Complaint Review: Budget Rent A Car

I rented a F-150 pick-up during my vacation in Houston and noticed that the truck already had been damaged previous to me renting it. I noticed it had been scratched on the front end about 2 or 3 days into the trip.

I also noticed that the trick had not been cleaned out since the last person that had it. There was mud on the floor mats, dust on the dash board, a film over the windshield, a lighter in the ash tray, packs of Vivarin in the door and in the arm rest/console, cigarette ashes on the driver's side door handle, a cigarette burn in the driver's seat, and the truck smelled of cigarette smoke (it was more noticeable when the truck sat in the sun for a while).

It is my belief that the people that rented the truck before me did not properly return the truck, or the staff at the Budget Rent-A-Car in Houston didn't properly check in the truck.

I believe this because when we originally got there to pick up our rental, the employee helping us told us to get our truck from stall 11. We went to stall 11, loaded up the truck and proceeded to the exit. At the check point before leaving, the security guard told us we had the wrong truck and to go back to let the people inside know.

After doing so, it turned out both of the Budget employees inside didn't know what truck was in fact parked in stall 11. I had to go outside and bring them my keys so they could read the serial number off of the key chain. Then they realized that it was a truck out of Colorado.

So instead of having us unload this truck and re-load into another truck, they just transferred everything over to the truck we already had. In the middle of all of this, we were extremely tired. We took a red eye flight into Houston from Los Angeles. Our plane left at 1:00 A.M. We got in at 6:00 A.M., Houston time which is two hours ahead of Los Angeles. So we were on virtually no sleep.

We had ahead of us a 2 and a half hour drive to our destination. By the time we got there, we were too tired to deal with complaining about a dirty truck, so we let it pass.

Then we noticed the scratches on the front. I have been a Budget customer for a couple of years now and know the process in returning a vehicle. The Budget employee checks your vehicle as you pull up, so if there is any damage they will notice it right away.

So I didn't let the damaged front end worry me too much because who ever supposedly checked them in would've noticed it then. That is, if they returned the truck at an hour where there are Budget employees checking you in as you pull up.

Also, after originally signing the papers (for liability) for the truck we were originally signed, the man helping me printed up another set of papers for the truck we ended up having, and he did not have me sign those papers.

When I received my credit card statement, Budget had tacked on an additional $50.00 that I did not authorize and still can't find out what it was for. I tried to dispute the charges through my credit card company and they said that the rental car compaines can charge additional amounts if they want to.

So about a month after being home, I get in the mail a bill for $1,200.00 for the damages done to this truck. I was given a phone number and email address to call of the person handling my case and can't get a return phone call or email for the life of me.

I have now made 8 attempts at contacting her and still have gotten nowhere. I have also received another letter from them in the mail asking for payment immediately or if I am disputing the charges I need to call them right away. Well, I do.

But no one answers their phone. So I leave messages, but get no return call. I want these charges dropped out of my name and put to the people that had the truck before me. If they haven't already tried to go after them as well as me. They could be trying to get double the money.
HELP!!

April
Los Angeles, California

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Budget Car & Truck Rental