Budget Car Rental Works for Me...
by - Written: Jul 31 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: New Cars, Generally Good Service, Good Prices
Cons: One employee in Long Beach, CA
The Bottom Line: Budget Car Rental has done everything it supposed to: good rates, good service, and good cars.
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| jdornoff's Full Review: Budget |
Background:
I have rented from Budget several times, most of the time in Spokane but other times across the west coast. Budget is one of the major players in the rental car business and is located at most major airports and many city locations also.
Making Reservations:
I find that the Budget Car Rental site is pretty easy to navigate. On the first page there is a section on the left were you can put in where you need to rent a car, the dates you need it and any discount codes you may have. After that you simply hit the button and it moves you to the next screen.
The next screen will give you every size car that Budget offers and the price. The models not only include your standard sizes such as midsized and full size, but also convertibles, SUV’s, Crossovers, Pick-up Trucks, Full Size Passenger Vans, and other miscellaneous vehicles.
The only downside is that you have to move to the third screen to book the rental before you find out the total cost of the rental. While this may not be a big deal for most purchases, but when many local, county, and state governments are gouging tourists for every tax they can think of to pay for THEIR sports stadiums, teacher salaries, cost overruns on transportation projects, and a host of other things, it is important to know the tax. Expect to pay anywhere from 45 to 70% just in taxes and fees. To give you an example if I rent a car in Seattle costing $255.00 my final cost after taxes is $390.00.
Also in this screen you can add items such as GPS, Fuel Option, Ski Racks, Safety Seats, and the Extra Coverage’s to see what they do to the final price.
Budget’s Fleet:
Budget used to be partially owned by Ford and mostly used Ford Cars. However, they are now owned by Avis and use a wide variety of cars although many of them are now General Motors products. In the last couple of years I have rented Chevrolet Impala’s, a Toyota Tundra, Hyundai Azera, Mitsubishi Spyder Convertible, and a Pontiac Vibe.
Picking Up the Car:
Several of my rentals have been in the Spokane area over the last few years since my father died and up to the time my mother passed away last year. Every time I have rented the car in Spokane and most other cities the staff has been friendly, fast, and not pushy when it comes to pushing coverage.
The only bad experience I had and it really wasn’t that bad was picking up a car in Long Beach, California. While the counter agent was quick and efficient he wasn’t much of a people person which meant he is in the wrong line of work. He also made a mistake on my contract that could have cost me money but I will talk more about that later.
The Cars:
Most of the cars I have rented from Budget have had less than 5000 miles on them. Only the one Impala I rented had a lot of miles on it (16000). All the cars have been clean and I have not had any problems with any of them.
Checking In:
Checking in has been a breeze most of the time. The only issue I had was the time I rented in Long Beach. I specified on my reservation that I was dropping it off at their Los Angeles Union Station office since my wife and I were taking the train out of town. When we arrived they stated that the computer showed it being dropped off back at Long Beach and I may be charged more. Needless to say that did not make me happy since I had a reservation for Union Station.
However, the counter agent started checking in the car and he said there was no problem the price remained the same. This was a good thing since I had my reservation in my hand showing I was dropping it off in Union Station. I then requested the charges be put on my debit card since I only use the credit card to pick up cars and I would need it later. However, the magnetic strip on the card was giving out and they had a hard time trying to use it. It took a few minutes and some frustration on their part but they got the charges put on the debit card and gave me a receipt.
Overall Impressions:
Except for the less than friendly employee at Long Beach and the issue with that mistake, all of my rentals from Budget have gone off without a hitch and most of the employees have been extremely friendly.
In the last few years Budget has become my primary car rental company. Their rates are often the lowest or close to it, their employees are good, and the cars have never given me a problem. Budget is a good choice for car rentals.
Recommended:
Yes
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