Budget Car Rental

Joe Sandbakken

4 months ago •

This review is referencing the Philadelphia Airport (PHL) Budget location. I waited for a long time at Shuttle Area 2 and eventually got on an AVIS shuttle, the driver was great and said they were near the Budget location. Upon arrival, the Fasbreak board had me listed and it said Center row. I couldn't figure out what was considered the center row, the parking area was pretty confusing and not well marked in my opinion. I went into ask at the counter and they weren't helpful and so I said I had a pickup reserved and I see one out there, just grab it and they said sure. The pickup was pretty beat up, about 63k miles, but it drove great and is probably a true testament to how tough the F150's really are. I never want to have to turn them back in, they drive great and I got over 20 mpg with mixed driving. The drop off was super early in the AM before being open (24 hour gas stations nearby) and it was probably the easiest process, and there was a Budget shuttle waiting and the driver was awesome. Overall another great rental from Budget!

Kimberly Palmer

a month ago •

On 6/9/24, we missed our flight out of PHL because of the incompetence of Budget. The back up at the car rental return lasted for hours. People were standing outside of their vehicles looking for help, deserting their cars, and running into the airport to catch their flights. It was such a mess! We finally got our vehicle into the Budget lot but it was too late. I paid for two hotel rooms that night at the airport (family of 5). When all was said and done, I was charged for an extra rental day for no reason. This debacle impacted many travels. It was an expensive disaster thanks to Budget. The vehicle also reeked of smoke. I asked for another one and lo and behold, that one did too. It's hard to drive around with severe allergies and have to deal with this garbage. I would never recommend this company! Budget is awful!

Brian O'Loughlin

a month ago •

Bottom line up front: Don't bother going here, staff is largely rude and unprofessional (albeit the one helpful customer service agent), there are better alternatives that are competitively priced within yards of this location. My family of 6 drove to NJ from Pittsburgh. Upon arrival in NJ our car suffered a mechanical failure requiring it to be towed. Still needing a larger vehicle we attempted to rent from multiple companies and found what appeared to be a reasonable rate at the airport. We utilized a ride share to get to the only location around that had vehicles that matched our needs. While Budget accepts debit cards for transactions, this one will only accept debit cards with an airline ticket. Fine, that's a stupid penalty for customers but I'm stuck. We then proceeded to try and complete the transaction and they attempted to add a several hundred dollar deposit (again this is fine albeit a shady business practice to not clearly document the hundreds of extra dollars that Budget gets to earn interest on for up to 2 weeks post rental). When questioned about this policy, the store manager (who would not provide a name and wasn't wearing a name tag), held up a completely different sign, detailing "her" local rules. These rules distinctly discriminate against consumers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They add additional hurdles in the rental requirements and in some cases significant extra costs. The manager then said, well this policy only counts on the vehicle that your looking for. She offered to settle the dispute by sending a family of 6 (one of which is in a booster seat) in a vehicle with seating for 5. Obviously this is highly negligent and shows a lack of consistency in the application of a "local" policy, it shows a lack of common sense, training, and application of the basic legal requirement of 1 person per seat in a vehicle being operated. I will say our customer service agent was legitimately trying to be helpful but the same manager kept cutting him off as we were obviously unwelcome in this business. When we finally gave up on trying to rent a car at this location we walked out and tried to locate the competitor's facility and we were yelled at by several members of the outdoor staff at Budget for "walking in the roadway," again this is a parking lot, not a roadway. When confronted, I told the employee to speak with the manager and she could explain why we were lost and trying to get out of this location. We ended up renting from a competing brand and it was a night and day difference. Stay away at all costs from this rental location. There are competitors that are providing excellent service in the same area at competing prices.

Katherine smith

a month ago •

Today was a very long day for my family. I prepaid for my rental through the Budget website. When we arrived, we had to wait 1hr and a half to get the vehicle but i didn't really get upset after realizing I wasn't the only one waiting. The kicker for me was getting the rental. The vehicle smelt like a heavy smoker was in it before and the windshield cracked. On top of that, I was charged full price again after driving off the lot. Called the 1-800 number for assistance and they informed me that I would have to go back the the pickup location and let them sort it out. After getting there and explaining calmly to the manager about what happened with my billing, he informed me that he doesn't see where I prepaid for the reservation I would have to call customer service. Very rude about it too. All in all charges are almost 1k for being charged twice. Now I have to take the charges up with my bank. Never again Budget PA.

Chris L. Mikolajczyk, CLM

a month ago •

I travel for work. A lot. This budget location is simply a disaster. Made a reservation through Costco. Picked up the vehicle on Sun 6/9. Took 1.5 hours as only two folks were working. No problem. A bit annoying, but what can you do right? The woman helping me had the personality of a brick, as if I was inconveniencing her. I was NEVER asked about options, which I usually decline anyway as I have coverage through my company, and was then told I would get an email with my agreement. I asked for a hard copy. They were unable to as the printer appeared as if it had been thrown out the window. Well lo and behold, the agreement was never emailed. Fast forward 9 days to Tues 6/18 and I return the car. The first surprise is that all the cars had to be returned to Avis, not Budget. Except he Avis folks did not seem to be aware of this. I was then told that I would have a receipt emailed to me. Well guess what never arrived, that email. I call Budget the next day so I can get a receipt and my billed total is $100 more than my online quote. Why? All the options that I never asked for, have been added. Now I'm fighting with Budget to get all this crap removed. I honestly wonder if there is any sort of management at this location, it seems to be in a constant state of disarray and confusion. Never again. I'll pay the extra $$$ for Enterprise at PHL.