- Report: #244020
Complaint Review: Budget Car Rental - Phoenix Arizona
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Budget Car Rental
http://www.budget.com/ Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.
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Budget Car Rental Fuel charge ripoff Phoenix Arizona
The Budget Rental rep first tried to fast-talk us into $23 per day(!) supplemental insurance. We passed. Then the ripoff: She sold us on buying the tank of gas in the car from them to start for $36.39 and returning it empty (instead of returning it full as is traditional). The hook was that they were charging $.20 less than she claimed was the current price of gas on the street (a misrepresentation)--but the problem we discovered later is that there is no refund for any gas left in the tank on return. So, if you leave even 1 gallon of gas in the tank, that's approx. $2.80 lost, or the equivalent of 14 gallons of the difference between their claimed price and the price on the street. But the tank only holds 13. If we left 2 or 3 gallons in the tank, we would REALLY screw ourselves (albeit only a $6 or $10 loss, but nonetheless a total scam.)
We (I) obsessed about using up all the gas in order to avoid the consequences of the fast talking counter rep., and practically ran out of gas trying to return it on fumes. It would be MUCH easier, and cheaper, to just fill the car before returning it to Budget as has been the usual proceedure in the past.
Jim
Lake Forest Park, Washington
U.S.A.
We (I) obsessed about using up all the gas in order to avoid the consequences of the fast talking counter rep., and practically ran out of gas trying to return it on fumes. It would be MUCH easier, and cheaper, to just fill the car before returning it to Budget as has been the usual proceedure in the past.
Jim
Lake Forest Park, Washington
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Mark
Oakland,California,
U.S.A.
Watch out what you agree to
#2Consumer Comment
Tue, April 17, 2007
I agree with this complaint, even if it is a bit hard to understand. Car rental companies keep their base price low for comparison shoppers, then try evey trick they can to jack up the cost when they get you in the door. Kind of like appliance companies trying to sell you on expensive service contracts or extended warrantees. If you have a car of your own, and it's fully insured, check before you go, but chances are you don't need ANY of the extra insurance the car rental company tries to up-sell to you. And as for leaving a couple gallons in the tank, that'd be great advice if they refunded you the difference or even passed it on to the next customer, but they fill it up and charge the next guy for the whole tank. There are apparently two ways to do the fuel now: return it full (or pay them per gallon to fill it after return), or buy a full tank from them to start and return it empty. Option two looks to me like a big time money-maker for Budget. If the average customer leaves 3 gallons of gas in the tank, that could be and extra $9.00 of profit per customer. Multiply that by the thausands of customers per day, and you have a major rip-off.
Mike
Radford,Virginia,
U.S.A.
Always a fee here and there...
#3Consumer Suggestion
Tue, April 17, 2007
I like Budget overall. It was clearly explained to me that there would be no credit for any gas remaining in the car if I went with the prepay for a tank full plan. My plan for a perfect car rental business would be not to care about gas at all. There'd be no guarantee your car would have any when you get it. Return it half-full, that's bonus for the next guy. Kind of a kharma thing. Of course the gas side is a big profit center for the agency, but a headache for the renters.
Cory
San Antonio,Texas,
U.S.A.
It Figures
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, April 16, 2007
"We obsessed about using up all the gas in order to avoid the comsequences of the fast talking counter rep, and practically ran out of gas trying to return it on fumes". That says it all. Rather then lose a couple of dollars by leaving a gallon or two in the tank, you were risking running out of gas. Lord, just fill the tank up before you turn the vehicle in. Then you'll have one less thing to obsess about. I'll bet you obsess about alot of things. As for that $23 per day supplemental insurance, I'm surprised you weren't obsessing about that. What was that post the other day where that girl wrecked the vehicle and the rental place hit her for $12,000, $7000 over what it cost to repair the vehicle. As for your figures, let's see, $36.39, I like the .39 cents, at $2.50 a gallon equals 14+ gallons. Don't know what gas is in Phoenix, $2.50-$3.00 a gallon, probably alot higher near the airport or how big the tank was, on what type of vehicle. It might be a good deal, it might not, but you could have said no. That's on you. SOME people don't have the time or the inclination to mess with filling the tank or could care less about a dollar or two worth of gas.
