PHX Phoenix Budget Fullsize

[KatiesMom]

Bid $15, $16, $17, $18, $19 over the course of a couple weeks. Finally accepted at $19 for 8/11-8/18.

PHX in terminal--Budget Rental, full-size car.

Your Offer Price: $19.00

Total Rental Days: 7

Subtotal: $133.00

Taxes & Fees: $83.47

Total Charges: $216.47

Lowest Published Price: $424.23

Total Savings:* $207.76

Wondering if this really is a baragain... Lowest published I saw was $246 not $424...where do they get their numbers??

I used savingsbarn.

[KatiesMom]

We recently returned from an amazing trip to the southwest (thank you LoneStar!!) and the only slightly sour taste I have is from Budget Rental Car at PHX airport.

I won a bid for a full size car from Budget via Priceline for $19 a day plus obscene PHX taxes. (See my related post on here).

All rental car companies for PHX are located at an off site terminal, the good news is the shuttle is amazingly fast and efficient...kudos there PHX.

No line at Budget.. good again...the clerk said we were getting a Pontiac Grand Prix which is what I expected so that was good too. We got to the parking space the clerk wrote down and packed the bags into the car... I never even looked at the car except for its color, I was however, surprised that the car was as small as it was, as I have experience with Grand Prixs and this was the smallest I had ever been in..then again new cars are always changing... so I didn't think much of it.

On the way out, a gate attendant checked our paperwork and said we had the wrong car. We showed him the parking space number the clerk wrote and he said she may have written it but it was the wrong car. Then he said wait, he was going to make a phone call. Several minutes later, he apologized for the inconvenience and said we could go. So we did...

A day into the trip I looked at the back of the car and noticed it was a G6 not a Grand Prix. I knew then that we did indeed have the "wrong" car and that's why it seemed so small.

At this point, we just pressed on... we were at the Grand Canyon and no way was I going to go back to PHX. My chief concern was how the car would handle a 1,300 mile desert road trip.

Then bad luck struck. On the last day of the trip my husband got ill and could not fly. We had to change our flight (Delta charged us no additional fee for the change even though we had a very low special non- cancellable, non refundable airfare rate), book another night at our hotel (The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess charged us just $99, the same special rate we booked the first night for), and extend the rental car for another day...

I called Budget and they were nice to me UNTIL they saw that my contract was prepaid (aka Priceline). I was told to bring the car in and I would have to talk to a clerk there, there was nothing they could do for me.

So when I brought the car in, indeed I was directed to a clerk... I explained the circumstances and also mentioned that I had paid for a Grand Prix and was only given a G6 so perhaps the whole thing could be a wash.... Oh no...I was told I had to pay $68 for another day. I counted the hours I was late and they weren't even 24 more than what I had booked for so I wondered if technically I wasn't too late...

Nope tooo bad... $68 just pay. In fact, don't worry about paying because we have your VISA on file and are charging it to that card...

I understand charging me a late fee...okay but is $68 reasonable for that G6?? I don't think so.

Not wanting to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it makes me think priceline customers are treated rather shabbily by Budget.

Anyone think I have any recourse or do I just take my lumps on this one?

[thereuare]

The hourly charge at most rental companies is so 'out of line' with the daily change divided by 24, that usually after a 2-4 hour 'grace period' the daily rate is the cheaper than paying the hourly rate for the hours you were late.

I'm sure Budget charged the going 'rack' rate, which they are in their right to do. However, if you'd like to pursue it given the circumstance of the smaller car received, i'd contact Budget HQ and ask them to call it a 'wash'.

At least you didn't let it spoil trip... let us know if you pursue it and if you make any headway.

[KatiesMom]

Based on your response, I called Budget HQ and a customer service rep said Budget will credit my VISA the full $68. Another happy ending, and good show, Budget!

Thanks for your encouragement Thereuare!

P.S. Husband was hospitalized again today. It turns out it is a bad case of Lyme Disease! But at least he is getting the proper meds and treatment, and should have a good recovery.

[thereuare]

Glad it worked out well for you (with the car rental) and we wish your husband well.