Budget® Reviews
16 foot truck was filthy in the cab. Had not been vacuumed in a long time. Grass remnants in seats and cup holders. Was basically a piece of junk. Cab was very loud and water leaked in on my back when driving in rain. It was a 1,000 mile one-way drive so probably wanted to get ride of it to another dealer.
I was very happy with the booking system and rates. However, the night before our move (a Friday just before 5pm) we received a call that a truck wasn't available - supposed to pick up at 10am the next morning. After multiple calls, we were told it would have to wait until Saturday morning to sort out. It was very stressful. Finally, at 8am on Saturday we called the location and they miscommunicated and did have our truck. It all worked out but the stress during an out of state move could have been prevented. Customer service at the truck pickup location was great.
Disappointed with overall Budget experience. Truck cab was absolutely rank and there was no way I was going to spend 30 hours in it without cleaning it myself, which I had to do. I was also given verbal information that contradicted the written contract that I signed and was caught in the middle of two Budget truck locations arguing with each other over what fuel and DEF levels I was to return the truck at. Small detail, but a real pain to deal with
I rented through AARP - they gave me a beaten down truck with over 135,000 miles to drive another 2000 miles, and offered no assistance on hooking up the car transporter or help loading my car, that all I had to do myself alone in Budget parking lot - not safe for my age or considerate of safety. Likewise, I call Budget support several time during my trip as I wasn't sure the truck was going to make it; each verbal queue sent me to a phone bank for products that were not Budget Roadside Assistance. Never again.
I booked my Budget Cargo Van about 1.5 months ahead of time and received a price of $700 for my van. When coming back to check again to adjust my pickup date from Friday to Thursday, the rate was drastically decreased. While I was ecstatic about the savings, I was quite confused how this could be. Additionally, if you rent a cargo van, please note that you may need to purchase their insurance. Due to the nature of this van being classified as Commercial and the pounds, my insurance would only cover liability and Budget requires there by comprehensive coverage. Good thing I received the savings I mentioned because I had to pay $150 for that insurance. I would like to shout out Mason at the Craighhead location in Charlotte. Needless to say, I was very upset about the additional insurance charge I had to pay. He had no reason to be kind to me and yet he was. He was empathetic and understanding and defused the situation better than any I have ever seen. I really appreciate him and his kindness. The van was quite banged up and the radio was operational, but the move went off without a hitch and return was a breeze. Not sure I will rent with them again as there were several gothchas, but this move did work out.
Truck had no bluetooth. Badly needed an alignment. Really loud on the highway at speeds of 50 mph or above. Sometimes I couldn't hear the navigation on my phone. Had to wear my headphones so I could hear. Weekend after hours drop off in Elston Ave in Chicago was messy. Drop off lot was full and people had to drop off and park on the street. Instructions weren't clear.
Instead of picking up truck 10 minutes away, I got a call an hour before pick up time that informed me that I needed to pick up the truck 70 miles away in LA rush hour. Instead of loading the truck at 9:30 am , I was loading the truck at 1:30 pm, alone. Friends who were to spend the morning helping me had to go to work. Also the engine light was constantly on. I was told to ignore it. The additional cost of a taxi to pick up the truck was $150
Would never use the Eatontown Budget again. When I arrived to pick up the truck they said, "oh, we tried to call, we didn't get the truck there so you have to go to our other location 17 miles away". They did ultimately get the truck there 2 hours later. Upon return, their office was closed (were suppose to be open) so we left keys in drop box. Days later I received calls from Budget Loss prevention asking why I haven't returned the truck. They guy at Budget Eatontown said , "oh I can't access the system and the owner is out" I am still waiting for them to get their act together and close out my rental and provide a final bill
We were supposed to have a 16 FT truck at 11:30. We did not. When we arrived at the Palm Harbor location we were told that someone should have contacted us to offer a different location for the pick-up. Nobody did. The guy at the desk highlighted a number to call to make these arrangements myself. He was rude, smug, and condescending If I ever rent from Budget again it will not be this location. After half an hour on the phone I was able to get a smaller truck at the New Port Richey location, but they did not have the dolly requested. I am amazed that Budget stays in business considering how messed up the logistics of their fleet has become.
As a moving company, Budget was really good. Truck was ready and pick up was smooth. HOWEVER, what gets them the rating is the actual condition of the truck. The brakes likely need to be replaced or some other front end work, there is a horrific, violent shimmy when you try to brake, especially if you're going over 40, and that same shimmy is present if you're going over 60. In short, this truck is an accident waiting to happen.
Unfortunately all of the 16' and similar size trucks had been rented from the rental companies before we could schedule. We snagged one of the few 12' trucks left and made some compromises. It worked fine and had no problems except limited cab room meant reclining the seats was far too limited and just wish they would ditch the low rear step and install an 8' ramp.
