Budget Car Rental Claim this business

Rodrigo B.on Google

2 months ago

My experience with Budget Rent a Car was extremely disappointing. I made a reservation in advance and, even so, when I arrived at the rental location I had to wait approximately one hour in line. What was most concerning is that the staff themselves mentioned that this is “normal,” especially on Thursdays and Fridays, which reflects a recurring operational problem. While waiting, they asked customers to complete information beforehand using a QR code, but the application failed and, in the end, the process was useless and did not speed up the service at all. In addition, I decided to pay extra for a “special electric” vehicle expecting a better experience, but when I received the car I found a steering wheel that was badly damaged and patched up with electrical tape, a tire with concerning damage, several scratches, and a generally poor level of cleanliness, including the inside of the windshield. The situation became worse when I needed to charge the vehicle to continue my trip. The charging port would not open due to a vehicle error, which caused a significant delay. I spent more than an hour speaking with Budget’s phone support and, during all that time, they never sent assistance. I eventually managed to temporarily solve the issue on my own. What was most surprising is that they did not call to follow up and check what had happened with me or the vehicle until the next day. They eventually replaced the car, but by then I had already lost more than three hours between calls, delays, and operational issues. To make matters worse, I was only staying two nights at my destination to visit family. Because of the delays at the rental counter, the vehicle issues, and the time spent waiting for assistance that never arrived, I effectively lost my entire first day. I missed a family dinner that had been planned in advance and spent a significant portion of my limited time dealing with problems that should never have occurred with a properly maintained rental vehicle. Beyond the poor condition of the vehicle, the most frustrating part was the lack of response and sense of urgency regarding a problem that directly affected my trip. Occasional inconveniences are understandable, but not an entire chain of failures in service, vehicle maintenance, and customer support—especially when paying extra for one of the special vehicle categories. The purpose of paying a premium is to receive a better experience, not additional problems. Unfortunately, Budget failed at nearly every step of the process. What should have been a simple two-day family visit became a frustrating experience filled with delays, avoidable issues, and lost time that I cannot get back. This was easily one of the worst rental car experiences I have ever had. Update: Perhaps the most shocking part of this experience is that after their vehicle failed and left me stranded, Budget could not provide assistance, could not confirm that help was coming, and did not follow up until the next day. Now they are attempting to charge me more than $500 (for tow charges) for a problem caused by their own vehicle and a service that was never provided. That is simply unacceptable.

Martha Torreson Google

a month ago

I had a confirmed reservation and arrived to pick up my rental vehicle. When it was time to pay, I swiped my credit card, and the payment terminal displayed “Approved.” However, the employee at the counter told me my card had been declined. I explained that the terminal showed the transaction was approved, but she had me swipe my card a second time. The second transaction was declined. To verify what had happened, I immediately called my bank. They confirmed that the first transaction had, in fact, been approved, the funds had been released, and I could even see the pending charge for approximately $650 on my account. I showed this information to the employee. Despite this, she repeatedly insisted the payment had not gone through and said there was nothing she could do. I spent nearly three hours trying to resolve the issue, but no one offered a solution or explained why their system did not reflect the approved transaction. Instead, I was told I would have to wait 24 hours before I could use my card again. As a result, I was unable to rent the vehicle. Since this is my only credit card and the approved transaction placed a hold on my available credit, I could not book another rental that evening. Because it was late at night, finding alternative transportation was not possible. Unfortunately, I missed a very special family trip due to this situation. This experience caused significant inconvenience, financial hardship, and disappointment. In addition to the payment issue, I was disappointed by the level of customer service I received. The employee was unprofessional throughout the interaction. She was loudly chewing gum while speaking with customers, showed little empathy, and made no apparent effort to help resolve the problem or seek assistance from a supervisor. I expected a higher level of professionalism and customer care, especially given the circumstances. I would appreciate a review of this incident, an explanation of what caused the payment discrepancy, and appropriate consideration for the inconvenience and losses I experienced.

Jonathan Glaesemannon Google

2 months ago

This is a followup review and concerns an incident we had with this location. We got charged twice for one rental with two different rental agreement numbers and two different amounts charged. Hmmmm (head scratch). Has anyone else had this issue? Anyway I talked multiple times to representatives from budgets help department and I finally was helped by a sweet lady named Grace who is refunding the extra charge. Yay Grace! Thank you! We are happy about that but I am not sure about the different reservation number and a random charge for a little over a hundred bucks we did not agree to. Hope it was an accident and no funny business was involved. I really appreciated my costumer service representative that helped me clear this up. I'd think twice before choosing this location though. It was super sketch and HARDLY ANY VEHICLES IN THEIR LOT. This is a rental company!!! You're supposed to have vehicles ready and waiting. Just not professional.

Mohamed Sheikhon Google

2 weeks ago

Probably the worst waste of time, this is my second time using them and each time the line has been over and hour and a half wait. There is only two employees working and it takes about 20 mins or more to help one person. This is a ridiculous company and should definitely be investigated. After arrival they state there were no cars available. I wish i can give this 0 stars for wasting 2 hours of my trip just to check in after a long flight. Save the headache and go with enterprise or somewhere with good customer service.

Theron Hefleyon Google

8 months ago

I haven't had problems in the past, but this time was the worst experience I've had. The rental had not been cleaned and was dirty inside and out. It had stained seats, dirty and dust everywhere on the inside, mud splatter on the outside and the license plate was caved in. Hopefully this doesn't happen to anyone else.