I reserved and paid for a car through Priceline. I got to St. Petersburg airport in Florida. I picked up my car. They added $400 in up charges to my existing reservation. I contacted customer service at budget and their response was "sorry". I will never use budget again
I got hung up on 4 times. After 30 or more minutes with one person got cut off. Talked to supervisor,waist of time.Know other people who rented from budget. They got to airport and took 2 hours to get a car. Long line and only one agent.Pick a better car rental!!!
Renting my car at Budget LGA for President's day weekend was a disaster. I'm a fastbreak member and my car was not assigned at fastbreak. I had to wait an hour in line with all the other poor people waiting there for hours. What's the point of Fastbreak then??? When I got to the counter, they told me the car class I reserved was not available. FYI, I paid for an oversize SUV because I was taking my family skiing for the week. They offered me a smaller car that I declined because it wasn't big enough. They said that all they can do is refund my money and I then I asked if they were going to refund me for my planned ski trip as well. Completely outrageous and ridiculous. The manager then came and said that I could wait in queue until a vehicle in the class I rented was returned. I asked how long that would take and he said he didn't know. I asked to be put in the queue and then took a walk on their parking lot. Low and behold, there were 2 vehicles in my class on the parking lot. When I asked another employee there about these cars, she told me these were employee cars. So, THE EMPLOYEES GET TO RIDE AROUND IN THESE EXPENSIVE VEHICLES (they were Budget cars, not personal vehicles) while I'm told that my car class isn't available. When the same manager stepped outside, I inquired about these cars and he said he is trying to get me one of the cars but that it had a check engine light which is why it wasn't available in their system. He said that he would have somebody take the car to the shop to see if it was an easy fix. I watched the person take the car, go to the other side of the parking lot, unload his personal belongings into another car and then brought it back to the pick up location at which point I was called into the office and given the necessary paperwork to rent the car. FYI, the car was filthy. Ended up waiting for about 3 hours to get my car. I was lied to and submitted to extra stress because their employees want to drive the fancy cars. THE AUDACITY!!!
I had reserved and paid for a rental and once I got to my rental counter, I was notified that there were no rentals available (mind you I received this information from a customer service rep from another car rental agency) Budget never notified me in any way and left me stranded at the airport. Very unhappy and will NEVER us Budget again!
Budget did not refund my deposit as they indicated they would and then when I advised them of this they are asking for a ridiculous amount of documentation. Just return the money that is mine!
One of the most awful experiences hiring carTotally upset by poor service at the office picking up the vehicle with rude manners from the personal servicing at the desk Huge discrepancy between the initial price and further extension and they charge extra money without even letting the customer aware at the drop off where there is no one picking up and checking the vehicleBe careful of this company because it’s very dodgy and take the mickey from customers debited directly from your card without let you knowI am in contact with my lawyer to take action against them Plus I would contact British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) to make them aware of this dodgy companyAnd also to Trading Standards Because the way they behave was very tricky and definitely need to check if against the lawBianca
SECRET CHARGES. DO NOT USE. Absolutely disgusting service. If i could give 0 stars i would. Apparent damage with no evidence sent over. Called but no answer after 40 mins (even though wait time was 15-20).
We booked a car for the 25th of December 2025, they’ve asked us to confirm the flight number to ensure someone was there for us to hand us the car and they assured us someone will be there until 11 pm. When we got there, around 6 pm so not even close to their closing time, there was no one at the desk :) after spending over an hour on the phone with very unhelpful customer service , they basically told us that they are sorry but they don’t have any car for us and that they will refund us the money in 5 business days ( it took them 20 business days to refund the money, no surprise considering the appalling service) . So there we were, stranded on the 25th of December at the Warsaw airport , luckily there was another car rental open and they had 1 car available, otherwise we would have missed on all our trips because of this incompetent company. Please, do not use this company and if you book through websites like booking.com, wizz, etc, double check and make sure they are not involved in the process, you would be heading towards disappointment.
Absolutely horrible experience. Heres a list of unexpected fee's & charges with budget rentals explanation. (The explanation given only after you check your car in and receive your emailed reciept several hours later) 11.11% Concession Recovery Fee $93.87- The concession recovery fee is a surcharge added to all car rental companies who operate on airport property for use of its roadways & facilities and for improvements.CUSTOMER FACILITY CHG $255.75 - Fee for the development and improvement of car rental facilities at the airport.VEH LICENSE RECOUP $10.54 Vehicle License FeeVehicle License Fees that are incurred in order to put a car on the road. These fees include costs for the title, the registration, the plates and in some instances the taxes as well.
Just had a narrow escape with the COWBOY outfit ( Budget Car Rental) at Nantes Airport. France. Usual story .. car left back out of hours and next day they say the car is damaged bla bla. Luckily I had taken photos to counter their fraud. This is the second time this year.. same circumstance - single female renter - didn’t buy their rip-off insurance - returned out of hours. They have, it seems, identified this profile as easy targets. They also tried to claim for refuelling .. again I had a pic of the dash on returning. So LESSON is.... take plenty of photos and don’t assume that a mainstream company will play fair.
We experienced high demand at budget car rentals with a long line as soon as we arrived. And with limited staff no wonder, however, the man was so kind despite a lot of impatience customers. The lady was trying to serve multiple people at once and sadly had to deal with a high demanding customer who didn’t understand she was doing her absolute best and had no control over the timing of each cars arrival. She faced unnecessary comments followed by being videoed by the customer. She did everything right but like any normal human being had to walk away as it got too much. Later she came back and continued to hustle. Yes we did experience a longer wait but it was worth it, our car has no issues, is super clean and drives immaculate. Apart from the high demand in customers making the wait long I would recommend.
The worst hire car experience ever.Lined up for 40 minutes then was told to wait another 30mins for a car when we asked if it would be more than that because we had to go to a funeral the agent yelled ,bullied and then walked out leaving us to get an uber.
Reserved a car for $97 at Budget via Expedia. Got there, they overbooked so no cars available. They forced me into an upgrade, then charged $263. Between Budget and Expedia, they will not refund me the difference. This is total bait and switch and very DECEIPTFUL practices. DO NOT USE EXPEDIA OR BUDGET- they are not trustworthy!
Hired car online from Australia. Got to LAX Joseph, counter guy explained all ask Ed if we wanted extras of liability, waivers, eyc we verbally said NO. He added it anyway we did not spot that when signed as it was sign here!!Took care back to Long Beach office all ok. Next morning an email with extra charges about the same amount as we hired it for!! Went to office hot told yes they do that at the airports sneaky as they get paid on commission you have to ring customer service to complain. We did they were not overly helpful oh but you signed it but we said we did Not agree to extra charges Joseph added them and said sign here!!!! It's all done on a small ipad.Don't book with BUDGET and get printout before signing and dont trust the counter guys !!
AVOID - CONNED ME - MISS SOLD INSURANCEI had informed the staff member upon rental collection that I had already purchased insurance via Booking.com so did not to take out insurance via them. Despite this, it was included in my rental agreement (consequently voiding the insurance I had already purchased). I have contested this with Budget, showing my insurance I had purchased prior yet they will not accept this.The rental agreement was pitched to me as "you need to sign this to collect the car", with any further information relayed relating to the cars pre-existing damage rather than a summary of what the rental agreement covers. AT NO POINT WAS THE SALE/PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL INSURANCE MENTIONED. Furthermore, the rental agreement was displayed to me was on a tiny screen/iPad with a screen that seldom worked.Throughout I had even asked the attendant whether I had anything left to pay and was informed no, yet the funds were deducted from my deposit. The attendant knew I did not need insurance as this was mentioned by me throughout and I gave Budget ample opportunity to inform me of such charges, yet they gave no such information.I have given proof of my initial insurance and explained the above to Budget, yet they refuse to accept any wrong. It is clear that exploitation and deception is part of their business model.Whether this was a mistake or intentional on their half, they have miss sold me insurance, despite the illegality of doing so, and have conned me out of hundreds of pounds in doing so.Avoid yourself the hassle and use a more professional provider.
Don’t get prepaid fuel. They charge vat on top and don’t refund fuel you don’t use
Do not ignore the 1-star reviews—this company’s reputation is earned. I had a medical appointment in Miami and was already dealing with the stress of a canceled flight due to a snowstorm.I experienced three major issues that prove they cannot be trusted:1. Bait and Switch: The price at the airport counter was much higher than the price confirmed on their website.2. Dishonest Quotes: When I called to extend my rental by one day due to the weather, they gave me one hight price, and charged me $50 more than that when I actually paidat the end3. Terrible Service: When I tried to resolve this with customer service, they were unhelpful.It is clear why 90% of their customers leave one star. They take advantage of travelers in stressful situations (like weather delays and medical appointments). Save yourself the money and the headache—book with a reputable company instead.Why do companies like this stay in business?You asked why they "go in the background" or keep operating despite such bad reviews. Usually, it's because of these three things:• Third-Party Booking Sites: They show up as the "cheapest" option on travel sites, and people book them without checking the specific company reviews first.• Airport Location: Being physically located at the airport gives them a constant stream of new travelers who don't know any better.• Predatory Fees: They make enough money from the extra $50 fees they sneak in to stay profitable, even if no one ever rents from them a second time.
I waited over and hour after my delayed flight into Detroit only to be met with a curt Budget employee stating that there was only 2 ev f-150 trucks and 12 passenger vans. Several of our hockey parents were in line as well. One of them got the mazda I reserved and the other got a Ford bronco. As I walked the freezing lot there were several other smaller suv's like the one I reserved including a Madza-cx90. When I got to the van there was ice all over the windshield wipers and I had to break that ice before I could even leave. The windshield wipers were horrible and then the fluid ran out so we had to wash the windows at the gas station in sub artic temperatures several times a day just to be able to see. We were headed to Port Huron MI an hour and a half North of Detroit so the gas was ridiculous. Then when we checked the closest location to exchange it for something more reasonable in Macon Michigan, the website showed that the cars in the lot were available, but when we went inside the man at the counter said they were all reserved. Yeah right! They did, however have 3 other 12 passenger vans and Im sure they just didnt want another one. He even said, I know they told you you could exchange it, but you can't do it here, here's the customer service number. What a joke! So let me paint a picture for you, it's me, my husband and our 14 year old hockey goalie in this gas guzzling behemoth for 4 days with windows you couldn't even see out of and then having to park the thing in downtown Port Huron was a nightmare. Then when we are returning this thing the power steering GOES OUT and the breaks are mushy AND I discover this in a turn where I almost took out a whole row of cars. I about had a nervous breakdown and the lot attendants want me to crank it through seas of cones to park it. I informed all of the employees I saw in the parking lot and not one of the seemed to care! I called when I returned home because I was so frazzled about almost taking out a small village on the way back to the Detriot airport. When I contacted the "customer care" team they were also unhelpful. The first representative "Sarah" told me the best she could do was 1 day refunded, I said "No, I want all the days refunded" she came back with 2 days and I repeated my original request. Then I ask to speak to a supervisor and "Sarah" comes back on the line pretending to be a supervisor and offers me 3 days, I repeat myself. I ask to speak to a supervisor, for real this time and she says she can escalate it but it will take 24-48 hours and Ill get a call back; this was Feb 2nd and I got a call back Feb 17th! That call Julio a manager, in the call center in Mexico "near the border " told me the best he can do is $250 after reviewing the case. I repeated that I would like a full refund because of the the extra gas, stress, and time it has cost me. He kept repeating "$250 is the best I can do" My bill was $322.90, thats what I want refunded, plus now that it's been so long there's going to be interest charged on my credit card in addition to the $322.90. Now I have been escalated to Julio's supervisor, but he can't give me his name or title because of "company policy" so I'm supposed to receive a call within 72 hours, but I won't hold my breath.
Got double charged at the Brisbane airport branch, took 6 weeks to refund--do not use👎
This was one of the most unprofessional car rental experiences I have ever had.I rented a car from Budget Istanbul for business purposes and returned the vehicle on time, fully refueled, and without any damage. At the return, I was explicitly told that everything with the car was fine.Despite this, Budget charged me for an extra rental day, which was wrongfully deducted from my deposit (approx. 70 EUR).What makes this even worse:I was promised that the rental agreement and full payment details would be sent to me by email. To this day, I have not received any contract or documentation at all.I have clear photo and video evidence of: • the vehicle condition at return • the agreed rental details and price • the fact that the car was returned correctlyI contacted Budget Turkey and Budget Germany multiple times, but received no response whatsoever.Charging customers without providing a contract and ignoring formal complaints is completely unacceptable — especially for an international brand like Budget.I am still waiting for: • a refund of the wrongly charged extra day • my rental agreement and payment breakdownUntil this is resolved, I cannot recommend Budget Istanbul to anyone.
