On 9/11/08, I entered into a one way (Georgia to Fort Lauderdale, FL) 5 day truck rental agreement with Budget Truck Rental (separate billing and payment from this dispute).
Upon my arrival on 9/15/08 and subsequent unloading, I called Budget for information on the drop off location - Budget Truck Rental of Hollywood 3101 N. State Road 7 Hollywood, FL. 33021. I was told that the location had closed at 6:00 pm and that they had a drop box that I could use and that they were a "corporate center". I decided to wait for rush hour traffic to subside and my wife's arrival from work in order to get a ride back home. We left the house at approximately 9:00 pm and stopped at a Hess Gas Station (time, dated and addressed receipt made available to Budget's Customer Service Rep.) along the way to top off the fuel tank. Upon my arrival at Budget Truck Rental of Hollywood, I parked the truck, locked the doors and dropped the key and documents into a drop box.
On Saturday 9/20/08 while on line I noticed an unauthorized debit on my card in the amount of $234.58 from Budget Truck Rental. I immediately called Customer Service and was told that the charge was due to the truck having been delivered two days late (in reality I delivered the truck 12 hours early) and disputed the charge. After several vexing calls thereafter to Budget's Franchise and Customer Service, I was only offered to "meet me half way" which I refused as I found this offer unacceptable.
It "seems" that:
I was mislead as to the drop box and "corporate center" status of the franchise location.
A large 24' Diesel Budget Rental Truck (parked in front of a small building (this was not a corporate center as advised) on a nearly empty lot is not seen or processed by two Budget Franchise employees (Mr. Christian Delgadillo, the owner and Mr. Marcus Williams, his assistant) till two and a half days later.
It also turns out that the drop box I was advised to use “does not exist” and the drop box I used belongs to another business in this small (as there are three businesses associated in this building - J & S Painting, J & R Title Loans and Budget Truck Rental of Hollywood) building and the key was not therefore made available till an employee from J & R Title Loans decided to "turn in the key" to the Budget Franchise - two and a half days later on Thursday, September 18th. FYI, distance between the two businesses: one wall thickness!
It is my contention, that the events that have transpired are borderline fraudulent, and at best, bad business practices for both the local franchise and Budget Car Rental, Inc. What follows is a Time Line of Events in my futile attempt at resolution of these unjust and unwarranted charge.
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