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November 2024 by Melody Hosler
Absolutely horrible experience. When we arrived they didn't have a vehicle ready for us. The vehicle they gave us was fine but were told that it had not been cleaned. We were told they would comp our fuel so to not fill up when we returned the vehicle. When we returned the line was so long that it wrapped all the way across multiple other rental lines. So there was no way that we could stand in line to wait to make sure we didn't get charged, as we had to get on our flight. So of course they charged us for the fuel. When we called to get our refund they stated that no one would ever promise this and that essentially we were lying. He told me to go back to the counter to speak directly to the woman who promised this. Sure, let me hop on another flight back to vermont for $180 refund! I can't even get through to the actual location to speak to anyone. I've learned my lesson so you don't have to...never ever book with budget!!! No matter the price difference!
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November 2024 by Elizabeth Allen-Pennebaker
We tried Budget twice because they’re cheaper than other places but I won’t be back. The first car we got was sized very poorly for me (I’m small) and after a couple of near misses because I simply couldn’t see things we tried to change it for a different one and the people on the phone said we could get one at the counter but when we went to the airport counter they said that we couldn’t make any changes - this after waiting more than an hour on hold on the phone and then half an hour in line. The woman who served us was patronizing and unpleasant.
The second time I rented a car I booked a hybrid and got an EV without my knowledge or consent. No information was provided to me about how to charge the car or what apps I’d need to download to find charging stations. Sending a solo woman traveler out on a long road trip without this info is thoughtless. So far their failure to provide me with the hybrid I reserved has cost me $200 for a hotel room because I couldn’t locate a charging station and has caused me to miss some of the events I’ve travelled for because I have had to spend the better part of an hour at a station charging the car each time. EVs are cool if you know that’s what you have but you have to WARN PEOPLE YOURE GIVING THEM ONE.
Oh and most of the other stuff people have said about Budget - long lines, hinting around for ages to find the car in the garage, etc we’re also true for me. Basically our rental experiences have sucked.
UPDATE: Budget reached out via Google Maps in response to the above review and sounded very nice and apologetic and encouraged me to send more information about my experience so they could investigate. In response I got a clearly canned email saying “thanks for your feedback”. No specific reference to my case at all - clearly they did not “investigate” anything. So I’ve dropped this review from two to one star for Budget’s absolute indifference to customer service.
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October 2024 by Brent David Lachapelle
Answer your phone!
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October 2024 by Scott Thompson
Landed at 12:40 pm, the waited for almost 3 hours to get our reserved rental car. Our rental was prepaid and completed a pre-check which was supposed to make ot quicker. We missed a show that was reserved in Montrel because of the delay and lost over $150.00. Do not recommend using Burlington Budget Car Rental at the Aiport. Stay away from this company, the customer service representatives seemed somewhat nice, but showed not sense of urgency to assist the customers
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October 2024 by Shawn Morse
The line was huge and wrapping around the terminal to get our rental. We had to wait 2.5 hrs standing in line and wasted an afternoon on a short trip into Vermont. The vehicle wasn't cleaned and jumped around like it hadn't been serviced in months as we drove around VT. Then we've been double charged as well and having to fight management for that as well. Thanks, but no thanks Budget. Do not rent from them, even if Costco gives you a "deal".
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October 2024 by Alex Fleming
Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY!
The rental counter was an organizational mess with a line that took nearly an hour to get through. They did not have any clean cars available, so they gave us a dirty car with no gas. We were told to return the car on empty. The vehicle was dirty on the inside, but not enough to make us want to stand in line all over again, so we tolerated it.
We returned the car on empty as instructed, but were still charged over $200 in gas fees. After calling customer service, we were able to recoup the gas charges, but they had no record of giving us a dirty vehicle, so they refused to compensate us for that issue.
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October 2024 by Kyle Fahey
Car was dirty. Tires were bald. The desk agent had an attitude. Avoid.
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October 2024 by The Camp easy's
I made a reservation months in advance just to get there and then tell me they have no more cars even if you have a reservation. Piss poor planning and management from this company always. They did this same exact thing to us in Dallas. Book rentals with Enterprise they will honor the reservation at least.
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October 2024 by Bradley Gee
What a horrid experience renting a car from Avis/Budget. 10/10 would NOT recommend either part of this company. We flew into Burlington with an 8 month old baby and had the car reserved well ahead of time.
Upon landing and getting to the counter the initial person helping me up and walked away mid service and another employee had to take over and start all over with no explanation of what was going on or why we had to restart everything already completed.
When this employee finally got things figured out I was informed the car we were supposed to have was not available and that the best they could do was a car that hadn’t been cleaned yet. Seeing as this was the only option they had we had to take it and when we were given keys we were told “okay go to the garage and start pressing the horn to find the car. So not only did these people not have a reservation ready to be honored but they then only had a car that was cleaned and had no parking spot location, we got to wander and find it ourselves with an 8 month old.
Well we wandered for a half hour and could not locate the car so I got to go back to the desk and inform the employee of this. The employee was very condescending and rude about it with eye rolls and sighs. They finally got two other employee to go search for the car and after 15 mins they too couldn’t find it and suggested I ask for a new car because “it could be anywhere.”
After getting another car (so much for only one option left) we left for our trip and the next day when checking our bank account we found almost $300 extra charged to the account. I called to dispute this charge and was told it was a “hold” that they always charge for rentals. I told the person that this would have been fine and understandable but no one informed me that it was a thing our that it was going to be placed. I am livid at the lack of communication, terrible experience getting a car, and the attitude of the employees at the desk. I would rather pay more at another company than go through this company again.
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October 2024 by Wynne Anderson
Arrived here at 11:30PM after a delayed connection to this handwritten sign and zero people at the Budget rental car desk. The sign says "To our valued customers: we have been over-booked tonight. Please accept our apologies." We had a reservation and everything - but it was useless. The airport staff was kind and useful while the Budget staff was nowhere to be seen. We ended up having to pay hundreds of dollars in Uber over the course of the weekend and had to miss out on all of the plans we had to drive the car to various locations. Instead we were stuck on foot all weekend. Truly terrible!
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August 2024 by Alexis Kelly
Our van died on the Ferry from Burlington to Plattsburgh -- When we got the rental, the hood was popped, so clearly it was a known issue. We knew Burlington was already out of rentals, because the woman behind the counter made the comment - we don't have rentals for all these people (Who had reservations) So we are without a reliable vehicle.
Thanks Budget - Leave a family with 2 small children with the risk of being stranded with no cell phone service. I would give you zero stars if I could. We are buying a Jumper Pack on our dime to ensure our own safety because Budget could give zero.
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August 2024 by Vance Henke
We picked up the car from the airport and after driving an hour away we noticed it pulling to the right. I rolled down the window and there was a grinding noise coming from the front tire. We called for a replacement and we're told to drive back to where we got it or another can be brought to us. We chose the delivery but it had to be from a different location 2.5 hrs away. It took 8 hrs to get to us with no update from Budget. It arrived 6 hrs after the initial ETA. The new car had an air pressure warning on it as the back tire was low. After refilling it, we saw a written message on the window stating "Driver rear tire leak". Budget knew this car had issues and delivered it to us anyway. I understand about the first cars mechanical failure. Things brake on cars all the time. But customer service isn't measured by the issues, it's measured by how an organization responds to them. And in this respect, Budget performed horribly.
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July 2024 by Deklin Gazaille
I rented 12 passenger vans six months ago for a vacation to Maine with 11 children. I showed up at Burlington airport this morning and was informed that the gentleman in front of me had rented four vans so I didn’t get one. They wanted to offer me two vans sure let me just have my nine year-old child drive one.
They then proceeded to be very rude condescending and absolutely unhelpful. The woman across the counter was both unprofessional and knowledgeable. They had no manager on site, but they assured me that their manager might come and I don’t have to put in gas. Oh that’s so helpful on the two vehicles I still haven’t figured out how to drive.
The front only had 28 passengers done. They chose to continue him in even though he was in line behind me. They bumped him forward and let him reserve all three vans and go through the booking process. Well, I stood there trying to figure out what I was going to drive to Maine with my 11 children.
They could not get one here they could not borrow one from another car dealership they made no attempts to do anything to rectify the situation 10 out of 10 do not recommend do not use stick with enterprise
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June 2024 by Michael Natale
Supposed to open at 8am - here it is 8:45 and no one in sight. Called customer service but they don’t open until 9.
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April 2024 by Erin Rock-Ballard
I called over the phone a week in advance and booked two 8 passenger Toyota Siennas for our large family trip. I needed some specifics which is why I did this ahead of time. I paid over the phone, explained that we do not do credit cards (Yes, some people don’t do credit card debt!) and asked before we booked if we could use a debit card and was told we could do that no problem but would have to pay a couple hundred dollar deposit. I even checked in a couple days earlier to verify everything and ensure we were still on for the specific sized vans I needed. I was told everything was fine. My husband shows up and they tell us that even though their corporate policy allows debit cards that they do not and refused to accommodate. My sister in law offered her credit card up but they wouldn’t accept it because it wasn’t in my husbands name. They even went as far to chastise us for booking on the phone and ahead of time and made comments about us wanting the cheapest option being the reason we did so. They were not kind, not accommodating, not helpful. I went down the street to Enterprise and they bent over backwards to get us the rentals we needed. I will never work with budget again.
