Budget Rent-A-Car

I think this location has pretty bad ratings merely due to people complaining about the wait. What do you expect when a lot of flights land and hundreds of passengers all need a car at once?
Their good service and the easy to follow system at this huge location makes it super simple for a car rental. I think budget does a great job with the large volume they have to accommodate.
They offer free shuttles at LAX to drop you off at Budget, then you check in at the front desk which is fully staffed of about 10 people or more, then they quickly provide a pamphlet with the parking spot number where your vehicle is located, then you inspect the car at the exit.
Then you return your car in their 10+ slot return area and someone quickly scans your car in, inspect it and you’re set to go.
LAX is probably the largest market for car rentals and for me Budget provided it was such a fast and easy car rental experience.
I guess I went during their non-​rush hour time but even the check in and check out process was so extremely fast I can’t say that they don’t deserve anything less than 5 stars.
The only thing is that you must return the vehicle at the same location or they charge a huge amount of money based on their location.
Make sure you go over all the terms and read everything! This applies to literally all car companies!
I would definitely use Budget for my car rental again.

Thief!!!
My wife’s sunglasses were left accidentally in the rental car. When I went back to collect them the lady on the counter plainly denied finding any sunglasses in the car. This is the same lady who didn’t picked up any of my calls that I made to inquire about the sunglasses.
Also, when I returned the car she refused to accept it and asked me to re-​fuel the car as she felt that the tank was not full. I showed her the refueling receipt and insisted that I have fueled the car to the max but she refused to accept the car. This forced me to return to the gas station to fuel the car with 50 cents.
She was super rude in this entire episode. Not going back there ever again!

It’s Saturday after Christmas and I can’t anyone to answer the phone tried several times

stay a way from this place very bad they over charge customer service is the worst. the girl who works there has no manners no customer service skills. worst place I ever been to will not go back and I would not recommend this place to any one. stay a way form them

this is all you need to know about the sleazy company known as budget rent-​car. they engage in fraud, bait and switch and over-​billing. read it and find another car company. budget will rip you off.

I’ve used this location before to rent a 15 passenger van (2011) and received great service. When I again needed a large vehicle I chose this location despite it bein 25 miles from home. I made a reservation for a Lincoln Navigator because 3 of our 6 passengers were physically handicapped. We did significant research to find a large SUV that had 4 captain chairs instead of benches. Budget offered the Navigator as a drivers choice. It was not listed as large SUV or similar. It was listed as Lincoln Navigator that seats 7 and holds 6 suitcases: 2 small, 2 medium and 2 large. When I called to confirm 24 hrs before my pick up time, I was informed I would NOT get a Navigator. They only had one and it was already gone. They confirmed that the website was incorrect and would try to find a substitution. I would probably have to take a Yukon or Suburban. I explained this absolutely would not work with our passenger situation. At this point the manager got involved and apologized, they were actually working hard to fix their mistake. They found an Escalade and had it sent over from SF. when I arrived to pick it up, I was so appreciative of the effort the staff went trough. When I saw the vehicle, the trunk area was so small it would only fit 2 very small bags (half the size of a carry on bag). I had to turn the vehicle down. I had 6 passengers and their luggage too. This is where the review changes.
Rebecca’s attitude changed 180 degrees. It was like she got pissed off that all her work was for nothing. I ended up having to take a Yukon after all and was refused a discount for having to accept a vehicle I had expressly explained would be unacceptable due to their mistakes. Then when I returned it, they added $ 35 to clean the vehicle. Disgraceful!

******Warning*******DO NOT RENT FROM THIS LOCATION!
Let me start off by saying that the SO called Branch manager has NO managing skills what so ever! His name is C. J DOHERTY. This is not a corporate location this is privately owned by C. J and another owner that doesn’t care about customer service or repeat business.
Situation: I was traveling to L. A for a business trip and about 120 miles into the drive down there I get a flat tire. I immediately called the budget location and explained what happened and I asked to speak to the manager to see what I should do because I cant ride on a spare tire all the way to LA and I’m in the middle of nowhere on highway 5 with a deadline to be in LA, Well the first thing C. J the so called branch manager asks me if I have AAA I tell him No and said that I would change the spare and call him back. After about 20 min of changing a flat tire in 100 Degree weather and fighting whiplash from on coming big rig traffic I called CJ back. In a non empathetic voice He tells me with a whole lot of attitude that I will have to pay for the tire and was cutting me off when I was trying to understand why, he rudely told me that he simply cant do anything. After arguing with CJ for about 10 min he tells me to go to the nearest Americas tire Co which is an hour of backtracking to bakersfield and they will take care of it.
I go to Bakersfield and get the tire changed Americas Tire Co called CJ and asked how do they want to take care of it and he said that they will take care of it and bill the tire to the corporate account.
Current Day: I was going over my credit card expenses and I come across a charge from Budget my original charge was $ 38 for a one day rental but I was charged $ 138 for some reason. I called Budget and asked to speak to CJ after 10 calls to CJ and NO call backs I was upset. I finally get a call back after 20 days later and CJ happens to be there finally! This fool (CJ) starts the conversation with attitude and tells me that he has called me back but my phone did not accept incoming calls so we started arguing again about the charges to my credit card he told me I was a liar and he never told me that he was going to cover the tire and then he started insulting me telling me that I wasn’t responsible for not getting the rental coverage and there was nothing that he could do and that he didn’t care. So I hung up on him and since his location was down the street from my house I went over there to see if he would disrespect me like that when we are face to face. Well lets just say when i got there his tone and his attitude really changed. I explained to him that the way he was running his business was faulty and he’d rather loose a repeat customer over $ 91 then accommodate me for going through all this hassle and having to deal with his attitude and disrespecting me. I told him that from the beginning he controlled the situation with his attitude and I would have happily took responsibility for the flat tire and paid for it if I was given the correct information.
This location will try to get every penny that they can and make every excuse in the book for there mistakes. I rent cars at least 8 times a month and probably generate $ 500 or more worth of business and now budget will not have any of my money. I have now become a GOLD-​STAR member at Hertz and the Hopeyard Pleasanton Location has excellent customer service I recommend you take your business there. This experience and location was a nightmare.

Rented a Chrysler minivan for a trip to Las Vegas. About 10 miles from our destination the check engine light came on. After finding out from Budget corporate that our car was not in their system we found out that we rented from a franchisee and they had no facility in Las Vegas for service. We made it back OK after we were told to keep driving with the light on. We were not warned in advance that we would be up a creek if anything really bad happened.

AVOID THIS LOCATION! As others here have pointed out, the franchise owner may try to cheat you on gas. My wife and I rented a truck for one day. Because we had been warned by other reviewers on Unilocal,we paid attention to the gas gauge and pointed out to the man who rented it to us that the needle was not up to F. He told us not to worry about it and said the truck had been topped off. He also said the truck gets 10 miles per gallon and we would need to buy enough gas to account for that. I pointed out that gas mileage varies according to driving habits. I’m sure every truck they rent does not get the same mileage with every driver for every trip. This 10 mpg thing is just a way of insisting that you buy more gas than you use and give it to the franchise.
When we turned in the truck today, a different agent took the key and looked at the gas gauge. The first thing he said was that it was not full. My wife and I pointed out to him that the needle was not up to F when we picked up the truck and that we had discussed that with Albert, the other agent. C.J., the franchise owner, was there and asked to see my receipt for gas, which I showed him. He said that was OK and the first agent proceeded to finish up the return paperwork.
A couple of hours later, C.J. called and said he was going to charge my credit card for two gallons of gas (which, by the way, the receipt is charged at the exorbitant rate of $ 5.99 a gallon). I repeated the discussion we had had at the franchise when we picked up the truck and when we turned it in, and I mentioned that we had been warned about this tactic on Unilocal,and he backed down to charging for one gallon of gas. Then he hung up on me.
I called Budget customer service. The agent found my reservation but had no record that the truck had been picked up – possibly because this was a franchise-​owned local truck, although it did have Budget’s logo on the side. Now I have to scan and email the rental receipt and gas receipt and wait for a response from Budget. Even if I get the gas charge reversed, I’m sure C.J. and Budget will not reimburse me for the time I have to waste combating this cheating.
AN UPDATE: I later realized that I did not have the gas receipt that I needed for Budget customer service. I guessed that C.J. had kept the receipt when I showed it to him, so I called to ask about it. He did have my receipt, so we’ll need to go get it. He did say when I called that he was not going to charge me for the gas.

While my car was being serviced, I was sent a rental from here. I wont even get into the condition and age of the car because my main issue had to do with Cj, who easily has the worst customer service I have ever experienced.
I had the car for one day and returned it with a full tank of gas. I actually filled it to the rim less than ¼ mile from return center. A few days later I notice a charge on my credit card from Budget. I called my service center who graciously called Budget and rectified the mistake. I then get a call from Cj. He informed me he would credit my card even though it was my fault… what?! He claims the charge was for returning the car without a full tank. Because this was clearly not the case, I challenged him, which is where the tongue lashing began. I asked if he even looked at the gage or checked the tank because it was full! He said unless the customer supplies a receipt from the gas station they charge you the fee. This was never told to me and should not matter had he looked at the gage. I find this sort of scam unethical and I am sure they got away with it many times, as I could have easily missed it on my statement. Cj ‘s actions went beyond poor customer service when he «flew off his rocker» so to speak. He is beyond rude, a bully, a pompous A$$, and clearly not someone I ever care to deal with again.
I not only contacted the dealership who sent me there but also filed a complain with Budget, who was appalled by his behavior. The dealership also told me they have had other customers call about similar charges on their credit card.
I decided to come to Unilocal and was not at all shocked by the many others who have had a similar experience with Cj. He clearly needs anger management classes. Stay away… far far away, as he is either the owner or manager and appears to not be worried about job security.

I’d left my car at the shop not thinking I’d need it until Monday, but something came up and I needed to rent a car for Sunday. Went online with Budget on Saturday night, rented a car, got a confirmation — took less than 5 minutes. Went to Budget on Sunday, picked up the car — entire process — again, less than 5 minutes. Tony was awesome. When I told him I’d drop off the car Monday morning before walking to the dealership to get mine, he said not to bother — just leave it with the dealership and Budget would get it — no additional cost. I had trouble finding the gas cap unlock button, called Tony and he was able to immediately help me.. I’ve rented cars from bigger agencies throughout the country, but this experience with Budget was by far the fastest, simplest and most courteous I’ve ever had.

Avoid if you can.
I was sent here to get a loaner vehicle from a local car dealership. The cost of the rental is covered by the dealership to loan me a vehicle while my car was being worked on by the dealer.
The driver who came to picked me up nearly killed us as he drove onto the on coming traffic. The driver was fondling with an extra set of keys, looking down at his hands and wasn’t paying any attention. When a car from the opposite direction was headed right at us and I yelled, he then finally swerved away and closely avoided a head on collision. This should’ve been a clear warning from the start.
When I arrived at the rental car office to complete the paperwork to get a loaner, I noticed that the entire lot was full of rental cars. When I asked the manager about what my selections were in terms of getting a loaner, he said I had a choice between an Impala or a Camry. I was surprised to hear this since their entire lot was full! When I asked if the Sonata was available, he said some cars were not yet registered… and few others… hmm.
So after reluctantly selecting the Camry over the Impala, I was quickly whisked away to drive off the lot. What the employee was trying to avoid was to hide all the dinks, scratches, and dents around the car and have me sign off on it! So I politely pointed out the imperfections. Perhaps the cost of the rental is already paid for by the dealer, these guys were inclined to loan me the most beat up car?
When it was time to return the car, I went to fill it up. What’s very suspicious is that the fuel tank level doesn’t correctly correspond to the actual fuel level in the tank. In fact, it under reports how much fuel the tank actually has! This results in loaners to put in more gas than they actually are required to put in. I’ve experienced a similar scam from another car rental place in my life and this sure smells fishy!
Save yourself the troubles and avoid at all costs and I hope car dealerships quit giving these guys business because for what it’s worth, the dealership experience takes a small hit for associating themselves with this establishment.

Hot tip: if you’re renting a moving truck the last weekend of the month, go in early to pick it up… it was POPPING the last saturday of July! Everyone was picking up their trucks and the phone was literally ringing off the hook the entire time we were there.
Thankfully we had NO problems with the rental… and actually we made a reservation for a 10″ truck but they didn’t have any left so we got a 13′ for the same price, which was AWESOME cuz we ended up filling that thing tip to nose top to bottom.
we also did some research n found that they have teacher discounts…20% off woo whoo! so we dropped it off @ 2pm with the same guy who helped us in the AM and it was a breeze. we had a pretty awesome experience, would gladly rent here again for future moving needs!

By far, one of the poorest customer services ever.
CJ, if you read this, you need to change your attitude big time, because it’s costing you quality customers who have rented ALOT from your franchisee in the past.
Here’s my story:
We made a reservation online for a Minivan from this particular franchisee since it’s close to where we live and we have always had a good experience. My husband and I have never had to deal with CJ. We always had the other short guy with the mustache help us out and he’s done a fantastic job each time.
Our reservation was for a week, from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. We walked in on Saturday afternoon at 3PM. They close at 4PM.
We requested for a Dodge minivan since the older Chrysler Town N Country was a little too shaky while driving. We were a little particular about since we were travelling with my aging father and my partially disabled sister in law. We chose our minivan rather fast, but unfortunately, while one of the guys was getting it out of the parking lot, he backed it into another car and caused a damage. He apologised and we had to start our search again. In the meanwhile, CJ egged us to hurry up since he had to go home! Customer service FAIL.
But that is still something I can put up with. Because I know what it feels like when you want to go home but you can’t just as yet.
What pissed us off was that CJ told us everything, and he knew we were dropping the car off on Sunday. He never told us that the car needs to be dropped off at 1PM on Sunday, else the rental for an additional day gets added on!!! Typically, you would think that if you rented at 3PM, you are allowed to return the car at 3PM.
Again, that’s fine too. My hubby dropped off the car at 3PM on Sunday and since the shop was closed, he dropped off the keys in the box and we were to pay an additional $ 10 for doing so.
The next day, we notice an additional $ 100 being added to our bill. We called Budget up and told CJ that we weren’t notified about the additional charges. He kept harping that he did notify us. BullS**t. If CJ had told us about returning the car before 1pm, we OBVIOUSLY would have returned it by 1PM to avoid being billed extra. There was attitude being thrown at a customer for no apparent reason. Upon being questioned about his customer service skills, CJ would rather not have a good customer, than be polite enough to apologise for the confusion.
It’s not about the money, it’s how you speak to people.
CJ just comes across as a pompous ass.

These guys saved our vacation. We needed a van to take 7 plus luggage down to Southern California for a week, and we needed it in a hurry due to another company’s failure to fulfill our reservation. These folks stepped up and provided us with a full size van for a very reasonable weekly rate. We left later than we wanted to, but we wouldn’t have been able to leave at all had it not been for Budget. I will be returning here in the future for sure!

This is my first time with Budget. I made a reservation 2 months ago for a SUV for my ski trip. I called a couple of time to confirm and was assured each time. 2 days before my trip, I called in again and there is none available. The closest on available is in SJC. But budget refused to send the car to this branch because this branch is a contract site. They didn’t tell me this when I reserved.
I understand that the availability is not guaranteed, but I have rented with local branches of Enterprise and Hertz many times and they are always accommodating and worked something out. Not this one, be aware

Our company has rented vans from Doherty’s Budget franchise in Pleasanton and/​or Doherty’s Truck Rental in El Cerrito for the past 5 years. The equipment invariably has been clean, smooth riding and available for pickup on time and in a location most convenient to US (vs them). Even when a van develops engine difficulties, as our van did in Dec. 2010 in Las Vegas, they go out of their way to make things as easy as possible. Since we were not stranded or in any danger, Doherty’s rolled a 2^nd van and mechanic from the Bay Area to Las Vegas (that’s an 8−½ hour drive — one way!) to swap out our vehicle. Service doesn’t get any better than this!

I made an online reservation about a month ago for a pick up over the Labor Day weekend. I got an SUV at a great rate.
When we picked it up Friday evening, it was about 35 minutes before closing time and there were no SUV’s in the lot… I took a look again and saw ONE… Budget said it would be a Ford Escape or similar. It was a 2009 Nissan Pathfinder. Before being helped, an agent was on the phone with a customer confirming to him/​her that they had one more SUV on the lot. Thankfully my girlfriend spoke up and said «yeah, that’s ours.» To which the agent told the customer that they did not have anymore SUV’s.
This is why I only gave it four stars. Had we been any later there’s no doubt the two of us would have taken our road trip in a mini-​van.
The benefit to renting here is that it’s close, around the corner and they do not charge ridiculous airport & tourism fees; daily rental fee and tax. I was told when picking up the car that they closed Monday, Labor Day at 1pm… however, my reservation clearly said 5:00pm…I was told that I could drop it off then and leave the key in the drop box but would be charged accordindly. I figured I’d dispute that later… we all wanted to get away for the weekend.
I actually ended up keeping the car all day Monday and Tuesday while my car was in the shop. I called Monday evening and left a message, the next morning, Albert called and left me a message telling me to keep it as long as I needed, no need to call back. That was pretty nice to hear someone leave a simple message.
We returned it Tuesday around 5:30pm and Albert was there… called me by my last name and was expecting me (obviously). Still, that kind of service counts. The extra day wasn’t a huge rate, even though Budget said it would when I called the 800 number.
I guess another reason I gave it 4 stars is because the outside was a bit dirty as was the inside… there was a receipt from an auto parts store in the car… for a belt. Kinda crummy to see. I returned it cleaner then I got it… even washed all the dead bugs :)
From now on, whenever I rent a car, I’m going to Pleasanton Budget… thanks Albert for taking care of us!

Don’t use this rental place… CJ is very RUDE and without my authorization used my debit card before my monthly rental was even over with. TO CHaRGE ADDITIONAL MONIES .I had 2 more weeks left on the car after I paid $ 450 up front already. VERY UNETHICAL BUSINESS WITH A RUDE PERSON WORKING THE DESK
GO ELSEWHERE…

We rented a 15 passenger van for a field trip for work and Budget Rent a Car was awesome from start to finish.
We were greeted by a very pleasant manager named Albert. We told him we had a reservation and he looked us up and ask for our driver’s license and credit card. After about 5 minutes of processing the paper work our van was out front waiting for us fresh out of the car wash. Albert walks us out and we do a visual inspection of the car and we were on our way. The car was clean, didnt smell bad (like some other rentals) and we had no mechanical problems.
Upon returning the van, all we had to do was drop the key off. This was one of the most pain less car rental experiences I’ve ever had. Kudos to Budget Rental and their manager Albert.