Budget Omdömen 

11/10/2023

Never use Budget car rental at Brisbane airport.

They fraudulently took my money off my credit card. Daylight robbery!

I booked a car with my Jetstar flight, and the pickup was fine. I only drove around 40 kms and returned the car a few hours later. I refilled the tank immediately prior to return at the Coles Express (this is a couple of hundred metres from the budget place). The tank was at capacity and could not be filled any more.

The day after I was charged another $50 for fuel. It would be impossible to get any more fuel into this car. I kept my receipt as was keeping everything for expenses. I refuelled at 17:18 and the return had been fully processed by 17:40 (it had been returned at 17:25).

To add to my hassles, I made many long and fruitless calls to Budget to rectify the situation. Each time I was fobbed off with fake 'I've left a note with the correct department' type platitudes, and was told I'd get an email which never came. I tried to ask them to show me evidence that the car had required extra fuel but I have been repeatedly unable to get to speak to anyone relevant.

I also found a way to complain to a queries.au address - but my email tracking software shows me this email arrived at the correct mailbox by has yet to be read 6 days later.

Normally I wouldn't waste my time over some money, but in this case I am angry by the criminally dishonest approach of this business. Not only did they rip me off, but they have wasted a lot of my precious time in the process of following it up. A double strike of crappness.

DO NOT USE THEM. They will rob you!

THIS COMPANY ARE THIEVES!
Took the money owed out on the day including deposit $700 when we got the car. Nearly five days after we returned the car no sign of the $200 deposit we were told we were getting back but they did take another $600 out!!!! It took MULTIPLE phone calls with customers service and eventually calling and speaking with the branch we originally got the car from that we were going to push the matter further with authorities for them to finally refund us!!! Have now read soooo many other customers in the same boat: my advice is to the people this happened to before is push further this is not legal! The head office are absolutely useless!!!!
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!

I am more like the other reviewers there holding monies back from me too, they want even put it towards an accident I had, well with a spoiler that is so low it cannot be legal.
Very very disappointed and disgusted, I don't know how these people sleep at night.
DO YOUR SELF A FAVOUR, DONT USE BUDGET/AVIS.

This is additional to my earlier review. As I have now sorted out the whole matter, but still unhappy about how I was treated.

After being refused service due to a 'blacklist', the company refused to hand back the funds I had paid in advance. That was $2,000 and when I contacted them again after the 'seven to ten working days to refund' I was just lied to. After three more days waiting to hear back from them I organised a cash-back with my bank for the amount.

At no time did Budget attempt to contact me about this issue. I can't recommend them or Avis as my experience was completely unfair. Do not EVER use them. I'd prefer to use a coach as an alternative.

We did gave a call to their roadside assistance to give us a help as their was a problem on the keys of the car. We were stuck at Byron Bay. We gave a call to this roadside assist guy and ask us about our rental number. Come on. Our files are inside the car. Eventhough I gave the car's rego number, he doesnt want to proceed!

Where is the client friendly approach? Come on. Be a human. Sometimes listen to people who already needs help. Whoever is that guy from Budget who answered the phone around 5 pm, please be decent enough to help people. We dont have our records with us as it is inside car.

Luckily, there is this one guy who helped us and settle the problem.

But then again, their roadside assistance service is useless, horrible, not proactive, not client friendly. I would suggest to others to find other car rental service.

Really helpful team at Richmond budget. Had some issues with vandals on the car but they helped me fix them myself instead of charging me arm and leg in fee. Great service.

Budget

Absolutely dishonest and deceitful, money grabbing.
I booked my hire car for 7 days online through airport rentals with no issues. I also booked my insurance at that same time and paid for. I only had $609 for rental to pay at the counter when I collected my car on arrival.
The guy at the Coolangatta counter informed me that my cureent insurance would result in me paying over $5000 excess and was quite pushy in offering me extra insurance. I had my young child, we'd just got off a long overnight trip involving 2 connecting flights, and I had waited over 1/2 extra to collect a bag from oversized. There was a long queue behind me, I just wanted to get home and sleep.
I did question the offer and said I'd taken out insurance when I booked online. Which I did not have easily accessible to me at the time. He knew my booking was not via the budget site, as he had trouble at first finding my booking.
Feeling exhausted and pressured I paid the extra $380 or so dollars for $0 excess cover, which I really couldn't afford at the time. Ended up paying just under $1000 on my credit card.
I rang to get a quote on extending my rental by 2 days. It was going to cost me an extra $120 approx... I queried changing to the monthly rate, as stated on my receipts, which would have only been $300 extra. Was told that it was not possible to do. So I paid the extra 2 days. It was immediately taken off my credit card.
I wrote my experience on their reviews page. I received a phone call in response. They offered to refund 2 days rental approx $120.00 for the misinformation and informed that the guy at Coolangatta had been spoken to an was going to be retrained. Stating he thought I'd booked on the budget website online, and they don't offer $0 excess online. I said that wasn't good enough. She told me I had already got a very good price/deal. I said that was what was offered at the time, you haven't done me any special favours or offers, it was what was available, I should be compensated fully for paying what I didn't need. I shouldn't have had to be pushed into paying for the cover I had, a second time. She said she'd talk to manager, came back and said they'll meet me half way, because I got a good price, and they dont want to loose my business... not my fault, I replied, your weren't doing Mre any favours. The refund ended up being $209...
In the meantime. The 2 charges had disappeared from my card for a couple of days then a charge of more than $1300.0 appeared.
I was emailed an adjusted account/receipt, which listed an extra charge of $190, along side my extra 2 day booking... for "premium location"... this charge was never explained or disclosed to me at any time I spoke with budget staff!!!
Never rent from them ever!

All I want is my bond back!
I can't get anyone who understands English let alone speaks fluent English
I paid 200 bond on the 18th Jan 2023 and everything I call Budget I get a different answer!!!!!
My bank has NOTHING to do with you putting the $200 back into my account!!

I will NEVER recommend Budget to anyone

DO NOT GO WITH THIS COMPANY !!! ESPECIALLY THE TUGGERAH BRANCH. I have been charged x3 separate bonds i was due a refund now they have taken $1200 from me! Do not go with this branch, they rob you. When i rang them in tears over them taking my last bit of money they have completely fobbed me off. I have started a Fraud case with my bank but unsure what else to do i want my money back.

Quick service. Nice and clean

Booked a car online for the company i work for, global owned and nationwide business. A one way hire from rockhampton to mackay so i could send a delivery driver to pickup a truck that had broke down a week earlier. Got to counter at budget and had to fill out more paperwork then usual ( have hired many times prior ) all of a sudden had to prove who i was, my phone number, my workplace phone, they checked them all. Then was asked to provide a rates notice or bill to prove i live where my licence says i live !!! Basically because i was local i was discriminated against heavily just to hire a car. If i flew in from anyway and was a criminal i could have hired a car but no way i was simple being a local.... and who carries a rates notice on them ??? Was embarrassed in front of travellers, who couldn't even beleive it themselves. Budget Rockhampton absolute joke, other hire companies couldn't even beleive there behavior towards a local business manager...... go elsewhere it will be easier and more satisfying. Poor excuse of a business !!!

can't recommend this service to anybody.
First it was hard to get in touch. Then the car turned out to be broken..
you guys need serious improvement!

SCAMMERS - Be careful they will steal your money and you won’t get a car. Then if you call them their client service is as poor as it gets. I understand how these people can sleep at night but they are everything that is wrong with society and conducting dodgy business in an ilegal way.

Shocking - Hobart airport branch. I received a bill for over $1500 two and a half years after the rental. The rental concluded in Oct 2018, I received the demand on April Fool’s Day 2021. I’ve queried it because it’s so unreasonable both in amount and the extremely long delay. If it’s real (which it seems to be) I’ll obviously be raising it with the Australian regulator.

The lady at the counter at Hobart airport was rude and got annoyed when asked to provide explanations about the fees. really disappointing.

Leje af bil i italien
Føler jeg blev groft snydt bedraget og narret til at underskrive nogle dukumenter med masser af gebyr , forstår ikke italiens men engelsk men det kun han ikke, Desvær, for mig Helt forrykt en medhjælper ikke forstår engelsk .
vi havde betalt alt hjemmefra med fuld forsikring gennem Auto Europe, så skulle bare have den udleveret men kunne ikke få det før jeg havde skrevet under,
de krævede så en depositum , men til min rædsel blev vi hævet ca 2000 kr fuldstændigt forrykt klagede til Auto Europe og til Budget men selfølgeligt til ingen hjælp havde blevet narret til at skrive under , GROFT snyd bedrag Udnyttede en person der ikke forstod italiensk , SÅ kun en RÅD Brug for gudskyld ikke det firma

Lej ALDRIG bil via Budget - det er så absolut den værste biloplevelse jeg nogensinde har haft. Vi lejede bil i Punta Cana gennem Expedia hjemmefra, totalprisen for bilen 179 dollars inkl forsikring på 121 dollars gav en sum på ialt 300 dollars.
Da vi kom frem til udlejningsstedet sagde de at den forsikring vi havde købt for 121 dollars via Expedia ikke kunne bruges og tilbød nu en(tvang os) til i stedet at købe en til 341 dollars. Dvs hvor prisen da vi bookede var 300 dollars blev den nye pris nu 493 dollars (og oveni havde Expedia trukket de 121) så totalen var pludselig 614 dollars. Budget vil ikke hjælpe, de fralægger sig ethvert ansvar. Må virkelig være et desperat firma med de metoder..Jeg har aldrig i mit liv følt mig så uretfærdigt behandlet! Og ville ALDRIG gøre det forfra. Nu kan jeg kun frygte hvad de ellers kan finde på når vi afleverer bilen på fredag.

Folks just be aware that if you book a car with Budget Australia through a booking agent, in our case Holiday Autos they will screw you for extra rental costs. We booked a car through Holiday Autos for Budget in Mornington. The Holiday Autos prepayment voucher clearly stated that the voucher was for the full rental cost, excepting the usual additional charges such as toll fees, fuel etc. We rented the car for 3 weeks, returned it undamaged and with a full tank. A couple of weeks later Budget helped themselves to another $116 saying that the prepaid voucher was only in part payment for the rental which was absolute rubbish. I think it a dishonest underhand way to screw more money fro customers. After some months of dispute with Budget through the agent, Budget agreed to refund - twice, an admission that they were wrong in my book, but they have never made any refunds. After several months of communication Holiday Autos in frustration, made a goodwill refund to me. Budget did nothing and have escaped scot-free with their dishonest business practices. I for one will never use them again and I would encourage all of you to think twice before using them, and if you do use them, carefully check your credit card bills for a month or two after return of the car. They are scoundrels and should not be allowed to get away with these underhand practices. Entice you to rent with their “slightly “ lower prices and then helping themselves to more money from your card because they think they should have charged more. Avoid avoid avoid !!!

hi how long to you have to wait for a confirmation after purchasing a flying ticket pls thanks