Budget Rent A Car review: rental disaster

Budget Rental

Re: RA [protected]

I reserved a car many months in advance when I booked my flight to pick up in Raleigh for a meeting in Wilmington and then drive to another meeting in Florida. This was part of the reservation as I rented it in Raleigh with the return location and date being in Orlando, Florida. I needed to be at these events on time on certain dates and obviously mistakenly trusted your corporation to provide me reliable transportation.

After a successful meeting in Wilmington and leaving there for Florida on July 17th at 10am to ensure a timely arrival in Ormond Beach, I was driving on I-95 just inside of S. Carolina and had a flat tire at approximately 2:22pm. I understand “these things happen.” However, when I called Budget, I was pulled into a long discussion with the representative that could not handle basic instructions on how she could manage to get me help, where I was located at (the exit 98 at S. Carolina 6), and even told me to ask Siri, (but I have an Android). Really!

Finally she told me they would send someone out, but it would be an hour and after they changed the tire I would have to go get it fixed on my own. I waited two hours receiving texts with ETAs and when I finally called the service that was supposed to show up, they said they wouldn't be able to make it because they had an emergency tow. So I called Budget again. When I did, the representative called a tire service that showed up within 20 minutes. He said he didn't know why they didn't call him sooner because he could've been there in 15 minutes. This mistake is unacceptable.

While I was on the phone with this representative finding a new solution to me sitting on the side of the road, I told her I would not be able to get the tire fixed because there was no shop in the area that would be open now that it was so close to 5pm and that I should not be expected to do such anyway. I asked if I could just exchange the car. Since it was so late by the time I got back on the road, I had to drive two hours out of my way to the Charlotte, SC airport to pick up another car (a downgrade from my original vehicle) before returning to my route to Florida causing me to miss my original meeting and causing me to reschedule. This doesn't include the additional gas I had to pay for. Again, these charges and inconveniences are unacceptable.

When Isaac changed my tire, he said it was defective. My son, who I sent pictures of the tire to, agreed. You could tell by the way it was shredded unlike a regular flat tire. It was like the tread just came off from the inside section putting me at danger as I was driving down the highway. You could tell there was no way that tire was safe nor repairable. Also, unacceptable practice, especially knowing that I was going to be traveling a fair distance in this vehicle.

So after I had concluded my business in Florida, I called to change my return date and take the car back to the Daytona Airport location on July 24, 2023, and was told there would be no extra charge. Personally, I think I should have received a credit of at least two plus days considering the inconveniences, the gas, the frustration of sitting stranded on the side of the road alone in 101 degree heat, and missing my meeting. I certainly have no intention of paying more than the original price when I was told I would not have any additional fees or charges.

Now, I am sitting in France and received a false charge on my credit card for $181+ from Budget on approximately August 24th.This is impossible because I wasn’t in the US on that date and if anything, Budget owes me $500+ for all these inconveniences and incompetent individuals they have working for them that cannot handle a simple situation like a flat tire. This is an atrocity. To make things worse I have received no response to my previous email and contact to Budget Customer Service. At this point, I am ready to hand this over to my attorney and have him take care of it, including but not limited to disputing all of the original charges in their entirety. This whole matter is intolerable.

Please contact me to address these issues since none of your phone representatives seem to be able to address or resolve customer issues and in many ways are incompetent. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

T. Prindible, M. Ed.

[protected]@gmail.com