- Report: #353985
Complaint Review: Budget Car/Truck Rental - Seattle Washington
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Budget Car/Truck Rental
www.budget.com Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-214-6094
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Budget Rent Budget Car/ Truck Rental Chipped Windshield Scam Seattle Washington
My fiance and I rented a truck to move from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. We are regular Budget customers, and as always the employee did the check of the vehicle with a brief check for any major damage. The reservation was quoted at $276 with a note stating that the $150 included in that quote would not be charged if we used the same credit card at checkout. I had my fiance finish up they payment while I went home to finish packing. Since I had placed the reservation, he did not think anything of it when we were charged $287, although we used the same credit card that the reservation had been made with.
We returned the truck, and as my fiance was walking into the office to return the keys, a man was yelling after him "this window has chips in it". So, he went back to take a look. He described the 'chips' more like small nicks, but agreed that they were there, although 'chips' like this were not checked for upon picking up the vehicle.
I realized shortly after my fiance returned home that we had not been reimbursed the $150 deposit. Not only that, but two days later, we were charged $389!! When he called to ask why, he was told that due to the chips they had placed this total on our account as a hold and that we would be reimbursed in five days for the difference of whatever it cost to do the repairs. They also told him that we would receive reimbursement for the $150 at that time.
One month, several phone calls, and a lot of runaround later- we have not been given back a dime. Budget claims that the window had to be replaced, but will not show us any proof of this with a receipt of the work that was done. We did not give consent of this additional charge, and I plan to dispute the charges as well as file a report with the Better Business Bureau.
Budget rental are thieves. This is not and never was their money. They owe us over $500! It is hard enough that we are planning a wedding and just bought our first house. This is NOT a good time for random money to be stolen from a company we always thought we could trust.
Boggin828
Seattle, Washington
U.S.A.
We returned the truck, and as my fiance was walking into the office to return the keys, a man was yelling after him "this window has chips in it". So, he went back to take a look. He described the 'chips' more like small nicks, but agreed that they were there, although 'chips' like this were not checked for upon picking up the vehicle.
I realized shortly after my fiance returned home that we had not been reimbursed the $150 deposit. Not only that, but two days later, we were charged $389!! When he called to ask why, he was told that due to the chips they had placed this total on our account as a hold and that we would be reimbursed in five days for the difference of whatever it cost to do the repairs. They also told him that we would receive reimbursement for the $150 at that time.
One month, several phone calls, and a lot of runaround later- we have not been given back a dime. Budget claims that the window had to be replaced, but will not show us any proof of this with a receipt of the work that was done. We did not give consent of this additional charge, and I plan to dispute the charges as well as file a report with the Better Business Bureau.
Budget rental are thieves. This is not and never was their money. They owe us over $500! It is hard enough that we are planning a wedding and just bought our first house. This is NOT a good time for random money to be stolen from a company we always thought we could trust.
Boggin828
Seattle, Washington
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Rob
Chilliwack,British Columbia,
Canada
Similar Experience
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, July 25, 2008
I can confirm your suspicions that the windshield on your rental vehicle was not replaced. I rented a Hyundai Accent from the Chilliwack BC Budget Car Rental for a day trip into Vancouver.We also did the preliminary check for existing damage and a scratch was located on the rear bumper.This pre existing damage was noted and documented. Later that day while backing into a parking stall I added a scratch of my own to the rear bumper.There was no structural damage,only paint scratches but I do not dispute that I am responsible. Yesterday we recieved the repair bill at $650 dollars.This price includes a days rental fees for the time the car will be in the repair shop,body work repairing the scratches,and repainting the entire bumper as they allegedly cannot simply paint the damaged area,they need to repaint the entire bumper.Fair enough,I guess.The problem is,they sent us an ESTIMATE of the repair costs,not a copy of the invoice for repairs actually done.Since we live in a relatively small town we were able to go to the O'Connor collision repair centre that had issued the estimate.After checking their log they confirmed that I was being billed by Budget on the basis of an estimate only,and that the repairs had not been done. After lengthy discussion with the good folks at Budget car rental (was your experience as pleasant as mine?) *sarcasm* They grudgingly admitted that the repairs have not been made and they will not be made until their busy season is over.I explained to them that first of all,my mastercard has already been charged for a days rental for the car to be repaired.Second,there was pre existing damage to the rear bumper already yet their contract states I need only repair their bumper "to the condition it was before rental".I could not persuade them to acknowledge the pre existing damage and the paperwork on it has conveniently disappeared. This is how it works.Each individual that damages that bumper will be charged the full amount to repair and paint the entire bumper to new condition.They will be charged on the basis of estimates,not actual repairs.In this way Budget can charge several people for repainting the bumper over the course of it's service,but the bumper will only be repaired ONCE,and Budget pockets the rest of the money.In the same way,you were billed for a new windshield,and the next poor unfortunate that gets a nick in that same windshield will also be charged for a new windshield.The windshield may never actually be replaced and even if it does get replaced it won't be until it is ready to go on the auction block. This is not conspiracy theory or speculation,this is absolutely confirmed.This is standard policy.Common sense and decency beg the question,is this moral practice,is this even LEGAL practice?
