Budget Car Rental Debacle

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Originally posted by: hoops2
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Originally posted by: MissL7777
Am I understanding correctly, they refunded the mystery $75 charge and offered you a $50 credit and 1 day complimentary rental for your troubles?


That is correct. Considering that I spent 4 hours in their terminal as well as driving to and from their terminal that works out to $12 per hour.

Consider this - after leaving vegas I went skiing in Utah and stayed in a Hilton using honors points. Due to technical difficulties I couldn't access my room with my key for 2 days. They had to send a bellman whenever I went to the room (the hotel was sold out so I couldn't switch). I received half my points back, a bottle of wine and a free meal. American damaged my luggage and I received a new bag within 72 hours.

My coupon finally arrived (after almost 2 weeks) and even though it was promised that it would be good for ANY budget location, it is only good for Vegas. I am not planning on going back until next year


Indeed this was a huge hassle with Budget. I'm really curious, what type of offer on their part would have made you happy?
Rent from Thrifty every 2 months. Prices are comparable. Blue Chip now has a screen when you get to the Gillespie Thrifty Car Rental Site that has your name and the slot # the car is in. Have been using them for years with no major problems.
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Originally posted by: drmilled
hoops2 - sounds like you had a bummer of a trip.


The trip was fine, the car was a pain. The hotel issue was minor and I did get a new suitcase. We broke even on the gambling; ate some good food, saw David Copperfield and a few other shows. Skiing was good in Park City with a 5 foot base.

Missy - I would have been happy with $100 off and a rental certificate that was good nationwide. What really aggravated me was the lack of interest by all the employees I spoke to. When I spoke to customer service; before I could finish, the rep snottily said "so what is your point"

No disrespect intended here hoops but a Cruze basically is an intermediate car (especially as defined by rental car companies). I don't think it is much different size-wise than a Toyota Corolla, which Hertz considers a mid-size/intermediate. I agree that all the problems you encountered were a ridiculous pain in the ass, but they might have been avoided had you just taken the Cruze.

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Originally posted by: bobbyb
No disrespect intended here hoops but a Cruze basically is an intermediate car (especially as defined by rental car companies). I don't think it is much different size-wise than a Toyota Corolla, which Hertz considers a mid-size/intermediate. I agree that all the problems you encountered were a ridiculous pain in the ass, but they might have been avoided had you just taken the Cruze.


They implied on their web site that the intermediate cars are bigger. The cruze was to small as I had 4 people, 3 of which are over 6 feet and I couldn't fit the luggage in that car. Plus there was no guarantee the cruze would run or have gas in it.

I have been renting cars for over 30 years and if Hertz/National/Avis gave me a car I didn't like, they gave me another one; if I had a problem with a car they exchanged it and frequently upgraded me for the inconvenience

Yeah, that would be really tight for four. Agree they should have just provided you with a bigger car without all the ensuing bs.
A Cruze is what a Cobalt used to be (and before that, a Cavalier). They may say it's an intermediate, but it's really a compact. I own a Cobalt...no way it's an intermediate.
While my brother, who is 6'+, can get in the front passenger side of a Cobalt, he'd never be able to get behind the wheel.

I rented from the Budget across from the Orleans a few years ago. Would NEVER rent from Budget again after that experience.
When we are in Vegas, we always rent from Alamo. Maybe we are just lucky, but we have never had a problem. I like being able to pick from several cars in a row, as opposed to having a car selected for you.
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