budget car hire

[Guest]

Hi we have booked a car through discount florida car hire, but we are using Budget. I dont seem to hear busget being used very much. Are they ok? or are we likely to have any problems.
thanks

[68nic]

We used Budget at MCO last year and they were great . The lady who served us was really friendly and no hard sell. We are using Budget again this year as they were the cheapest again when I booked. But will be flying into Tampa this year . Im hoping they will be just as good as last year

[johnmcmaster]

We are using budget next month. What did you book and what did you get given?

[Ros & Jim]

We have used Budget for many years and never had a problem. We visit 2/3 times a year and never had any hard sell from them.

[Damn Dirty Ape]

Used Budget last year and will never ever use them again. This was my experience:

Arrived to find a reasonably short queue at the Budget counter. About 5 people in front of me and my sister. Other family members had hired a minivan from Alamo so they got into that queue and it was about 3 times as long but we were all going to be added as extra drivers on each others booking. There was 3 people on the desk at Budget at the time but seemed to be a couple of others floating about who kept disappearing through a door at the back of the counter for a few minutes and then coming back out looking around and then disappearing again.
The people that were serving at the time then started doing the same thing. They would chat with the people they were serving and then disappear for a while through the door and then reappear after a few minutes. Needless to say my line didn't get any shorter and I got called to the Alamo counter to be added as an additional driver. My sister stayed in the Budget queue with my details as she wasn't doing any driving. When I returned from Alamo she still hadn't moved forward in the queue.
About an hour later we finally got to the counter. Again, there was only 5 people in the queue in front of us and it took 90 minutes!
Anyway, at the counter things didn't get much better especially as the disappearing act continued. After going through the rental agreement that had to be reprinted 3 times because as they kep entering incorrect details including trying to charge us for 3 car seats when we only wanted 1, I was told that my class of car wasn't ready and would I accept something else. At this point I was exhausted and took what they were offering. I checked later in the holiday and it was a slight downgrade on what I had booked but I just wanted to get out of there at the time so would have took a horse and cart if they had offered it.
They didn't try to sell me an upgrade but they did push all the extras for insurance and then got offended when I wouldn't take them. I hate hard sells and I really had to bite my lip to stop me from verbally abusing the idiot behind the counter. Anyway, eventually was handed the keys and the vehicle I was provided with was reasonably new and clean but the whole counter experience was terrible.
Budget also charge more for their automatic toll pass scheme so they only work out cheaper if you pay cash tolls anytime you are going through tolls.

At the Alamo counter the only thing they tried to push was an upgrade to an 8 seater from a 7 seater but it was about $20 a day and we declined. When we went to the garage there was some 8 seaters in the row we were told to choose from and my family drove off in an 8 seater at no extra cost. Needless to say I have booked with Alamo this time round and have done the Skip the Counter so it will be even faster. Now I will always pay the little extra upfront that it costs to hire with Alamo and will avoid Budget at all costs.

I really hope you have a better experience than I had.

[Greyfriars]

We used to use them with no problems but stopped using them because they stopped the Fastbreak scheme for Brits.
I also like to chose my own car. :-)

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by Damn Dirty Ape

Used Budget last year and will never ever use them again. This was my experience:

Arrived to find a reasonably short queue at the Budget counter. About 5 people in front of me and my sister. Other family members had hired a minivan from Alamo so they got into that queue and it was about 3 times as long but we were all going to be added as extra drivers on each others booking. There was 3 people on the desk at Budget at the time but seemed to be a couple of others floating about who kept disappearing through a door at the back of the counter for a few minutes and then coming back out looking around and then disappearing again.
The people that were serving at the time then started doing the same thing. They would chat with the people they were serving and then disappear for a while through the door and then reappear after a few minutes. Needless to say my line didn't get any shorter and I got called to the Alamo counter to be added as an additional driver. My sister stayed in the Budget queue with my details as she wasn't doing any driving. When I returned from Alamo she still hadn't moved forward in the queue.
About an hour later we finally got to the counter. Again, there was only 5 people in the queue in front of us and it took 90 minutes!
Anyway, at the counter things didn't get much better especially as the disappearing act continued. After going through the rental agreement that had to be reprinted 3 times because as they kep entering incorrect details including trying to charge us for 3 car seats when we only wanted 1, I was told that my class of car wasn't ready and would I accept something else. At this point I was exhausted and took what they were offering. I checked later in the holiday and it was a slight downgrade on what I had booked but I just wanted to get out of there at the time so would have took a horse and cart if they had offered it.
They didn't try to sell me an upgrade but they did push all the extras for insurance and then got offended when I wouldn't take them. I hate hard sells and I really had to bite my lip to stop me from verbally abusing the idiot behind the counter. Anyway, eventually was handed the keys and the vehicle I was provided with was reasonably new and clean but the whole counter experience was terrible.
Budget also charge more for their automatic toll pass scheme so they only work out cheaper if you pay cash tolls anytime you are going through tolls.

At the Alamo counter the only thing they tried to push was an upgrade to an 8 seater from a 7 seater but it was about $20 a day and we declined. When we went to the garage there was some 8 seaters in the row we were told to choose from and my family drove off in an 8 seater at no extra cost. Needless to say I have booked with Alamo this time round and have done the Skip the Counter so it will be even faster. Now I will always pay the little extra upfront that it costs to hire with Alamo and will avoid Budget at all costs.

I really hope you have a better experience than I had.

See more...

Wow that was a long wait for a car! Not good.

I did chuckle as it was about 10 years ago we last hired with Dollar and the same thing was happening with the queue.
That is until the American lady in front of me started shouting very very loudly at the staff to open more 'desks' and 'move it'!
The queue was done in 10 mins flat then!

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by Damn Dirty Ape

Used Budget last year and will never ever use them again. This was my experience:

Arrived to find a reasonably short queue at the Budget counter. About 5 people in front of me and my sister. Other family members had hired a minivan from Alamo so they got into that queue and it was about 3 times as long but we were all going to be added as extra drivers on each others booking. There was 3 people on the desk at Budget at the time but seemed to be a couple of others floating about who kept disappearing through a door at the back of the counter for a few minutes and then coming back out looking around and then disappearing again.
The people that were serving at the time then started doing the same thing. They would chat with the people they were serving and then disappear for a while through the door and then reappear after a few minutes. Needless to say my line didn't get any shorter and I got called to the Alamo counter to be added as an additional driver. My sister stayed in the Budget queue with my details as she wasn't doing any driving. When I returned from Alamo she still hadn't moved forward in the queue.
About an hour later we finally got to the counter. Again, there was only 5 people in the queue in front of us and it took 90 minutes!
Anyway, at the counter things didn't get much better especially as the disappearing act continued. After going through the rental agreement that had to be reprinted 3 times because as they kep entering incorrect details including trying to charge us for 3 car seats when we only wanted 1, I was told that my class of car wasn't ready and would I accept something else. At this point I was exhausted and took what they were offering. I checked later in the holiday and it was a slight downgrade on what I had booked but I just wanted to get out of there at the time so would have took a horse and cart if they had offered it.
They didn't try to sell me an upgrade but they did push all the extras for insurance and then got offended when I wouldn't take them. I hate hard sells and I really had to bite my lip to stop me from verbally abusing the idiot behind the counter. Anyway, eventually was handed the keys and the vehicle I was provided with was reasonably new and clean but the whole counter experience was terrible.
Budget also charge more for their automatic toll pass scheme so they only work out cheaper if you pay cash tolls anytime you are going through tolls.

At the Alamo counter the only thing they tried to push was an upgrade to an 8 seater from a 7 seater but it was about $20 a day and we declined. When we went to the garage there was some 8 seaters in the row we were told to choose from and my family drove off in an 8 seater at no extra cost. Needless to say I have booked with Alamo this time round and have done the Skip the Counter so it will be even faster. Now I will always pay the little extra upfront that it costs to hire with Alamo and will avoid Budget at all costs.

I really hope you have a better experience than I had.

See more...

Wow that sounds frightening as I have booked a Medium SUV (Ford Escape or similar) with Budget to collect at MCO this August and after a long flight via Toronto the last thing my family will want is waiting in a long queue to get our vehicle. Maybe I will try what Mr Tom mentioned about the "American Lady" and see how that goes... lol. Thanks for the heads up.

[willo65]

We used them last year and had a similar wait at the counter to Damn Dirty Ape and after a long flight it was really frustrating.

I have just cancelled this year's budget hire and switched to Alamo

[Yanto]

Hi,

We arrived on Labour day weekend last year, got to MCO late because we missed our connection (but that's another story). There was no wait and have to say the guy at the counter was extremely pleasant and got us fixed up in about 15 mins. He did say if we had come a few hrs earlier that day things were a bit crazy.

Car was a little older than I have been used to (30k miles on the clock) and I did have to pump the tyres up because the warning light was on but apart from that had no issues.

We arrive on the same weekend this year but into Tampa Int so am hoping we get through without hold up.