Budget® Reviews
I ordered a 12’ truck was given a 16’ truck which was okay. The interior of the truck was filthy. I cleaned it a bit just so I could feel comfortable. The person who rented the truck was clueless about the operation. i asked for help with Bluetooth for my phone he said it did.t have it but it did. I was not able to adjust the mirrors and he was not help. I drove with poorly adjusted mirrors. Budget is usually a good company my experience with this truck which i rented in Phoenix for a trip to Salt Lake City. I rented before and this truck was NOT UP TO PAR.
The roof over the cab had an area that was "smeared" with some sort of roof sealant. During my cross country move I drove in rain for 2 1/2 days. Water was coming in and running down my back. Had to buy and wear a raincoat. Very uncomfortable and distracting, which could have been a safety issue. I had to call a Budget corporate# to report after returning the truck to the dealer. The agent said I should have reported to my Roadside Assistance Policy?? They offered a refund of $113, but I pushed for more. I really don't believe I should of had to pay for such a piece of junk!
I would have given five stars...but the gentleman who was at the pick-up location seemed to be upselling an elderly woman. Her booking ended up being another (approximate) $20 PER DAY. I did not like that. He must have picked up on that because when it was my turn, he did not ask me about adding insurance and instead handed me declination form. The allowed miles were perfect. I had to make a stop out of the way and did not have to pay for any overage on the mileage. Dropping off the truck at the Glendale location was quick and easy. Very friendly staff there.
The cab interior of the 16' truck was a bit spartan but the seats were comfortable enough. The floor, though , got hot over the long drive (18 hrs. over 2 days). It is not a "quiet" ride like they advertise in print on the side of the truck. And, if you are short like I am (5' tall), getting in and out of the truck was not easy. What was unsatisfactory was the truck pick up process in Norfolk. It required 2 trips to Budget to finalize the reservation that I had made online (long story) and on the 2nd trip, I spent an hour waiting in line. Never having rented a truck before, I was surprised that a lock was not offered for purchase/rental like furniture pads are.
The truck was filthy full of ashes, trash peppers all over and the wheel was so dirty it fell sticky. Absolutely revolting no one cleaned that truck in months. Also a light was not working and I was stopped by the police and given a ticket. I guess I have to consider myself lucky the engine held out and it had breake function
I was supposed to pick up my truck 15 minutes from home. The day before, they told me I'd have to pick it up an hour away. I got all the way there in my own vehicle only to find out no provision had been made to make sure there was a car carrier, which I had also ordered. I had to drive 35 minutes each way to another location in the moving truck to get a carrier then back to the original location to mount my car, then all the way back home. 100 miles and gas wasted. The truck was brand new, which was nice, but the trailer had a broken piece on the hitch so I spent the whole drive nervous about it.
Filthy inside and out. Had to by products to clean as well as, air door absorber. Oil change light is on. Gas cap indicator light on due to improper replacement cap. Have used them before and never imagined the mess. I told girl inside office, everything wrong. Came out and sprayed seat with sanitizer and emptied two bottle caps. Food and candy wrappers. Peanuts, mud, straw throughout truck. Very disappointed.
Carla at Stor It Self Storage in Stafford VA was extremely helpful and flexible in ensuring I had the equipment I needed to ensure a successful and smooth move. A clerical error was made on my reservation, but she found it, corrected it, and got me on my way quickly. Without her help this move would not have happened.
Budget offers reservations but will not hold a vehicle or guarantee one upon your arrival. They rely on pure luck that someone will drop a truck off at any specific location. The only reason this isn't a 1 star review is because Moe, at the Tropicana, Las Vegas location, guaranteed I would get the truck I needed after a couple got the only truck left at the prior location. Not a very reliable method of running a business.
Truck broke down several hours in the drive. Roadside assistance was extremely rude, unable to fix the truck, and gave no information on next steps. Truck had to get towed a couple hours away, where it still sits waiting to get fixed. This has been a disaster experience, only matched by the lack of customer service and communication. Let alone, the enormous increase expense this has created for me ( flights, rental cars, hotels, etc ).
The very nice lady at Ellenwood Storage, Pat was wonderful in trying to get me the truck close to the requested time. My issue was that the delay in getting the truck cost me the entire service charge I paid for the loading services ($300). After confirming the rental 4 times, no fewer than 3 on the week of my move, this should not have happened. Telephone customer service did not show any concern or took no real steps to resolve my issue.
