I reserved a Budget car for a one-way rental from Lafayette, LA to Dallas, TX after carefully investigating whether I would be charged extra for one-way and reading on the Budget site "Budget offers affordable rate for One Way rentals. This gives you the freedom to rent in one place and return in another with unlimited mileage and no drop-off charge."
Based on that information, I booked my reservation online and was given a total of $34.21 with a pick up of 10A.M. And drop off of 6 P.M. The vehicle was horrible with cigarette burns on the seats, large crack in the windshield and an unbearable stench. The steering wheel was so sticky and gross, I immediately stopped at a convenience store to buy a pack of Handi-Wipes!
After conducting my business in Dallas, I proceeded to Love Field to drop off the vehicle. Outside attendant told me I could not drop the vehicle off there. I was sent inside. Man at the counter disappeared for some time. When he returned, he said he would have to call the Lafayette, LA office. He put the Lafayette man on the phone who told me they don't allow one-way rentals, and that I would have to pay someone to go to Dallas and pick up the vehicle, which could cost me as much as $500. After trying to explain that I didn't "invent" this one-way scenario and why wasn't I informed prior to leaving Lafayette, he ended his conversation with me rudely and abruptly.
The next day, four charges were posted to my credit card: $70.00; $198.20; $500.00 AND $1,100.00 — for a total of $1,868.20.
For what, you may ask? Well, I would tell you, but I have no idea. After disputing the charges with my credit card company (who dropped the ball in the dispute process), multiple letters to Cendant (who owns Budget), I got absolutely nowhere. Cendant replied that their licensee in Lafayette (Herb Robinson)..."is unwilling to provide any kind of adjustments for this rental, based on the information available to him as well as to Budget Corporate offices."
They closed that letter by apologizing for the condition of the car and giving me two $25 coupons for future Budget rentals. HAAAAAAAAAAA! You gotta be kidding me.
Still no one — after tons of correspondence back and forth, trying to ascertain why in the world I was charged such amounts — no one has provided me with one shred of paper, one telephone call, one simple explanation of what the charges represent. The car, a Daewoo Nubira with 58432 miles on it (!) wasn't even WORTH $1,868.20!!
How do these companies get away with this, time and time again. Judging by the multitude of similar stories on the web regarding Budget's gross overcharging practices, how can this be allowed to continue?
I am still fighting this. What a nightmare. I can only imagine what it has cost me when you figure in finance charges on my credit card.
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