Will never use Budget again!!

[Daisy-J&D]

I wanted to share our experience so it doesn't happen to anyone else. Maybe you'll say it was our fault but we do have A LOT of rental experience over the years and this has never happened to us before. We rented with Budget through Hotwire. It was our first time with Budget. .

I reserved one level up from the lowest car class, below mid-size (I can never remember if that's compact or economy) because I do not like driving big cars and even mid-size is too large for me. At home we have a Toyota Yaris and a Nissan Versa to give you an idea of what I was expecting.

We get to the counter and we were offered a 2 Door MINI COOPER. Give me a break! A 2 door? I said That car was too small for my DD's carseat and they said the only other car they had was a 2 Door Yaris. Now, the Yaris is small enough on its own but 2 door? I asked for 4 door and at first they said that class is *only* 2 door until I pressured them more and they said that there are some 4 door but they are very popular and go quickley in Florida.

Of course we had to upgrade doubling the cost of the rental. I was so angry!!! Compare this to ANY other airport we have ever rented from with Alamo or National (we've rented Hertz too but not airport locations) and I have NEVER even seen a 2 door car from that class! Ever! Usually we end up with a 4 door Ford Focus sedan and many many times have been forced to "upgrade" to mid-size and many times refusing because the cars were too big.

So Budget, if 4 door cars are *so* popular in Florida, where people are vacationing with Families, why don't you have more and forget the 2 doors all together and meet the needs of your customers? Unless of course you are trying to get people to upgrade by forcing them with no other choice.

NEVER. AGAIN.

We got this "deal" through hotwire. Needless to say I will not be gambling with them again. The full rental price ended up being the same as if we'd gone with National or Alamo directly from their website. Not worth it! Last year we did Hotwire and were assigned National. Any easy and pleasant transaction (great price too) compared to this mess!

 

[Daisy-J&D]

I forgot to also mention that Budget did not explain the Sunpass reader in the window. I didn't even notice it until we were driving down the highway and had no clue what it was.

We go through the first toll and pay and the person says we have sunpass because it was also already ON. It wasn't until we pulled over at Target did we notice a sticker on the box explaining the fees ($2.95 per day, $14.95 max on top of the tolls). We've never had a car with one of these before.

I really think Budget should have let us know what the box was, pointed it out and/or explained the fees. We're Canadian and don't deal with toll highways. It was even ON already and therefore didn't even give us the chioce of whether we wanted to pay or not by switching it from Off to On. I guess at that point they'd say "well you should have noticed it and read the sticker and turned it off!".

We felt really bullied by Budget.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

There's no gurantee you get a 4 door with any of them. I have gotten a lot of two doors. Sorry that it was so upsetting but nothing in your rant would drive me away from Budget.

I agree on the tolls, but did you discuss this with budget when you returned the car?

 

[SarahWeasley]

I think it would have been nice if they had upgraded you for free, but I don't think you were entitled to it or that you should be so shocked. I looked at the descriptions on Budget's website for the various car classes, and pretty much everything below an SUV said it could be either 2-door or 4-door. If you absolutely require a 4-door car, don't reserve a class that could be either. (I looked at Alamo, too, for comparison, and they also say any of their cars could be 2-door or 4-door until you get to the full-size class.)

If the smaller cars cannot accommodate a standard car seat, and do not say in the class descriptions that they cannot accommodate a standard car seat, then I agree that the rental car company would be at fault. But they're not at fault if you reserve a small car and then you're upset that the car isn't big enough for your preference.

 

[Daisy-J&D]

But they're not at fault if you reserve a small car and then you're upset that the car isn't big enough for your preference.

Can you at least agree that a 2 door mini cooper is NOT comparable to a Ford Focus? Because that was the comparable car when we booked.

Their website also states that these cars fit 5 people, 1 Large Suitcase, 2 Medium Suitcase and 2 small Suitcase. There is NO TRUNK SPACE in either the Yaris 2 door hatch or the Mini Cooper 2 door. The only way you'd get that many suitcases in would be to fold down the back seat and then you could not fit 5 people. VERY MISLEADING.

Had I been offered a 2 door Ford Focus or SIMILAR CAR I'd say that it was my bad... I wasn't... a mini cooper?????? Do you know how small those cars are?

 

[mikehn]

I sure hope the Mini Cooper isnt the new standard for compact class. It wont surprise me to see them make the Smart car the standard economy class.

 

[bearloch]

I had the same issues with them along time ago too I asked by phone for a 4 door car as we had 3 adults and a baby and they tried to give us a bug! i was like were all over 6 ft not happening!! lol

 

[gmeh1]

I wanted to share our experience so it doesn't happen to anyone else. Maybe you'll say it was our fault but we do have A LOT of rental experience over the years and this has never happened to us before. We rented with Budget through Hotwire. It was our first time with Budget. .

I reserved one level up from the lowest car class, below mid-size (I can never remember if that's compact or economy) because I do not like driving big cars and even mid-size is too large for me. At home we have a Toyota Yaris and a Nissan Versa to give you an idea of what I was expecting.

We get to the counter and we were offered a 2 Door MINI COOPER. Give me a break! A 2 door? I said That car was too small for my DD's carseat and they said the only other car they had was a 2 Door Yaris. Now, the Yaris is small enough on its own but 2 door? I asked for 4 door and at first they said that class is *only* 2 door until I pressured them more and they said that there are some 4 door but they are very popular and go quickley in Florida.

Of course we had to upgrade doubling the cost of the rental. I was so angry!!! Compare this to ANY other airport we have ever rented from with Alamo or National (we've rented Hertz too but not airport locations) and I have NEVER even seen a 2 door car from that class! Ever! Usually we end up with a 4 door Ford Focus sedan and many many times have been forced to "upgrade" to mid-size and many times refusing because the cars were too big.

So Budget, if 4 door cars are *so* popular in Florida, where people are vacationing with Families, why don't you have more and forget the 2 doors all together and meet the needs of your customers? Unless of course you are trying to get people to upgrade by forcing them with no other choice.

NEVER. AGAIN.

We got this "deal" through hotwire. Needless to say I will not be gambling with them again. The full rental price ended up being the same as if we'd gone with National or Alamo directly from their website. Not worth it! Last year we did Hotwire and were assigned National. Any easy and pleasant transaction (great price too) compared to this mess!

Some people actually prefer 2 door cars. I actually happen to be one. By having two door cars in their fleet they ARE meeting the needs of their customers. And, not everyone that comes to Florida for vacation. There are a LOT of business travelers that come here.

The problem with dealing with Hotwire or Priceline is that you are stuck with the agency that accepts your bid. Had you gone to the company web site and made yur reservation and were not happy you could have gone to other agencies and asked for a price match. Most will do that.
Just a FYI--- The Ford Focus is a midsize car, not a compact.

 

[gmeh1]

I sure hope the Mini Cooper isnt the new standard for compact class. It wont surprise me to see them make the Smart car the standard economy class.

Maybe not the smart car, but, the Fiat 500 is considered a compact car.

 

[Lewisc]

Hotwire specifically lists the Toyota Yaris as an example of a compact car.

Maybe Budget didn't treat you right or maybe you didn't reserve the type of vehicle you need.

Maybe Budget has availability of vehicles which satisfy the criteria used by Hotwire which aren't always rented to "regular" customers.

Look at the Hotwire classification of car types. You need to book a full size car if you want to be able to seat 5 passengers. Even the standard car only lists 4 adults.

You reserved a car which is listed as seating 4 and that's what you were offered.

You can't go by the Budget site. You booked through Hotwire and agreed to Hotwire's classification of cars.

 

[ccgirl]

Personally, if I had to fit a carseat I would never book a compact car. Compact cars are just that, compact. As a PP pointed out, Hotwire and Budget are two different companies. You rented with Hotwire so have to go by their classifications. On Hotwire, none of the classes claim to fit 5 until you get to Full Size. Economy (which I think is what you booked) has the following description:

Chevy Aveo, Hyundai Accent, or similar
The makes/models shown are examples only. We are unable to guarantee a specific make/model. Actual makes/models are subject to availability and vary by supplier.

The car features are the following:
Features
Automatic Transmission, Air Conditioning, Air Bags, AM/FM Stereo

Compact is the following:
Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, or similar

Again, no mention of the # of doors.

I did not see any mention of the # of doors.

I have rented from Budget several times and the only time I did not get what I booked was after one of the major hurricane and a lot of local people had rented their cars. I couldn't really blame them for that.

Sorry you did not have a good experience. I think the issue was with Hotwire and not Budget. You were booking on Hotwire using Budget's classifications.

 

[Lewisc]

I think the issue was with Hotwire and not Budget. You were booking on Hotwire using Budget's classifications.

Giving the issue further thought....I think the issue was with the OP who was expecting a complimentary upgrade.

When rental car companies have extra cars on the lot, they use Hotwire to move them, so you get them at deeply discounted rates.

The "extra" cars may be cars smaller then what a regular customer wants.

 

[Daisy-J&D]

Giving the issue further thought....I think the issue was with the OP who was expecting a complimentary upgrade.

I was NOT expecting a complimentary upgrade. As I had stated in my original post I own both a Nissan Versa and a Toyota Yaris (both 4 doors). Both have car seats installed (Britax Marathons) and both are our family cars. I'm a small car driver... but a Mini Cooper or Yaris hatch 2 door are a bit smaller than small cars. IMO they would never fit 4 plus the luggage they claim. Ever. I know someone said they like 2 door but even budget said 4 door is their most popular car. So why not have more?

I should really know to never complain about anything like this on DIS but I wanted like minded small car drivers to know that this can happen. I won't rent with budget again. Likewise I wont use Hotwire again for a blind rental so I can avoid them. I believe that this can happen with other companies but we used to not own cars before moving to the burbs and ONLY rented. We would get weekend rentals a couple times/month. I've only ever had a problem with not getting a small car and getting stuck with a big car I'm not comfortable driving.

The GOOD news is that Hotwire has fantastic customer service. They were happy to give me $50 towards my next purchase!

btw, I should add that after I paid for the upgrade we were given a Kia Soul... which again was a hatch back and didn't fit our luggage. We had one 30 inch suitecase, and one 26 inch suitecase and the Large fit with the medium had to rest on top blocking most of the back window. 2 suitcases... our carry-on bags had to be in the cabin with DD. I asked the guy at the counter if our luggage would fit since it's a hatch and he said "well then you should upgrade to a fullsize". I really don't get how they can claim the baggage and # of people in the car and then give out cars that do not fit them. There was no way I was paying for another upgrade so we just dealt with it.

 

[Lewisc]

I think you make a good point, just not the point you intended. People using Hotwire and PL have to understand the fact that PL and Hotwire may classify hotels and car classes different then vendors. Some hotels have "PL" rooms. Rooms that would almost never be assigned to a guest with a "regular" reservation.

Why not have more 4 door cars? I suspect the smaller cars work better for couples then for famlies. You want a cynical answer. Years ago travel guides suggested booking economy cars. The contention was agencies had few, if any, such cars and a complimentary upgrade was all but guaranteed. It may have goen the other way. Rental agencies may have some cars that meet the critiera. People who reserve those kinds of cars have the choice of taking what they reserved or paying to upgrade. Enough customers before you accepted what they reserved and you'll get the complimentary upgrade.

Rental agencies have to learn how to profitably operate with the kind of low rates offered to leisure customers in places like MCO.

Many of us have been in the garage at MCO watching famlies try to squeeze more luggage in the car then can possibly fit.

A family of 4 probably needs a full size car, particularly if they're using an opaque booking site.

edited to add: Rental agencies are very "generous" when they list the number of bags a particular car class will fit. The number of bags is unlikely to refer to bags which just meet airline size guidelines.

I was NOT expecting a complimentary upgrade. As I had stated in my original post I own both a Nissan Versa and a Toyota Yaris (both 4 doors). Both have car seats installed (Britax Marathons) and both are our family cars. I'm a small car driver... but a Mini Cooper or Yaris hatch 2 door are a bit smaller than small cars. IMO they would never fit 4 plus the luggage they claim. Ever. I know someone said they like 2 door but even budget said 4 door is their most popular car. So why not have more?

I should really know to never complain about anything like this on DIS but I wanted like minded small car drivers to know that this can happen. I won't rent with budget again. Likewise I wont use Hotwire again for a blind rental so I can avoid them. I believe that this can happen with other companies but we used to not own cars before moving to the burbs and ONLY rented. We would get weekend rentals a couple times/month. I've only ever had a problem with not getting a small car and getting stuck with a big car I'm not comfortable driving.

The GOOD news is that Hotwire has fantastic customer service. They were happy to give me $50 towards my next purchase!

btw, I should add that after I paid for the upgrade we were given a Kia Soul... which again was a hatch back and didn't fit our luggage. We had one 30 inch suitecase, and one 26 inch suitecase and the Large fit with the medium had to rest on top blocking most of the back window. 2 suitcases... our carry-on bags had to be in the cabin with DD. I asked the guy at the counter if our luggage would fit since it's a hatch and he said "well then you should upgrade to a fullsize". I really don't get how they can claim the baggage and # of people in the car and then give out cars that do not fit them. There was no way I was paying for another upgrade so we just dealt with it.

 

[Daisy-J&D]

I think you make a good point, just not the point you intended. People using Hotwire and PL have to understand the fact that PL and Hotwire may classify hotels and car classes different then vendors. .

I think you're partially right and this is where my problem is coming from because now that I compare Hotwire to Budget their car classes and examples of types of cars are completely different. I went back to my booking and I chose economy which I see is the Hotwire class that is similar to "Hyundai Accent and Chevy Aveo", of which I've driven both and I am ok with. The Compact class listed Toyota Yaris which I know I would have purposely avoided since I know that car would be too small for luggage.

I'm still totally turned off budget. I called both Budget and Hotwire this morning to tell them I was unhappy with being offered the Mini Cooper 2 door/Yaris 2 door hatch stating it would not fit the luggage without the seat being dropped down and therefore making it impossible for a carseat to be installed. Hotwire gave me $50 and Budget repeated over and over that I got what I paid for selecting the "cheapest car" <-- their exact words. I have never been so aggressively treated at a rental car agency.

Edited to add: I also see that Hotwire listed Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris together as Compact Car examples but Budget, when I asked about the Nissan Versa since that is my primary at home car said it is classified as a mid-size!!! Hmmm... not sure about that being a mid-size.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The Mini Cooper would have been a free upgrade. It's a more expensive car than a Toyota Yaris, and it's a specialty car that officially rents from Budget at a higher price than cars in Budget's "compact 2- or 4-door" class.

I've never driven a Mini Cooper, but I understand it's a fun car to drive and that the interior appointments are nicer than in cheaper small cars. However, I agree that a Mini Cooper would not be a good choice for a family vacation with a car seat and luggage.

The OP is disappointed with Budget, but the same thing could have happened with any car rental company. If you book a car that's smaller than a midsize, you MIGHT get a car that can serve as a family vacation car, but you might also get a car from the class you booked. With vacation luggage, even midsize can be too small.

I think that the real message from the OP's post is not that Disney-bound families should stay a away from Budget, but that they should book a car class that meets their needs.

 

[Daisy-J&D]

If you book a car that's smaller than a midsize, you MIGHT get a car that can serve as a family vacation car, but you might also get a car from the class you booked. With vacation luggage, even midsize can be too small.

I would like to clarify that I expected a car from the class I booked, I wanted a compact car -- some people do, is it that hard to believe? We are 2 adults and a 2 year old. With 2 bags, and a backpack. I like driving small cars and have 2 as our family cars. My Nissan Versa Sedan has easily fit a 30 inch, 26 inch, 2x 19 inch suit cases and a Phil and Ted's stroller for road trips.

I guess there is no point stating this and budget was "right" and I am wrong but a 2 door hatch back Yaris or Mini Cooper has no trunk and no space for a suitcase. They are barely more than a smart car.

 

[Greysword]

I'm still totally turned off budget. I called both Budget and Hotwire this morning to tell them I was unhappy with being offered the Mini Cooper 2 door/Yaris 2 door hatch stating it would not fit the luggage without the seat being dropped down and therefore making it impossible for a carseat to be installed. Hotwire gave me $50 and Budget repeated over and over that I got what I paid for selecting the "cheapest car" <-- their exact words. I have never been so aggressively treated at a rental car agency.

This is an excellent point, and a good lesson many learn the hard way. Most service providers (hotels, airlines, car rentals, etc) can be booked via travel agents.

When this option is taken, vice booking directly with the provider, the customer and provider both agree to allow the agent to act on the customer's behalf. When things go smoothly, the difference is transparent. However the strength and weakness of using a travel agent is that many providers will not deal with the customer, since the agreement was to interact with the agent.

Sometimes it is great to have a travel agent available to rectify a problem, while the customer continues their vacation. However when it comes to these online agencies (Hotwire, Hotels.com, Expedia, Travelocity, etc), the customers attempt to handle any concerns directly, which actually violates the terms of service. This is likely why the OP got resolution from Hotwire vice Budget.

While it may seem on the surface that Budget (or another provider) is acting irrationally and not living up to standards, it is important to determine what the agreement between the agent and provider actually was. If Hotwire and Budget made an agreement where the OP would get "whatever was available" in exchange for the lower price point, then that is what was delivered. It stinks, but that may have been the actual agreement.

It is the same with hotels. If a customer books their hotel with an online agent, they actually forfeit their loyalty rewards (if they have status). This is also a rude awakening.

In the OP's example, I am curious as to some of the underlining circumstances they may or may not have access to understanding. For instance, how many of the available cars were reserved for future customers? A mini cooper would likely be within a special category and not the normal small car category. As such, maybe the agents were attempting to appease the OP's request for a small car (they are certainly small). Does Hotwire and Budget have an agreement for specific vehicles?

In the end, there are stories for every car rental agency as to why we should not rent from them. The OP is justified in not doing business with Budget any longer, as they don't want to. That said, I think in aggregate the Avis chain (Budget) is just as good as Enterprise (with Alamo, National), Thrifty (Dollar) and Hertz.

Morale of the story, don't rent from an online agency. Rent directly from the provider or use an agent you know and trust.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The other lesson in this thread is that car rental companies' definitions of compact, midsize, and fullsize don't necessarily match car manufacturers' definitions, Consumer Reports definitions, or general public definitions.

 

[goofy4tink]

While I do understand that every company has it's complaints, I will go the record as someone that has had very good dealings with Budget. BUT....I always book directly with them, I never use a third party. I want control over my reservations.