We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car

Kingsport, Tennessee
Level Contributor
2 posts
54 reviews
25 helpful votes
Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

Did anyone else have a bad experience renting from Budget at the Kahului airport? If so respond so that others can be warned. I arrived on a Saturday and waited about 2 hours to get a car. Others had been waiting over three hours. It took me over an hour to wait in line and get up to the desk. Then they didn't have a car ready. It turns out that Saturday is a major transition day for them, and they know this because the clerk told me it happens every weekend. I pointed out that this is no way to treat customers, and the clerk agreed, but he just works there so he can't fix it. It was very disappointing to have to wait so long after such a long flight. Hertz had cars, and had I not pre-paid, I would have gone next door to them. Another traveler suggested not paying in advance, and I can certainly see why.

43 replies to this topic
Maui
Level Contributor
133,190 posts
31 reviews
40 helpful votes
1. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

Yep, we have had many, many reports of Budget's crappy service.

Sometimes signing up for their Fastbreak program helps-but not if they don't have cars.

Idaho
Level Contributor
10 posts
19 reviews
12 helpful votes
2. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

Our family had a similar experience for a wedding trip on a Saturday in July. We had three cars reserved for our three separate families. Two families had rented through Alamo. We had our cars within 20 minutes of arrival. The bride, who had a car rented through Budget, waited for over 2 1/2 hours in the heat with no water along with about a hundred other people just to get into the building. It was another 40 minutes inside before she got the car. They were only letting 12 people at a time into the building. Fast break members were not allowed to skip in line because there were so many people waiting. This was a horrible way to start her wedding trip.

We stay 3 weeks every January on Maui. Needless to say, we will not be renting through Budget in the future. Terrible customer service.

Maui, Hawaii
Level Contributor
2,293 posts
15 reviews
15 helpful votes
3. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

Honestly I think the entire area suffers from this. I saw this at Dollar / Thrifty a few weeks back - a crowd of about 80-100 waiting. I ended up cabbing it home instead, and as I drove by noticed there was no such line at Avis. The problem is many flights arrive at the same time, and they get overloaded. That said there is no excuse. As a complete rental car industry outsider I can think of dozens of ways their antiquated, slow checkout procedures can be streamlined. However, that is a corporate thing, not something local employees could do on their own, although frankly they are probably not helping matters either.

Chicago, Illinois
Level Contributor
670 posts
4. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

thank you for sharing this, very useful information to consider. what an awful wait!

California
Level Contributor
1,415 posts
34 reviews
28 helpful votes
5. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

My rental experience this June was also with Budget . It was picking up a rental on a Thursday around 9:00 AM. I waited about 35 minutes prior to getting to the front desk. I think they had four clerks working? They had plenty of cars. I remember years ago a airport worker says to avoid traveling on Saturdays if you can. I realize that this may not be possible for some people. I left on a Thursday also because when I was booking my flight, that was the cheapest day of the week to travel.

Kelowna, Canada
Level Contributor
1,284 posts
6. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

We had a similar experience with Thrifty on the Big Island. It was awful. I now only rent with Alamo where I can check in and pay online 24 hours prior, print out my paperwork at home, walk straight out to my car upon arrival, hand my stuff to the gentleman at the gate and drive away.

Corona del Mar...
Level Contributor
75,454 posts
408 reviews
723 helpful votes
7. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

People should only rent from companies that have loyalty clubs so you can skip the lines at the airport.

99.937% of the complaints about rental car companies come from interactions with the counter staff or waiting to speak with the counter staff.

Maui, Hawaii
Level Contributor
2,293 posts
15 reviews
15 helpful votes
8. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

Scott - I am not sure if you read the other comments, but having a loyalty club membership does not help. It did not help #2, it did not help me last weekend. When 100 people are waiting for a car, things tend to break down. Nowhere in 15+ years of renting cars all the time have I ever seen situations like Maui where swarms of people are waiting hours for cars, where they don't respect loyalty programs, and there is really nothing you can do except suck it up and wait. I have seen a microcosm of this once in Houston, but not like you see regularly on Maui.

Corona del Mar...
Level Contributor
75,454 posts
408 reviews
723 helpful votes
9. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

>>>but having a loyalty club membership does not help<<<

Yes it does.

At Hertz and Avis you walk past the counter and directly to your car, get in and leave.

>>>Nowhere in 15+ years of renting cars all the time have I ever....<<<

In 35+ years of renting cars I've seen it all and experienced it all on six continents. Maui has never been a problem.

Maui, Hawaii
Level Contributor
2,293 posts
15 reviews
15 helpful votes
10. Re: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Save

So you are calling me and #2 liars? Just because you have not had a problem doesn't mean problems don't exist.

Reply to: Bad Experience with Budget Rental Car
Get notified by e-mail when a reply is posted
Get answers to your questions about Kahului
© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.