Budget Rent a Car Corporate Office Headquarters

Budget ruined my holiday. I was unable to travel to see my family this holiday because budget took my money and I was unable to receive a car I paid for. 3 hours before my pick up I received a call stating my location for pick up didn’t have any cars. I never received any accommodation for the inconvenience. I called to find out what I can do I was told to book another reservation and I would have to pay again. This blew my mind because this was their fault not mine. Why would I have to pay again or more on top of what I already paid for. The customer service was terrible and I still haven’t received any apologies or accommodations. I got the run around for a refund. I would never book with budget again. And I will be calling corporate because this is the worst, budget ruined my holiday.

11/09/23. BUDGET rented me the absolute worse vehicle I have ever rented in 32 years. It was unsafe on every level, from brakes that shuttered when applied above 50 to the unbalanced wheel imbalance to the steering which pulled to the right. it was dirty and I had to wash the windshield. I did not return the car immediately because of the time and distance referencing a airport pickup and airport drop off. pathetic, and safety was an issue the whole distance until drop off. If I had a flat, I would have driven it on the rim until drop off, as Budget did not answer my call to inform them of safety and junk car I rented. This car was rented from Daytona Beach and dropped off at Orlando, a 70 mile pathetic drive with my family.

The customer service rep in India entered my name in the system incorrectly. When I went to the pick up location (Memphis, TN airport) to get my rental, Budget computer system rejected my real name and ID even though, I had a confirmation number. As a result of the error, the system rejected my CC account. My CC customer service informed me they did not reject the transaction. Budget rejected my info and demanded that I supply them my debit card info with a $300 hold and fill out insurance company paperwork before authorizing the rental for release. I was at the mercy of Budget and had to submit to their demand. I felt humiliated and embarrassed in front of other waiting customers. The customer service rep at the pickup location displayed a nonchalant attitude toward me and did not care that it was an overseas Budget employee that caused the error in the system. Please forward this review to corporate officers: Izzy Martins, Executive VP-Americas and Laura Lirio, Sr. Director of Customer Survey Relations. RapidRez ID #FZA42T

I had rented a car from Budget and on August 30, 2023, I was stopped by a police officer because the registration sticker on the license plate was expired by over a year. I was given 2 tickets, one for driving an unregistered car and no insurance since I couldn’t prove the car had insurance. Went back to the counter where I originally rented the car explained what happened and that I needed proof to show when I appear in court that the car was registered and had insurance. Took 2 weeks to get proof of insurance and a week later (last night) proof of registration. The registration date is issued for Sept 14 which does not prove the car was registered on August 30th. Called the counter where I originally rented the car and they said I had to call customer service. I have been on the phone with customer service explaining to them this dilemma since I have court today and was told by the that they don’t have access to that information so they can’t help me. They put me through to their law enforcement dept who also said not their area and put me through to the claims dept. so now on hold for at least 10 mins, but leaving in 15 for court. So who can help???

Majority of people that answer the lines are rude. Barely speak English. I left my garage door opener in the rental because of when I work I just need the local number to tell them to take it out the car and I will retrieve it asap. However, the people that answer their lines have to be outsourced. Just Rude!!!

I am writing to you today to recount the experience I had with the recent rental. I have included the rental contract #34029706US4 and other pertinent information.

I have rented from Budget for years and I’ve always had great experiences and that includes the front end of this rental that I rented from a local Nashville location. Everything was as it should have been the staff was courteous and it was the typical experience I expected for Budget.

Unfortunately on the third day of our rental as we begin to head home we were rear ended in an accident. The driver who hit us admitted fault, my wife needed to be taken to the hospital for an x-ray and a CT scan and the police towed the car to an impound lot.

I began to try to get us a replacement vehicle through your 800 system and I have to tell you that was an absolute nightmare. First of all I found myself talking to people that didn’t speak very intelligible English. That makes this kind of a transaction extremely difficult. Then I was sent a link to a portal where I uploaded my rental agreement the police report and the information about the impound lot. I did this at least 3 times.

All of this to no avail. I spent at least five hours going back-and-forth with various people who promised call me and then did not or called me and gave me absolutely incorrect information. For instance one of the callbacks told me that since they have the police report I could simply go to another Budget office and pick up a car. They gave me a number of the office closest to us which was still 45 miles away. I’m glad I called ahead because when I did the woman that office told me she could absolutely not give me a car and that the information the 800 number had given me was incorrect.

Eventually I gave up. I had already provided the information about the impound lot through your portal at least three times, I found another vendor that would rent me a one-way back to Nashville and I got it and made the trip home.

We were in a very serious accident and lucky to walk away from it but still pretty banged up and bruised so you can imagine that this additional needless headache I’m just trying to get Budget to give us a replacement vehicle was incredibly frustrating and demoralizing as well as time consuming.

I can’t adequately express to you I’ll let down I felt in a time of absolute need. No I do have to say that when I called local offices, everyone there that I spoke to was professional and courteous and interested in trying to help me solve my problem but they were not able to because they had to refer me to the 800 service. And there's no other way to say it: your 800 service is horrible.

So I called my local office on Tuesday and gave the information to them and told them where the car was. Then this morning I get a text that my rental is overdue. Is your system really that messed up?

I want some relief on this. I expect you to refund my full rental since you were not there for me when I needed you most. And in a just world you would compensate me for my other rental car to get me back to my destination and pay me something for the mental anguish you caused me but frankly I am done chasing you guys and I will settle to have my rental refunded.

This is a serious accident and I have a lawyer involved. He isn’t involved with this part of the transaction but if I don’t get some pretty quick relief from you I think I might get him involved. And I also have not left any sort of a review on any of the public forums but how you handle this from here out will determine how and what I say about this.

The saddest thing for me is that I always trusted and felt great about Budget. That confidence is taking a big hit and how you proceed from here we’ll have a lot to do with whether or not I am able to rent from you recommend that anyone else does in the future.

I rented a car from Budget and when i dropped off at San Jose airport i request to give a courtesy ride to Terminal A , we were family of 5 and we have a infant along with 2 siblings at the time of dropping off the rented vehicle BUT there was operation manager named Satish who was very rude, unkind, unprofessional, unhuman (and many more words that i can mention here in this comments box) was not courteous at all for the help we requested. experienced was not delightful.

My rental experience at Santa Barbara Airport, CA, USA. April 27, 2023
Billed to my card: $439.00
1. I received a car that had just been turned in (the guy returned his keys right in front of me, then those keys were given to me)
2. Car was not cleaned before given to me
3. The tank was at 3/4 full, I have a picture. Contract says “ full tank”. I returned the tank FULL.
4. I emphatically refused all “additional services “, but was in fact charged $30.99 per day for loss damage waiver. I DID NOT agree to that.
5. I was promised the “ locals” price, $299.00 included everything!
6. Rental agent was “ Steve”. Thanks for being such an honest agent (NOT!!)
7. Who do I contact to get satisfaction on this? It’s unacceptable that companies take advantage of customers every which way, lie to our faces, then WE have to spend hours trying to make it right.
GRRRRRRR🤬

I rented a vehicle from Budget on Wed. Sept. 22, 2022, my GPS led me down a dark rural route whereon I there was a cow standing waiting on me and I hit her like a brick wall, I am sure I totaled that vehicle and some of the people the town are not very honest people, as in there are laws that require of them to keep their animals on lock down after certain hours so that things like accidents won't be a problem for travelers like myself who might need to come through the area late at night like I did. Point being so after that I needed another vehicle and was scammed by some guy with a heavy Middle Eastern accent, who told me to get an American Express prepaid card and I would be able to get a vehicle from budget. After I did the purchase and gave the numbers to man who id himself as being Mark manager from the Airport in Panama City, FL, I walked into the 8027 Front Beach Rd, location and the budget person behind the desk asked me if he could help me and I said no I was just waiting for a car to be delivered from the airport location. He said who told you that, I said Mark from budget at the airport. He looked and the other guy and they both started laughing, I said what's going on did I miss something? He said that doesn't sound right. I said let me call him and see what's going on. With my phone on speaker I asked when would me vehicle arrive he told me it would be there just wait an hour and see. The worker at that location told me to that doesn't sound like the Mark he knows at the airport and sounds like something else is going on here that's not right, I said you know better then me I am just an interloper who is simply looking for service, I have no idea how this business works. Bottomline is I was scammed by this Mark character after I gave him the numbers from the American Express card he told me to purchase I never did get any vehicle delivered to that address. Those two workers for both Avis and Budget knew I was being scammed and not once did either of them say "mam I suggest you cancel the arrangement for the vehicle and let us help you instead." I want Budget to take responsibility for the scam because I called 334-527-7000, and 844, and another number that is budgets and this Mark guy answered the phone. It's like no one is honest anymore not even the a business owner. I want my money back of course $378.95 because budget should train their employees that when you see something that doesn't appear right or the way they do business like the customer know don't stand there and laugh at them because you know better and they don't, say something like we don't do business the way this guy is doing it.

To say I am disappointed is a vast understatement. I would give zero stars if possible. I am out of state and trying to help family get things wrapped up with family home after recent death in family. Booked two trucks for the brothers in town to be able to pick up (thinking that with Budget have an online system for payment should suffice) but called just to make sure I could add their names for pick up. At the local level, the store manager in Memphis Midtown was completely RUDE and once she got done saying what she thought was enough information hung up in my face when I started to ask a question in terms of next steps/options. I called corporate only to get told that just because you put in the information online doesn't really mean anything and you have to physically be present to pick up & pay, no option to authorize on the phone even or add a family member to pick up. Get with the times please Budget, this is asinine.