Budget Truck Rental

10/09/08

WARNING: Bait & Switch

by sunset_jes at Citysearch

I reserved a truck at this Budget Truck Rental location through the company's centralized website. I called to confirm twice the week before my move. The first time, the man who answered the phone told me that the computers were down and asked me to call back. The second, the man told me the truck was available before I was even able to tell him my name or give him my reservation number -- fishy.

At 8:30 the morning of my move, I went to pick up the truck I had reserved and the man behind the counter told me that they had overbooked. He suggested I get a larger truck (harder to drive in the city!) for an additional $100, with a higher mileage rate. When I insisted on the truck I had reserved, or at least a bigger truck at the same rate, he asked me to leave. He refused to give me the name of the manager and would not call other locations to see if they had trucks available.

Amazingly, another couple had reserved a truck of the same size and he pulled the same stunt with them -- right in front of my eyes!

I repeatedly called the Budget Truck Rental customer service number trying to get a truck so I could move my things, but the customer service representatives were unable to help. Finally, at 1 p.m., a customer service representative offered me a truck in Queens, near Long Island -- an hour drive away -- which I would have had to pick up and drop off myself. Needless to say, I did not get a truck from Budget Truck Rental that day, and I had to move the entire contents of my apartment by car.

I've learned that Budget Truck Rental locations are franchises. Stay away from this one -- and don't believe the great rate you get on the website. From my experience and from what I saw while I was trying to get a truck, it seems this franchise tries to make its money from dishonest bait & switch tactics!

• Pros: None
• Cons: Being Stuck without a Truck on the Day You Have to Move