Complaint Review: US2 Service Center Budget - CPD Budget Of Akron 259 W Market / Akron Ohio

I have read several reports from several individuals at this site concerning Ryder / Budget truck rental experiences. I have also read the rebuttles from those who have all of the answers, or those sharing better experiences. For those sharing the better experiences, I say, you got lucky, and, from those of us who had bad experiences, I don't care to hear about the good rentals.

The fact is, these situations that occur ( and they will occur from time to time ), should be handled in a courteous, professional manner. Most often they are not. And, to conclude, most of the vehicles that are rented out should be inspected by a professional, certified mechanic prior to allowing it to be driven. The general public should not be given the keys and told to complete a thorough inspection, leaving sole responsibility upon the shoulders of the renter.

Would you expect to have to have each airline customer perform a full inspection of an airliner and sign a waiver prior to flight?

On the 15th of Feb, 2003, I went to pick up my 15' truck to embark on a journey to Akron Ohio that became a total bummer. Many of the errors that occured during the admin / contract portion of the rental did not become evident to me until later on, but in chronological order... here we go...

Day 1 - During the contract signing, I was not given a true contract to sign, but a reservation form instead. This was given to me in what I believed to be a contract. I was never given a true contract, and if I had been pulled over, could not have proven I legitimately rented the vehicle.

When the clerk startd to run my credit card, I realized I gave him the wrong card. I accidentaly gave him my debit card, and asked him to please use a different card. He told me ( and I believed him in good faith ) that the card would not be charged, and I could have it changed upon return of the truck in Akron at that center. This turned out to be false, and my card was charged. I have incurred 254.00 worth of related fees due to this issue.

When I went out to check my truck, I noticed the windshield wash did not work. The service person checked it, and the fluid was full. She insisted that the lines were frozen, and that they would clear up after driving it for a few minutes. This never hapenned.

The service person also alerted me to the fact that my gas gauge was not functioning, and always showed to be full. We did the math and found out that stopping every 200 - 225 miles would keep me safe.

As we moved on, we departed Hurley, WI., at about 6 PM ( we wanted to travel at night since we had babies involved in travel )on the Sunday, the 16th. My wife, daughter, and 2 grandbabies were following me in another car. My wife called me on my cell to tell me that my taillights were not functioning. Probably a fuse. I atempted to check the fuse box, but couldn't see due to a non-functioning interior light. I went into a gas station, and purchased a flashlight and pliers.

I found the fuse box ( about 30 fuses, unmarked ) with a cover that said "Refer to Owners Manual". Ok, no problem, except there was no manual in the truck. I called roadside assistance just to be told that I was out of luck since it was Sunday, and I was hundreds of miles from the nearest service center. We were forced to purchase a 90.00 hotel room and change our travel plans.

Day 2 - We were doing ok on the road, as we didn't need our tail lights, and the 200 mile gas thing was working. All was well until we saw the dark clouds in the distance. Couldn't listen to the radio, since I found that it didn't work either, so no weather updates for me. The second car heard that there was a major snow storm ahead, so I called roadside assistance again. The told me I had to take my vehicle to the nearest service center, because since my vehicle was running, it didn't warrant a onsite repair from the technician. We were routed 40 minutes out of our way just to hear the repair man tell me he didn't have time to fix it, and would have to leave the vehicle with him until the next day. I was steaming!

I called roadside assistance back, and the guy told me they had no control over the service centers schedules. I called customer service, and was told to call roadside assistance. I called raodside assistance back, and they said I would have to call customer service ( this person actually hung up on me ). I called customer service back, and they stated they would discuss compensation after the vehicle was returned. Well, that wont get me through a snowstorm, will it? No lights, no windshield wash, no radio, no interior light, no operational gas gauge, and guess what.. the cab now developed a water leak, all over our family photographs.

My only option? Press on. I have only so many vacation days I can use. We battled the snow, splattered salty windows, and slowly got to our destination.

Day 3 - The truck is unloaded, and I am ready to turn it in. This is where I found out that I had no contract in my posession, and that I was out of luck on the credit card issue. The clerk stated she could give me a credit of 100.00 towards my trouble. That didn't quite cover my lost workday, my hotel room, the extra gas to the "service center of no help", the extra meals, the 254.00 worth of charges due to running my debit card through, and the major stress and aggrivation.

I have read of some people who had problems that well exceed my issues, and my heart goes out to them. I am the first to say I understand that $@!& happens, and you have to take it in stride. But poor products, poor support, and bad customer service attitudes should rate a full refund on this particular trip.

That was my last Ryder / Budget rental. Never again.

Martin

Copley, Ohio
U.S.A.

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