Budget Car Rental

Chris Green

8 months ago •

CHOOSE ANOTHER AGENCY. 🙄😕🥴 First, was told they do not honor same day online reservations; did not receive vehicle I reserved AND prepaid for online. Second, vehicle I did receive was severely scratched and dented over 75% of the exterior..and was not cleaned. Third, the upholstery was heavily soiled or stained…and not vacuumed or cleaned. Fourth, the windows were filthy; some had heavy streaks while others weren’t wiped at all. Fifth, I reserved a NON-SMOKING vehicle yet the interior smelled of strong cigarette smoke…even with warning stickers on both doors about $450 cleaning fee if smoked in; I am extremely sensitive to smoke of any kind being asthmatic. Sixth, the washer fluid reservoir for the windshield was filled with water, NOT washer fluid; it was very hard. To get bugs off the windshield. The staff member who helped me at the time of pick up has a very difficult position…telling customers their online reservation can’t or won’t be honored; yet she did her best to explain it to me. Still, because of what she told me about online reservations, I was reluctant to go back to her to refuse the vehicle because of its conditions (see all of first paragraph). I needed a vehicle, and being disabled I didn’t have the luxury of going back into the counter to complain about what rightfully should have been rejected based on the vehicle’s condition. The 2 women who assisted with the vehicle’s return were very friendly and considerate…they apologized for the condition of the vehicle and did the best anyone could expect in means of diffusing the negative emotions I felt about the rental…even though those emotions were understandable given the issues with the vehicle. I did not receive what I ordered and prepaid for online. The agent who helped me when I picked up the vehicle told me there were absolutely NO refunds, partial or otherwise, with ANY online reservation. There should be some adjustment made for this rental; I even paid to wash it myself (the outside via a car wash). I am not satisfied at all.

Dylan Ricany

a month ago •

Avoid this place at all costs. The first vehicle they rented me got me pulled over in two states because the tag was bad. Switched it out for another vehicle and it had been lived in. After spending my vacation battling customer service I was denied any credit because my rental was prepaid! Who knew you didn’t have to prepay?! The customer service was non existent and nobody was there to help. Go with literally any company behind this one or Avis, please.

Derrick Dubois

4 months ago •

I would advise against renting a vehicle from here. My wife and I had a travel plans change on us so we needed to rent a car. We made a reservation through a program sponsored by AVIS/Budget. The clerk did basically said we dont have inventory to honor that price so the best we can do is a "manager's special." That special was nearly double the quoted price. We were in a bind so went for it. The clerk processed the request then handed us the keys and paperwork, she claimed the gas tank was filled but the gauge doesn't work so disregard it. There was no way for us to check that in the moment. We took pictures and drove off. Five hours later we stopped for gas and filled the tank, the gauge showed full. This means the clerk let us drive off with half a tank, even though we paid full price. I have been in contact with customer service and they have denied my request without reasoning. I would suggest paying a little more for a better experience at any other company besides AVIS/Budget.

renee debus

7 months ago •

Rented a car in Allentown. At time of pickup, the printer was down. Not given (or signed a contract) sent a contract later stating I agreed to a pre-tank fill up at 70 something dollars which I did not agree to. Drove the car for less than 50 miles around Allentown. Parked the car for about 12 hours to do a New York City excursion. Upon returning to the car, as we were driving to the hotel, the steering wheel started to shake and a tire pressure warning illuminated. Contacted the emergency roadside assistance, which Miteko told me, since I was in a “safe place” we could do option A- change out the tire (there was no tire in the wheel well) or we could option B—wait until 8 AM because everything was closed. Didn’t really have an option. The next morning I contacted emergency roadside assistance again and Shannon and I discussed that it would be quicker if I took the car back to the airport and exchanged it. She asked me if I was comfortable with that option and I wanted to be helpful. I did that and that’s where I found out that I was charged the 70 some dollars for prepaid tank, which I never agreed to. So, the representative told me that I should go top off the tank which was about $10 then she said I could call customer service to get my 70 something dollars back, but she could do nothing about it. I feel like I got the runaround and was made to feel like it was my fault. She said she just wanted to get me into vehicle which she considered an upgrade (I was not comfortable driving a truck) and that I should just be happy and get on my way. By this point, I had lost 12 hours of potential driving time. I took the keys, got in the truck, as soon as I turned on the car, the screen read— Maintenance required Both cars had several dents. I’ve never had an experience where the vehicles looked so beat up, the first one smelled like pot, the service was sketchy (even though I didn’t agree to it, I got charged a full tank of gas). Plus both cars needed service. Finally, I asked, since I lost 12 hours of drive time, could I bring the car in a little bit later at around 1915 and was told that I would be charged and have to contact customer service for a refund. I asked if there was nothing we could do to be proactive instead of reactive, and she said no, that’s how the process works. I rent about 10 cars a year when I travel. I will definitely be staying away from Budget and Avis in the future.

Bryan Belnap

3 months ago •

Updating the review now that I received my receipt. I had ranked them 4 stars because they appeared to make the process super easy. I was overcharged for late fees because I used the drop-box (really a basket on the counter) at the desk-agent's direction and was charged for fuel even though I filled it up. No attendant at the drop-off, only a sign directing you inside. At the counter, the agent told me to put the key in the drop-off and he "would take care of it." I trusted he'd noted the time (~4:30pm for a 5:00pm drop off) as he 'took care of it.' Additionally, they charged me for not returning with a full tank of gas even thought the receipt shows it was returned full. Customer service is "investigating" but it could take a while to get the receipt. These guys won't be my first choice in the future.