Budget Car Rental Reviews

Rental car was damaged but acceptable. Billing has been a nightmare with no bill for weeks. Double billing after that and then they ask me to wait until the next billing cycle of my card so I can submit the actual statement. Should not be a multiple month ordeal for a simple transaction. (Not disputing single charge price but was higher than quoted with fees).

I was charged for insurance that I had already paid for through Expedia and was not refunded by Budget. I called customer care twice. Once I was told to call back in a few days. When I called back I was told that I would not be refunded. I will no longer do business with Budget.

My daughter rented a car the evening before expected start time of 5 am the next morning and it wouldn’t start. She called Budget to exchange the car and they didn’t have another car but sent a tow truck for the car that wouldn’t start. The tow truck picked it up around noon. Now she’s being charged for 5 days rental because they claim the tow truck didn’t return the car and she’s responsible for its return. She called towing company and they have receipts and pics but they said Budget “does this all the time”. Beware of their dishonest practices! Budget should change its name to LowRent!

Rented a car from them at the New Orleans Airport. It reeked of ** that we had to drive with the windows down for several days. I had to go buy Febreze and air fresheners to even be able to stand it. I asked for a price adjustment and they first said they would do whatever to rectify it. Their solution was for me to return the car for another, a four hour round trip. Terrible customer service.

Budget is no better or worse than other rental car companies for everyday ICE rentals.... BUT for Electric Rental Cars they are HORRENDOUS!... because:

I will NEVER rent from Budget rental car again!!!! I rented a car in September 2023 and the car would not start 4 hours after I picked the car up at RSW. When the car failed to start, I was in the Florida heat with my elderly father. I had to wave someone down for a ride. I called Budget roadside assistance & they said they would send help. I waited over 2 hours, no one came. I called again, and they said oops... they would try someone else. 12 hours later, no one came. The next morning, I called again. No record of my request for help. The Budget rep, said she would send an Uber to pick me up & return me to RSW (1.5 hrs away) to get a new car. A full 24 hours to get a working car (and my trip was only 3 days long). Today -- 10 months later -- I got an insane charge $$$$ for the 'damaged' car -- a Budget rental car that would NOT start.

I rented a car from Budget car rental in Las Vegas. I prepaid for the rental. The guy at the counter said insurance was MANDATORY in Nevada. He also said the money he was collecting included the deposit and I would get it back when I returned the car. The charges on my card were for the insurance and no deposit. They kept all of the money. If you want to keep your money don’t us Budget.

Thieves!!!! Budget gave me a car with 1/4 tank of gas and upon return charged me $96 for a full tank. That is dishonest business to steal money from the customer. I complained at the counter, showed a pic of the gas tank and was promised they would fix it. Next thing you know my credit card gets hit with an ADDITIONAL charge. THIEVES!!!!

I recently had a deeply disappointing experience with Budget Rental Car, which has left me extremely frustrated and concerned about their business practices. After renting a car from them, I returned it in the exact same condition as when I picked it up. I even took pictures of the car and had their employee verify the damage at the time of pick up and return. However, to my shock, Budget fraudulently attempted to make an accident claim against my car insurance for those pre-existing damages! This is nothing short of an unethical and dishonest practice. It’s clear that they are trying to exploit their customers by blaming them for damages that were already there.

You’re better off booking with some cheap local rental service than to use Budget. I book with another party and arrived for my appointed time. I was then told that my vehicle was given away and was charge twice the amount for the new car. Car was not cleaned and was last minute giveaway. I was not the only one who was there that found out they had no car. Definitely would not recommend

Very unhappy and disappointed with Budget. My wife and I flew Allegiant from Iowa on a regular flight into Austin that typically arrives at 11:30 pm. I prepaid and fast tracked a car knowing we were arriving late. Unfortunately our flight was delayed an hour and we arrived after 12:30 am, unable to get to Budget until just after 1:00 am. We followed the signs to the fast track monitor to get our car’s location, but it wasn’t on there. There was a service desk nearby, but closed. I called the local phone number, then the national number. No one there either — offices closed. And we’re now abandoned and stranded.

Good Day Everyone – If you are thinking about renting a car on St. Thomas it’s a good idea, however avoid Budget Rent A Car at all costs. Only one person working with several people in line trying to get their vehicle. When I got there the vehicle wasn’t ready so they tried to upcharge me to a higher car that was $300 plus more. This was not in our budget so I explained that. They did not like that answer and made me wait on a vehicle. The person became snarky sarcastic racists. The vehicle we got was not what we asked for and it was 5 years old. Funny I was told no care over 2 years were used for rentals.

The service at both Waco on Valley Mills and at the Lubbock airport locations was extremely poor. Not only did they fail check in my rental, but they also charged me 1000 for not returning even though the vehicle was returned early! When I called about this, both locations refused to help me.

I rented a car at Denver Airport. Upon returning it, I forgot that the remote key was in my pocket. The attendant said everything was fine and I proceeded to the airport shuttle. Upon going through security I found the key. I called customer service and was informed I had 48 hours to return it. The next day, I sent the key next day delivery, which would have arrived in time. However, USPS didn't get it there until 2 days. I was then hit with a $400 charge! I've called customer service twice, but got the runaround. I'm sure I'm not the first nor will I be the last to forget to leave the remote key. The attendants need to check for the key to be left in addition to examining the condition of the vehicle. I did my part in returning the key on time. The price was exorbitant! I'm never using Budget again!

Service was terrible. We rented a 2024 GMC that broke down. I understand things break down but the service after it broke down and to get another car was terrible. I was on the phone 5 hours to get a resolution and their service department is not in link with their retail department. I can go on and on how bad the service was but in short, it wrecked my whole trip and to get a replacement car took me 10 hours. Do not rent from this company, they do not have things at all figured out between their departments. To add to the bad the guy that they hired to tow their car is calling me for payment because Budget is not responding to him. After all this they still charged me full price and the guy at the counter even said their service is bad. Even their own employees are saying they are not good.

Please NEVER get a rental from Budget!! RACIST EMPLOYEES. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. The employees at the LAX location are RACISTS and rude to work with. Recent experience with them caused my family and I lots of trauma and emotional disturbance. Their fastbreak membership is also not valuable at all. Me and 5 other customers were turned down at the fastbreak counter even though we had signed up for it.

Renting a car with Budget Rental has been a horrible experience. From a very smelly car, which was then replaced with a broken car, to rude and not helpful representatives, an Emergency Service that could not even call a budget store to help me find a new car, to no viable options given or suggested to me, I was left with driving a broken car to my destination.

Steve at Ft. Meyer’s airport was rude & condescending. Treats women like second-class citizens. Not helpful when the key fob wouldn't work, while on vacation. Wanted to cancel my reservation immediately because of his attitude & go someplace else. Don’t think I’d ever use Budget again.

Never again. Booked and paid in full for a minivan over a month in advance. Show up at Pittsburgh International Airport and are told, "Sorry, we have no minivans or even a 7-passenger vehicle so call the 1800 number and request a refund." Go to Alamo! They took care of us!

I rented a car from Budget Car Rental at Orlando International Airport in Florida a month ago. As usual, I went online, selected a car, and received a quote. After using the car for a week without any issues and returning it with a full tank of gas, I noticed an extra charge of $164.95 that was not included in the contract. I called them multiple times, but they were unable to resolve the issue. This is the second time I've experienced such unauthorized charges, and unfortunately, it seems like their service is getting worse. In contrast, I frequently rent cars from Enterprise and Sixt, both reputable companies that have never imposed additional charges like this.

Reserved a rental over the phone with the nicest gentleman who told us if we would pay the money upfront over the phone they would take the debit card and a $250 damage hold. Get to the pick up and they tell us no it has to be a major credit card and we now have to wait 5 business days to get our money back. Eric floor supervisor ** that probably was a lie as well.

Worst rental company ever. Expect to pay way more than what is agreed to when booking the rental. If you return it with a full tank, they’ll still charge you for fuel. I don’t know how this company is doing. The cars are not thoroughly clean. Windows work wrappers left in the car. I will never do business with this company again or company. Customer service sucks. My rental ended up being 40% more than what was agreed to.

I no longer use Budget as they attempted to bill my credit card for a parking ticket they claim to have paid but have never sent me a copy of and I can only guess that perhaps my friend borrowing the car for day got the ticket. I attempted to contact the police department for a copy and never got one either but paid the ticket cost anyway to Budget. They are trying to add an administrative fee and some other fee I have refused to pay but will be paying only the 30 administrative fee in person at the local Budget rental... in loose change. Arizona law requires acceptance of cash if under $100, so start counting Budget as I plan to make this as painful for you as possible.

I scheduled a Budget rental at the Chicago Midway Airport through Expedia and was dissatisfied with the experience for many reasons. To begin with, the staff at the check-in counter was not at all friendly. They did not have the car promised and after leaving the desk, the staff returned and said they only had a gas-guzzling hemi engine that was hard to park anywhere at all. We needed 7 passengers capacity, so we agreed. She talked fast and did not at all describe the charges that we were asked to agree to. As far as my husband knew, they were charging the amount that we had agreed to for a minivan.

I had a reservation with Budget in Miami International. My credit card got stolen before arriving to miami. Luckily I have my credit card saved on my phone, as well as 2 other physical credit cards. When I arrived to budget (with my 3 kids), it first took 44 minutes in a line to get to the counter, once we finally arrived I explained to him my situation. Showed my ID, driver's license and passport. I also told him I could pay with a different card if my CC on my phone wasn't enough. The guy immediately got defensive with me, said there was nothing he could do and said it's not his problem my card got stolen.

I reserved a car at Keywest Airport on May 2024 and my plane landed at 7:30PM. When I went to the counter, no Budget staff at the counter. They are all gone home since 6:00PM. I called the company and she asked me to take a Uber to go to nearby Budget which has no office nearby. I decided to cancel the reservation and rent it from Enterprise/National car company. Those folks still work at their counter. Very disappointed with Budget. I ended up pay more.

What bunch of losers. I arrived to pick up my booking at 12.30 am and I see there are 50 people in line and there is only one employee servicing the customers with other 16 kiosks unmanned. I can see that it will be 4 am by the time I get a ride, if I get one! Who is monitoring this lousy customer service? One person is handling all renters from Budget, Avis and Payless. I don’t know what to say. Customers have family and kids and these people don’t care!

If I could give this company a zero I would. I sent and watched slow moving tellers casually chat and take their time with over 50 people waiting in line literally waiting hours to get a vehicle. Highly recommend against.

If I could give them 0 stars I would for how bad their customer is and how horrible of an experience I had with them. They didn’t have the vehicle I reserved weeks in advance and they wanted a $1500 deposit since I don’t have a credit card.

On June 7th, 2024 I was supposed to pick up my 2-4 door car that I reserved 6 weeks in advance, when I got to the counter after waiting a full hour on other guests and a new guy working, I was finally able to check in but no cars available, they rented all of them out. They found a Dodge pickup on the lot that had not been cleaned and had 3 low tires, my first reaction was I am 1 hour late already for my vacation, driving to Lake Michigan and then Niagara Falls and in a big truck that will cost me a fortune, especially Dodge truck so I took it only to think about it and returned it in 20 min. I decided I had to use my own vehicle which was a truck also and cost me a fortune.

NEVER USE THEM. They have ruined my husband's vacation. He is disabled. They did not provide him with an appropriate vehicle as reserved. They messed up the contract 3 times and my husband had to return multiple times. He missed several reservations as a result amounting in over 300 of unused services. Then they overcharged me by over 450.00. Now they say that they can't help me because of the multiple contracts they charged us for were not attached to my original confirmation. Save yourself the expense and headache.

I would highly recommend NOT renting from Budget. Three times despite reservations made months in advance I did not receive a car remotely similar to what I had reserved. I was basically told by the agent at Pittsburgh Airport to take it or leave it. Customer care and customer service are nonexistent. Will not rent from Budget again.

I had a terrible experience with Budget at Los Angeles International Airport. We reserved a car for pick up at 9:30 PM on June 13, 2024. Budget indicated that their airport shuttle runs every 10 minutes or so. We arrived at about 10 PM and waited more than 1 hour, but the shuttle never came. Their customer support number was not manned during that hour and we could not get any support. We, along with several other passengers holding reservations at Budget requested a shuttle driver from another rental car company, and he was kind enough to drop us near the Budget car rental office. It took another 30 minutes to process the rental. It was well past midnight before we drove out of the airport.

I rented a car from Budget in June 2024 from MSP airport. There was a very long check in line and then upon claiming my car, was told that it was not available and shown another car which I didn't realize was an electric vehicle. I guess I knew subconsciously but not consciously. All cars sound quieter these days. I trusted that a rental car company would not give me an EV without confirmation that I knew exactly what I was getting or signing something. Wrong!! I found charging stations and chalked it up to a learning experience. However, 8 days after I returned the vehicle, I received several emails claiming that I hadn't returned the vehicle. I provided my flight information and the issue should be resolved within 5 business days.

Horrible Experience with Budget - Will Never book Again! When we arrived at Denver International Airport at 11:00 PM, Budget refused to give us the car. We were left stranded in the middle of the night with my husband and parents. Their excuse? They were "uncomfortable" renting to someone with "no name given" as a first name on the license. If this was the case - why did they let us reserve the car with this info in the first place?

If I could leave zero charges I would. I rented a car that had zero gas in it, I bought the car back with more gas than when rented and was told that I should’ve have taken a picture of the dash for proof. Customer service stated basically that the burden of proof was on me.

Budget's policies were very unclear and deceptive. On their website, my reservation showed free cancelation but when I went to cancel it because of a change in travel plans, Budget charged me $50 only because I prepaid. Budget customer service (haha....) told me that if I had not prepaid, I would not have been charged $50 and when I asked to speak to someone who had the authority to waive the fee, I was told there was no one in the entire organization who could waive the fraudulent cancelation fee.

I got my rental (12-person cargo van) and went home to pack. I realized when I was cleaning the dirty rental vehicle out, the registration was past due. The sticker on the plate and the proof of registration was past due. I called Budget right away. With their pass-the-buck policies, I got no help. They told me that I need to call the location of pickup. They were close already. Day one of my trip put off till the next day. The next morning, when they opened at 9 am, I called the pickup location and they said that all they could do was have me drive to the airport, which is 45 minutes away, to exchange it for a different vehicle. If not then I had to wait till Monday to get the proper registration information.

It is a shame I can't give zero stars. I had rented a car under the impression it was free cancellation. It said it all over while I was booking. I called to cancel the reservation a day after booking it as my plans had changed. I was charged a 50 dollar fee because they put it in the fine print at the bottom of the website as you are booking. Terrible customer service and experience and I will go out of my way to not rent cars from them in the future and I travel quite frequently. I will also go out of my way to make sure friends and family know about this experience as well.

Horrible experience. Kids are running the entire set up. Jayson the manager was completely disrespectful, and the desk at the airport was rude and very impolite. No professionalism whatsoever. They say and do anything they like, as if they were speaking to someone on the streets. I had booked my reservation weeks ago and went to get my car after I picked up my luggage.

Most terrible experience. They gave me an electric car which gave wrong station addresses and ran out of charge on the way to the second station. After 3 full hours of waiting, it got a tow to another wrong station!!! Then another 2 hours of waiting, and this time it stopped charging!!!!

God forbid you leave your phone, glasses, computer in the vehicle at Return. They will end up in the garage in short order. You will then receive emails weekly telling you how they haven’t found your item- Even though it would have been easily recoverable in the first 15 minutes of the loss had they not put it in the garbage, to avoid loss of efficiency.

The only reason why I didn't give the rating a zero is because a 1 was as low as I could go. After waiting in line get to the counter and for some reason the clerk couldn't figure out how to order my car. He had my license. Another guy helped him and after 45 minutes I was given a ticket to go get the car. I get outside, get to the gate and the gate guard was asking me several questions and told me to meet him inside.

This is once again the worst service, this is the first time in over 8 years I thought I would try again, YOU SREWED IT UP AGAIN!!! It’s 10:20 I’m standing in a line with 15 people ahead of me and 2 people working the counter. I promise I will never use Budget again, I’ll walk instead!!!!

Rented a car in Chicago airport for 4 days. Get into the car. It does smell musty, though open the window will be fine so didn't report to them (Don't want to be picky and looks minor thing but NO). After few days of returning got an email letter that I got charge of $450 for smoke cleaning fee. I kept calling to negotiated for unfair charge, end up discounted me but still I do not agreed. 1st I didn't notice it was smoke smell and 2nd when I returned the staff checked everything fine and didn't mention. I tried read most review, seems like Budget try to charge a lot people with excuses of "cleaning fee" (to add on some more charges).

I have been a satisfied customer of Budget Car Rental for over 6 years. I have rented multiple cars per year from Budget at the Santa Maria Airport location. There are several reasons why Budget is my top choice for Car Rentals. One being, Budget usually has the best rates. The other car rental companies usually have higher rates for the same cars.. Also, Budget's fleet of cars are in good condition. As a female, one of the most important factors to me is reliability. I want to feel safe and assured I will reach my destination without my car breaking down. I love driving worry free when I rent from Budget. I have never had any issue regarding missing a flight due to a mechanical issue using Budget.

We were charged $130 to refuel the car. We used less than a half tank of gas in a small SUV. So by Budget's math to fill the SUV it would have cost over $300. I know the gas price is inflated but a tank of gas for that vehicle would have cost $60 at best. Absolutely ridiculous! I feel like this was done because I had discount codes and they wanted to recoup their cost. My friend used Hertz for their rental and had their SUV for 2 days longer, didn't fill the car all the way up and it was cheaper than my rental.

I thought I booked an economy car for 3 days for $165. Flight lands late, I check in, and head out to get the car. In the designated spot was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I looked and looked again, my paper work says Jeep grand Cherokee, so I take the jeep from my designated spot. This thing is HUGE. The tires were out of balance. I fill it up before I return it. $60.06. Not exactly a Corolla… my card was charged double the amount. First customer service call, I was told I was charged for an upgrade.

Booked a car online and thoroughly read the terms regarding use of a debit card. When we arrived at the counter, the lady said she wouldn't take the debit card despite my meeting the terms required. So we're stranded at the airport with my husband in a wheelchair needing to get to his med appt. Probably just as well with Budget's insanely high "taxes and fees", as well as what other h.e. double sticks other customers have gone through. My takeaway is that tourist season is time for Budget to inflate their prices and cater to wealthy folks. They deserve to be regulated.

Budget car rental May 31, 2024 JFK airport. Waited in line for customer rep for one hour thirty minutes. While waiting in line Budget employee actually walked his daughter to the front of the extensive line for expedited service. When I finally reached Representative my reserved car was unavailable and for to take minivan. Rep told me that waits for this long are typical in the summer. Horrible service. Avoid at all costs.

On 5/30/2024 I reserved a minivan from the Budget location at 110 Vanderbilt Motor Pkwy in Hauppauge NY, I woke to a text saying that the minivan that I paid to reserve was not available. I asked if there were any SUVs available and at first there were none but then one was found supposedly. I agreed to accept it and when I arrived to pick it up I was using my debit card for the rental and I was then told that a credit check was needed since I was using debit card.

I rented a car to drive an hour to the airport. It smelled awful (musty, smoky smell) but I was assured it was clean and there would be no issues. I returned it to the airport drop off location with more gas than what I started with in it. I then checked my credit card charges the next day and was charged a gas fee and a smoke cleaning of fee of $250. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life, and never will. Customer service has been no help except delaying the refund process. I am paying for the incompetence of the workers at one Budget location. Be careful when you rent from budget.

It took us over two hours to get out of the Baltimore Airport because of Budget. We got to the counter around 8:00 pm and did not get onto the road until around 9:40 (and had a two hour drive after that). There was only person working (he was great) even though Budget clearly had taken reservations and knew how many people were coming in. Then we had to wait again to exit the garage since there was only one (also great) person working there. By the time we left, there were over 30 people in line and waiting. Some of them had to be there until after midnight. I will NEVER reserve with Budget again!

I pre checked in at home and opted out from all optional services. I READ EVERYTHING VERY CAREFULLY before making my decision of opting out. When I arrived to San Diego rental office, an arrogant representative asked me "So, will proceed with full service?" I replied "I already made my choices and marked them down". He said "So will go with basic option?" I replied "I prechecked everything I wanted." he said "Ok", filled out something in the computer and gave me to sign. I signed and returned to him. After returning the car, I received the e-receipt with 3 optional services I did not asked for for $150!!!! I called the customer service right away and told them what happened. They said: "You should have read the agreement that you signed at the counter!"

My first experience with Budget Rentals cars was awesome and I was happy about it. Right now it's a second time when they are leaving me along with a problems. The first what I wanna say they took a deposit which one never been refunded ($300), then when we returned the cars with 1/2 tank they charge us $300 again!!!! Okey, let's calculate. We paid for the rent and + $600.... Okey we leave it like this, because the customer service said: "We are working on it. We need some more time."

My rental was actually out of Budget @ Denver Airport. We arrived in Denver around 7:05 PM expecting to pickup a rental car from a reservation previously made (weeks ago) and then be on our way. We arrived at the rental car counter about 7:30ish & waited inline for over an Hour all to be told once we made it up to the counter that they had overbooked and that they were fresh out of cars, we had reserved a Camry. All we had as far as options were an E-car or a minivan. We settled for the minivan as we were already very late to meet the rest of our party and we still had a couple of hours drive to get to our destination. We get to the parking lot where this minivan was supposed to be waiting and the spot was empty, no minivan in sight...but lots of other cars sitting around...We go back in at this point very frustrated and the young man was very stressed as well as they were clearly understaffed...

I rented Budget car at MCO - Orlando airport in May 2024. IN spite of having confirmed booking, I had to wait 90 min in the line to get a car. After I used the car and returned in a week, I forgot my personal item in the car. I immediately reached Budget desk for help, they said, "Your item is found and is in the office, but you need to file lost-and-found request." I did that, but never got the item. I reached the Budget CS, but still no help. I think their service is bad and not helping customer.

I wish I could give zero stars. I used the Pay-Now thinking I would get the best deal. When I found a better deal through Budget for the same vehicle Budget would not give me the better price without charging a cancellation fee for my first reservation. When leaving the airport I reported to the attendant that I only had a 1/2 tank of gas. He updated my receipt but never put it in the system so when I returned the vehicle with only 1/2 a tank they charged me to fill the tank.

I rented Budget from the Denton presidio location. My pick-up time was 6 pm, I received a call at 4:30 to come pick up my car as they were closing. But I told them I pick up time was 6 PM. They argued and wanted me there ASAP. Unacceptable! Upon returning the car, I left my sunglasses case in the car by mistake. I called him repeatedly for three days and when they finally answered all they said was, "Not our problem, we are not responsible for it." Horrible, horrible customer service, very disappointed with this transaction. Will never be using Budget again.

Bad experience in their customer service. I have reserved a car with a prepayment and it says there will be a refund after I changed my pickup location. But the fact is I didn’t receive any of refund after a month. Calling their 24hr customer service is useless! Their operator don’t care what you are talking about or maybe they don’t speak English in Canada hotline, their just tell you to call them again on the next day and hung my phone without other words. That’s so rude! I have to call again in the next day. Then after many times of trying, I can finally explain my situation to the other operator. And she told me there should be a refund after she check with my order which will be transferred to my account in a one day. But it’s already a week and I still haven’t get my money back! It’s unacceptable!

On 5/19/24 This was a prepaid rental for a minivan for 5/24/24 pickup time 0930. Received PC from agent, no minivans at agency yet. Expect to arrive at 12N. Went to agency at 12N. Still no minivans. All vans across river at airport do not know when ETA? I requested refund or transfer the reservation to airport. Another customer ordered van 3 mos. prior, no van. She had backup plan she offered me a ride to airport. The Budget/Avis all one counter requested my reservation fulfillment, they could not because no transfer was down. Told I had to contact Avis number, they would not transfer reservation, all they could do was refund, and assist with an Avis rental which was 250.00 more money. They would not honor the Budget price(even though this is all one corporation). They created refund, and told me there were no minivans available. I reentered line again another 45 min. They could rent me a van for $300 more than my original contract!!!

HOW CAN WE GIVE 0 stars? Nothing like being stuck on the side of the road (41) in the desert of California with your mom and 6 month old- because AFTER FIXING THE FLAT TIRE ON OUR OWN AFTER I ASKED IF THE CAR WAS OKAY to drive when I picked up the rental. At first they said yes and put air into the tire just to spend a day of vacation at the tire shop. THEN to have the car's oil pump go out. TO THEN have to find my own ride off of the highway for Uber. Requested a tow truck and they said find an Uber or call highway patrol (BOTH COULDN'T GIVE US A RIDE).

Budget rental is a horrible car rental company to rent from, they are a rip off. They do not give you clarity on vehicle charges as far as insurance. The wait to pick up the vehicle was an hour long. I returned the vehicle a day early due to family illness and they still charged me for the extra day. 100% do not recommend!!!

I bought the fuel option for my rental. My Tucson has a fuel capacity of 14.3 gallons, I was supposed to be charged $3.4x per gallon for Budget to refuel the car. I was charged $101.35 to refuel my car. That means that I was charged $7.09 per gallon to refuel. I talked to customer service and they said they refilled 22 gallons which is absolutely impossible as the fuel tank capacity is only 14.3 gallons assuming I drained the tank dry. That means I am being defrauded by Budget and they are filling other cars up with my money.

How do you give ZERO STARS for this company. They are the WORST! Zero customer service! You cannot speak to anyone. You leave message, no one returns your calls. The only way to communicate is via email and they respond days later after the issue has happened. No call just a message. HIDDEN COSTS EVERYWHERE!!! You ask for the quote, which you have a right to see, and they charge you without letting you know. There are better car rental companies to deal with. STAY AWAY FROM BUDGET / AVIS!!!!!!

I am just reaching out to express my shock at a significant and unexpected cleaning charge described in a recent memo after the conclusion of my recent Budget car rental. Perhaps we should all be a little more attentive to the fine print of the rental agreement contract, but my family and I were not aware of your standards of cleanliness nor the subsequent penalty for an accumulation of dirt. If this had been impressed upon us, we certainly would’ve been more diligent and attentive to your expectations upon return of the car... Surely open, clear communication is the hallmark of any successful, sustainable and ethical business. While we understand the need for a lengthy and detailed contract, certainly a bit more transparency and clear communication with customers regarding such matters would go a long way towards generating customer loyalty and repeat business!

I rented a car from Budget last Tuesday til Thursday however I returned it on Wednesday morning. I was expecting my 250 deposit to be returned to me at least in 2 days. Especially when you return car back early you don't get any money back so they are getting free money from you then even get to turn around and rent it to someone else. I called the 4th call abt my return. I called 5/21/24 Tuesday the 5th day I called. He told me it would be next Monday the 9th day. So basically they are in no hurry to return your money that is only post to be just a hold til you return car. They don't even deserve a 1. These are the ones whoever we all talk to on phone. Because the budget on w Washington Indianapolis has great people working there but they can't help the people that take our money. I feel sorry for them because they take a lot of heat from customers because the way whoever or wherever budget is ran.

Overcharged and RIPPED off. We rented a car from 3/13/24 to 3/27/24 (2 weeks) from Budget at LaGuardia Airport in New York and returned the car to the same airport. We stayed in a house in Brookhaven for the entire visit. We only drove 201 miles during the entire 2 week period. The round trip to Brookhaven to see the grandkids and back to the airport accounted for 80+ miles of the 201 total miles driven.

If there was a 0 option on rating I would of definitely done 0. Their scams and charged my card $160 extra for their own wrong advice on dropping the rental truck at the wrong location, I even dropped the car one day earlier but at the wrong location which they told me themselves. The customer service is bad and they didn’t even care of my charges when I called and mentioned it to them. Do not get your rental car from Budget. Try different brands with good reviews.

We arrived in Durango, Colorado (May 16th-May 19th), just to find out that "National/Enterprise car rental gave our car away and had no other cars available to rent to us. Next available car could be a day later, without a guarantee. We were told that we did not have a reservation but my husband called the Executive office and they confirmed that we DID have a reservation. The lady clearly lied to us since they did not have any cars available. Went to Budget and Sidney ** was most helpful. We couldn't be happier with his service. Smooth check-in, quick and efficient. Car was clean. Thank you, Sidney, for a wonderful customer experience.

I wish I could give zero stars. I have rented cars from other rental companies and never had this problem. I rented a car from Budget weeks in advance. I called to double check everything was ready and what the deposit would be. I have a 620 credit score which is not high but not terrible either. When I went to pick up the car they told me they didn't take my credit card. (Chime) I said ok and transferred all the money I needed to my of Debit card (a different bank). They then ran the deposit as a debit which is fine. But then told me I could not rent the car anymore because I didn't pass the credit check for debit. How can they run a credit check on my debit card? I asked how high the credit score needed to be and the woman working said she had no idea.

Renting a full size car or luxury after the covid is unbelievable. Full size downgraded to a Nissan Altima and a Luxury car. Now a Chrysler 300? What a joke on the renters. Also I've rented several vehicles this past year. Each one of them was filthy dirty... Bird droppings on them, dusty and dirty inside and out. I had to stop at a wash, wipe down and clean them after pick up. So sad it's about money and not the customer nowadays.

Booked our Budget rental car through the Sun Country Airlines site for MSP to PHX round trip. Paid the airfare AND the $600+ car rental fee at that time. Arrived at the rental area at our stated time, waited 45 minutes to get to the checkin counter where we were told we needed to pay another $600+ in rental and fees charge!!! Then got in a second line and waited another 2 hours to get a car. After the trip we contacted Sun Country and were told we should have been charged only the initial $600 and probably some taxes when we got to PHX. Budget conversations have not rectified this situation, so we won’t be using them again.

Don't trust them. I've used for years, but no more. Rented out of Columbus, Ohio airport. Returned it to their ridiculously fast express drop-off. A month later, reviewing expenses, I realized they charged $350 over because there was a bottle of Febreze left in the car, due to fast drop-off, and someone decided that meant smoking in the car (?). The reality was that the luggage area had a smell like bad milk when the car warmed up after pickup. At a month later and 2000 miles away, they got me. The previous rental from Columbus, Ohio Budget gave us a car with expired tags. We were there for a funeral and got stopped by the police. They did exchange the car, but we lost two days of use. Fun times!

Flew from KC to St. Petersburg, FL. in mid-March. Rented a car at the St. Pete airport. We were given a sizable SUV, but we needed a van to assist to complete a move. Still, it was a nice car, and we took it. We came back the next day mid-day to try and switch the car out to get a van or a larger truck. We ran into Rafael after he had left the terminal en route back to the dispatch yard. He asked right away if anything was wrong. We explained what we needed and why, that we wanted to switch the car out for a van. He brought us over to the dispatch yard, and switched cars with us. He made it that easy for us. Rafael - Thank you. Great customer service! - J.

The worst! Do not rent from them. Go read the reviews. Here’s our story: I’m grandma and was taking my young grandchildren to other grandma's memorial. May 3rd went to pick up car (had scheduled my pick up time for 6am). They apparently don’t open until 8 even though the offered pick up times are 0000-2400. When we able to get our car I was offered an upgrade to a hybrid for $15 a day. I took it thinking of the gas savings.

Can you give a 0 because Budget Car Rental SUCKS!!!! They don't even deserve a 1* ... The customer service is absolutely horrible. The service itself was freakin' terrible!!!! I would never EVER use them again!!!! I called multiple times about the car they gave me that has a super low # for tire pressure... That was days ago. No one ever came. No one ever called back.... They are horrible!!!! It wasn't even the car I signed up to rent!!!!

We had about the worst experience you can have with a rental car company using Budget at JFK airport. I had recently signed up for Fast Break, so I could bypass the extremely long lines I experienced at LaGuardia a month before. We received emails and texts stating that we were Fast Break customers. So we show up at Budget at JFK, and there are the usual 10+ customers in line and two agents. But we get in the Fast Break line where there is only one person ahead of us. That still takes a half hour.

I booked a Mid-Size SUV — Toyota Rav4 or similar. When picking up the car at the Orlando airport (MCO) on 5/10/2024, I was told only electric cars were available after waiting for 3 hours in line at 2am. I was told the car could be switched anytime at any Budget rental store. The next day on 5/11, I stopped at Budget Deland store and was told nothing but was available; they sent me to the Sanford Airport store, claiming the airport store has plenty of inventory. After driving for 40 minutes to the Sanford Airport Budget store, I was told only electric cars were available.

It was a very poor experience overall with Budget. I picked up in Fort Lauderdale and waited at least 45 minutes to get the car. I dropped off early in the morning and there is no one there so you just leave the car. I left a few pieces of paper and a water bottle in the car and they leveled a 250.00 cleaning charge. It would have taken them about 10 seconds to put that stuff in the trash.

I had a family member pass away suddenly and booked a flight for the next morning one way to be with family as soon as I could. I was flying from North Carolina to Ohio. I had called the Budget car rental and got everything figured out and made sure they knew I wasn't 25. I know many car places want you to be 25 to rent a car but the individual I spoke with assured all I had to do was pay a larger deposit. I flew out at 6 am and had everything in line, so I thought. Once I showed up during my "appointment time" and handed the lady all my IDs and card I was using to rent the car she told me I could not receive a car since I am not 25 nor did I have a major credit card.

I go through Budget Rental in Frederick Maryland to rent my vehicle. I truly is so amazed about the great customer service they provide whenever I rent a vehicle from them. Both the associate Tulo and his manager are both outstanding in providing great customer service whenever I need a vehicle. I have been renting at Budget for some time and never experienced anything negative about the service they provide.

Do not rent from Budget. The incompetence and inanity are astounding. 1] I rented a car for 2 days from the small office in Ridgecrest for noon. The office closes at noon. This is not indicated on the confirmation email and the office could not be bothered to text me that I needed to get there before noon. I got there at 12:10. Result: no car. I'm stuck in Ridgecrest for the day because no other cars are available. Budget wanted to charge a $150 cancellation fee for a car that I wanted but couldn't get?!? So 2} I try to make a reservation online for the next day for 1 day. I am unable to do this because their site kept erasing my DL # and the telling me the # was not "present." 3 phone calls and 1 and a half hours later I finally get somebody at the Budget 800 # to reserve a car at the same rate as the online rate. But wait, there's more It turns out 3} that the 2 online reservations I had tried to make did go through even though there was no indication that this had happened.

We planned a trip for our daughter's 16th birthday. Our car isn't fuel efficient and needed tires. After a few quick online searches and running numbers through the calculator, we found what seemed like an affordable option through Budget Car Rental. I used their website and created an account for the extra discount. Booking was fairly easy and confirmation came right away. Yay! Not so fast... Get to my local Budget office where I designated the car to be picked up, at the scheduled time, only to have the person working there tell me they have no cars available. I had to ask again... wait the site took my money and I have the confirmation to be here, but no car! They explained it happens a lot. They are an independent business so have no control of Budget. They told me to use my confirmation number at the airport in our area, which is 30 miles away.

Horrible customer service with people that can barely speak English and I have to be 'bilingual', just to converse with them. The counter agents at the US locations don't let you read the rental agreement disclosure and just want you to initial the contract and move along as quickly as possible. I will NEVER rent from Budget ever again nor would I ever recommend them to others!

Awful experience. Really, really long line at check-in and only a few people working and they were all REALLY slow! They need to staff a lot more people and train them better!!! I will never use Budget again!! Avoid at all costs!

Why isn’t there no zero star option. This company is absolutely asinine. I got charged for a window chip during my rental, I request proof it was during my rental period, they can’t provide anything, so they refunded the charge. 10 days later I get charged again!

I recently rented a car from Budget for my trip. After the returning the vehicle, I was charged $710 based on the E-receipt they send but my card card was charged over $1000 with no explanation. Then 45 days later Budget charge me $250 for damage to the vehicle. The vehicle was check in by their staff during the return process. I'm just frustrated with all the delay in notification and lack clarity. You can't just over charge and add charge for damage 45 days later. Budget is the worst car rental I have ever experience. I do not recommend renting a car at Budget.

Retuned a car to Dayton Ohio that I picked up in Illinois. Picking the car up at 9:48 CST and dropped it off at 10:18 EST. Would have dropped it off sooner but the Dayton location didn’t open until 10. I actually got there at 10 but I guess since I didn’t get there at 9:48 I was charged for an extra hour @$120 per hour. They put a $200 hold on my credit card which I never understood, didn’t worry because I just wanted to get home and I knew that I’d get it back. Not!!! Up yours Budget. Be aware because you too can get screwed by Budget rental car.

To start I did. Not want to give a star at all 1. The car was dirty inside and out. Thank God it rained two days later to wash off the dirt. The car smelled really bad like someone lived in the car. Bugs flew out the air vent. The car smelled like ** and to end it all the tire light came on while I was on the freeway saying tire pressure low. I will never rent with Budget again and I did it with JetBlue app. I will give JetBlue an email letting them know how bad the experience was and hopefully they don’t use them again. The lines where long at LAX airport. 2 hour wait outside in the heat and only one person at the counter at a time. My wife and child waited outside like animals. If I could get my money back and go elsewhere I would have but I wasted half a day getting this rental so if you have some place to go go. Don’t use budget rental. You will be late.

I am a Budget FastBreak member and when I arrived Thursday night in PIE the line was quite long. I went in the separate line for the fast break members where a few people were waiting. The man at the counter, Budget employee CHRIS, pointed at me and said “you need to come here.” So I stepped over, surprised, and he said “if you just signed up for the fast break today you can’t be in that line.” He was EXTREMELY rude and said this in front of about 20 other customers, implying I cut in front of all of them. He DID NOT question any of the other fast break members.

I was wrongly charged a no show fee for a reservation when in fact I did pick up the rental car when I was supposed to. I tried to get them to remove the charge from my card and sent them all of the documentation they asked for and they never took care of their mistake. This is now in dispute through my credit card company. I will never rent from Budget again.

I promise you don’t want to miss this review. It could save you a lot of stress and money. I'll preface this with the fact that I’m an airline pilot and rent cars regularly, utilizing my benefits for this specific booking as well. I was in Fort Lauderdale, FL for a week and decided to rent Budget's “sporty” car, noting that with my benefits I was eligible for a free upgrade. I was not given a free upgrade when picking up the car. Secondly, after a long wait, I was given the vehicle with an 80% full tank of gas and very low rear left tire pressure. Image attached. I had to wait even longer for budget to take the vehicle back and correct the issues.

While Budget's pricing was more affordable than the other rental car options, I deeply regret going with Budget. Several days into our travel, the key stopped working, and we were completely unable to operate the car (we couldn't unlock the doors and certainly couldn't crank or drive the car). Hours after contacting Budget, we were assisted by a towing company who came to us and fixed our key fob. Several days after returning the car, I received an invoice from Budget for the towing company expense (nearly $300). I called Budget to explain our circumstances, hoping the towing company invoice would not be my expense since they were only called because the car wasn't functioning.

My husband and I rented on April 24-25th, in Houston, TX. We are not smokers. We have never been smokers. 4 days later my husband received an email about Budget finding smoke residue and odor in the rental car and will be charging us 450$!! How is this possible?! My husband demanded to speak to the manager. Apparently wasn't available. We are extremely angry. We didn't even eat in this car!!! We will NEVER use Budget. We have filed a formal complaint with Budget and will go further if we have to.

Budget Rental in Essex MD rented us 2020 Nissan Murano that had 65,000 miles and the rotars were so warped it made the ride from Baltimore, MD to Sarasota, Florida awful. Every braking, the car pulled right and you could feel the rotors just pulsating because they were so warped. I didn't think rental companies kept vehicles after 25-30K miles. Their only customer service at this location when we called on our journey was if we felt unsafe, take it to a rental location near us, like we were going to unpack our entire vehicle and repack on our journey.

Worst customer service EVER. I have been a Budget customer for years, and have rented many times. On April 5, I went to the counter at Denver airport to pick up a car I had reserved and already paid for. The agent told me they were unable to use my bank debit card, with a chip, for the deposit for the rental. I have used this exact card several times in the past year for a Budget car rental. The agent, his manager, and THREE different people on the phone at Budget all gave me the same answer "nothing we can do". I walked to the nearest competitor, who were happy to rent me a car. Well, there is something I can do. I will never rent from Budget again and am cancelling my account.

I have been a Budget customer for years. I attempted to reserve a same day rental. It went through the website but when I showed up to get the car, I was informed that I had to have another photo ID beyond my driver's license to rent the car. I was informed I could come back tomorrow, and it MIGHT go through. I can understand if I didn't have a history with the company, but Budget has now lost my business, both for today and in the future. In the digital age, you should be able to do better. Shame on you, Budget.

Budget is efferent and they do a good job in getting you a car but IF they overcharge you, for whatever reason, you will be waiting for 10 to 15 days for a refund. I prepaid for a rental and I did not realize they charged me again when I picked up the rental, I was in a hurry. They required screenshots of both charges. I sent them email them the charges. After 2 weeks of waiting, I called to follow-up on my refund and was told by the rep that she had to escalate the case. I told her the case had already been escalated. She proceeded to tell me that I did not know how it worked, I asked to escalate the call, she said there are no managers available and the supervisor was busy... UNACCEPTABLE...

We rented a car for a weekend in Chicago. We flew into O'Hara and went to Budget to get our car. The agent quickly went through the additional services we could get from Budget. Several additions were put on without our consent and added $137 to our bill. The next day I called and asked for a refund I was told no! Now I know my business is worth less than $137. In the future, I'll pay more for a rental somewhere else if it means never using Budget again. because I am worth more than $137.

0 Stars! We were given an extremely damaged vehicle at the Honolulu Airport in March 2024. Not one person came over when we called to them to point out the damage. After a 17 hour travel day we decided to take pictures and leave. 3 weeks after returning I receive a cryptic text that we have a claim against us. I found out I was charged almost $5300 for the damages that came with my rental. They did not even wait for my proof to be sent in. The charge has since been reversed but not one person from Budget has apologized for what happened. If we did not have those pictures we would have been out $5300. The customer service representatives have been rude and combative. All I asked for was an apology. The only thing I got was "I empathize with you." Stay away from Budget and Avis. And ALWAYS take pictures!

My experience in Louisville KY was terrible. The rental made an odd noise and when I got to my destination, a piece of the tire was missing! It was about 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. How they did not catch that before re-renting is beyond me. And then, Budget Road Side Assistance was the worst. I could not drive the car, no spare was in the vehicle, a tow truck took away my rental and left me. Budget sent me a credit for Uber, which I have never used an Uber. They wanted $600 to send a replacement car to my location that was less than 10 miles from the location I rented. And I have not received a refund since 4 days out. So, other than the tire not blowing out and me getting killed, what else could have gone wrong, did go wrong. So, never again with Budget.

I rented a car from Budget to be picked up at Phoenix Airport. I prepaid $87.12 which was supposed to be all the cost for that rent. When I went to pick it up it turned out the cost was $159.00 and they did not want to even listen to me that I prepaid. They charged me again and were very rude at the counter. I will never rent a car from Budget again! They overcharge you and don't even give you an explanation why.

I made a reservation for a SUV for a trip. The process was smooth. On the day return the vehicle, Budget found the windshield was crack. I was completely stunned because I didn’t encounter any collide or hit anything. I strongly believe the windshield already damaged when I pick it up. I was part of my fault that I didn’t check the vehicle thoroughly when I pick it up. I was assumed the car is in perfect condition. Furthermore, the car was ran out the windshield washer. It is also due for maint but was not done. I just want to let others know my incident when they rent from Budget.

I was charged $125 for "Excessive Interior Dirt- Sand" after a 16-day rental driving down the California coast. The car certainly looked like it had been sed for two weeks, but we never did so at the beach and the sand was not excessive. This charge is arbitrary and pure corporate greed.

Had a family emergency come up and I rented a pick-up truck from Budget through their website. Paid up front 6 days before we had to pick up the truck and an hour and a half before the pickup time they called and told me that corporate had never sent them any trucks, let alone the truck we had rented. The offered me a few small SUVs, but they wouldn't work for what we needed. Then they said that there was a truck at the airport and they wouldn't charge me any extra to get that one. The airport is 30+ miles from my house. They told me to take an Uber and they would reimburse me up to $50 for the ride. Uber to the airport from my house is ~$80. When I told them the cost difference they told me that is all they can offer me. I told them that I didn't have the time to go to the airport before work and that I had rearranged my work schedule as much as I could.

Picked up a convertible Mustang at the Tampa Airport yesterday. Went for dinner last night and noticed the front tires both had the cords showing! So slick, so dangerous! Tried for hours to get help and just got terrible English speaking people who couldn't help. Told us we'd We have to drive the car to a Budget store. Finally got a nice girl at the store on Dal Mabry who said unfortunately we have to take it back to the airport to exchange it. Here goes our entire morning of our vacation. We were already unhappy with the car... It was so dirty... The windshield was so bad that when we drive in to the sun we could barely see. No more Budget for me! Budget....crap car!

The check in process was fine. The agent was helpful and kind. When I arrived at my car, it was the only one with the windows all the way down. I got in the car and it smelled like pot. I had flown into town for an event that day and I had no time to waste. I had to drive away with the windows down and get to my event. An employee approached and asked if there was a problem. I said that it smells like pot but I had no time for an exchange. He told me to tell the woman in the booth as I left the garage. I did that. I went to my event, windows open, and came back a few hours later and reported it to the person who I gave the keys to.

If I could to put 0 star I would. I was trying to rent a car from website and it say that my total price will be $260.99 without ANY comments that this is price without additional fees and taxes. I agree with this and enter my CC number. Wen I click 'pay' I got receipt for $450.57. And this is at 189.58 more than it say originally. I cancelled it in 2 minutes and still was charged $50 cancellation fee. When I called customer service they told me that this is not their fault that website does not say about additional fee and they can not help me. Do not use their website for reservation as this is misleading.

I rented a car and my total with car plus some extras with insurance and tolls came around $201. When I arrived to the location at 3255 W Fullerton to pick up the car I came 1 hour earlier to make sure I can pick up the car on time and drive as I had a long drive to NJ. When I arrived I told the representatives that I know I came earlier, but if it's possible I'd like pick up the car if it's ready again because I had a very long drive ahead and I wanted to make sure I arrive in NJ on time. When I arrived they said the car I rented wasn't even there so they offered me to upgrade to a larger car for free which I took. The representatives seemed very nice to me, little did I know they were lying in my face.

I rented a car in Budget Oviedo, Spain. Service was awful from first minute. One mile away from Budget’s office I turned my head back and discovered that someone had throwed up in the back seat and they didn't even care to clean it. They didn't provide a contact number for emergencies. I wrote several emails and they didn't ever respond. When I returned the car the office was closed, so I had to park the car, but there was no available place in the parking lot, I had to throw the keys in a box, but the box was nowhere to be seen. It was one of the worst experiences renting a car in my life.

Budget has horrible customer service; you can never understand the customer service representatives and they transfer you from person to person without any resolution or real answers. I paid $1400.00 to rent a vehicle for a week, two weeks later they charged my credit card for using a TOLL ROAD in a different state than Michigan. When I contacted them and inquired why they charged me, I was told for the convenience of using the TOLL Road. Why am I paying a car rental company for a road fee that doesn't belong to them? I would think you'd be grateful we didn't drive on pot-holed filled roads. Then when you receive your credit card statement it won't say what it is actually for, it states it is a gas charge, even though I filled the car to the brim upon return.

Agent Tara informed me that the car to be rented had damage and asked if I'd rent the car. She would note the damages in the contract. I accepted. She did not make a note in the contract and now, 3-4 weeks later she knows nothing about this. Budget's claim agency is charging me for those prior damages, $1800. I am at fault for trusting the agent, not checking the contract, and not taking photos of the car at rental time. I will not be renting from Budget again and I am warning all potential customers.

I recently rented an SUV from Budget Rental Car at the Norfolk, VA airport from 03/26- 04/02, and I couldn’t be happier with the service. Here are the highlights of my experience: Smooth Check-In: The rental process was quick and efficient. The staff at the counter were friendly and helpful, making sure I had all the necessary information. Clean and Reliable Vehicle: The SUV I received was clean, well-maintained, and ready to hit the road. It had ample space for my luggage and passengers. Great Customer Service: Throughout my rental period, the Budget team was responsive and accommodating. When I had a minor issue with the tire pressure, they promptly addressed it, ensuring my safety.

I prepaid for rental 20 days before my trip in Brandon, FL only to come to the location and find out they had no vehicles. Mind you there were vehicles parked in the designated Avis/budget spots. This ruined my entire plans. It may be just this location, but customer service told me to go to airport location, but I had no one on the spot to drop me there. I had to go with Enterprise who was initially $30 more in total but less heartache. Ty enterprise, this budget location is something that rhymes with class. 800 number said I should get a refund. We will see.

Waited 2 hours in line to get a car after having the fast break crap. They have one person at the counter and no help coming. This has to be worst service in the history of car rental. This service was at the Baltimore airport.

We reserved a minivan on 3/20/24 at Boston airport. The rental of the van was from 3/20-3/25/24. Van to be returned by 12:00 on 3/25/24. We returned the rental van 3/25/24 at about 02:30 am. Pulled into the ramp where the sign showed Budget and Avis cars rentals are to be returned to. Pulled in and an older man was standing there. He was crabby and told us to stay in the van until he went around the van to check it. Once he checked the van he then went to the left side (driver-side) back of the van and scanned something. He came back and said ok. My husband asked him if we were good to go. His response was “yes.” My husband left the keys on the front dashboard and said, "Is this an ok place to leave the key?" He responded “Yeah.” All 6 of us got out of the van and grabbed our luggage and went to wait for the shuttle to go to the flight check-in area.

I don’t recently relocated to California and needed a long term rental. I chose budget initially because they had the cheapest price. After the first month, they wouldn’t let me extend it so I had to close and open a new contract, after which they raised the price an extra 200 from what I was paying. Same thing the third month, and they again raised the price another 100. No discount or anything for the long term rental like Hertz gives, they just charged me more. The brakes on the car were bad and when I called they told me it was because of the rain. They continued to get worse. I also had no wiper fluid. They would have had a long term customer but I am switching companies. Do not recommend.

I reserved a car in December of 2023 for March 2024. When we arrived it took over 3 hours to get the reservation that was supposed to ready to go when we landed. Not a single apology. Rather a raised price from $567 (agreed to on 12/3/2024) to $875 (charged on 3/23/24). When we got to the car the side of it was damaged, there was left over garbage and dog toys in the bed, it had clearly been smoked in, and the car seat that was supposed to be ready was in a pile of broken car seats for us to have to pick through in hopes to find one that worked for our infant. Still no apology or offer of help. We returned the car the day we were supposed to on 3/30/24 with a full tank of gas.

We took a trip to Washington, DC to visit my son and his new baby. We used Budget as our car rental service and when we arrived at the airport we found out that the Budge rental pick up was off site. We took the shuttle which was efficient and picked up our car. We were short of time and when we got into the car we noticed heavy smoke odor, but we had no time to exchange it as we had an appointment. We did not use the car except to and from the airport since we did not feel safe transporting the new baby in the vehicle. I have contacted Budget 5-6 times with no response either by phone or email, even though they say a manager will call me back. I have dates/ times/ names who I have emailed noted to take further action.

I rented a car through Expedia on March 28 at the FLL airport. The agent added insurance fees and additional fees to my total cost though I did not request these additions. After returning the vehicle, I was charged a refueling charge even though I filled the car up and I am now trying to dispute additional charges (totaling $350). Please look at your electronic receipts and pay attention to the return receipt.

I hate Budget. It's a bad company and it doesn't respect the customer. I am really disappointed with Budget. I rented a basic gas car and when I went to pick it up at the West Palm Beach airport they told me that there was no basic car and only an electric car. I was with my 17-year-old daughter celebrating her birthday and I didn't want to create a problem by taking the electric Mustang. When I had been driving for 15 minutes, one of the tires said it was low. It was 11 o'clock at night and I kept going. When I arrived at my destination on the beach in Fort Pierce, Florida, I used the car for a walk and the battery was running low. When it came time to fill up, there was no place to do so. After a lot of trying, I went to Ford and they gave me a charge. I went to two Budget stores to try to recharge the car, change the car or get a charger.

Didn’t have a reservation and the agent at Tampa Airport tried to charge $900 for 3 1/2 days. He stated that I should be ready because rates are way up. He told me that Budget requires mandatory insurance coverage for all walk up renters. Total lie. Might be illegal. He is obviously paid to force insurance on people. Stay away from Budget/Avis. Felt like I was on a used car lot.

Avis and Budget are combined so this review goes here too. I reserved a 12-passenger van on November 13, 2023 for a trip March 7, 2024 from Tampa International Airport. There were 8 of us going to New Orleans with luggage. I rented this vehicle far in advance to make sure I was able to reserve it. On March 7th I drove over 60 miles from my house to Tampa International. It then took me another 45 minutes to even find the Budget rental desk. Once I got to an agent, I waited another 15 minutes while he walked away to whisper in his walkie-talkie, to have him come back and say he didn't have one available. He then proceeded to tell me and I quote, "It's peak season and Budget will and does overbooked, but I can give you two small passenger vans".

It's hard for me to give them even one star! This is the complaint I logged with Budget Rental Car: I was part of an upselling scam at Harry Reid Airport Budget counter on March 14th, 2024. Even though I declined "Protections and Coverages" on my reservation, I was told by Lucas, the counter rep, that it was MANDATORY that I select an option for coverage from the plastic sheet. Lucas assured me TWICE verbally at my questioning that I would only be charged if there was damage to the car upon return and that it was just a HOLD on my credit card. Apparently, that was not the case as I have been charged the full amount of $186.98 ($170+16.98) on my card.

I reserved a 12 passenger van on November 13, 2023 for a trip March 7, 2024 from Tampa International Airport. There were 8 of us going to New Orleans with luggage. I rented this vehicle far in advance to make sure I was able to reserve it. On March 7th I drove over 60 miles from my house to Tampa International. It then took me another 45 minutes to even find the Budget rental desk. Once I got to an agent, I waited another 15 minutes while he walked away to whisper in his walkie talkie, to have him come back and say he didn't have one available. He then proceeded to tell me and I quote, "It's peak season and Budget will and does overbooked, but I can give you two small passenger vans". What?? I have had this van reserved for 4 months!! Two of us are 100% disabled veterans and the point of renting ONE car was so the driving would be easier on us.

Returned a rental car full of gas and when I looked at the invoice Budget charged me $103.13 for a refueling fee saying it was only 7/8th full. I have a picture on my phone showing mileage, a full gas tank, time and date stamped on the picture from my iPhone. The sales lady was in a hurry and must of read the tank level wrong. Now I have to wait for my credit card invoice to show I put gas in the car and email back to them. Such a major inconvenience!

This was my first and last time renting from Budget. When we got there they didn't have a car for us, we had to get a small SUV. The truck was dirty, it had food crumbs in the front seat, passenger seat and something sticky in the cup holder (Which is not at the bottom on my phone case). When we took the SUV back, we uploaded our bags and she asked for the keys. She started the SUV up and said I will be charged $17 because the needle was not directly on Full, it was one notch from the F. So since we still had time I asked if I could get the keys back and put a few more dollars in the tank to put it directly on the F. She said she closed out the ticket already and I would have to go to the window to start a new rental altogether in order to do that. That was very underhanded, she could have said something when she started the SUV up and noticed it. I will be taking my business to any other rental place. This happened on March 19, 2024, DO NOT RENT FROM THIS PLACE!

I've, thankfully, not been required to rent a car more than three times. However, following an experience I had today while assisting a family member in getting a rental I can say, with certainty, that I will NEVER rent from this company. She was having issues getting the car because of her credit. I was willing to rent the car for her and add her as an additional driver. While I was filling out an online reservation form, because the clerk REFUSED to make the reservation in house even though her car was there and waiting, she was looking at another company to see if we could get it through them and I wouldn't have to foot the bill. At that point, the clerk clapped his hands and stated "we no longer have any cars available for reservation". We didn't argue and walked out. At that point, the clerk locked the door behind us.

Budget car rental is the worst. They put me on a do not rent list because they double charged me for a rental car that I contested on my credit card. The credit card company sided with me and Budget had to eat it. As a result Budget will not ever rent me a car because I am on their do not rent list.

I prepaid for a vehicle for June 2024. No longer need the vehicle. I called to get a refund? And they told me that I did not prepay it. I have sent them every documentation that I have showing that I did prepay it and they are still telling me that I didn't prepay it. Looks like I'm going to have to contact an attorney in order to get anything done. I would not recommend this company. I would not recommend prepaying anything Especially with them. This company tries to rip you off for your money. It's the worst experience I've ever had with any company. I would have gave them a zero but it doesn't go lower than a one.

I rented a vehicle from Budget while my vehicle was in the shop being repaired after an accident. I had the rental for 10 days. I explained that I didn't know how long I would need the vehicle. I was told no problem. The rate was 32.14/day on my receipt. I no longer needed the vehicle and returned it at 7 days. The base rate for the 7 days on my receipt was 289.27 which equates to 41.32/day. I called Customer Service and explained my issue and was transferred to a manager. I was transferred to Tiffany. I started to explain the issue to Tiffany and was disconnected. I called back and spoke with Mikayla. I told her I was just speaking with a manager and wanted to be transferred to a manager - Tiffany or another manager. She told me she was unable to transfer me. I told her that the previous agent was able to transfer me and asked her to check with her co-workers.

Made reservations for a rental 3/7/24 - 3/11/24 in Baltimore. Arrived 3/7 to be told they didn't have any cars! I had confirmed reservation! Enterprise was nearby, had plenty of rentals and didn't cost much more. Thanks Enterprise!!

I rented a car from 3/1/24 to 3/3/24. (This was booked on 1/25/24). I did the pre check in process before arrival and still had to wait in line over an hour to do the same process. This was a waste of time considering I already uploaded all of my info including my credit card. This did not speed up the process of our wait time. We waited another hour to get our vehicle that was damaged so then we had to wait for a replacement. Replacement was dirty. We missed our ski lessons and had to eat the cost. We had a short visit and didn’t get to enjoy what was planned months in advance. So disappointed. This rental was from Denver international airport.

They charged my credit card $1995 for renting a minivan in Orlando for 6 days. I was initially quoted $780. Hidden fees and supplemental charges. When I spoke to the manager dropping the car off she could not explain that charge, apologized and said they will charge me $780. Later I get the bill they charged me $1569. Called customer support explaining the situation and he eventually just hung up on me. Currently disputing charges with Credit Card. The car was in terrible condition as well. Covered in dents and scratches all over.

I rented a car coming back home. From Pennsylvania to Tampa, Fl. Around 1300 miles, 19 hours. Started raining on the way, I felt the car hydroplaning, since I'm experienced driver, just lowered the speed and carefully went through the storm. When I arrived home and parked the car, I saw the tires. Completely bad, pretty much showing the wires! Really, really bad inspection on those cars, and it was my bad that I didn't checked it, you feel you're safe just because you're renting a car from a company. Never trust!

Updated on 03/08/2025: Yet AGAIN, this company has overcharged us for fuel. Lady at the desk even marked on the paper that the gas was 1/4 full and told us to return it the same, which we did. When overcharged, we wrote a complaint letter with photos showing the fuel level. They won't fix the charge. This is the third time this has happened from Sarasota to Tampa. We are done with you criminals.

Well when you call customer service and they explain if you drop at a different location you may get a small drop off fee but must likely not. Well I did drop and I don’t consider $300.00 a small charge on a $450.00 rental agreement, so I call customer service and as per usual the first person says I need a manager, rudest female agent I have ever spoken with, won’t get into the details of her rudeness but bottom line is she said her employee I spoke with mislead my son and myself as we had 2 rentals. I had called when I booked and asked again at pick up and was told it wasn’t going to be a problem.

When I arrived at the Budget garage parking area at Norfolk International Airport ORF to drop off my vehicle, the two staff members in that area told me I needed to go down to the desk in the airport to close out my account because they didn’t know how to do it. I thought that was odd but I went with it. When I got to the counter I stood in the Avis line because they were the ones that gave me the vehicle when I arrived in Norfolk a couple of weeks ago and there was no line. The Avis representative told me she could not help me because it was a Budget vehicle.

I returned my Budget rental car to the Tampa airport on February 18th. My ear buds fell through a hole inside the console and could not be reached so Ilona told me they needed to get a mechanic to get them out and that she would send them to me. She told me to go to the budget lost and found website and file a report to confirm everything so I did that and it showed that they found them. According to the website I have to pay $38.71 to have them shipped to my home even though I didn't forget them and leave them there. They're there because it is Budget's fault my ear buds are still in Tampa!

I rented a car in LA and the service was HORRIBLE. I will never rent with them again. The cost when booking online appeared lower, but all the extra charge once there made it the same as their competition, if not more. I had requested a car by 1pm and didn't get it until 7pm ... The 1st thing was getting off the terminal: shuttles for all other rental companies were coming about every 5-10 min. We waited over 1h to see the 1st Budget shuttle, and it finally arrived. It was full. The line was too big to fit in the 2nd one so we had to wait for the 3rd one (about 2 hrs waiting). When we finally arrived on the rental site, there was a crazy line at the counter (hundreds of people). It was raining that day and the line was so long that most of the wait was outside, with no roof to protect us from the rain (for info, I was travelling with a toddler and a 8 month pregnant woman, yet no one came to offer them a sit or shelter inside... Actually, they were denying access to the office because it was too crowded).

The full size car we reserved wasn’t available in MIA then they found one after us waiting for an hour. The car we got had high mileage and in need of service. The tires were making noise, the horn did not work at all and the key fob was working occasionally probably due to low battery. After calling customer Budget customer service they told us, "Bring the car back if you not happy." So for us to drive to MIA and exchange would be a waste of a day of our planned vacation. So terrible and old car with poor service and zero accommodation from Budget gets it **at most.

You will never get a recommendation from me! You need to train your staff correctly!! I booked a reservation with your company almost 2 weeks in advance! I called 3 times over a week and a half to ask about using a Chime debit card or Chime secured credit card! I was told I could use the debit card but would be charged a deposit of $250. Not a problem!

I should be refunded the amount I was charged for the toll pass less the one toll I went through. To charge $130 for something that was NEVER explained to me is wrong. As I stated in an earlier email, yes, I initialed the contract, It was NEVER explained that we would be charged $130+. We were waiting in line behind 20 plus people, so no, I did not review the contract as I trusted what I was signing. Clearly, I was ripped off, had the nasty agent at the desk mentioned it would be $130+ I would NEVER have approved it. This is clearly taking advantage, it's the poorest of business practices, something that in my 38 years of being in business would never fathom doing to a customer.

Worst service 3 employees. Line out door. I wish I could add a photo. Service is disgusting. Worst rental company. Signage to drive in when not on an airport shuttle non existent. HIRE MORE EMPLOYEES. NEVER AGAIN

While traveling to Saint Petersburg, FL, we booked a rental car directly on the Budget site. When we landed and went to the counter to pick up the car, the line was about 3 hours long. Once we finally reached the counter, we were told they did not have any cars to rent, except for electric cars which we did not want. He said it would be another hour to get another car. We got the electric car, which was only charged at about 150% During the course of our stay, we spent several hours searching for a charging station that worked and did a fast charge. Terrible service at the counter and did not receive the car we paid to rent.

My husband and I arrived at New Orleans airport with a late night flight from New York after midnight. We picked up a car at Budget Rent A Car based on our reservation. The SUV (Ford Edge) they gave us was a complete piece of junk. Within 5 minutes of driving on a highway after exiting the airport, it started to make loud metal scraping noice from underneath the car. It got worse within another 5 minutes which forced us to stop by the side of the road because it was unsafe to drive.

My recent experience with Budget Car Rental was profoundly disappointing, marked by a series of egregious lapses in service and ethics. Despite my expectations of a smooth and reliable rental process, I encountered a myriad of issues that left me deeply dissatisfied. First and foremost, the service provided by Budget Car Rental was nothing short of abysmal. From the onset, it was apparent that customer care was not a priority. Communication was lacking, and any attempts to address concerns were met with dismissiveness and deflection. One of the most egregious aspects of my experience was the false charging under the guise of toll fees. Despite the vehicle never leaving the state during the rental period, I inexplicably received a toll bill. This unauthorized charge not only inconvenienced me but also resulted in my account being overdrawn, leading to additional fees and the need to dispute the transaction with my bank.

Brought my rental car back to ATL and asked one of the employees if he was going to check me in with the rover and he yelled at me and my coworker to leave the key in the car. I responded the key is in the car and I asked him if was going to check us in. He responded, "I said leave the key in the car!" He was so rude. I went to his manager and nothing. I wrote letters to Budget and the Avis group, nothing. I sent an email to Howard Steinburg VP Budget Atlanta, nothing! I don’t care if Budget is free, I will never in my life rent from them.