Complain about a product or service

Budget Rent-A-Car

Harsh of Nashua, NH May 15, 2009

Hi, I rented car from NASHUA, NH 11th May09 at morning. When I rented this car he did not checked the car and told me to check the car, I saw some minor scratch but I thought its negligible. When I returned this car at 8.45am, No representative in office and office was locked. rental Office timing is 8 am to 6pm. So I dropped car key and went to office.

At 9.20 representative gave me call to come down in office to see the damaged car. When I went there he told me to see damaged when he showed damaged I told him that this damage is minor and that scratch was so old anybody can tell that it was not happened in recent days. I showed him other scratches on car which looks new. His behavior was very rude and looks like his only intention to charge money from credit card. When I denied the damaged from my side he told us do whatever you want to do. I am not agree on my charges. He is mentally harassing me

Mark of Columbus, OH May 8, 2009

Automotive repair company (Tilton's Automotive Service) arranged a paid rental while they had my car for extended repairs. They paid the bill via a Budget invoice, but Budget also charged my American Express card (402.45). American Express refused to pay after I sent them all the supporting documentation (letter from Tilton's saying that they paid the cost of the rental).

Marshall of Wilmington, DE April 26, 2009

Upon returning a rental car to this location I was advised that the amount chargerd to my credit card would be 261.00. I showed her the signed rental agreement that I was quoted 174.19. This agent named Carrie was very rude and advised me that she was unaware as to why the charge was higher and that was not able to print out why and show me what the extra charge was for. She provided me the 800 # for customer service which was closed. No manager was avaialable at the location to talk to. She advised me that I would have to call back Monday morning to find out what the extra charge was for but until then I would be charged the amount the computer showed, not the amount I had the paperwork for. She had no customer care skills or concern about her nor did she make any effort to find out what the charges were for. It seemed as though this was a regular thing for Budget to charge more and not care. This was the first and last time I will ever use Budget for my rental cars! When I became slighly upset her response was "Don't talk to me like that cause I just call the police!" What an easy way out of handling a customers concern! Budget is a rip off!

Mr & Mrs Ahmed of Downey, CA April 8, 2009

We rent a van fro sfo airport on mrch/6 when we returned the van we follow the direction to return the van a guy approch us with scanner in his hand he checked the milege, full tank of gas ( he was training a lady with him) try to print a reciept it did not print , and he asked us to go to the counter to finish everything , it was me , my wife and our 4 kids with me around 2 pm on march 9, when we went to the counter I noticed a big line and my flight with united airlines around 3: 45 pm, so left the line and rush to the airport , we came to losangeles after 2 wheeks I received a bill from the credit card compny that budget charged me over 800.00 . When I called them thy said the reason why because they found the van 10 days after I returned it so they charge me for 12 days rental, I explained to them what happened but the still playing game with me

Teresa of Benton City, WA March 25, 2009

We rented a car from here on March 20th. We rented the cheapest we could find, and were told we would be getting a ford probe or focus. We were given a rate of ~64.00 for the extent of the stay. We were also told that we could return the car to LAX for no additional fee. Suspiciously, the agent scratched out the numbers on the contract that indicated the 'estimated total' and sent us on our way. When we went to the car we were given, it was a Nissan Versa, but such a small car that we assumed that it was within the cheapest range and besides that we had a receipt for the rates. We returned the car to LAX, where we were charged 192.00! The woman at the LAX counter was completely unhelpful and rude and told us to take it up with the Ontario Budget Rent A Car center.

When I called them, in ONE phone call the agent -- while looking at our receipt-- quoted me 3 different rates and offered to reduce it to 42.99 per day, a rate that had never even been mentioned before. We've left multiple messages with these clowns and have not received a call back. Today I found out that they charged an additional 129.00 for returning it to LAX. Also, because the transaction was done with a debit card (never do that!) the put a hard-pull on our credit report WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE or CONSENT! Then they took out 400 at the time of renting it as some sort of deposit on the car (which we haven't received back).

When we were on the bus from the parking lot to the airport to catch our plane from L.A., I was on the phone with the agent and I was listing all of the different rates that she had just quoted me and asked what the heck she was talking about. Others on the bus came forward with very similar stories of that same thing happening to them! I've received NO help from Budget Rent A Car and I am on a campaign to warn you of their fraudulent ways and hopefully save you the hundreds of dollars that this has cost us. BUDGET RENT A CAR IS A RIP-OFF!

1. Fraudulent hard-pull on credit report (we think). 2. Unauthorized additional charges of 336 and 129 (separately). 3. NSF fees 4. Possible impact on fiance's daughter's Financial Aid applications -- she was just admitted into Vet school.

Richard of Bronx, NY March 24, 2009

I rented the car threw orbit. I informed the agent at budget that I had purchased insurans threw orbit but he insisted that the car was not insuered. I didn't want to drive a car with out insurance so i purchased the insurance from budget. when i get home and check i found an e mail conformation of insurance from access america. so early next day i call budget and spoke to a worker wish I,m sorry I didn't take her name. told her what had happened. she told that she has been working thier for 21 years and never heard of any one perchasing insurance for a rental threw an outside agency like orbit or hot wire. but that she would tell her manager to call me when she got in. i recived no calls would apprishiate your intervention thank you

I'm out 36.00 dollars a day for a three day rental.

David of Laporte, TX March 16, 2009

I made a offer on a rental car thru Priceline.com's Name your Own Price option. I received an email that Budget had accepted my offer and the fees for the weekly rental were debited from my credit card. On 3/14/09 I went to the Budget Car Rental office at Houston Hobby airport. The Budget clerk claimed that my credit card would not go through and then spoke to a PriceLine employee over the phone inquiring about some number.The Budget employee then wrote down the Budget confirmation number, which matched the Budget confirmation number on the Price Line confimation receipt that I handed the Budget employee.

The Budget employee then handed me the phone and the Price Line employee apologised and said that Budget was refusing to honor the car rental contract that Budget had accepted a week earlier. Priceline told me my only option at that point was to make a seperate contract agreement directly with Budget, and that Price Line would later re-imburse me for those unneccesary charges.

I had a decision as to whether to cancel my family vacation or make another rental contract with Budget. Reluctantly I made a new rental agreement with Budget at a cost of 258.00 plus a 400.00 hold on my credit card, while forfeiting the money I paid to PriceLine for the origional rental agreement. When Budget ran my credit card a second time, the charges went through.

On my way out of town I spoke to Alan,the Budget officer mgr and asked for an explanation of why Budget had refused the Priceline contract. He claimed that his understanding was that you did not book this thru Priceline. Since his answer made no sense, I told him that I would investigate this matter once I got back from vacation. I have emailed both Priceline and Budget trying to get the truth as to why Budget refused the rental offer they had already accepted.

Unneccesary additional charge of 258.00 plus 400.00 hold on my credit card.

M. Ray of Denver, CO March 6, 2009

Forget the high ground. These perps ensnared me in a toll-missing scam. Typical Chicago extortion. I received a threat (recently realized) to take a huge multiple of three 80-cent tolls --that I allegedly missed about 2 years ago--out of my credit card.

The huge multiple (in excess of 137) of three 80-cent tolls was billed to my credit card. Legal remedies are OK, but BEWARE AN ANGRY CONSUMER. I will proactively reach out to recommend Budget to my many friends who travel. Yes, indeed, I savor the opportunity. --Suppose I recommend Budget to 10 friends in the next year. Will Budget come out ahead? I doubt it. A pox on Budget Rent A Car and all their houses. Never again.

Lauren of Bloomington, CA March 5, 2009

Like others, I reserved a car throuth Budget online, received a confirmation number and gave the number to my employee. When he got the car, it was upgraded without any knowledge to my employee. I had also purchased additional insurance online. The counter person was given the confirmation number and had all the info on what was expected.

Bottom line, we ended up paying 800.00 for four days. the estimate was 350.00. We have put in a dispute, they told us twice that they wanted us to fax over the confirmation number and they would call us back. However twice now!! no one returnes our call. This is a little trick they do at the counter in Sea-Tac as I am learning online reading many complaints regarding this same issue. At this point I will never rent from Budget nor will my friends nor family, which travel alot!!!! this is disgusting! I am wondering about a class action suit?

Jay of Los Angeles, CA March 3, 2009

I reserved a mid-size car online for 33.99 a day for 2 days in Seattle/Tacoma airport. After returning the car they charged me 59.99 a day. I emaild Budget to complain, and the response was car was upgraded and I signed for it. There was no mention of any upgrades that was made at the counter, attendant never mentioned anything about the upgrade and they just asked me to sign. Budget is telling me that they can not do anything about it since I signed the paper. By the was car was Nissan Altima, which is mid-size car. Is there anything I can do to resolve this?

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