Budget

Summary: Rental car was not the one we booked and was filthy inside and out. Owner/​manager is unprofessional complainer who will try to extort money from you after you return the vehicle.
Let me start by saying my boyfriend is an epic photographer. We came here one wintry Friday to pick up a rental car to meet his family for the weekend in Vermont. We had booked an Elantra online at this car rental location after having a negative experience at Enterprise.
There was no indication this was a Budget location. We pulled into what appeared to be an industrial site along a highway with a couple RVs and junky cars around. We walked into the small, shabby building.
The owner, «Sal», greeted us from behind his counter. The place was right out of the 1980s, from the décor (drab as hell), the owner and staff’s appearance (slovenly) and technology (dot matrix printer.)
I asked to use the bathroom and he directed me to a door, leading to the back area: Dimly lit, unheated bathrooms with no tp, ice cold water from the sink (which is hard to wash your hands with in the winter) and broken tiles. The lock didn’t appear to work either. There was no one else around. It was creepy as hell.
As my boyfriend was completing our checkout, we added myself as a secondary driver. «Sal» collected both our drivers’ licenses and credit cards, seemed to dilly-​dally as we eagerly wanted to get on the road, but we waited patiently.
He then went on a rant in reference to something that was on the TV in the background. «Everyone’s dying. I don’t even want to pickup the phone anymore.» We were stunned, like, what do you say to that? Then: «I haven’t been on vacation in 19 years.»
Finally, he took us out to the automobile we’d be spending many hours in: a Chevy something or other.
Like any holiday weekend, we were running late, so opted not to demand a better car.
The car was filthy on the outside, covered with spots and dirt.
Still, we signed the documents, he gave us the keys, and my boyfriend took a 360-​degree video of the car.
We loaded our belongings in the rental car and turned on the engine. It was then we realized the doors were sticky with some strange substance; almost like someone had tried to wipe down the entire interior with dirty water.
Even more appalling was, in the center compartment, there were — what appeared to be — cupcake crumbs (like cake crumbs with green and blue on them), and a chewed off fingernail!
Before getting on the road, we actually drove back to my boyfriends house to get wet wipes. He bravely took these nauseating bits out of the middle compartment. I wiped down the door and front area a bit to at least make the ride a little better.
We got to VT, had a great time, and drove the car probably 2 times maximum throughout the 4-​day weekend, since we were doing mountain activities onsite and riding mostly in his family’s SUV.
We drove home after the long weekend, dropped the car off — when we got back to Wayne it was a wonderful 54 degrees, too.
«Sal» was waiting, walked us back outside, inspected the car for around 10 minutes, gave us the receipt and we said goodbye.
Done and done. Right? Wrong.
He called my boyfriend two days later and said «you put a scratch on the car.»
My boyfriend said «why didn’t you notice or say anything when we delivered the car to you?»
«Sal» said: «I thought it was salt on the car.»
We looked at the video my boyfriend took, and sure enough, all the scratches had been on the car already.
He also took pics of the fingernail.
We returned the car in better and cleaner condition than it had been given to us.
Who calls two days later to accuse the customer about something like this? Demanding we come down to his location again, like we don’t have jobs and other things to do?
We have ignored «Sal» and called Budget headquarters to report this lackluster location and its disheveled, unprofessional franchisee.
I am going back to Enterprise.

wow i could not believe the first reviewer because I had exactly the opposite experience. I rented a van mid April. I was actually searching around for a 12 seater can but it was hard to find one available and when we did find one they had limited mileage. We tried this location by the sears auto. they said they will try to get us the van but they couldn’t find one leading up to the day of the trip. so Sal offered us 2 suv for the same price as the 12 seater van. then through a bit of luck, he was able to get us a brand new 6000 mileage ford 12 passenger van minutes before our arrival. the van was awesome and comfortable for all passengers not the old ones with bench seats. He also seemed nice when we were picking up the van and processing all the information. I also just placed a online rental for May 24– 26 for a chevy impala for memorial day weekend. I will try to update it with a new review. I hope the great service continues!

So, I rent a car in August 2014 and I take a small road trip, then come back in four days. Sal, the «Owner» tells me before I leave, «just keep it for the week, it’s the same price.» Okay, sounds good. I keep the car until the day I need to return it, which was an extra day and a half or so, I didn’t even need the car.
Sal says, «sorry buddy, but it’s late. You have to pay for another day.» WHAT?! Since, I had a corporate account, and I assumed, as a franchise operator, he’d want to retain a pretty regular customer and be reasonable. He didn’t hesitate to be penny rich, but dollar poor.
The guy goes on to argue about every single penny! I couldn’t believe it. I take his «advice» and keep the car… doesn’t let me know about any extra charges; at all. In fact, he clearly said, «the price is the same whether you keep it for four days or the week.» I’m a rational person so, I really expected him to take care of me, as a customer. He didn’t; it was all about the small money. I hope the extra $ 80 bucks or so was worth losing all of my future business. Bad move.
What’s more, is that he is completely unprofessional. Not only does it look like he hasn’t bathed in a few days, the guy is rude, condescending and does NOT like customers «bothering» him. He seems completely drained and overwhelmed. I get it, but c’mon, sell it if you don’t want to offer good service.
I was coming here on and off since at least 2001. I will never, ever again come here or do business with this location. He also «operates» one in Caldwell, NJ. That place is a disaster. Another piece of advice… Shave.