Budget Rent A Car
reviews and complaints

Dear Sir or Madam

I rented a car from your organisation for a period of 2 months. I collected the car from Tenerife adjacent to Tenerife south airport. The first rental was from 1/1/2022 to 31/1/2022 (rental agreement number E888928250)

The second month’s rental was from 31/1/2022 to 28/1/2022 (rental agreement number [protected])

I returned the car at the end of the first month, which was a requirement of the agreement, but your organisation did not have a car available to exchange and advised me to keep the original car. When I rented the car in January I asked if I could keep the car for the 2 months hire period but is was told this was not possible. This process which was clearly unnecessary took approximately 2 hours including travelling time.

I rang your organisation at 10.30 on 21/2/2022 and advised the member of staff I spoke to that I would like to keep the car until 10.30 the next day (1/3/2022). I was told the additional cost would be 11.63 euros. The telephone number I called was [protected] and no doubt you will have a recording of this conversation.

I have now reviewed my account and I note that I have been charged £24.14. This is unacceptable and had I been made aware that the cost would be so high for what was a period of 17 additional hours I would have returned the car on 28th February.

My expectation is that as a minimum I will be refunded the difference between 11.63 euros and £24.14, however taking account of the inconvenience I have suffered a more equitable solution is to refund the £24.14.

Regards

Mike Gallagher

I booked a car rental on July 05, 2021 for June 25 - July 8, 2022. (in Newfoundland)

The contract I agreed upon was $1185.34. (base car rental $531.50, Taxes and fees $653.84) I called to confirm the booking on February 22, 2022 to make sure we were good to go.

I had to look up a detail on my booking on February 25, 2022 and noticed that the price had jumped to $1450.92. (base car rental price $531.50, Taxes and fees $919.42)

I spoke to two customer service people on February 25, 2022 to ask about the increase. They answered that it was the demand for it. I asked how can you change the price after a contract was made. I booked well in advance to secure a vehicle and price. They said that was the price and they couldn't do any better.

They could not (wouldn't) give me a person to get the solution to this problem of theirs. I went on line to find the complaints department for Budget.

Picked up car and it was so dirty had to cleaned just to see out the windows at night. When I picked up my son he informed me there was marijuana in the front dashboard. I also had my 12 year old grand daughter in the car at that time. Totally dirty car and drugs inside of it is totally unacceptable. I called about it during my trip and was told to do it online. This is beyond

d belief. When I dropped off my car at airport I saw a total cleaning team and station. Why was my car not treated that why. I want a total refund for this . To get a car with drugs in it is so disgusting to me and Im very angry about it. Please send email respond to [protected]@yahoo.com My rental number is [protected] picked up at 28201 Marguerite parkway Thank You

Flew home for my mom's funeral, rented a car for the first time ever upon landing at Cleveland airport. Instruction stated to wait at Exit 5 for a shuttle. After waiting for over 30 min I went to a house phone to ask Budget rep how much longer I would need to wait stating I was at Exit 5, was told should not be much long. After waiting almost 30 min more a security guard at the airport asked me who I was waiting for instructing me that Exit 5 was incorrect and it was actually at Exit 1. Personnel staff was unkind and unclear about where to pick up the car in the parking lot, which lot was very confusing. I called the night before returning car to make sure shuttle was available to return to the airport as I would be there at 5:30 am. Was told by Budget rep that shuttle service did not start until 7:00 am which was to late, when I arrived I found out that it was 24 hrs a day after paying taxi $76 for a 5 min ride to airport due to early hour. When I arrived to return my car, the first lit up section stating Alamo return and I saw Budget next to it so I entered that parking lot, when I got into lot I realized the only return place was the Alamo, three exits in Budget lot stated damage to vehicle if I exited, but they did have cars blocking those exits. The only way to leave lot was thru entrance which only said Entrance, no damage signs on that way so my only choice was to exit the way I came in which I did flattening all of my tires, I made it over to Alamo before going completely flat, I was in tears. I just wanted to get on plane and get home and count my losses with this service...never again, Did not need all this stress on top of my mom's funeral.

We made a reservation with Budget on July 7, 2021 for a 17 days rental ( December 21, 2021 to January 7, 2022) to be picked up at Sangster's INTL Airport in Montego Bay JM for $749.65 using Costco executive membership discount. Hours before arrival, we received an email notification that our vehicle is available for pick up at noon.

We arrived at approximately 2:55 pm and noticed a long line and later a huge commotion. Amidst the mess, I was able to approach the counter and kindly provided the representative with our reservation information. She apologetically stated that there were no vehicle at this time.

She provided a referral by calling and arranging for us to get a vehicle with another local company for approximately 3 times the amount stated above. We reluctantly agree and was picked up and transported to the company off site. Additional cost were suggested, we refused, and was then transported back to the airport.

There and then we reported the matter to the police department at the airport. They assisted us with a referral to Payless rental. 7 hours later we received a car for $1, 485.00 plus $500.00 security deposit after we declined their insurance and other additional expenses. However, we noticed that the company name was not Payless as originally thought but D&M Classique Car Rental.

On December 27, 2021 we called Budget company and spoke with a representative from Yonkers NY who explained that they do not have a vehicle at the original reservation amount but we could pick one up for $2, 286.50 for the remaining 9 days ( December 28-January 7). We accepted the reservation and noticed that they used the same reservation # and changed the amount. We made several other calls to get the matter resolved amicably but each and every person we spoke to we're not helpful or care to amend.

We concluded that this was intentional and thus considered to be price gouging. This is unacceptable business practices and should not have happen to anyone especially loyal customers.

No customer service, rude agents that hang up on you, no way to speak to a supervisor. Bait and switch tactics on their website. Not given the type of car stated on their contract, ie, clean. I was given a filthy car with a broken left mirror and such bad stains on the windows that I had to cancel my road trip. I could have lived with the dirty interior and the compact car but the windows were so hard to see out of I could not risk driving long distance with my children. Budget would not replace the car without me having to go back to the airport to pick up another one and it was just too late in the game for me to do this. What a yucky, scummy company. Gross.

Rented a van in Catania, Sicily, Italy. Van was scratched on all body panels. This was not shown on the damage sheet, so had the Budget man in the lot "Mickey" document the damages, and he assured me I would not be charged.

Despite these assurances, they have charged me. I have photo evidence of the scratches prior to rental as well as 5 witnesses, not to mention the signed damages' sheet from Mickey, the Budget lot guy.

I never write reviews. But my experience was so bad that I feel compelled. I rented a mini van to move my daughter from her college dorm after graduation. When I arrived, they did not have any vans. I had to get an SUV instead. I was charged an upgrade fee even though it was not my desire to upgrade. Then I had to extend the rental which I did before I was scheduled to return it. I was charged a late fee. Then when I returned the vehicle I filled it up and drove two miles to the rental return counter. I was charged almost 38 dollars for fuel. I tried to rectify with customer service but the first time I was cut off in the middle of the call. when I called again, the agent was rude and dismissive. I will never rent from budget again. I will pay twice the amount with another company first. Worst experience with a rental agency in my life.

I rented this car on November 12, 2021- November 18, 2021. I was not told that there was any damage nor had the car been smoked in. After reviewing my bank account I noticed that there was a charge that I wasn't aware of. I then called the location I rented from and was told that I would be provided with pictures but I never received any proof that there was smoking in the vehicle. I called Customer Service as well for pictures but still have yet to receive anything. I was then charged an extra 250.00 that Customer Service told me was just a freeze and I had to contact my bank for a faxing number and then call them back to provide it so that the freeze can be released. On 12/9/2021 I was contacted by Thomas Ianieri Claims Representative from Viking Billing Service at [protected] about damages on the car that I would be billed for. I contacted the location in Humble again and the store associate confirmed that the damage was not caused by me but it is on record that the vehicle was brought to them by someone else with damage. I reached out to the billing service again and was told that I would need the store to send over documentation supporting that. Due to all of charges and lack of attention to my case I'm now having to go beyond necessary needs of a customer to fix what I did not cause. I'm beginning to feel harassed with these issues from budget since returning the vehicle and would like it to be resolved. I keep receiving calls for charges that I have absolutely nothing to do with and have to spend time to call the store and customer service just to attempt to resolve it. I would like pictures that the vehicle was smoked in as requested before and for the bill for damages to be disputed due to me not being responsible for them. This has been the absolutely worse experience that I have had with a rental location and very much an inconvenience to me and my family because my funds are being took from me with no explanation or proof. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
[protected]@gmail.com is my personal email if needed
49148120us0 -Confirmation number

I rented a car in Nashville, TN on Oct. 10, 2021 and returned it to BNA on Oct. 12, 2021. On Dec. 2, 2021, nearly two months later, I received a letter from Budget informing me that the car I rented had "tire damage," and they would charge my card an additional $106.

They lied. I did not incur ANY damages to said vehicle, drove slowly, did not hit any bumps, curbs, or rough roads. They did not qualify what the damages were, nor provide proof of any kind (photos etc.)
I phoned and told them as much, so the representative offered me a 50% reduction, which I paid, but only because I did not want the aggravation. I DID NOT damage tire(s) and demand a refund of the $53 they charged me.

I have made a reservation with Budget / Avis through a third party website, who offered me car insurance as well. At the counter of the airport Charles de Gaulle, Terminal 2 E/F, where I was supposed to pick up the car, the representative at the counter was very persistent in trying to sell me additional insurance - which I declined each and every time. Nevertheless, the dishonest representative included insurance in my contract, did not tell me about it, did not show me the contract, only skipping directly to the page where I had to sign the contract. I made the huge mistake to faithfully, believe the representative had not included any additionals. Now I am being charged more than 50 dollars extra for an unapproved charge of insurance! And Budget / Avis does not want to give me my money back! I feel like I have been scammed, robbed! I declined the insurance, they included it anyways and charged me for it! Something I did not approve nor accept! This is outrageous!

I went to rent a car from Budget and was told I was on the "Risk Match" list and not allowed to rent. I have tried calling Customer Service, as I was told to do, but the phone tree does not handle my problem.

I do not know why I am on this list. I have always returned my rental cars and obtained insurance for any damages.

Mark Bruce

We delivered back the rental car as promised. I see that you charged us an extra day even though it was about an hour late. We had run into a traffic jam coming from Cape Cod to Logan Airport Boston, Mass. and was close to an hour late. We had trouble finding the drop off and drove many times around the airport looking for rental return. We almost missed our plane. Finally we found some one to help us. On our initial reservation confirmation above the weekly rate was 275.39 x 2 weeks and one extra day. The extra daily rate was quoted as 55.08. The taxes and fees were $291.94 and total price for the car was $897.80. In reviewing your copy from the internet the total is $1002.05. Even though you charged us more for the extra day than we had been paying under our contract, there are some discrepancies. Please explain Donna Lopes

Rental agreement #[protected] Complaint case #[protected]

10/17/2021 returned my rental vehicle to Italy's busiest Airport, Rome(FCO) with full tank of gas. Only a single security guard @ Budget car compound to deal with returned vehicles. He could not give me written proof of return or vehicle status and I have never received invoice.
Budget charged my Credit Card 91Euro to fill tank.
Budget has never responded even after I filed "escalation" reports.
Budget USA appears to be completely divorced from global customer issues in the corporation. The only solution is to call Italy direct, in an attempt to claim refund while paying International phone charges.

November 4, 2021

Jessica Hamblen
Po Box 1681
Newport, WA 99156

Re: Claim #[protected]
Avis Budget Car Rental, LLC
6 Sylvan Way
Parsippany, NJ 07054

This letter will provide ample detail regarding the claims you have against me regarding my rental back in September of 2021. Upon arrival at the Budget rental office at Sky Harbor airport, I had already prepaid for my rental. I sat there for four hours waiting for them to find the car that was originally promised. Being that I was on vacation I finally said please just get me into something of equal value. I literally rented this vehicle from September 9th through the 12th. I called the minute I realized the seatbelt didn't work and the side airbag was blown. I was constantly transferred and never talked to a real live person until a few days after I got home from my vacation. The person I finally spoke with said they would note this in the record. Upon rental return I also showed the man directing traffic for parking and he said he would note it. That obviously did not happen.

Per the rental agreement, both parties must notify the other of any possible claim they may have within thirty days, it has been 52 days since the rental was returned. Upon rental return I also showed the man directing traffic for parking and he said he would note it. That obviously did not happen. You provided photos that are date stamped 10-4-2021, 22 days after the rental return. You also have a few blurry pictures that have no date stamp; the dash photo is so blurry you cannot read the miles. There is no way you can compare the two pictures to fully know how many more miles were put on after I returned it, whether that be an employee or another rental agreement. I would also like to state that if a side seat airbag has been blown, why did the no other airbag go off, and why is there no visible damage to the exterior of the car, including but not limited the windshield, front quarter panel, front and back passenger doors. as well as bumper and hood damage. There were also no warning lights on the dash, if there were, I would have gone right back to the rental counter. As far as I am concerned you should be held responsible for renting out a vehicle that by law was unsafe.

Below is some insight of airbag deployment in case you are not aware...
The airbags are made to inflate in the case of a crash, but how severe of a crash does it take to deploy the airbags? This is a common question but doesn't quite capture the complexity involved in the safety systems found in modern vehicles. There are several factors that contribute to the airbags inflating:
• Direction: The airbags found in the vehicle are designed to assist the occupants in a front impact. If the truck is rear-ended or rolled over, the airbags will not go off. A side impact will set off the optional side airbags if the force is strong enough.
• Speed: Low-speed crashes may not set off the airbags.
• Angle: If the angle of the vehicle is not straight-on then it will influence which airbags ultimately go off. If the impact happens at the front driver side corner, then the passenger side airbags and possibly the passenger front airbag will not inflate.
• Force from impact: A crash is not just about the speed of the vehicle, the amount of force the object the vehicle hits and absorbs is also a large factor. A hypothetical "immovable object" will make the vehicle experience all the force from the crash all at once, so the airbags are very likely to go off if the vehicle impacts a wall or other hard, sturdy object. On the opposite end of that spectrum, hitting something that will make the vehicle slow gradually will not set off the airbags. For instance, if the vehicle loses control and rolls onto a soft shoulder it may be stopped by mud or gravel.

The pictures provided are not what the vehicle looked like when I picked up and returned it, not to mention these are taken almost a whole month later. I would also like to state that I have yet to meet someone that gets under vehicles to inspect them, this is unheard of. It was just a tear down the side of the passenger seat. I have attached a picture of what the seat looked like. I am not in any way responsible for this bill, and have plenty of proof to show, between multiple eyewitnesses that will prove it as well. Budget knows that I am not responsible for this claim.

After careful consideration of the details I've provided, if this claim is not closed based on your false statements, I am requesting the following documentation on your end to counter my proof that I'm not at fault for damages;

1. Photos of the vehicle prior to pick up (same day) and after return (same day, not months later)
2. Mileage logs of the vehicle leading up to my rental and after the return
3. Detailed logs from the attendant on duty when the vehicle was returned (same day records)

I have also submitted a claim to the attorney general regarding these false accusations against me (UWBHZ-EGA7F).

I would appreciate quick resolution in this matter.

Regards,
Jessica Hamblen

The car I rented was faulty. I got a flat on the driver side back. Put a replacement on my self and before I got to Fl it blew again same spot. Same split on the outside. Rearend on the car was has been wrecked or altered. Then I get my bill and it's over 500 $ and I only rented the car for 4 days. Should have been less than 300. I need to know what's going on and this seems like a scam!@

I was told, no smoking in the car, but when I got into the car smelled of marijiuana. Than as I drove the car the service needed light in 59 miles came on . After the 59 miles the check engine light came on. The gas cap in loose light came on and I had not put any gas in the car until Saturday night, the day before I returned it to Midway airport. My family was very concerned about my safety because I was traveling alone. I traveled from Midway airport to Michigan City, IN to visit my sick sister who was in the La port Hospital, she has terminal cancer so the visit was very important to us. So for us to be worried about the car I rented was not acceptable. I called Budget Rental to give my complaint and I was told to return the car to the nearest Budget Rental and pick up anther car but the nearest Budget Rental was in Merrillville IN which was 159 miles away from Michigan City, IN so with the condition the car was in I could not make that drive. I hope that Budget Rental will compensate my for this inconvenience.

Thank you.

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Nick Braginsky. I was your client and rented a car from Budget rental place in Los Angeles airport on Labor weekend (09/04/21). My rental agreement number is U387149490 and my case ID is [protected].

I was on my trip to Huntington Beach for my son's soccer tournament. That day I flew from Boston to Los Angeles and had the car rental set up from Budget. It took me 1 hour to get from the airport to the rental pace and then 2.5 hours in the line to get a car. I did not get the car I requested and was told my original choice was not available. I understood and was flexible despite the fact that the family behind me in line received the car I had previously specified. Instead I was offered a big SUV, post requesting a midsize one. I refused, to which the clerk gave me Jeep Cherokee, and I accepted.

I was outside when the car was delivered to me and it was on with the air conditioner on full volume. I was late to my son's game (Huntington beach is an hour away from Los Angeles) so I jumped in the car and drove away. When I arrived to the soccer field and turned off the engine I could smell the smoking odor in the car. After the game, I tried to call to Budget twice but always been on hold for 30 and then 45 mins, nobody picked up the phone.

I spent 3 days in Huntington Beach and then drove home to Bay Area (6 hours drive). All these days and driving back home I was exposed to the smoking odor. My son could not tolerate the odor due to his asthma so I had to ask other families to drive him to/from the games and even back home to Bay Area. Upon to the return of my car in my home town I asked the clerk if everything is okay and she confirmed that all is good (she was in the car and re-parked it from one place to another).

Well, a month later I received a letter that I will be charged $450 for the smoking odor of cannabis in the car. It made me very upset and angry. I have never smoked in my life. The fume was already present in the condition of the car when I got it at the LA airport.

I work as the nurse in a hospital and all my colleagues can confirm that I do not smoke. All my friends and my son's teammates parents know this as well.

I called to Budget customer service and spoke with a representative and then the supervisor asking them to return my money back because it was not my fault and I had not been the cause of the smoke. They gave me only a half of the money back. I offered to come to any Budget place at any time or take a drug test in order to prove that I am not a smoker but they did not want to deal with this.

If you're unwilling to collaborate in this process, I will consult my lawyer regarding next steps.

Overall, instead of getting a compensation for all inconveniences and having a health hazard to myself and my son, Budget workers were negligent and even charged money for the cleaning of car that should have occurred before I got in. This is not acceptable and wrong. Even though my integrity is in question, I am willing to prove at any time that I am not a smoker of any kind.

I am the healthcare employee and have been working with Covid patients almost every day. I have enough stress to deal with and do not need any more especially since I am innocent in this situation.

I want to ask you to review my case and return what you have incorrectly and unethically charged me.

If you have any questions, please, contact to me by email [protected]@yahoo.com or by phone [protected].

Thank you,
Nick B.

I planned a trip thru price line which included flight and car rental for a total of $806.19 from 10/13 -10/20. (Budget mid size car, conf#47338198uss. ). An emergency came up and I had to extend my stay in Fresno, Ca. Priceline referred me to budget to extend my to 10/28. The budget quoted me $656.37 for the extended days which I was upset about. He was not helpful in trying to lower the price. His advise was to go on line for a lower price. Well that did not work because I already had the car and there was no section for extending the stay. It would have been less money for me if I could have done it on line instead of paying an outrageous price of $656.37. I'm hoping to get half of my money back since it would have been under $300 on line. American Airline only charged me $186 extra for date change.

I pre-paid for my rental car. I get to San Diego and check in. The guy hurries me through to initial everything. I only agreed to an additional $15 a day protection. Plus a gas charge. We only used 4.544 gallons and the charge was $71.79. They also charged for road assistance. I have Triple A. I don't need that. They are a total rip off. $146.22 of additional charges.