Budget Car Rental
Over Charged

When my husband and i flew out to Vancouver to be married a year ago, i had planned everything in advance to make sure we could cover costs.

Our budget price quote was just under 500 for a five day rental. I believe 460 was the quote. I was perfectly happy with that amount, and naturally, i expected perhaps another 50 for some odd airport tax or whatever other little surprises there might be.

I'd heard there were some complaints about their 'pay in advance and drive back on an empty tank' deal, so i avoided that, and promised myself i'd return the tank brimming with gas. Crisis averted, right? Wrong.

So, we return the car, he marks down the gas gauge as a full quarter tank above where it was when i picked it up, and i see that he marks it down as such (i am sitting in the drivers seat until i see this information has been marked down). We walk twenty feet over and enter the agent office, and appartently another reality.

In this reality we are billed for returning the tank empty, then for extra insurance because they said we didn't pre-pick our insurance, and then a series of other charges that even the manager couldn't find a reason for, but refused to remove.

We paid 970 dollars for the rental.

I cried openly in public for the first time in my life, outside of a funeral.

We had to use all our wedding present money to transfer funds onto our visa to pay for a rental that was supposed to cost us shy of 500. I called Budget for three months at least twice a week.

They told me that the Budget at the airport was independent and they couldn't help us in anyway.

The Budget i delt with at the Vancouver airport refused to go over my bill, explain charges, and on one occasion i was told in not uncertain terms to never call back. Once i was told "TOO BAD! " and she laughed and hung up.

I can't say enough terrible things about them. NEVER USE THEM.

Company: Budget Car Rental
Country: Canada
Province: British Columbia
City: Vancouver

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