BAD experience with UT 50% Budget Deal

[cindermomma]

My family and I booked a budget rental minivan with the Undercover Tourist 50% off deal when you buy a ticket. We bought a movie ticket and got the deal for the minivan. When I arrived at the rental counter (Omaha, NE), they were dumbfounded with this deal. But, they did take copies of my confirmation and payment with UT and included it with my rental paperwork to be sent to their accounting, assuring me it should be fine.
A week after we got home, I got my credit card bill and Budget had charged us for the other "half" of the rental. I called Budget and they were no help. I contacted Undercover Tourist and they told me there was nothing they could do to help me. I escalated things with them, as I feel I paid them for a service and that they should stand by it. They sent my problem onto someone else. I heard from them a few times that they were contacting Budget accounting. Well, the last time I heard from them was 8/23/22 with an automated message. They are NO HELP with this issue, and I just wanted to warn you all. I have used UT before for tickets and had no issues. This was the first time I have had a problem and I must say, their customer service is greatly lacking.
If you are using this deal, perhaps call ahead to your Budget rental and confirm. I assure you - your family will be stranded with no help from Undercover Tourist if things aren't ok. We are now on the hook for an additional $700.

 

[Sherrkel]

I am sorry this happened to you. DH and I have a 50% off UT rental with Budget booked for Oct (we rented a 1 night hotel room -which we need for the 1st night) for the deal.
Please keep us posted. I do hope they get back to you and make it right. I am leery but hoping this was just a misunderstanding somewhere, as I've read other reports that everything went fine for others.
Hope you had a great vacation anyway!

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Eek! I used this same deal to secure a 4 day rental in November for $128. But we bought theme park tickets, not movie tickets, to qualify. I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone has positive experiences with UCT/Budget.

 

[sponica]

I vaguely remember it being discussed earlier on this forum

https://www.disboards.com/threads/u...ses-loophole-on-rental-car-discounts.3893057/

 

[georgina]

I haven't seen any complaints from people who used it in Orlando, other than having to go to the counter. I wonder if the unfamiliarity in Omaha was the issue, but I agree if you paid X amount for the rental through UT, you shouldn't have to pay any more.

 

[georgina]

I vaguely remember it being discussed earlier on this forum

https://www.disboards.com/threads/u...ses-loophole-on-rental-car-discounts.3893057/

None of those involved paying for the rental and getting charged more at the rental counter though. The great discounts haven't been as available when looking to book.

 

[cindermomma]

Just to clarify - I booked my rental with movie ticket on 4/29/2022 for a trip at the end of May. We have been dealing with this since June when I realized I was charged on my card. Other than that - we had a GREAT trip back to Disney! We took our pup with us and stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness. LOVED the cabin and the campground! This was our first trip "home" (and really anywhere!!) since COVID and it felt GREAT!!!

Omaha might not be up to speed on the discounts. But, I do think UT should be helping us since we booked through them.

Thanks for the replies and I hope you all have good luck with your discount!

 

[sponica]

I'd find someone at Budget to email and someone at UT to email and send them copies of the deal you had booked and see what happens. Google Budget executives, email someone with a customer service title and email someone at UT.
Or file a complaint with the AG in Nebraska, or whomever in the state handles customer "ripoffs". In my experience, sometimes it takes a literal human being to actually look at something instead of the chat bots or the front line CSRs.

 

[cindermomma]

I'd find someone at Budget to email and someone at UT to email and send them copies of the deal you had booked and see what happens. Google Budget executives, email someone with a customer service title and email someone at UT.
Or file a complaint with the AG in Nebraska, or whomever in the state handles customer "ripoffs". In my experience, sometimes it takes a literal human being to actually look at something instead of the chat bots or the front line CSRs.

I have been emailing with both places. UT has been the worst at helping me. - no response and if they do respond, it's with no information. My next step is the Nebraska AG. So frustrating!!!

 

[Lewisc]

File a credit card dispute. Did you make any changes? Accepted what you thought was a free upgrade? Picked up or dropped off at a time or date other then what your confirmation showed? Your reservation was prepaid. You were double charged. Drop the movie ticket discussion. Irrelevant to your point. I was charged for a pre-paid reservation. Anything else is irrelevant I'd drop the fraud claim. Treat the
Issue as a billing mistake.

 

[Akck]

Not a UT rental, but when we had all the insurance coverage charged to a rental, we ended up disputing the charge. We sent in paperwork that indicated the coverage was declined and enough time has passed that according to our credit card company, the temporary reversal is now permanent. One other thing I do before each rental is bring it up on Budget’s website. So far, they’ve shown a $0 charge for the rentals, since we prepaid them.

 

[cindermomma]

File a credit card dispute. Did you make any changes? Accepted what you thought was a free upgrade? Picked up or dropped off at a time or date other then what your confirmation showed? Your reservation was prepaid. You were double charged. Drop the movie ticket discussion. Irrelevant to your point. I was charged for a pre-paid reservation. Anything else is irrelevant I'd drop the fraud claim. Treat the
Issue as a billing mistake.

I should have posted that a credit card dispute has been filed. I should know any day if it goes my way. I sent all my copies of payment confirmations, ect. There was no upgrades to car. It was picked up on time and delivered early. You are right - I was double charged. I am just so disappointed with the lack of help from UT. Maybe they are short staffed like everywhere else? Ugh.

 

[rwdavis2]

Go to elliott dot org and find Budget's CEO and email them. That usually workd.

 

[Lewisc]

delivered early. You are right - I was double charged. I am just so disappointed with the lack of help from UT. Maybe they are short staffed like everywhere else? Ugh

Returning a car too early can void your contract resulting in your contract being repriced. You may not qualify for a weekly rate for example.

Let Budget try to explain charging you more for less

 

[cindermomma]

Returning a car too early can void your contract resulting in your contract being repriced. You may not qualify for a weekly rate for example.

Let Budget try to explain charging you more for less

I delivered it an hour early.

 

[EACarlson]

I'd find someone at Budget to email and someone at UT to email and send them copies of the deal you had booked and see what happens. Google Budget executives, email someone with a customer service title and email someone at UT.
Or file a complaint with the AG in Nebraska, or whomever in the state handles customer "ripoffs". In my experience, sometimes it takes a literal human being to actually look at something instead of the chat bots or the front line CSRs.

Filing a complaint with the AG is going to do less than nothing. I'd be willing to bet that there is plenty of language in both the rental agreement and the discount code that allows them to do this. Very few people ever get to see the actual corporate discount code agreement.

File a credit card dispute. Did you make any changes? Accepted what you thought was a free upgrade? Picked up or dropped off at a time or date other then what your confirmation showed? Your reservation was prepaid. You were double charged. Drop the movie ticket discussion. Irrelevant to your point. I was charged for a pre-paid reservation. Anything else is irrelevant I'd drop the fraud claim. Treat the
Issue as a billing mistake.

It's not a billing mistake, it's one Budget franchisee that actually looked at what was happening and denied use of a discount code. Same thing happened last summer with the MouseSavers code and Hertz. The code was no longer honored because it wasn't meant to be given out as it had been.

I should have posted that a credit card dispute has been filed. I should know any day if it goes my way. I sent all my copies of payment confirmations, ect. There was no upgrades to car. It was picked up on time and delivered early. You are right - I was double charged. I am just so disappointed with the lack of help from UT. Maybe they are short staffed like everywhere else? Ugh.

Regardless of the outcome of the dispute, don't expect to rent from Avis, Budget, Payless or Zipcar ever again. Filing a chargeback is almost guaranteed to put you on their DNR. The better choice in my opinion would have been to dispute the UT charge, since that is the charge that you didn't get anything for.

 

[Lewisc]

It's not a billing mistake, it's one Budget franchisee that actually looked at what was happening and denied use of a discount code. Same thing happened last summer with the MouseSavers code and Hertz. The code was no longer honored because it wasn't meant to be given out as it had been

NOT EVEN CLOSE The mousesavers code ended and existing reservations repriced. The UT contract code is still active. The OP presented the necessary documentation and was given a car. Ill call it a billing error. If you disagree I'LL go with fraud. The franchise lost the ethical war when they released the car subject to the rental terms. Any fine print is likely to be interpreted in favor if the renter.

I think you have it reversed. Budget would be on my don't rent from list if they decided to double the agreed rate after the car was returned.

Edited to add looking for trouble if he mentioned movie tickets. Car rental was booked through a TA period. No reason to discuss. I suspect the rate was intended to be sold with hotel and or air without the customer knowing the breakdown.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Anyone know if the UCT deal is refundable? I'm leaning towards just using ride share on my next trip.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Anyone know if the UCT deal is refundable? I'm leaning towards just using ride share on my next trip.

It is refundable. You must contact UCT to cancel/refund.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

It is refundable. You must contact UCT to cancel/refund.

Thank you! I didn't see a cancel or modify option, so I was worried. Turns out it was easy to cancel via chat.