quote was no longer in US dollars but had been switched to UKL (British pounds). A hair under $1,800.00. This is easily verified by going to the Budget UK website. The exact same van with everything I requested is quoted at 789.26 UKL (about $1,200.00). This difference is quite substantial. Bad boys, Budget.
Reviewed March 4, 2013
On 3/4/13, I went to rent a vehicle and was denied because I was told I needed to make a reservation by a very rude rep/supervisor named Vickey. So I went home and I made one. I called and gave her my name. I asked, "Was a reservation available?" She told me yes it was. I went up there and was immediately treated like an animal by this Vickey and another associate named Dustin **. They were literally talking about me like a dog to my face, saying things like, "I hate when people go home and make reservations just to get a car." As they realized I was sitting there watching them talk about and read the look on my face, Vickey then scooted behind Dustin's back and brought her voice down to a whisper to prevent me from reading her lips. Then when they realized I made the reservation for a month, I was treated like an animal once again.
Dustin very rudely asked me, "Do you really want this car for a month because I'm not going to rent it to you if you don't." I informed him I would need it for that length of time because my transmission had gone out on my truck and I needed transportation to and from work. Vickey then got on the phone and began talking about me once again to someone on the phone because I was asking for it for a month. I informed her I was a regular here at Budget and that this was not the first time I had ever rented a car for that length of time. She rudely replied, "I know. I have seen your face before." I just kept my mouth shut and raised my eyebrows.
I have always been charged for the deposit on my credit card and then paid for the amount of the rental in cash when I returned it. I was told that they were not going to allow that to happen. I told them I've done it before, I don't see why now was any different. I was denied the rental because I didn't pay for the entire amount upfront on a card. I told them I didn't have $1,100 on a cc, but I could pay that amount in cash. I told them modify the rental to a week (which I have also done before as well) and they told me no. I stated that, "You are hell bent on not giving me a rental because I went home and made a reservation and that rubbed you wrong." She just shrugged her shoulders at me.
I went into the tunnel leading to the car garage and called corporate. I spoke with an assistant supervisor named Carl, who claimed he called up at the front desk several times. I told him that I was standing at the tunnel and there was not a single person at the desk, so they were deliberately not answering the phone. I have always rented from Budget but never again. I will not deal with you people. I have now taken my business to Enterprise because they do not treat their customers like this. I cannot believe what I dealt with from your employees when I have spent thousands with Budgets. I will make sure I tell it on a mountain to stay far from you people and your nasty, ignorant employee. Do not deal with Budget/Avis.
Reviewed Jan. 17, 2013
We rented a car last (only 1 day 1/2) Friday, from Jan. 11, 2013 03:00 PM to Sun, Jan 13, 2013 03:00 PM at San Diego Intl Airport (Lindbergh Field), 3125 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA 92101 US. They have very poor customer service. They let us go back and forth from the desk and the lobby 5 to 6 times because their cars were nasty; there were stains all over the seats (driver, passenger & back) and dents/scratches. The first time we told the lady there were stains all over and she said, "Of course it's a rental car so there are stains and dents/scratches." The fourth time we went back to the desk carrying our heavy luggage, she said, “This is what you’re paying for so you can check cars on 201 to 206.” We found one that was okay so when we got back to the desk again for the fifth time, the lady who was assisting us was assisting another customer, so the other lady showed up and told her the car we picked. And she said, “We can't give you that car because this is what you paid,” (Really! Seriously you need to educate your employees).
Then finally we checked on the last one and that worked for us. This is a horrible experience and I won't go back with you again. We rented a car from other companies and had no problem at all - new cars, no dents/scratches and you can choose from one area to another, and of course good customer service. I'm doing customer service myself and if my guest/customer is not happy, why not upgrade them right (if that will make them happy)? One more thing, it says they open @ 4:30 am. We almost missed our flight because they opened 5 min. late then another 5 minutes to check on the car. Very disappointed and I won't recommend this company. I was quoted $51.31 (including taxes) and they charged my credit card $71.47.
Reviewed Jan. 12, 2013
I booked this new rental via Travelocity. When at the counter, I was served by agent Zane. When picking up the car, the rental agent at no time informed me or offered me an upgrade to my car rental. He said very few words in the rental process. Aside from the standard salutations, he only said, "We have a Ford Mustang for you," before immediately moving on and asking me about insurance coverage. There was no notification that the Mustang was an upgrade, no request if I was interested in an upgrade and no opportunity to accept or reject the upgrade that evidently was being offered. (I definitely did not want a Mustang, which is averaging 12.9MPG, for my city driving and specifically wanted something more fuel-efficient and economical).
The following evening, when I took a closer look at the rate charged vs. what was booked on Travelocity, I noticed that there was a significant price difference. I called your customer service number and spoke with Terry (sp?). She was polite but told me that I needed to speak to billing in regards to the issue about the rate/class I booked and the rate/class I was being charged. The billing department was already closed. She gave me the number for billing and requested that I call back the next morning. When I called the next morning (January 12), I spoke with Leah and then when she was not willing to resolve the issue; I asked to speak to her supervisor. I was then transferred to Nicole **, her supervisor. I am very disappointed with the bait-and-switch tactic used at the rental counter (by Zane) as well as the lack of desire to resolve the problem by both the customer service rep, Leah, and her supervisor, Nicole **.
Per the price guarantee on Budget's site and the posted marketing lines that they want to provide clients with good service, I do not see the action from any of the Budget employees in this experience reflecting any commitment or interest in providing customer service and a positive experience. As a result of the rep and the supervisor unwilling to correct the issue of the desk agent's unapproved and unethical upgrade, my only option was to terminate my current booking and have Travelocity book me a competitive rate with a competing car rental agency. I was very disappointed in the deceptive practices by your desk agent, Zane, and the lack of desire to resolve my problem (by the phone rep or her supervisor). In my extensive travels I have not experienced such treatment by other car rental agencies within the US and only have received such poor service from Soviet-style Russian companies on my frequent travels to Russia.
I have terminated my rental with Budget (since I was offered no other choice), filed a complaint with Travelocity and will be sure to share my experience on Twitter, Yelp and other sites. Based upon this negative experience, I will avoid Budget in the future and warn my colleagues, friends and acquaintances of the tactics of Budget desk agents such as Zane.
Reviewed Dec. 30, 2012
I rented a car from Budget about a week and a half ago from the Atlanta airport. I rented the car for a week, and the lady at the counter told me that if I kept the car over a week, the rate would go to a daily rate. A week went by, and I saw a charge on my credit card. I thought nothing of it. While in a meeting at work, I get a phone call from Ricky ** in their security department. He told me I had to return the car that day and asked me what time I will be returning the car. I told him I would have to call him back. Ten minutes later, I get a phone call from my father saying they called him.
I left my meeting and called Mr. ** back and left him a message saying I would bring the car back after work at 5:30. He called me back. He told me that I was not the one driving the car and we both knew it. I told him that is not true - I had the car. He called me a liar. He then said, "See what happens to you if you don't bring the car back by one [a clear threat]." He hung up on me and would not take my calls. I called customer service, and they read the notes to me and told me that Ricky ** wrote that I said I was not the one driving the car. I never said that. I asked to speak to whom he reports to so I could find out what was going on, and I kept on getting transferred to him.
Finally, I got in contact with the head of customer service who listened to what I had to say, but no apology. Tomorrow I will find out who Mr. ** reports to. I don't like threats, especially when I don't know why I'm being threatened. The car was returned and paid for, and a half of a day of work was missed for me. I will dispute the charge on my credit card until I get an explanation of what the issue was.
Reviewed Dec. 28, 2012
My daughter is an active duty Navy, and I am a retired Marine Corp. We just had one of the worst experiences I've ever had with your staff at the Reno/Tahoe Airport. She had just flown in from Chicago on leave. She'd had two flights cancelled trying to get because of the weather back east. She needed to rent a car to drive to Sacramento because of it. We went to your counter, filled out all the paperwork, and stood there twenty minutes while your counter person kept going back and forth to the manager in the back trying to figure out how to deal with a military discount. Finally, they decided they couldn't. When I asked why, their explanation was that she didn't go through the proper channels beforehand. I tried to explain that it was due to the weather and the cancellation of flights, but they didn't care. They acted like they didn't have time to help an active duty military.
I asked for the manager’s name and she, **, acted like she didn't want to give me that. She wouldn't in fact until I insisted. She seemed much more concerned about my coarse language than the way our military was being treated. Like I said, I'm retired Marine Corp and I'm sorry if I said "hell," but when people who are sitting at home being protected by our military have the gall to "not have the time" to assist a member of our military when they are having troubles, it makes me mad. I am a member of every Veterans group you can think of. I go to national conventions of the VFW, and I will never hesitate to tell everyone I can about the unpatriotic way a member of our armed forces was treated today by your business in Reno Nevada.
Reviewed Dec. 27, 2012
I went to pick up a car at the Budget Rental place in Jackson, MS at the airport on December 24th, 2012. I booked the reservation back in August 2012, and after booking this, I called them and confirmed they received the rental. They did. I asked them then several times if I had to pay a deposit when picking up the car and they said no. I called two weeks before vacation (Christmas) to confirm this again and they said no. I got to the desk and they charged me a deposit after all - $200. After paying for the car itself to rent for 4 days, I still had to pay a deposit. I took what little cash I had left for traveling expenses and gifts for my kids and family. The lady behind the counter was very rude and nasty. As she said Merry Christmas to everyone, she giggled with a devious laugh and it was after she screwed us all over with a deposit.
There were two other women behind me with the same exact issue. They were also advised no deposit. The lady behind the counter was very rude, unprofessional and just downright mean about it all. I wish I had taken a picture of her face when she made these dirty looks to us all to prove to everyone what I am saying here. When I got in the car in the garage and drove out, there was no one at at the shack or little office there to get their little clipboard and walk around the car to check for scratches, damages or things not working in or out of the car before driving off - which all places should do this.
After getting on down the road, I had to pull over to get the phone charger out of the car because the phone had died and I was going to charge in the car. Well, the lighter/phone charger car plug-in did not work. I noticed a huge scratch on the back bumper. I immediately contacted the customer service and informed them of this to note it on their records because I was not paying for that. They were nice and polite about it all. I also informed them of the nasty and rudeness of the desk clerk there. I have their names (hers and her manager's but will withhold here. But I have given it to the customer service and upper management).
When I returned the car this morning, I asked for a manager. At that time, I got the manager's info. So I called her at that point. She of course took the side of her clerk and backed her. She offered some coupons to send to me for the trouble of all this. She can keep them. I will never give Budget Rent-A-Car another dime as long as I live! Coupons? Really?! How about a simple apology from both of those women?! Nope. Instead, I get coupons thrown out? No thanks. I have also reported them to the Better Business Bureau and upper management. That is right. I went above the manager's head and spoke to someone else this morning and yesterday too on the matter.
The customer service and their cars are not good. It is poor, pathetic and very unprofessional. Budget Rent-A-Car will screw you.
Reviewed Dec. 26, 2012
I went to Budget Desk to have some information about car rentals and a guy just started to offer lots of kinds of car and talked too much. Then when he just presented a very expensive value per 2 days’ use of a basic car for 328USD, I told him it was very expensive and didn't want it and he could cancel the procedure he had done. After that I had a problem with my credit card denied all day long on my shopping day. I just imagined it was just because he tried an authorization, and it was common. No, he was charging me, and when I arrived in Brasil where I live, my credit card adm called and informed there was someone trying to use my credit card all the time and it was now blocked and charged almost 300USD on it that I have to pay!
I tried a lot of times to call them for a complaint and on the website or Contact Us system but I couldn't contact them anyway! I'm very upset, my credit card adm can't cancel the charge done because I have to talk to them first, oh my god! I will have to take a flight to Dallas to solve the problem with that guy in person, but sure, sue the company and make a lot of bad comments and protect all my friends who rent cars all over the world! I talked to my friend who works for TV for a special attention for companies like that! I don't have other way to solve this problem if I don't take the flight back to USA and in DFW to talk to the same guy who charged me and is still using my credit card!
Reviewed Dec. 21, 2012
I rented a truck in Washington, DC to go to Pennsylvania to move my daughter. As soon as we arrived, we packed the truck and it never started up again. The truck broke down. After calling and waiting over two hours, they sent someone to look at the truck. They said it would need to be towed. An additional two hours later, a tow truck came. We were told Budget would pay for us to stay in a hotel. After calling back, the customer service center was closed. We were stranded to sleep outside in the truck. The tow truck man checked in on us when going by and offered us to stay at his house. It was so cold. We were told it would take two days or more before they could swap trucks and we would be better off letting them fix the truck the next morning.
The truck finally at 4:00PM was ready. En route home, the truck slowed driving. It broke down again. It is raining, sleeting, snow and we were driving on the turnpike 20mph with trucks and cars flying by us. No close exit. I called the highway patrol for assistance to get off the highway. We made it to as Breezewood and had it checked again. Finally, we drove with the hazard lights on and made it home in twice the time it took going. I have inconvenienced people that took off work to watch my grandchildren and lost now two days of work. I am so so disappointed with the numerous times I was placed on hold. The truck was packed when towed and I had several boxes overturned and damaged belongings. This was the worst experience in my life.
Reviewed Dec. 14, 2012
I made my reservation through Costco. I never had a problem with other car rental agencies going through Costco. Upon arriving at the LAX counter, George told me I did not have a reservation and at the rate as shown on the confirmation page I handed to him. A supervisor had to come override the rate. I declined all offers, specifically prepaid gas. I returned the car to Norma and was charged for prepaid gas. I filled the tank with gas and have the receipt. I had to go back inside for them to delete the prepaid gas to receive the rate on the original reservation. This Budget is a franchise, maybe they all are. They are either poorly trained or trained to rip the customer off with a bad attitude to boot. Never rent with Budget.
Reviewed Dec. 7, 2012
I just received a letter stating approximately three weeks after dropping off a 24-hour rental car from Budget that we would be charged $150 for excessive soiling due to dog hair. On November 18, we left our home in FL destined for a 3-hour ride to Tampa Airport (beware of Budget assessment at this airport) with our two small short hair dogs that had been shampooed the day before for our flight to NH. The dogs were quiet and clean. I have had kids in a car that leave more dirt and sand from their shoes than any small dog could possible leave in hair and I have never been charged for soiling. Upon contacting Budget with the phone number given, we quickly discovered after 30 minutes on the phone with numerous disconnects that indeed we had the wrong number. Finally, we spoke to a girl, Anita, who suggested we contact their legal department, cut and dry. I demanded a photo, which she said she would email, (How do I know it is not generic? Gee, hair sample for a DNA study may be next) and a copy of our contract which was placed in Venice, FL.
I contacted them as required and was told that in fact it should be Budget at Tampa Airport that should give me the contract. So obviously, my choice is to spend a few more hundred dollars and contact my attorney as this is really a scam. My sympathy goes out to those who don't have the fight in them or are too old to attempt to slap the hands of such business practices or are too uneducated to understand their rights. Or do we have rights? Consumer vs. big business? Luckily, I come from a family of lawyers. So my advice is don't transport anything without body bags with provided air ducts and a hand vacuum and have the poor employee who has to meet his quota sign off in front of you that all is clean.
Reviewed Nov. 23, 2012
I used Budget Rental Car in August 2012. I traveled long and stopped on every toll stop and paid cash on all of them. Two to three weeks later, they charged me for using the automatic e-toll services. Apparently, there was a device that was installed in my car that if active would register the e-toll pass even if you stopped and paid cash. Of course, I didn't order such device in my car and no disclosure was made at any time of booking or by the agent at the desk for the presence of it and the possibility of deactivating it. I called the toll free number on my bill and the representative said I would receive an answer within 24 hours on my email. Three business days later until today, I never received any answer. When I tried to dispute the charge, they sent me a legal disclaimer that in essence said that they are not responsible for third party billings. The charges for e-tolls were $1.50 but they added $15 fee to that which went in their pocket. They may give you a better rate initially, but they'll steal your money later. Stay away from these leeches!
Reviewed Nov. 23, 2012
I rented a car for my trip to Cancun, Mexico through the web of AAdvantage. I reserved a full-size car. When reached, they did not honor the confirmation I had made and asked for more money. At the same time, they did charge me more for the insurance that the one prepaid through the web is not valid. The car broke down on the highway. They left us waiting for help for more than one hour under 90 degrees with a 4 month old baby when their office was a 10 minute drive from where we were. The car mechanically broke down. They did not close my bill. They want us to pay for repair. It’s crazy we were treated like garbage by the staff - no help, nothing at all. They like American dollars but they treat Americans bad.
Reviewed Nov. 17, 2012
I declined all additional products/insurance when I picked up my rental in Tampa. I had a 10-day rental, and after I returned the car, I was billed $445 for extras. The rental cost $451, and they added $445 in extras. I complained, and first, they offered to waive $150. When I refused and filed a complaint online, I was left a message that $299 would be credited. I made several calls to dispute $75 still not credited back. No return calls. I sent 2 letters to the office of the CEO and president, and I have yet to receive a response. I will never rent from Budget/Avis again. Beware what you are signing for at Tampa Budget. This was a customer service nightmare.
Reviewed Nov. 15, 2012
Budget/AVIS Refusal to rent car - I enrolled in the Budget Small Business Program. Under the initial terms of agreement, small businesses were to receive a $2.00 per day rental rebate payable the following month. After numerous rentals, I had to continually call in order to receive my rebate. After some months I found out through conversations with Customer Service Supervisor and reps at Budget, that they changed the rebate payment plan from monthly to quarterly without any notification by Budget Customer Service and that they were not obligated to notify customers of the change in a rude and a "take it or leave it" manner.
I informed the Dept. Supervisor that this was a breach of contract on their part. As a result of this, there were several other dates that I attempted to rent and was declined and was not informed for the reasons for the declination. As a result, I was also declined rentals from Avis and ascertained later that Avis is the parent company since they must share the same database. The company should be held responsible for this abuse and their licenses to operate should be forfeited and fined due to their actions and breach of contract.
Reviewed Nov. 12, 2012
We rented a car at Denver International Airport from Budget Rent-A-Car on 9/23/12 as we had planned a trip from Vermont to Denver and would be driving several hundred miles from Denver to the mountains and back east to Scottsbluff, Nebraska where we would attend a family wedding. On 9/4/12, we had made a reservation with Budget. Upon timely arrival at the Budget location at the Denver airport, we were informed that the vehicle we had chosen on our initial reservation would not be adequate for mountain driving. With limited options made available to us, we upgraded to a larger, more powerful vehicle thus also upgrading our agreed upon rental fee from $268 for the week to $425 for the week. Unhappily, we agreed as this seemed our only option to meet our needs.
We returned the vehicle at the agreed upon time and date of 9/30/123 at 2pm. All was well until I reviewed my credit card statement three weeks later. There was a charge of $656 from Budget Rent-A-Car. This was far in excess of $425 and more than twice the original reservation price of $268. I called Budget Rent-A-Car and learned that I was charged for rental of the vehicle until October 3, 2012, three days extra for Budget Rent-A-Car. I guess I'm supposed to feel fortunate that they found the vehicle on October 3 and not November 3 or December 3. We had left the vehicle in the drop-off line where every other car return was dropped. We had received the same "You're good" that everyone else in the return line appeared to be receiving. Ordinarily, I would not have been checking my credit card statement so closely. I generally trust merchants with whom I do business. I think of it as a relationship. On two separate occasions, we had opportunities to trust this merchant, Budget Rent-A-Car.
We are suspicious that Budget has used those occasions as opportunities to fatten their bottom line, add on $175 for a better vehicle. Add another $225 for three days rental that is unwarranted. Of course, we are pursuing a correction of these charges with Budget. Regardless of the outcome, we have lost trust in this vendor. It has been approximately three weeks since filing our objection to this charge. We've heard nothing. Budget could resolve this rather simply in a number of ways starting with a phone call to us. Trust is on the line. Currently, I would never do business with Budget again and would discourage all my family and friends from the same. Thankfully, there's more than one company to rent a car from. I'd like to find one that wants to have a relationship.
Reviewed Nov. 8, 2012
I rented a car in Union Station, DC because trains were not running during Hurricane Sandy. Contract was marked full tank - wrong - it had half a tank! Upon return to NJ, all local return locations were closed. For four consecutive days, I tried to return the car. I showed up at the location - no one was there. I called National Call Center and Customer Service. They also tried to call several locations - no answer. I established a case file thinking I would have a record of my attempts and the reps' communication back to me. Guess what? My file doesn't reflect what reps advised me or my attempts to return the car. Manager at Customer Service was rude, talked over me and tried to end the call. A formal complaint will be written to Tulsa, OK location. Do not rent from Budget.
Reviewed Oct. 11, 2012
I returned my car with a full gas tank. Several days later, they charged my credit card about $75 for gas. I called them and was told they topped it off with 7.5 more gallons at almost $9/gallon. It's a scam! Beware of Budget Wichita Airport! It's interesting, I put in almost 14 gallons into a 16.9 gallon tank, drove 3 miles to return the car, and they claimed I left the tank 7.5 gallons empty. Beware of these crooks!
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2012
An update to the $21.62 charged by location to fill the tank of the Ford Explorer that I returned in full to the location I rented from: Budget Customer Service did credit my credit card for the full amount of $21.62. That makes me happy that someone did what they said they would do! But I’m not happy with the Budget location for not helping me and causing me to spend time on the phone with them haggling, trying to get credited for the full tank of gas, more time looking up the customer service number, calling the number and dealing with the issue in general. But overall, I have been credited for what I should not have been charged for but not happy with the location.
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2012
We rented a car from the Denver Airport Budget location. As soon as we were out of the city, the low tire pressure light came on. We quickly had the tire looked at. The repair shop informed us that there was a nail in the tire. We called Budget prior to having it fixed. They said, "go ahead and have the tire repaired," by having the nail removed and a plug inserted. We paid the $15 for this repair and only lost 3 hours of our vacation. We were told we would be reimbursed the $15 when we returned the car.
We submitted the repair receipt when we returned to Denver and were told we would not be reimbursed the money as we did not have the additional insurance. We told them that was fine and the car was inspected with no concerns. We later received a bill in excess of $1500. The bill stated it was an estimate of the damage that "could have" been done to the tire and rim. It wasn't even for actual damage! The tire never went flat and was repaired. We have been calling and writing letters to Budget with no response. I am afraid that with no one responding, the account may be sent to collections. Besides escalating our complaint, I don't see another venue for resolution.
Reviewed Sept. 20, 2012
McAllen rental did not have compact and I did not have reservations, so I upgraded to mid-size. I went through all the questions, moved over to swipe credit card without reading the screen as I thought it was just the amount of charge as even on my toes I could barely see where to sign, then I scurried off to the car, only after she said, "Oh, this goes with the car" and handed me a GPS. I thought cool. It came with this class of car. She did the same thing to the lady in front of me. I dropped the car in Dallas on a Saturday.
I did not have a chance to review the bill before I was charged, but when it was printed out, I saw the $59.95 bill and he would not do anything but sent me to the office. The office manager would not do anything. McAllen's phone rang significant number of times then disconnect. Later looking at my receipt in McAllen, I noticed the charge was on there. If others received this treatment, I might see if there is a class action in this type of intentional fraud.
Reviewed Sept. 20, 2012
Returned with full tank but Budget location said it was not full: I was charged an extra $21.62 by the Budget location to fill the gas tank of the Ford Explorer that I rented. I have rented from this location (Denton, TX on FM 380) in the past with no problems. I am an experienced renter and know the ins and outs of returning the vehicle correctly - filling tank to full (this locations req's) or however much was in the tank as stated on the contract, clean the vehicle, etc. In the past, I rented from Enterprise and was not happy so I changed to this Budget location and have had no problems. They have always been very customer service friendly and very helpful.
I filled the tank to full and verified it was full by turning on the vehicle and checking to make sure the little blue bar was all the way to F on the gauge. I even topped off the tank to a round dollar amount after verifying it was full on the gauge. So this thing was full! The station that I used was around a 1/2 mile from the Budget location so I could not have used what the location said it took to fill the vehicle - 3 gallons!
After speaking with the location at length, they could not adjust this amount off of my credit card; otherwise, he would have to pay for the gas out of his pocket. I called Budget customer service and they said they could adjust the amount off my credit card. Customer service also said the gentleman I spoke to at the location problem just didn't know how to process this matter. So we will see in 3-5 days if the $21.62 is adjusted from my bill. I want to be a satisfied customer and told the gentleman at the location this but he just couldn't help. I need to rent another vehicle next month for five days but I'm not sure who to rent from now. Just watch out for gas-gremlins at this Budget location! They are gobbling gas out of rentals returned after-hours!
Reviewed Sept. 17, 2012
In July, I rented a Budget car for a one-way trip from Texas to Indiana. The price quoted for the two-day trip was $436. When I returned the car, the price came out to $652. At the return desk, I discussed this with their consumer complaint department; and he stated that I returned the car 3 hours late, so they charged me an additional day. I complained that nothing within the contract said anything about what time of day to return the car. Budget stated that they would credit me $212, and as such, reduce my charges. When my credit card statement came in, it was for the full $652 - without the credit. I again called Budget, and they said that the manager overturned the customer service rep’s credit and that I owed the full amount. Budget never called me and said that there would be no credit. I assume they were just going to try to sneak it past on my card. Stay away from this deceptive company.
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2012
Anchorage Budget scam - We rented a Taurus-like car for a day for $135.00. My husband didn't notice the crack in the windshield until later when the sun came out and dismissed it. We returned the car, less than 50 miles and less than 24 hours. We went nowhere really. The girl at the airport said we did it. We argued for 20 minutes saying we did not and we left. Thirty days later, we got a bill for $535.00. We feel that this is a scam and they are thieves. The owner, Melanie Stanley, has not returned calls.
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2012
My wife and I have rented from Budget several times in the past. Most recently, in May 2012, we reserved a 16' moving truck for pickup in Michigan and drop-off in Florida (**). We also reserved a one-way Ford Edge vehicle for pickup in Florida and drop-off back in Michigan. The cost of the Ford Edge rental (**) was quoted at $118.34 with tax and surcharge. Due to an illness and subsequent death in the family, we had to postpone this move. We subsequently rented a 16' moving truck May 15-17, 2012 in Michigan (**). Pick up in Lansing and drop-off in Whitehall. No issues with this truck. After that, in early June, we reserved a car in Orlando for a weekly rental (**); pickup and drop-off in Orlando. We were very pleased with the Chevy Cruze and the Budget experience.
In August, after the funeral, we attempted to restructure the same Michigan to Florida and back truck/Ford Edge reservation, but we're told that it would be much more expensive. We ended up renting, again from Budget, a 24' moving truck (**) with a car hauler to tow our personal vehicle. The car hauler was not available, so we chose to rent the truck, which I drove, and follow with our personal vehicle, which my wife drove from Michigan to Florida. The truck (#**) was in horrible condition as referenced by the damage description #** from dispatching dealer **. It was the only available truck and we were mandated to make the trip at that time. The trip was awful! The tires had huge chunks missing, the driver's side door arm support was broken way beyond repair and was actually dangerous for anyone expecting it to support their weight when entering or exiting the vehicle. The interior had a water leak in the front right corner covered in the inside by duct tape.
When we encountered rain, our belongings inside the truck became water soaked. The exhaust pipe was visibly broken and rusted through and any time we encountered stop-and-go traffic, diesel fumes permeated the cabin making me sick to my stomach. The ride was very rough and bouncy beyond typical large truck expectations. We were very relieved and surprised that the truck made the trip. We will need to rent another truck for the final load to our new home in Florida in late November, but will not consider renting from Budget unless Budget is willing to make significant compensation adjustments far beyond the customary 20% reduction that anyone can get from the post office. There are many other choices out there. Thank God, we made it and the truck is no longer in our possession.
Reviewed Sept. 9, 2012
I attempted to book a vehicle for March 12-21 while my family is going to be in Florida. I called the first time and after spending 10 minutes going through everything, they told me, "The computer is down, call back later." I did, to find the exact same thing happen. I asked to speak to a supervisor and Danny ID #** was rude, impolite, sarcastic and obviously unhappy to be where he was. In the span of 5 minutes from transferring from a CSR to him, the cost escalated $250. I told him even online was cheaper. He replied, "So book it online." Nice. At any rate, Danny needs to find another job if he is so unhappy. I ended up booking with Dollar, so Budget lost my business.
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2012
Very unsatisfactory experience with the Budget rental car company in the Burlington, Vermont airport. We dropped the car off in the morning for an early flight before the office was opened and received random additional charges, including a cleaning fee and a gas charge (I completely filled the tank 3 miles from the airport and had a slip detailing the time and gallons to prove it). When I called the local office, the staff member Erika was completely unhelpful and almost downright rude regarding these charges. The next day, I called the customer service line and they took off both charges - the gas charge immediately and after checking that there was no documentation to support the cleaning fee, that as well. Definitely will not rent from this office or Budget again. Customer beware!
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2012
I've been renting cars for almost forty years and have rented from Hertz, Avis, Alamo, Enterprise, National, and others with no problems of this type. I've only rented from Budget once before (thirty years ago) and never will rent from them again. When I picked up my car at the Las Vegas Airport, I was told that I was responsible for inspecting it and that I would be charged for any damage upon return that was not noted in my inspection. This was a black car with water spots in a badly lit parking structure, but I did my best and noted a couple of small flaws on the car diagram provided.
I returned the car early because the engine light had come on after less than a hundred miles (which made me wonder about their maintenance policies). The attendant said there was a dent I had not noted in my inspection. It was in an area that I had inspected very carefully because I had seen and reported a tiny paint chip nearby. The "dent" was invisible to me even when the attendant pointed it out, and I filed a statement to that effect. Assuming the damage did exist, it was exceedingly small, so small that I missed it on my close inspection. If it wasn't preexisting, it might have been a ding that occurred when I left the car in a parking lot. I've pointed out bigger damage to other companies when being assigned a car and have always been told that this was normal wear and tear that should not be reported.
A few days after I got home, I received a bill for about $335. The actual repair was about $225, with the extra $100 listed as "loss of rental income" and an "administrative fee." The bill said that a collection agency would be involved in less than a month. I paid. I e-mailed the company about my concern with the inspection policy and the charges and received a restatement of their policies. I followed up with a clarification e-mail and was told to bring up any concerns with the Las Vegas office. I consider the Las Vegas office to be the problem, unless all their offices are alike. If nothing else, their enforcement of policy is inconsistent. The young man who spotted the "dent" practically examined the car with a magnifying glass. The woman who checked in my replacement car simply walked around it and looked it over in a way that would have spotted significant damage. Of course, I had already practically inspected the second car with a magnifying glass before accepting it.
I wonder if this is Budget's way of making a profit from people who decline their insurance option. All they need to do is claim a tiny bit of damage and come up with a repair estimate beneath most people's deductibles. Assuming that the repair was actually completed, the extra charges would be mostly profit, and they wouldn't have to deal with an insurance company. Needless to say, I will never rent from Budget again, and have warned all my friends.
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2012
There was no mention of an extra $200 credit charge on my card in addition to the credit charge of the auto. When I got to the counter to rent the car that I had reserved with confirmation emailed and I displayed it on my smart phone, the agent asked for an extra $200. I did not have it, so I would have been stranded in Charlotte, NC if it wasn't for a friend.
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2012
I went to Cleveland, Ohio for a family trip and rented a car and prepaid for it. I thought it was okay, not. First, I got there and they gave me an upgrade I did not ask for or want. They never told me it was an upgrade. I was told that it was keeper, look at the bottom line which was like $60 cheaper. Then, I had people calling me to get numbers of the keys over and over. The best part was when I took it back and it was almost double the price. When I got a bit loud and said I would call the local TV station, the rep of the company was going to call the cops if I did not shut up or he would make sure I would. So, it was either take a little of or pay more than I should have. I got the rep's name and emailed the company. Their answer was too bad, that is how we deal with our customers.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2012
I received a posting of toll charges to my credit card for toll charges. In fact, I paid cash for all toll charges. I don't want to think about what I am going to encounter attempting to get these charges reversed.
Reviewed Aug. 16, 2012
They're a bunch of arrogant crooks. The St. George location charged me for filling up on gas despite my providing a copy of the receipt. When asked for credit, they refused and hung up on me. I would not rent from Budget again if they were the last car rental agency on the planet.
Reviewed Aug. 11, 2012
We flew into the Omaha airport and had a rental for the next day. We've had no problem until we drove the car 100 miles and the transmission started acting up and the check oil light went off and on. We got to our destination and took the vehicle to the nearest Budget car rental. They were obviously not happy and told us, "We can only give you this corporate car, the only one approved to take." This car has a flat tire and they should have noticed this, but we asked them to air it and we will take it. Well, every 24 hours it has to be aired so we called customer service and the only solution is to put on the spare, which is not an actual tire you can drive very far on. We are 5 hours away from where we need to take the car back.
They offered no other solutions except to drive out of our way to get a third vehicle. We took the car carefully back to the airport where we had started out. They had no knowledge that the original car had been exchanged. So instead of the normal agreement, we paid almost double of what the original agreement was. We will dispute the extra charges and quite possibly the whole amount. What an ordeal! They need to service their cars and remember customer service! We will never ever rent from them again.
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2012
We went to pick up the car and we were given a Ford escape. Okay, they told us it would get 34 MPG. We traveled about 2,000 miles and the average MPG was 24.5. I think when they said it’s comparable, they should have comparable cars to offer. If you do the math or computation, what we spent for the 10 MPG is less at an average of $3.45 per gallon. What is a reputable car rental company? I don’t think we will use the Budget again.
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2012
I gave a customer representative my Budget reservation printout. She did not bother looking at it and ran a new agreement. My reservation was $189.99 and the other agreement was $618.00. Now here I am without a car and the money to pay the correct rental agreement. It took 4 days of my 6-day vacation to see my account credited. No sensitivity to my situation and every call to Budget was without result.
Reviewed Aug. 4, 2012
I rented an eco-car for 4 weeks from Orlando airport through Expedia including full insurance; just gas to pay for. I got billed $414 for extra insurance which I did not ask for, and would not, as I have my own coverage. I also booked exactly the same deal in November 2011 and had no problems and was very happy with the service. Budget offered me 1/2 my money back which I declined. They said they would sort this out and get back to me in 72 hrs. I am still waiting but not for long. I will be in touch with my lawyer. There are too many stories of additional cost being added to bills, and I think they probably get commission for these add-ons - that’s where the problem lies...
Reviewed July 26, 2012
I rented a Budget car for a July 07-21 vacation in PR. While I was informed about a lot of things like gas, insurance, GPS, road assistance, etc., I wasn't informed about the toll charges. I was reviewing my credit card statement and I saw toll charges. I called and inquired about them and I was informed that the contract I signed mentioned the toll charges. I asked what was the amount of my tolls, and the service representative said $6.50 and that I was being charged a $14 fee for using the automatic system. She also said that if I were to pay tolls cash, the charges wouldn't have applied. All tolls in Puerto Rico have to be paid electronically. None of the tolls are accepting cash anymore unless it's to recharge the e-toll sticker. This is a fraudulent way to get extra money. I am pretty sure I'm not the only one that has been ripped off by this fee. Can we say class action?
Reviewed July 25, 2012
Be aware if you are renting a car and driving in a state that has toll bridges. Once Budget charges your card for "missed" tolls, they then come back and inform you of a blip on their web page that says you have an option to choose the toll transponder (prepay to go through tolls basically). Funny how nothing online, when you sign up, or the agent at the counter mentions any of this, so it automatically charges a per day fee to use the transponder. Like most of the other complaints, just another way for Budget to slip in additional fees! I will never use Budget again.
Reviewed July 25, 2012
I rented a rental car from Lansing Michigan for a week. I did not notice that they had given me a car with an expired license plate of April 2012. Needless to say, I got pulled over on my way to the Detroit airport and almost missed my flight. I went inside Budget to let them know that this car should not be rented back out and the gentleman at the Budget store stared at me and said "I'm sorry" and continued staring at me. I began to explain that I got pulled over and that was very unprofessional. He still stood there staring at me and said nothing else. I then proceeded to walk out of the store and no one seemed to care. I am starting to wonder if this is a trend for them, between bad customer service, expired plates, etc. I think I will select another car company every week now when I travel for business. This company seems to not value my business. Please check your rental car plates prior to renting the vehicle.
Reviewed July 23, 2012
My comment is that when my husband and I rented a vehicle from the Budget D6B store in Danbury, CT, they had two sets of keys on one ring. We were both okay-ed to drive the vehicle, but both sets were on one ring! My husband didn't realize this until he got home and called the Danbury store as to what to do. The young man on Budget's end of the line stated it wasn't for the customer's convenience, but for Budget's convenience! If we had cut the ring to separate the two sets, Budget could charge our credit card whatever they wanted as well. I feel that Budget should have something in place that the customer shouldn't have to have two sets of keys on one ring the whole time. If the customer loses the ring, they lose both sets! I also feel that a Budget representative shouldn't have spoken to a customer in that way, especially when you are providing a service. I definitely would think twice about using Budget again with that type of service. I never had to be the one, when renting a vehicle, who had to take charge of both sets of keys before. That is just not right. Thank you for listening.
Reviewed July 19, 2012
Do not use Budget car rental. They took over an hour and a half to get me into a car, and when I brought the car back around the same amount of time late, (due to a delayed flight), they charged me $129.98 for that. They also charged me $29 for a gas charge even though I had just filled up the car (the attendant didn't want to see the receipt).All in all, the experience was terrible and made me feel as if once I had entered into this "contract" with them, it was "open season" on my Visa account. They were slow, took forever at the counter, couldn't find the car (we drove around the lot forever looking for it with others in the car while we looked for their vehicles as well). The attendant didn't want to do the "walk around" but only did when I insisted it be done (and then he grudgingly went to get the form). I had to insist as there were several scratches in multiple areas around the car! It made me wonder how many people get ripped off for charges in this manner. I will never use this rental car service ever again!
Reviewed July 15, 2012
When we picked up our car in Baltimore airport, we noticed the car had a completely flat tire. When we showed it to the Budget rep, Alex, he said he would go put air in it. We told him the tire needed to be replaced because tires don't just go completely flat overnight without it having a puncture. He took the car away and returned back in 5 minutes with the tire pumped up and the comment that all was fine. We were not happy and told him we will be upset if the tire is defective. He assured us it would not be a problem and if there was, they would bring us a new car ASAP. 28 hours after we got to the hotel, we went out to get the car from the 5th floor parking structure and the tire is flat.
It took us 40 minutes to go through the intentionally-stalling automated call routing to speak to a person. It was a nightmare. Instead of sending someone out with a new tire, they sent a tow truck 3 hours later, that could not get in the parking structure. They drove the car on its rim all the way down the 5 floors and towed it away and gave us a different car. We lost the entire morning and some of the afternoon dealing with this. We always use Enterprise, but this one time we thought we would try the Costco flyer and try Budget. Never again. Oh yeah, we also had to pay an extra parking fee to take the old car out and put the new car in. They need new customer training.
Reviewed July 14, 2012
My $215 rental became $506. In CA, the clerk said my car was not available that I already prepaid for on the internet and I will be placed in an upgraded Ford Fusion for $5 more per day. I presented my GEICO policy to opt out of extra insurance and the clerk said that was "no good," without looking at the policy. I would need the basic or deluxe insurance and of course, I chose the basic but I later found that I signed for the most expensive insurance. I was told to not fill up the tank on delivery, but I mentioned that I always do to save fuel cost charges and I found that I signed for automatic fuel charge. I contacted Budget and I was brushed off stating I signed the agreement and they had carefully reviewed my case and hope to see me again. I wish the whole conversation was recorded because this is some ripoff practice being performed by Budget. I can send anyone my email complaint to Budget and their reply if you want it.
Reviewed July 11, 2012
I booked an economy car via Hotwire and paid $180. I picked up the car on the day of the rental. Sales clerk told me he was giving me a Ford Fusion. When I returned the car, I was charged $134.09, total of $314.09. I called customer support. They said they would refund half. My problem is the clerk never said anything about additional fees and I have a witness. I feel like punching the clerk on the freaking mouth. I will pursue further. You can count on it.
Budget Car Rental Company Information
- Company Name:
- Budget Car Rental
- Year Founded:
- 1958
- Address:
- 6 Sylvan Way
- City:
- Parsippany
- State/Province:
- NJ
- Postal Code:
- 07054
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- www.budget.com
