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December 2023 by Adi R.
Giving 1 star simply because I can't give it 0 stars and people need to be warned of this awful place. They will rent you a vehicle with the check engine light on, and blame it on a sensor, only to try and blame the customer later. They will also cancel a reservation last minute because they refuse to work, even though Priceline has their vehicle rentals on sale because they have so many vehicles sitting around. They give the one customer they rarely get a hard time and charge them extra, just to not have to work because ripping off customers makes them money. The typical type of business that gives Barstow a bad name.
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November 2023 by Chris Koning
Customer service was very subpar. The two ladies behind the counter need training on how to deal with the public.
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August 2023 by Robert S.
Wow. Just wow. The most unprofessional, rude, and awful experience I've ever had. Just horrible.
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June 2023 by Emiel Tetteroo
I rented a car online and my booking was confirmed. However, when I showed up two morbidly obese ladies (with food still in their mouth) told me that the reservation had been canceled and they had no availability. They were very rude. Would not recommend this place.
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April 2023 by David B.
My family's Turo rental broke down an hour from Barstow and I booked a one way rental through the Avis app to get us back home after our Big Bear weekend. As I rode in a very expensive taxi that picked us up to get to this Avis they called and said that they were "not honoring any one way rentals" per management. I was confused as I booked it through their own portal and asked why and was only told that it is per management. I asked if I could alter the reservation then to return to them on Sunday and was told she couldn't do it, I would have to call the 1-800 number. After cancelling, re-booking and arriving I saw this location had about 15 cars on site and no one renting in the office (it was after 4pm and they closed at 5). While Bertha at the desk (who is the only person I spoke to the whole time) upgraded my wife, baby and I to a minivan (which was nice of her), I was still upset at the lack of explanation for not being able to honor my original directly booked Avis reservation. I told Bertha we wanted to enjoy time in Big Bear on Sunday and asked if it was "okay to bring the car back after 12pm on sunday", since I would now have to rent another car elsewhere to get home to Vegas that day. She said "yes we have a key drop lockbox outside" and I reiterated that I would be doing this.On Sunday I drove an hour the opposite direction of home to rent a one way vehicle from Riverside to get back to Vegas then dropped off the Barstow rental around 2pm and dropped the keys. There were now over 20 vehicles at this Avis location.On Monday my receipt arrived with an extra day of rental charge, an extra day of the Avis sneaky rental recoup fee (them charging you to register the car each year) and a late fee of $15.I called back to the office and again reached Bertha at the desk. I asked why I was charged and she said that since there was no one to check in the vehicle when I dropped it off that it was checked in Monday and charged an extra day. When I recalled our conversation Friday she did not argue what was said (or omitted) but instead told me I would have to call the 1-800 number and she couldn't do anything. I asked if the franchise owner or manager was available and she said she did not know when they would be back in and that she had no way to reach them. She told me only that their name was Michelle (no last name).I called and spoke with the first live person at Avis customer service and she reversed the charges and assigned my case to what she called the specialty department for processing and gave me a case number...all within 5 minutes.I get a franchise owner/manager (wanting to hoard their fleet of cars in a remote location like Barstow) instructing their employees to contact third-party booking guests and say they have no one-way rentals. It's their "inventory" and they can get away with making guests then go back to Expedia or Booking.com to deal with cancelling and rebooking elsewhere.However, it infuriates me that a manager or owner like Michelle would teach their front line employee to do this to direct book Avis corporate rate guests and further instruct the employee not to contact them, share any way to reach them or a time they'd be returning to field customer service issues, like when their employee omits that there will be a late charge for dropping the keys in the lock box.This is greedy and misleading business practice combined with zero compassion (or effort) for customer service and Michelle should be reprimanded by Avis for operating her branch as such.
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February 2023 by Jan D.
I love avis so much. They got me the exact car I wanted with in less then 10 minutes slay.
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January 2023 by Xoxo M.
We came in to exchange a car that was dangerous to drive and we were told we needed to drive it to a another location for exchange so we came to the nearest Avis as they advised. The worst part is the agent's response, "Well it got you here". This is the second time this trip that we needed to exchange the car not due to anything we've done, but due to us just unluckily getting bad cars. Anyway, all the agent said is there was no way they could help us. They need to work something out where any Avis location CAN help their customers.
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September 2022 by Jay Mac
This place should be blacklisted and removed from post. They will cancel your reservation without telling you. Why even have this place if you don't ever have cars???
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August 2022 by Ahjenae M.
The only reason why I'm rating this one star is because I have to if I could give no stars I would...The people here absolutely suck don't rent from them they told me I had until noon to bring the car back then when I brought it in at 11 o'clock they told me that I had to pay another day because the car was supposed to be back by 9:30.. The customer service sucks the lady at the front was a really tall rude hispanic lady and had a very foul odor to her body and a very bad attitude to match. I advise you not go through this business here in Barstow they are very unprofessional.
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May 2022 by Anthonybutimtaller91
Did not tell me that the car that I reserved apparently didn’t exist because I show up and they tell me no car available, and the lady did not have good manners. Had a one way trip back home. Won’t rent through them again
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February 2022 by Ernest Durham
over charge of $271.00 claiming the car was dirty but when I called customer the Barstow Budget rental company didn't make any notes in the description.
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February 2022 by Christine J.
If I could give zero stars I would. I reserved a vehicle with Avis for our military move from CA to TX. I prepaid to make sure that our vehicle would be available when we needed it. I reserved the vehicle on 1/12 for the dates 2/17 through 2/23. Someone from the Avis in Barstow called me a day before I was to pickup the vehicle to tell me that corporate came and took all the cars from their lot and they are canceling my reservation. She said they had zero cars (I reserved an SUV). They said that they would be refunding me but it would take 3 to 5 days to get the money back. I asked how they could call someone and cancel the day before and then can't give them the money back right away. Shes said I would have to call corporate. So, I called corporate to which they said there was nothing that could be done and I would just have to wait for my money. I explained that I already spent $800 to reserve this vehicle from their company and needed that money to now figure something else out a day before my family had to leave. The person said there was nothing they could do. I asked how a company could operate like this and he said he would transfer me to a manager and then hung up on me. I called back and spoke with someone else. They said that my reservation still showed active and that they have no record of any of this. I asked for him to confirm with the Barstow location on having no cars available and he said he couldn't do that. It's beyond me that a company is run this way. The guy said he would cancel my reservation and start the refund process (meaning no one has even done that yet) and I wouldn't see my money for up to five days. Please do not do business with this company and learn from my mistake. Moving is already expensive enough without this.
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July 2021 by Jim Fields
Booked my rental for 10am pickup online. Location called me at 0844 to tell me they had no cars to rent, and cancelled my reservation. Also since i had prepaid online, I had to call another number to inform them that my location cancelled my reservation and they needed to refund me; which takes 3-5 business days. Wht on earth would the online system allowe to make, (and pay for) a reservation ay a location that has no cars available?!?!?!?! Apparently, "Check for Availability" online isn't checking to see if the location actually has cars available, just that your funds are available for them to take....
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June 2021 by Emma Emma
Renter Beware !!! 1st and only time ever renting with them, should have trusted the Google reviews.!! Where do I start, got there to find mask less employees FYI, and was rented a outdated 2019 vehicle with over 49,000 miles, and to top it off it had no radio ( we rented on a Saturday and realized after closing hours that the radio was not working) so they were closed for Saturday and Sunday. Not fun using the aux and playing music off the phone. When returning the rental, again the employee was mask less and over charged me for the rental, I didn't realize until I was home and when I called and spoke with Arlene (same employee I dropped the rental off with) was very rude and impatient and over spoke me to tell me maybe I booked 3rd party and thats the issue, but I didn't book 3rd party but straight through them, then over speaking me again said well call the 800 number. I got to atleast ask her name before hanging up. Very unprofessional and overpriced for the rentals. I don't suggest anyone rent through them unless they have too like a emergency only. One other thing to point out since I confused is it states no debit card only credit cards but at the location they said they accept major bank debit cards for payments. But there payment methods is also very confusing and you can't use cash at all. The deposit was a $250 hold on whatever card you used to pay for the rental. In my opinion say your self the hassle and rent from enterprise in town just book well ahead of time and get there early to pick up since enterprise is always busy!!!. Stay far away from budget rentals. Even the 800 number customer service left me on hold for over a hour, currently still messaging via email with customer service to resolve my issues.
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April 2021 by Michelle S.
The staff here has horrible customer service they racial profile i have contacted naacp Michelle and tbe other clerk have control issues i asked one to pit on mask and it went down hill after that so now im on a do not rent list. it feels like a gang a click i font recommend this location and the District Manager have not returned any of my calls horrible they seem so unhappy need some lradership training
