Budget Car Rental is a Car rental agency located at 7714 Airport Blvd, Houston, TX 77061. It has received 1518 reviews with an average rating of 3.3 stars.
Monday | 6AM-2AM |
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Tuesday | 6AM-2AM |
Wednesday | 6AM-2AM |
Thursday | 6AM-2AM |
Friday | 6AM-2AM |
Saturday | 6AM-2AM |
Sunday | 6AM-2AM |
The address of Budget Car Rental: 7714 Airport Blvd, Houston, TX 77061
Budget Car Rental has 3.3 stars from 1518 reviews
Car rental agency
"I will avoid this particular location in the future and do business with one of their competitors"
"I rented a car from the Houston Hobby Airport location and the car provided was a Tesla"
"I have rented budget rent-a-cars many times in the past several years and never had a problem however this time around was a little different I originally reserved a Ford Fiesta or similar car in Houston Texas Budget Rental at the Hobby Airport upon arrival there was a large line I waited my turn I gave the lady my reservation number and she told me there were no Ford Fiestas or similar car I must drive this white van I explained to her I was going to be on the road for over a thousand miles to drive back to Ohio the lady insisted that I get this white van I had no other choices for a Ford Fiesta or similar car I explained to her again I had gotten a economical car like that to get good gas mileage to drive back third time she insisted I take this van I told her I was not happy she had no reply I got in the van started my drive back it was time to fuel up and continue my journey and in doing so I noticed the tag on the car it was an illegal expired tag she put me in a car that had expired license plate I also noticed that it said Boone County it was obvious to me at that point that I was transporting the car for the company back to its original location I was shocked to see this no one had hired me to be a transporter (Budget if you need to hire people like me to transport your cars I am available for hire as a transporter and I would require to be compensated) I was very surprised that Budget would do this to me after being a repeat customer for so many years Throughout my trip I was always looking over my shoulder worried if I would be pulled over and get a ticket for this expired tag "
"This was the single worst rental car experience in the 40 years I have been renting cars"
"Due to limited Mid-size Group C inventory available at the time of my rental, I was presented the opportunity of renting an upgraded all-electric vehicle upon arriving at the rental counter at Houston Hobby Airport"
I will avoid this particular location in the future and do business with one of their competitors. My recent experience was very disappointing. There were a number of minor issues but my biggest complaint was with an agent named Patricia. She was rude from the beginning, but the issue really took a turn when I returned the Toyota Camry that I had initially been given. Keep in mind, this was around midnight on a Thursday. I noticed loose body panel trim when inspecting the vehicle (before leaving the lot). The exit attendant noted the damage before I left and assured me that when I returned the car that I would not be charged for that as they are aware of it. Not even 5 minutes after leaving, I noticed that something was dragging underneath the vehicle. I immediately returned to request another vehicle as I did not want to deal with that. Not only was the noise annoying but it could have presented a hazard if the trim came loose in traffic. Upon returning, I spoke with Patricia again and told her what I experienced. Her response: “It’s a brand new car!” I proceeded to explain to her that the exit attendant also noted the damage before I left and if she’d like to go outside and take a look for herself she’s welcome to. She repeated herself but this time shouting out loud “It’s a brand new car! Give me the key!” She then goes outside to inspect it. I followed and pointed out the damage. Patricia then tried to put the visible section of the trim back in place but it wouldn’t hold. I then told her that I’m not comfortable leaving with this car and that I’d take whatever was available on the lot; I’m not picky especially at this time of night. I also made her aware that I’m not trying to be an inconvenience but this is unacceptable. Before I could finish my statements, she cut my off by saying “well, this is an inconvenience for me because I have nothing else to give you!” Keep in mind that there were several cars in the parking lot…. perhaps some were already reserved. I’m not sure. She then starts walking back into the building toward her side of the counter. I follow but head toward the customer side of the counter. Before I get there, Patricia ‘throws’ the keys to the vehicle at the counter which catches the attention of other customers AND her coworkers. She then goes into a verbal rant about not knowing what she can give me, as the entire lobby is witnessing. Agains, I tell her that I’ll take whatever is available at this point. In the end, I left with a different vehicle but the entire experience was embarrassing due to her behavior and lack of professionalism.
I rented a car from the Houston Hobby Airport location and the car provided was a Tesla. I asked them to provide a gas or hybrid vehicle instead because I hadn't driven a Tesla before and was unfamiliar with the charging requirements or availability. They said it would be a lot more money because the Tesla was a "special" offer. I asked if it would be easy to find charging in or around Sweeny TX and they said it wouldn't be a problem and the car would show me where to find them. The rental total was $300 for 2.25 days (I picked the car up at 11:30 PM Thursday and returned it at 4:30 AM Sunday) which seemed higher than competitors I've used, but without any option available, I accepted the Tesla and headed out. It turns out, the closest available charging station from Sweeny TX is about 40 minutes away. There was one listed in Brazoria, but this was no longer in operation. The others located in Lake Jackson are for hotel guests only (I wasn't staying in a hotel), and they take about 6-7 hours to fully charge. I needed to make the 40-minute drive to Sugar Land to find Tesla Supercharging Stations. That took about 20% charge to make the drive one way. I would charge to 100% and then drive back to Sweeny, arriving at about 80% charge. That gave me about 2 to 2.5 hours of driving before I needed to make the 40-minute drive back to Sugar Land to recharge again. I drove almost entirely without AC or Heat because it drains the battery even faster. Why is Budget renting Teslas in an area where there are so few charging stations available, and telling customers that they're easy to find? Also, most people have never driven a Tesla and there are some differences that drivers should know..., such as how to turn on the wipers (push the wiper button and the left side of the steering wheel, then turn to the computer on the right and set the wiper setting to continuous). Trying to figure this out while driving is dangerous. I watched a lot of Youtube videos while waiting for the charging. The car itself was fun to drive, but it's not a great option for a rental car in an area where there aren't many charging options and one would think Budget should be familiar with the area enough to offer guidance (or gas / hybrid options). This was a terrible overall experience and took a LOT of time and effort just to keep the car charged. In my 2.25 day trip, almost one entire day was spent searching for charging stations and charging the vehicle.
I have rented budget rent-a-cars many times in the past several years and never had a problem however this time around was a little different I originally reserved a Ford Fiesta or similar car in Houston Texas Budget Rental at the Hobby Airport upon arrival there was a large line I waited my turn I gave the lady my reservation number and she told me there were no Ford Fiestas or similar car I must drive this white van I explained to her I was going to be on the road for over a thousand miles to drive back to Ohio the lady insisted that I get this white van I had no other choices for a Ford Fiesta or similar car I explained to her again I had gotten a economical car like that to get good gas mileage to drive back third time she insisted I take this van I told her I was not happy she had no reply I got in the van started my drive back it was time to fuel up and continue my journey and in doing so I noticed the tag on the car it was an illegal expired tag she put me in a car that had expired license plate I also noticed that it said Boone County it was obvious to me at that point that I was transporting the car for the company back to its original location I was shocked to see this no one had hired me to be a transporter (Budget if you need to hire people like me to transport your cars I am available for hire as a transporter and I would require to be compensated) I was very surprised that Budget would do this to me after being a repeat customer for so many years Throughout my trip I was always looking over my shoulder worried if I would be pulled over and get a ticket for this expired tag ..(.this is no way to treat a loyal customer) When I dropped the car off I explained to the gentleman at Budget my concerns he had no reply other than to smile and wish me a nice day.... final word Unacceptable! Budget you should appreciate loyal customers like me and put them in cars that they Reserve and if they do need to be in a different car for whatever reason please take the time to put them in a car that is legal to be on the road with the proper license plate!
This was the single worst rental car experience in the 40 years I have been renting cars. The car I was given was NOT safe. It had a BAD tire that they already knew about before renting the car to me. I am a woman traveling alone. It was late at night in an all new area for me. Upon reaching my hotel, (over 50 mi from the airport) I picked up the key fob which had a post it note regarding the bad tire. UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSAFE! By morning the tire was completely flat. When I called to report it, I was treated rudely and shuffled through 6 people and several different departments. They even sent me to Budget international! One even had the gall to try and say I must have caused the flat!! When they finally sent out a repair person, he pulled the tire. It had 2 leaking plugs. They NEVER should have rented a car with a tire with two plugs in it! The repair guy informed me he could not fix the tire and put on the spare. By then I had been shuffled around and mistreated by Budget for over 3 hours. I was in town for a wedding. This was NOT on the agenda. I knew spare tires had limitations, so I called to ask if I could drive 50+ miles on the freeway with the spare. I was told no! That would be unsafe. So I asked them to bring a different car to me. They said no. So I asked them what I should do and they said, "go back to the airport, and they would give me another car". I explained that they had said the spare could not make that trip. At this point, I was VERY late for my wedding commitment and they said they could not help me!! I asked them if they had a closer rental office. "Well yes we do" so I asked if I could go there. It was less than 5 miles away. That was fortunate because the low tire warning for the spare came on. Once I was at this location, I was treated the way a customer should be treated. They were helpful, polite, and efficient. WILL NEVER rent from Budget again! They told me I will have to fight the charges that will be coming in the mail for the tire!! ASTOUNDING!!! SPARE YOURSELF, DONT RENT FROM BUDGET!!!
Due to limited Mid-size Group C inventory available at the time of my rental, I was presented the opportunity of renting an upgraded all-electric vehicle upon arriving at the rental counter at Houston Hobby Airport. This option was presented at no additional cost to me. As an avid car enthusiast with no prior ownership or experience with an all-electric vehicle, I gladly accepted the substitution and looked forward to driving the electric vehicle. I was offered a beautiful Mercedes Benz EQS 450 SUV. After some self-introductory time with the vehicle, I became comfortable with it and enjoyed the exceptional ride quality and cabin quietness. The challenge become locating a compatible and functioning electric vehicle recharging station. Attempts to use the onboard MB charging station locating application proved pretty much useless. Not being an electric vehicle owner with accounts previously setup with the different charge providers, I became frustrated with the charging process. The MB application sent me to locations that had chargers that were either fully occupied, not working or were installed at apartment complexes inside locked compounds not accessible to me. My ultimate solution was to visit a local MB dealer and sign up to use their chargers. The drawback here was that I was not connected to a fast charger so I was only able to add about 2% capacity back after about 90 minutes of connect time. The good news is that the vehicle had adequate charge (78%) to complete my rental period and get me back to the Budget rental lot. I would have preferred to return the vehicle with more charge capacity, but it was not because I did not try. I applaud Budget for respecting the environment and making available the opportunity to rent EVs. I believe steps should be taken by Budget representatives to advise customers of the challenges locating appropriate charging stations and advising them of tips to consider when renting EVs.
Beware everyone, Budget Car Rental Hobby Houston TX will sometimes run out of rental cars and will try and leave you stranded at the airport for hours. That happened to me and my family and another customer said this has happened to them in the pass. Our flight got in at midnight. We got on the shuttle and then the driver told us the office said they have ran out of cars and to stay at the airport from midnight to 6am or and they only had 12 passenger vans to rent, thats it! I had an 84 yr old elderly parent with me and I declined to stay stranded at the airport for 6 hours and took the 12 passenger van that I did not feel comfortable driving. When I returned the next morning to exchange the huge van, they still were waiting on rental cars to be return. I had to wait. Even their preferred customers could not get a car, even people that prepaid. I had never seen anything like this in my life. The staff there were rude and unsympathetic. I was so stressed, but I kept at the lady helping me until she finally decided to get on her walkie talkie and vouch for me a car that was being returned. But she had major attitude and took her sweet time. I get their frustration but they don't understand how we feel being stranded away from home without a car and we're paid goo gobs of money to fly into town for a reason. Beware people. Budget is not reliable when it comes to their car rental and I say give your self enough time when you fly into town in case this happens to you. You may not get to your meeting or work related event or family reunion on time or at all if you are relying on Budget to get a rental car. They did not try to compensate us at all. It was a horrible experience. Pooey to you Budget. Clean up your act. Fix some of those cars you got parked on the side of your lots and treat paying customers with respect!!!!!
It was the worst car rental experience I’ve ever had. My reserved car was not available when I got there. The agent at the counter didn’t disclose it until I signed the paperwork. He then said he gave me a free upgrade. I booked a full-size vehicle. I didn’t realize the so-called upgrade it’s a van until I saw it in the parking lot. I proceeded to ask for a different vehicle as a van is too big for me and totally different from what I booked. The agent told me that’s the only one they had available. I saw other cars available there but he insisted van was the only one he could give to me. It was pretty late at night. It left me no choice but to take it. He told me I could call in the next day and see if I can get a different car. Unfortunately, the place I stayed would be too far to go back for a not even guaranteed vehicle. I got a replacement car at a different location the next day after being on the phone with Customer Service for hours, which didn’t get me a car until I called a location by myself. The replacement car had almost empty gas tank. I also noticed the Malfunction Indicator Light was on. I called in the following day and asked for a different car. I was told there was no car available that I should continue driving the maintenance-needed car. When I dropped off the car at Austin airport, the gas was more than when I picked up. The person checking in the car didn’t speak English well and charged me for fuel even after I explained to him the situation. Budget could’ve had a better system to make sure customers get what they reserve. Employees do not seem trained well. Cars are not maintained as they should be. It’s very disappointing. I will never use Budget again.
Avis Budget At Hobby Is The Worst Place To Rent A Car. They Don’t Care About The Conditions of The Car They Give You, Only The Money. The Car Will Be Over Mileage, Beat Up, Dirty And Not Clean. Ever Wonder Why Your Cars Aren’t Clean? It’s Because They Have Employees That Have Been There For 50 Years And They Don’t Put The Same Expectations On Those That Have Been There For A Short Time, The Vacuums Have No Suction. You Are Being Charged A Detailing Fee For A Car That Has Never Went To Get A Detail The Company Just Pockets Your Money. ALWAYS LOOK AT YOUR CAR BEFORE LEAVING! Avis Employees Don’t Do Their Job And Will Charge You For Someone Else’s Damage Prior To Your Rental If You Don’t Report It First Or Take Pictures Because The Employees Were To Lazy To Document It. You May Wonder Why The Customer Service Sucks, It’s Because They Fire All Of The Good Workers And Keep The Lazy One’s With Attitude’s Including The Managers. If You Want Better Service Start Making Complaints To Corporate, They Have No Choice But To Listen! It Is Unacceptable, Who Wants To Pay For A Car That They Are Not Getting. When You Reserve Your Vehicle It Says You Will Be Receiving The Car You Paid For Or “Similar”. A Pickup Truck Is Not Similar To An Economy Car. Imagine Planning To Save Gas On Your Trip And You’re Being Forced To Spend 2x The Amount Because Of The Inconvenience Of A Car Company That Guaranteed You Will Be Receiving The Car You Paid For Or “Similar”. Who’s Winning? Not You, You’re Not Being Compensated For Your Inconvenience But Instead Paying Avis For The Inconvenience On Their Behalf.
Leave with ample time so you can request a receipt while you are there! I rented a vehicle 12/1/2023 - 12/03/2023 in the William P. Hobby Airport, Houston TX location. I returned the vehicle Dec 03 at around 10:45am. I handed the key to the gentleman that was receiving the vehicles and was told I would receive an email within 15 minutes. To my surprise I received the receipt today, 12/05/2023, with charges for 2 additional days and an extra hour plus a late fee. I was even more appalled that I have to submit proof of my boarding pass rather than customer service call the location or perhaps check the cameras for the accurate return date. The receipt states I drove the vehicle 93 miles which leads me to believe someone in that location is using the vehicle for personal use. I used the vehicle to and from the airport to the hotel I was staying in only. I didn't need to drive it since the funeral home was walking distance to the hotel. I also have to mention the location smells like a cigarette lounge, the staff is rude to the customers and the vehicles all smell like wet car mold and cigarette and marijuana. Yes, I had to return the 1st vehicle I was given because of the unbearable stench! To add insult to injury this is the second time I have an incident with budget. In July I rented a vehicle in Miami and upon return I was charged for refueling. After several minutes with customer service and providing my receipt I was refunded the refueling fee. This is the LAST TIME I rent with budget. I am disgusted to think this company is looking to steal from its customers!
When I picked up the vehicle, I was told that there were Camry, Malibu, and other (I forgot the brand). I asked for the Camry, but I was told it was out, so I picked the Malibu. • No one told me that it was an upgrade and would cost me $84. • I had checked the fuel gage on dashboard, and it was F (full). When I returned, I filled it up to F (full). I didn’t know where they checked it and read that the fuel was 1 gallon less than check-out!!!! I drove and rented several cars (including from Budget) and this was the first time I was charged like that (15.5 gal out, 14.5 gal in). How could you find out those specific gallons? Note: All the cars I have driven, the fuel gages on the dashboard have some lines between two letters E (empty) and F (full). This morning, 10/2/2023, I contacted your customer service and she agreed to reduce the charge for me. That was why I rated this service from Budget 7 instead of 0. Suggestion: • If Budget offers the upgrade with charge, the staff should tell custom upfront because not everyone is willing to pay extra for upgrade. • If your company now wants to check and charge by gallon, make sure to show customer how to check the fuel gage (gallons) so customer can return correctly.
Terrible communication. Just leaving the place, you aren’t aware how to get out. There is not a sign to explain and the person in the booth doesn’t help unless you flag them don’t down… even as I left the vehicle I saw two people struggling because they were confused why they couldn’t get out of the facility because NOBODY explained the process… After I picked up my daughter we found out the head rest that was down wasn’t down because it’s adjustable but because it was broken… if someone would’ve been there inspecting the vehicle that could’ve been fixed or we could’ve gotten another vehicle rather then have the child have to sit sideways the entire time to avoid that… Again when dropping off the vehicle there weren’t any signs so I was extremely confused what and where to go… as was the person behind me… I finally found someone and asked if I was parked in the right place (where it looked similar to other rental places but normally people are there to get your keys and ask you questions) I filled up the tank right, before returning the vehicle and even though it was completely full I was charged for over $100 for fuel. Absolutely ridiculous. I’m very upset with Budget and their customer service.
They gave me a fully electric car with no options for a gas one unless I paid more. When I told the person at the counter that I have never driven one and have no experience with them, she just seemed to write it off by saying that there are charging stations all over. So I asked how to find them. Her answer was to Google it. I told her I’m staying on the beach for the weekend and she said, “There’s a Buc-ee’s half way. You can charge it there.” I asked how long that takes. Her answer was “about 45 minutes to an hour”. So her answer was a that I cut my plans off by an hour so I can hang out at a Buc-ee’s to charge this car. Two things: 1) That Bucc-ee’s DOES NOT have charging stations. 2) I learned after I left that the car is supposed to come with a charging cable and it did not have one in the car. So I had to drive an hour back the next day to pick one up so I could charge it at the house I was as staying in This is not an experience I expect to have when I am visiting friends and family that I only get to see every few years. My time is limited and precious on these kind of trips. The fact that they expected me to take away from that just to charge their electric car is unacceptable.
Upon arrival to pick up my vehicle, I was told that a credit card was required. I DO NOT HAVE A CREDIT CARD AND I WILL NOT BE GETTING ONE. I expect to have a substantial hold charge placed on my debit card, and I am okay with that. After being told that I had no other options, Budget then revealed that I could use a debit card if I provided a boarding pass for a return flight scheduled within the next 24 hours. On this trip to Houston, I had not scheduled a return flight because my travel schedule was uncertain. I was forced to book a flight in Budget’s office so that I could use my debit card to rent the vehicle. This is an asinine policy. What assurance does a return flight boarding pass provide Budget? I could easily have canceled my return flight for a refund as soon as I left. This policy penalizes financially responsible customers with whom Budget should want to do business. Prior to returning my vehicle, I filled it with fuel. I made a point to “top off” the tank twice. I drove only a few miles from the gas station to Budget’s office. When I received my final receipt, I was charged for 1.5 gallons of fuel at $10.00/gallon. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
When I arrived to pick up my car rental I was 30 minutes early. With an estimated rental total of $105, I was told that my rental fee would be $185 because I was there 30 minutes early. I then went and sat outside for 30 minutes so that I could avoid paying 80% of my rental fee for 30 minutes. Upon returning the vehicle, the car return entrance was blocked. We then proceeded to go into the building to see how we should return the car. My husband waited for 30 minutes in that line and still had no contact with the rental agents. I saw other people going in the way cars were coming out so I had him to come out so that he could return the car that way. Waiting outside caused the car to be 43 minutes late because it took an additional 15 to 20 minutes to go in the wrong way. We were initially there 10 linutes early. We were then charged for an additional hour. I feel like Budget is attempting to steal whether it's on the pickup or on the return. But it will not have to worry about me renting cars here again even though we have been faithful customers for years. I will also be giving this review to Costco since we rented this car through costco.
I was travelling to Houston from Tucson connecting through Denver, because of weather our plane had delays throughout the day. We were supposed to arrive at midnight and instead got in at 2:30am. Budget had my flight information, I received no notices and didn't know the time I would arrive because our plane had to circle the airport until we were cleared. When we finally landed we learned that the rental agency closed at 2am and we were stranded at the airport. I had to pay for Lyft to get us to the hotel ($50), we didn't get there until 4am. I called Budget in the morning to see if they could 1) bring the rental car to the hotel to save me another trip to the airport and an additional $50 or 2) allow me to pick up a rental close to the hotel (2 miles) to save me a trip to the airport and an additional $50 or 3) reimburse me the cost of the Lyft back and forth to the airport. Budgets response on 1) no on 2) for an additional $200+ sure and on 3) no. Additionally, the car I got was dirty, stained and dented. This would never happen with Enterprise or National. Never again.
I would rate this Budget 0 stars if it was available. Customer service at this location was extremely rude. They barely helped customers that were there. They didn’t greet anyone or take any pride in their job. The agent helping us yelled at another family as we were waiting and wouldn’t hear anything they had to say. This family then had to try to fit into a vehicle that was very clearly too small. The vehicle we rented was not available and the wait time was 35+ minutes before we received a vehicle. I didn’t rent ahead of time and provide an arrival time but that didn’t matter, we still waited a long while. In addition, budget accused us of damaging the vehicle windshield. There were 5 adults in the car, we would have noticed . The picture proof was terrible and you cannot tell it’s even the vehicle we rented. In Addison, there isn’t a date stamp. Overall, worst rental experience I’ve ever had. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT rent from Budget at Houston Hobby airport.
During our short visit, the agent recomended an electric vehicle over the vehicle we already rented. This was the worst decision and recomendation. Not only is electric charging already scarce in the area, the car recomended's charging type was extremely rare and time consuming to fill back up. Budget has a 70% or over battery cap when you return the car, but charging it to that takes several hours, of which I did not have. When I called over 5 times to the location to complain about this matter I was told that a reliable way was to extend my stay so that I could charge the vehicle. Customer service was unreliable. I ended up charging the vehicle for 10 hours and am on the way to drop off the vehicle. Even with 10 hours of charge I am forced to pay an extra 70 dollars due to this incovenience. I advise noone rents an electric car at this location in Houston, this really is a waste of a single star, my money, my time, and my patience.--
I won’t ever rent from them again! First off they had no standard size cars and I ended up getting a mini van!!! I picked the van up on Friday returned it on Tuesday early morning! Mind you we cleaned out the van which we shouldn’t they pay people for that but we did. 3 weeks go by after receiving back my deposit and getting a final receipt they say they are going to charge my card $250 for “excessive exterior dirt” meaning the outside was super dirty. Now even if that was to be true which it wasn’t what car wash is $250 Like come on now Hobby Budget employees!!! And secondly why wouldn’t y’all keep the deposit if there was an issue!!! I whole heartedly feel this rental company is full of it and someone is trying to put false claims on people rentals to charge them! But customer service was an amazing help and stopped the charge!! Please take pics and videos if your going to rent from them!!
Do not rent a vehicle from this location. Trip ended early, I called Budget to see what time should I return the car without getting charged another day. They told me 9:30pm. I returned the vehicle at 8:10pm and asked for documentation, Rep told me I should receive it in a few hours but handed me a small slip to take inside. The lady in lobby stated I will receive it within a few hours. Checked my email all night…..Nothing, so I called customer service and was told they never closed out the reservation. Now I have to figure out what happened. Contact center stated this happens all the time and billing is always fixing errors. Waiting on billing to open. This is ridiculous! I’m trying figure out did they take the car on a joy ride or something. Why they didn’t close it out. Why they don’t give you proof that the reservation was closed at the corner. Something doesn’t seem right.
The lady that “helped” us was extremely rude. It took forever to get through all the paperwork, probably because she was so rude it felt that way. But anyway, they told us it would be a 20 minute wait, but it was almost an hour. A guy came out and got in a car in before us in only 10 minutes, after we’d waited over 30 minutes and he had the same size car as we had rented. Then a guy said he’d get us in a car, he put us in a random car and come to find out it was rented to someone that was returning it because the tags had been expired for 8 months and he’d gotten pulled over. Then he brought us another vehicle but they wouldn’t let us off the lot with it because it wasn’t leased to us. It’s been over an hour since we paid for the vehicle and we still aren’t in a car. DO NOT go here!! Read the reviews!! I don’t know why this went on Houston, it should be St. Louis.
Shady! On our reservation we had pick up and drop off at 11:00. The attendant even stated that drop off time was 11:00. We returned the car at 10:52. We were charged for an extra hour, fees and taxes. I talked with a representative Wednesday and they said that since we picked up the car at 10:19, we were out of a so called "29 minute" window. We were never aware of this 29 minute window and were under the impression, like the attendant said, our drop off was at 11:00.Was not impressed with the lack of/false information from the original attendant, resulting in an additional $130 charge. Also, we were charged for gas, which was filled up within a mile of drop off (have a receipt to prove). During drop off there were no attendants around to explain or help with dropping off procedures. Otherwise, the car was wonderful.
Disappointing Experience with Budget Car Rental I recently had a frustrating encounter with Budget Car Rental, and I feel compelled to share my experience. I booked a reservation online, only to find out upon arrival that a physical card was required, which was not clearly mentioned during the booking process. Despite explaining to the rental agent, Hesmin, that I had lost the card at the airport but had the digital copy on my app, he made it incredibly difficult for me. His unprofessionalism and refusal to assist left me extremely dissatisfied. The overall staff demeanor was rude, and I encountered a lack of empathy for a situation that was beyond my control. This experience has left me hesitant to use Budget in the future, and I hope they address their customer service issues promptly.
If I could give zero stars I would I own a small business I rented a truck because of low rates when I went to extend they wanted to charge another deposit plus week rental for the same vehicle I already paid deposit so I returned vehicle and went to enterprise then a month later they charged me 250 because it was dirty it had rained a lot that week so there was a lot of dirt on floor mats just needed a good vacuum I told them how much business I would be doing with them and it was like they didn’t care since then with has been a month I have had 3 vehicles rented through enterprise and about to rent another one I will have these vehicles rented for another 4 to 6 months so yes they are cheaper but in the long run will cost more and the fact they do not care for their customers
The line at the counter was long and there were not enough agents. The agents there were at best “brusque”. The vehicle was dirty and had a maintenance fault (oil change) that popped up shortly after leaving the lot. The RR tire had a leak that showed up the next morning. The Budget Support line was polite but unable to help so we ended up installing the spare ourselves (not easy). We returned the unsafe vehicle to the nearest Budget and then got charged for not returning to the original location - which Budget fixed after a 30 minute phone call to customer support. I cannot believe that their online review system asked me for this Google review after I gave them such low ratings on their survey system. Im usually a positive reviewer but never again will I rent from these guys.
The customer service agents were very helpful and courteous. The checkin and checkout procedure was simple. The 24 hr shuttle bus service made it easy to drop off and get to the airport. The car wash was broke so the car was extremely dirty on the outside but the agent told me in advance. The car sounded as if it needed new shocks but was in descent working order otherwise. The exit gate agent was unhelpful when it came to assisting with questions. On drop off the security guard was friendly and helpful. The shuttle driver was so busy helping with cars that we sat with a full shuttle for a while on the lot even though there was another bus load waiting and time was ticking for those of us with 5am flights(which was the purpose of getting there early), the driver was very nice.
This place will lie about the condition of the care when you return it and then will bill your credit care. Their customer service is horrible. Front desk lady called me over then took 5 mins to cut strips of paper with scissors while I was standing there. Hardly spoke. Since it was pouring down rain they didn’t want to get wet so they didn’t show me where the car was. They only told me. Then I had to walk around the parking lot in the rain trying to find it. When I returned the car. With only 132 miles put on it. They said I had excessive pet hair and provided photos. Yeah that isn’t true. Those photos don’t show excessive at all. Don’t waste your time with this rental place. They will lie and cheat you out of money. Trust no one at this place.
As soon as we got there the broken door smashed my son’s hand in the door cutting his thumb open and smashing his middle finger. He’s now losing his nail. Not the best way to start a trip as he complained about his finger hurting for three dats afterwards and continued to cause him enough discomfort that he wouldn’t use his finger. We filled out a form but they withheld the video and accident report. The car we got had malfunctioning safety equipment that they wanted me to drive an hour each way to exchange the vehicle, I was able to repair it myself instead. The car also had broken plastic and interior body panels. All in all I would not recommend. The staff provided bad-aids and ice packs for my son. The door was fixed before we left.
I’ve never had so many issues with a rental car. First, I was grateful they are open 24 hours but it is very obvious they do not maintain their vehicles. The first vehicle they provided had a foul animal sent, low tire pressure and the engine made a horrible sound. We never left the lot with that vehicle due its condition. The second vehicle seemed fine at first. Then the tire pressure started decreasing in the left rear tire, the oil service light went on & then the low wiper fluid light as well. We had to put air in the tire a few times. We were only in Houston for two days for a funeral service and we didn’t have time to swap the vehicle. Even if we are able to swap cars who knows what problems that car would’ve give us.
The rental experience is very bad. The pick up wait time took forever - over an hour. Then the representative tried to force an electric vehicle on me which I declined. The vehicle I rented had 2 worn out tires on the back that wobbled throughout the rental period. I went to another budget location the next day to complain and requested for a replacement but I was informed I had to go to the original rental location. It was a bad rental experience and I hope budget would do a better job in the future. So for now I am given then a 1 Star since the tires are an important part of the vehicle when it comes to safety. Thanks
I am extremely satisfied with the exceptional assistance provided by the lady who helped me with my rental at Budget. She is undoubtedly the best person I have ever come in contact with during my experience with Budget. Her professionalism, friendliness, and attention to detail made the entire process smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciate her dedication and outstanding customer service. She went above and beyond to ensure that all my needs were met, and I am grateful for her assistance. I highly recommend her and Budget to anyone in need of a rental car. Thank you for employing such an incredible individual!"
Woman who waited on us was rude and unprofessional. She was barely audible, speaking too fast and while speaking with us interjected a hello so and so as a coworker walked in so we assumed she was not speaking to us. Then she pointed out the door and we went outside assuming she or someone would help us find the car we were renting but ended up standing outside by ourselves. Went back in and had to ask her to repeat everything she just said....it was a very unpleasant experience. A couple of other women who worked there and were helping others did not seem to have this attitude at all.
I had the works experience renting with budget. When I first got there the rep was not friendly at all. She placed me in a smaller SUV because they didn’t have the one I originally booked. Normally when this happens I should have been offered another vehicle not downsized. The truck I was put in drove very rough and rugged. And we couldn’t seem to get the air to work on the passenger side. I returned the vehicle the same day within some hours and did not get an apology nor empathy but charges the full price. I will never go back there again!
The staff is unprofessional while checking in, too many side conversations. Also running out to grab vehicles if they felt the co worker would assign the vehicle to another customer. My reason for a one star is...the drop off was very easy and at least he was professional. Be aware of the $200 deposit WITH A MAJOR CREDIT CARD. I rent thru Costco and this was not known to me. What's the use in using a major cc if you are held to the standards of a debit card? I was very unhappy about that situation. I will not be using this company again.
car was fine. Experience picking up the car, finding the the GPS that was requested was not included in the cost at the time of the reservation was made, but treated as an add on fee. The 20 minutes that it took for the agent to find a working GPS and the fact that the mount base was partially missing was disappointing, which required that we could not secure it for use. In our case, the final cost was in excess of $200.00 of what was quoted on the original reservation statement. I hope this was the exception rather than the rule!!
I've been renting cars here for more than 20 years. Every time I come there worse. They've got this surliest bunch of people working there. The cars are filthy. Have you ever driven a car with a windshield that's been wiped down with a dirty rag? That's the quality you get. The one I'm in now drifts all over the road. Trouble with this place is that they're Avis too. So that leaves you with other further away companies if you're flying into hobby. If you don't have to use this company come I would recommend finding someone else.
I asked the rep for a new model Ram since I was looking to purchase. I was given a 2018. I walked back to the rep who said she could not view the year of the vehicle and offered me a 2023. The truck was flight and she asked me to take the truck next door and ask someone to wash the truck. I took the truck as told and had to ask two people for help. The Second Lady too the truck through the wash. Upon the truck drying, still was filthy. The left turning signal does it shut off automatically. Poor custom service will not returnz
A very horrible experience...I went in and had a situation with the insurance on the car and according to the people at the Service center I was able to do what I needed but when I returned to the hobby airport location I was told no and no one tried to access or rectify the situation. I would never send anyone there and I used to use them when I needed rentals before...now their service sucks. I was expected to drive this vehicle around with no insurance apparently. You get 1 star cause I had to give you something!!!!!
Website wasn't letting me update my return location so I called and the woman on the phone wasn't paying attention to the details of the issue, tried giving me the wrong advice. At the point I wanted to speak to a different person she refused and when I said then it would be better for me to go elsewhere she hung up. If she would have just paid attention to the information I gave her it wouldn't have turned into something ugly. Probably lucky to avoid this location after all.
This was the poorest service ever. Then they overcharged me. They did not have what I asked for and I had to accept a bigger vehicle which was inconvenience and costly on gas. The vehicle was not clean how it should been. Overcharged me for a day and an hour…. How is that legal either the return was a hour late or 24hwy rs late can’t be both. Did not honor the price quoted even though they didn’t have the car I wanted. Would never in life use budget again.
I rented from Budget in Houston. I had been up since 3am and did not get the clerks name. She was gracious and kind. I had used my name instead of my husband and forgot to use my Costco card. She changed everything as if it was no problem. We quickly had a wonderful, very clean van and were on our way. This was my third time to rent from Avis/Budget this Summer and each time it was a great experience. I didn’t take any photos. No photos.
An additional $28 for an unknown reason. Seems like that’s common with Budget after reading other reviews. Was it because I didn’t top off the tank at the closest station? Also there’s no signage on where to park your car (if arriving by personal car). Drove around the building 3 times before the checkout person told us to park “by the dirt.” There’s an empty corner near the hill of dirt. Should be a sign or instructions in an email.
You may receive emails that the, "Budget staff will be waiting for your arrival at the airport", we'll that's not the case. The desk will be closed and you will have to take a shuttle to their off site location. Once you arrive to the shuttle, the lazy driver will not get out of her seat to assist you. Do better Budget staff. However, there were 3 pleasnt and hard working women present during my return. Keep up the great job ladies.
Fraudulently billed me after for not returning car refueled even though I had just refueled down the street. I had to call and provide credit card statement and am pending their review. If many customers do not take the time to review their e-receipt, they could be getting fraudulent billed by this location. Check your bill and ask for it before you leave the station. I'm an attorney and I see this practice at some locations.
Be aware that Budget Rental feels that a Chevy Bolt and a Camry are "similar". I went to get the car but they didn't have any car besides a Chevy bolt. I was told i had the choice to lose the fee of $150.00 bucks because of last minute cancellation or upgrade to something they had. I hqve the money to do it but not everyone does so for those who are on a "budget" as they claim to be, just choose the lowest class.
It too entirely too long to get the car. We waited for over 2 hours. If you know this is going to be a busy time for pick ups then you should have had more people working that day. Drop off went smooth and quick which was a wonderful change. There were issues with the gas tank latch and we had an in network warning so we could not connect to the Bluetooth. Other than that it was not too bad of an experience
Excellent experience at this location. Read lots of bad reviews before I got here and seriously considered cancelling and going with another company. Decided to roll the dice and I'm glad I stayed with Budget. The shuttle service was quick and efficient. Our vehicle was clean and fully fueled when I picked it up. Drop off was easy and there were no surprise charges like a lot of other reviewers mentioned.
The car had lots of body damage to front & passenger side Told attendant was not offered another car The front end was out of line & constant movement . Had to have a death grip with both hands to keep in lane. Not safe in Cory traffic Rear passenger tire had a leak & down to 27 filled back up & was at 30 when turned in This car has been in an accident & was still rented before repaired !!!
I would not recommend the Hobby Airport Budget to others based on the condition of the vehicle I received (dirty and not detailed at all) and because they provided me a regular-sized car seat when I specifically asked for an infant-sized car seat (which could put my child in harm's way). Also, no assistance was provided in installing the car seat (which was no easy feat).
We picked up a reserved car at Houston Hobby. Our agent Mia, was friendly, helpful and non pushy. The compact car was clean and brought up to the door to us. The vehicle was perfect for hauling 3 grandkids. Price was reasonable, drop off quick and easy. The shuttle was right there to return us to the airport. Enjoyed our cheerful, friendly shuttle driver as well.
The customer service people were great but the actual car rental at the airport was horrible and a complete nightmare. The young lady at the counter had the nerve to talk about the company she works for and their customer support service staff. Half of the experience was great but that actually renting a car at the Hobby airport was horrible service.
after waiting an hour to get vehicle it's got dirty windshield inside and the smoke odor was overwhelming. I had to drive 6 hours with windows down the smell was so bad my eyes watered and I couldn't breathe well. Was told too bad people smoke we charge them 450$ for that. Well that doesn't do much for me andI don't get a discount for this.
This place is terrible! I’ve used them a couple of times of trips to Houston. And, each time, there has been an issue. After waiting almost as long as my flight was to get to the counter, I was told that they were waiting for cars to come in. Budget should review their process and make some changes. I will no longer rent from them.
Be cautious of this budget location when you rent from here. They will charge you for gas and other things you didn't agree on and not give you a receipt so you can use to file a dispute. If you do, be sure to have them print off your receipt. You'll better off renting a car from somewhere else. They're scammers at this place.
My flight was cancelled so I had to go to a different airport in Houston. They charged me $300+ dollars to drop the car off at another airport. I was told at the counter they would waive the fee. He said he would take care of it, but I could not wait as I needed to make my flight. I received the receipt with the charge.
Rented a vehicle over the Memorial Day weekend from the Budget at Hobby Airport in Houston. Real good experience. Reserved a compact vehicle but they didn't have any available. Put me in a Dodge Ram truck for the same price. I came in late in the evening and they got me in and out and on my way. Great customer service.
My 1st time getting a rental from Budget… For me it was the online customer service representative she was absolutely amazing Next it was the two customer service representative at the rental location both representative was Awesome last but not least the Guys at that serviced the car they all were awesome as well!!!!
Fast service, we took the shuttle to and from the airport. Our car was ready upon arrival. Make sure to take pictures before you leave because our car had small paint chips. Also fill up close to the airport. The car was good on gas after a 4 day rental only filled upon return. Prices are cheaper in advance.
We usually rent from Budget and have always had good service. This time, the agent tried to give us an electric vehicle without even asking. I nixed that on the spot. Nothing against EV's, but on vacation, where do I charge it? No thanks! Otherwise, great vehicles at great prices!
Everything was perfect. The only thing that I wouldn't recommend is the option to pay the gas in advance to "avoid" the hassle of returning the car with a full tank. I merely used a quarter of the tank and I ended up paying for the full tank with that option. Rookie mistake.
Please stay away from Budget. Car had smoke smelled inside, the drop off staff wasn't helpful at all. Compared to National or Enterprise this experience was far below my expectations. Only reason I picked budget is because they didn't have cars at the other two providers.
Hassan, Ashley, and Germaine rocked it tonight! Exceptional customer service and they had to deal with some very challenging people! They were accommodating, helped explain things and had great attitudes! You all are rockstars! Thank you so much for what you do everyday!
Female shuttle bus driver from Friday night, forgot her name but she works evenings only, older Female African American l. I was given electric car without no instructions she Ms. Willamette (sorry I forgot your name but I will never forget your face, my ANGEL
I was charged an additional fee for fuel even after I filled up the fuel before dropping off. I also had an extensive wait of 30 minutes before my shuttle picked me up to take me to the rental car. Just not an enjoyable experience this time for me Budget.
They scanned my driver's license and said it came back "red." I have no tickets or accidents. No wants or warrants. The Florida DMV said my license is valid. Budget refused to give me a car. Don't press you're luck here; go elsewhere. 0 out of 5 stars.
Renters beware. Tacked on 300 extra in fees over the rental price then tried to say car was damaged, soiled, smoke, torn seats. Unbelievable! Fortunately have before and after pictures but the Budget at Houson Hobby airport is run by a bunch of crooks!
Everything was great. The car pickup was easy as well as the drop-off. Only part that ticked me off was them charging $131.00 to fill up a tank that wasnt even empty yet. And I made sure to take a picture. That’s like 3x as much as a full tank. Greedy
So, I booked a Tesla online... No problems.... show up at their site, and they inform me that they do not have any Tesla's and the closest thing they can do is a Mitsubishi Outlander. The vehicle was nasty and full of scratches and dinks.
It’s was a very easy, professional, & cost effective experience. My only issue was that the car I received (though was clean and ran great) was a little banged up. Other than that I was very happy with my experience and will use again.
Received the only car available and it was filthy. I had it less than a day, and after I returned it, I received an email for $450 fee for a smoke smell. I don't smoke. I had to take to 5 customer service agents to get this removed...
I will leave a higher rating if the issue promptly resolves. The gas tank was not full when I picked up the car. I did not discover it until I was about 5 minutes into my drive. I took a photo. Hopefully I will hear from Budget soon.
This (HOU) is a great location. As a preferred customer I didn’t have to wait on a long line at the counter. My vehicle was already selected and I just got in and left. Very smooth process. I wish all airport were like this.
The service was great. It was very easy to reserve and drop off my car. The receipt was sent immediately with no delay. I also had an issue with my bill but it was taken care of very quickly with a favorable outcome.
Unfriendly, was charged for stuff I didn't want, even gas when I left the car with a full tank. **** service was not good at this location but customer service for budget went above and beyond to fix my problem.
The car I rented was dirty inside and out and had a stinky smell inside the car. It was one person working the counter, 20 plus people in line and 1:30 in the morning. The only reason I left with the car
The online information gathering made the car pickup a breeze as well as dropping it off. The car was clean, comfortable and drove great. The large screen synced with my phone made navigation easy.
Hobby airport budget has to be the worst I’ve ever experienced. Cars are always dirty especially outside but this time they gave me a SUV that had epilepsy how much it shook driving on the high way
Budget Car Rental have some of the best prices in the industry. So far, I have received quality and excellent service. My last rental was a Ford Mustang GT. I enjoyed it very much.
The vehicle I had reserved was not available so they gave me a mini van and it was really dirty in the back. The service was great though and I appreciated the shuttle ride.
Fast friendly service. Great value. Car was ready and clean. Easy check out and drop off returning the car. Will definitely use again when traveling and need a car rental.
Excellent customer service at the Hobby Airport location! A very busy Friday, line out the door, everyone composed. Loved my experience from beginning to end!
1638 reviews
17314 Palmetto Pines, Houston, TX 77032