sxnahm@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Nahm) (05/16/84)
<has this ever happened to you?>
I needed a rental car for five days in San Francisco, so I called Budget and
was quoted a $79 rate. I was told it was a weekly rate, but that I could have
it for five days. Since the rate seemed unbelievably low, I made sure that it
was correct and that it would be acceptable for my schedule. I made a
reservation one month prior to my trip.
The day of my trip I called Budget to confirm my reservation, and was told the
rate would be $159! I was of course shocked, and explained the previous quote.
I was told that the rate was valid only for a seven day rental, not less than
that. I told the person on the other end of the 800-number that I was certain
the previous person I talked to had given said the rate would apply to my five
day trip.
Now, why am I flaming here about an obvious foul up on the part of one of their
operators? Because the way I was handled by them, and evidence from my talk
with them, makes me believe they were working a passive "bait and switch".
I know their computer records must record all transactions on a reservation.
They first told me I reserved with them on April 4, then later said I reserved
with them on April 10. My guess is that some manager saw the error the
operator made, and modified the reservation to reflect the actual rate. So why
didn't they admit this when I called to reconfirm? Why didn't they act the
least bit apologetic for their mistake? Why did their "consumer relations"
person act totally uninterested in my complaint?
My only answer is that if Budget was not actually trying to play bait and
switch, getting me all the way to San Francisco with hopes of $79 and pulling
the $159 figure out when I arrive, then their disregard for my complaint tells
me their attitude towards the consumer is hostile.
I intend to never rent Budget again. Can anyone tell me (send mail) the best
place to officially complain about this behavior (I'd guess at my local Better
Business Bureau)?
--
Steve Nahm
sxnahm@bbn-unix.arpa (ARPA)
{decvax,ima,linus,wjh12}!bbncca!sxnahm (Usenet)rbg@cbosgd.UUCP (Richard Goldschmidt) (05/16/84)
I have also had a bad experience with Budget and refuse to rent from them again. They charged me an extra days rent for returning their car 2 hours past their deadline even though the car they rented me had died, and left me waiting more than an hour for them to replace it. I called the Better Business Bureau to complain and they commented that Budget had been unresponsive to their attempts to mediate disputes. They suggested I bring the matter to the Attorney General's office.
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (05/16/84)
[] Complain all the way up at Sears. They own Budget.
dbg@u1100a.UUCP (D B Grooms) (05/16/84)
Regarding incorrect information received from companies over the
telephone: In any conversation in which I may have to rely on
the information provided, I always ask the name of the person providing
the information (likewise if I am requesting a service). If there is some
dispute later, it can help substantiate an argument to the company rather
than having to say "SOMEBODY told me ..."
As to the Budget situation, a letter to the customer relations
department requesting a reply (in addition to your BBB complaint) might
at least produce a response.
David Grooms
{ihnp4,houxm,pyuxww}!u1100a!dbgwerner@ut-ngp.UUCP (05/17/84)
I, also, have been annoyed and refuse to consider Budget when renting.
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (05/17/84)
[] And now a word from our sponsor. I had a very good experience with Budget out in Seattle a couple of years ago. My family and I rented a Budget for four days to drive around the Olympic Peninsula. We rented on a daily basis because we did not know how long we would be. When we turned the car in, the clerk totaled up the bill for 4 days, then checked the cost against the weekly rate. As it turned out, the weekly rate was cheaper by about 70 bucks. The clerk then proceded to amend the contract and charged us the weekly rate, thus giving us a savings of 70 dollars. We also put the whole thing on our Sears charge card. Since then, I guess I have been a little partial to Budget. T. C. Wheeler
gh@utai.UUCP (Graeme Hirst) (05/19/84)
I, too, was once quoted an unbelievably low rate by Budget to rent a car for a month. It subsequently transpired that the rate did not include "registration", i.e. the license plates, which came at considerable extra cost. -- \\\\ Graeme Hirst University of Toronto Computer Science Department //// utcsrgv!utai!gh / gh.toronto@csnet-relay / 416-978-6277
mikey@trsvax.UUCP (05/22/84)
#R:bbncca:-71200:trsvax:70900007:000:2051 trsvax!mikey May 22 13:48:00 1984 I can't believe that everyone out there just bitches to the net. Get on the phone and start calling Budget. As you call each person be polite and ask their name. WRITE it down, as well as the time and date of the call. Before you go into your complaint routine, it's also a good idea to ask what department you're talking to. It helps to break the ice with a non-violent discussion. THEN go into your complaint, but be firm and polite. When they say there is nothing more they can do, ask for their supervisors name. If they refuse, just call back and ask for the head of the department that you got at the beginning of the call. Above all, DON'T BACK DOWN!!! Keep climbing the ladder until you get someone who will listen or gives you a NO that you can't change, like the Pres of the company. Don't call the pres first, or you'll just be brushed off to an underling who will be nice but can't really do anything. Make sure you have your list ready of who you talked to on the way up. I've said this before, but I used this tactic against USAir when a new reservations clerk made an error on my ticket. Trying to get their reservations people to straighten out the mess was a loosing battle so I started my climb. Once I got out of the local management that was too concerned with coverying their own ass to do anything, I got a lot of "We'll try sir but we can't promise anything" but nothing firm. At the executive level I got a promise that something would be done. Within an hour I got a phone call that I had confirmed, non-bumpable reservations over a holiday weekend at the discount pay-in-advance price. I think they bumped somebody else! Even in Budget, no matter what you think of the local franchise, they must care about customer relations and image, or they won't stay as big as they are. Don't let a little tin-god asshole in the local store turn you off until you're sure that there is a big tin-god asshole running the company. BITCH! BITCH! BITCH! and BITCH! until somebody listens. Mikey at trsvax
ed@mtxinu.UUCP (05/27/84)
My worst car rental experience was with Budget. I rented a car at the LA airport from them. It was a warm day, so I left the air conditioning on when I drove out of the lot. Several minuted later, on the freeway, I decided that the combination of small car, automatic transmission, and air conditioning was too much, and turned off the A/C. Within about a minute, the car began to stink of cigars. I turned the A/C back on, and the smell lessened, but didn't go away all together. When I finally got where I was going (about 20 minutes) I looked around and discovered that the ash tray was stufed full of buts! Even dumping the ash tray wasn't enough to get the smell out of the car for the rest of the weekend. Fortunately, I didn't have to drive too much. That was the last time I rented from them. I've also had marginal to bad experiences with both Hertz and Avis. When I have a choice, I pick National these days. They're the only company that's *ever* come through with a manual transmission, even though I always request one (even they only did it once, though). -- Ed Gould ucbvax!mtxinu!ed
sth@rayssd.UUCP (06/05/84)
After having been baited with the lure of a manual transmission, I discovered
also that the rental agencies are not the most honest advertisers in the world.
Hertz must have had thousands of cars on the lot, yet NO manual transmissions.
I don't understand why they can't provide stick shifts, especially in California
where the emission laws kill the acceleration. I hope they're happy, because
they lost my future business.
I have found also that the exception is National. They have delivered what they
promised.
Steve Hirsch
{allegra!,decvax!brunix!} rayssd!stheac@drux3.UUCP (CveticEA) (06/11/84)
In reading several of the discussions about rental car rip-offs, one thing came to mind. I have always (except once) had excellent treatment when I was traveling on business, and "who the heck are you" treatment traveling on my own when it came to rental cars. Several times, when traveling on business, when a compact that I reserved wasn't immediately available, I was given a Buick Regal. Only once while I was traveling on business did a rental car agency give me a bad time. Avis left me standing at their bus stop at Newark aiport for an hour at 12:00 midnight. (If they really do try harder, its not in Newark!) Of all the agencies I have had the worst treatment from Avis. By the way, on the issue of manual transmissions, I prefer them too but I never ask any more. I am sure the rental car companies don't have a lot of them because there are really a lot of people who do not know how to drive a manual shift. On another tangent, someone made the comment about their travel agency not willing to use another rental agency--I am sure they get kick backs. How else do they stay in business? By the way, agencies will also push one airline over another. Solution--do the shopping yourself for airplane tickets and car reservations. Sometimes, the airline will make car arrangements for you. Do the hotel shopping yourself too. Then, purchase everything via the travel agency so you are somewhat protected from airline bankruptcies. I am going to use this method until I find a fully reliable travel agent. I don't think they exist but I am still looking. Betsy Cvetic ihnp4!drux3!eac
harvey@trsvax.UUCP (06/13/84)
#R:brl-vgr:-300900:trsvax:70900008:000:689 trsvax!harvey Jun 13 09:05:00 1984 I have to take exception to your comment regarding travel agencies. The reason they do not want to deal with particular car rental firms, airlines, hotels, etc. is because many of their customers have been burned by these people. An agency can't expect to get repeate bussiness if the plane they book you on is late, they lose or damage your baggage, the car rental place leaves you waiting for an hour at midnight, and your room isn't ready. Travel agents make their money off corporate accounts, but it's the people like you and me that they have to please in order to show a good profit. Harvey Lefer ...!convex!ctvax!trsvax!harvey ...!microso!trsvax!harvey
dsn@umcp-cs.UUCP (06/18/84)
>> From: johnl@haddock.UUCP >> As far as car places go, I always give them my Number 1, Wizard, Green >> Light, or whatever number when I reserve, and they always seem to treat >> me decently, even in Newark. For the uninitiated, could you explain what Number 1, Wizard, Green Light, or whatever numbers are? Thanks! -- Dana S. Nau CSNet: dsn@umcp-cs ARPA: dsn@maryland UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!dsn
johnl@haddock.UUCP (06/21/84)
#R:rayssd:-47000:haddock:29800002:000:617 haddock!johnl Jun 13 21:35:00 1984 >On another tangent, someone made the comment about their travel agency >not willing to use another rental agency--I am sure they get kick backs. >How else do they stay in business? By the way, agencies will also >push one airline over another. They don't get kickbacks, they get commissions which are sort of the same thing, only perfectly legal, and are for most travel agencies their main or only source of income. As far as car places go, I always give them my Number 1, Wizard, Green Light, or whatever number when I reserve, and they always seem to treat me decently, even in Newark. John Levine, ima!johnl