Don't rent from Budget

Below is the letter that I have sent to Budget regarding today's experience:

In February of this year, in anticipation of our trip to Charleston, my husband and I reserved and paid for a mid-sized vehicle from the Budget rental office at 390 Meeting Street in Charleston.  The reason we chose a mid-sized vehicle over a larger one was for fuel economy and environmental concerns.

We travelled to Charleston on May 9^th, and went to pick up the car that we had reserved and paid for more than two months prior.  When we arrived at the office we were informed that not only were there no mid-sized vehicles available to us (our first choice), but neither were there any economy vehicles available (our second choice).  We were offered the option of either a gigantic Lincoln Navigator SUV or a family sized Toyota mini-van.  For reasons of gas economy, we clearly wanted neither vehicle, as we had planned to drive from Charleston to Nashville, Tennessee.

I explained this to the individual working at the Meeting Street office who essentially told us his hands were tied, and continued to try and up sell us on a Lincoln Navigator, though we repeatedly expressed that we did not want this vehicle for several reasons.  He made two half-hearted attempts to call other Budget offices to see if any mid-sized vehicles would be delivered to the Meeting Street address, and when none appeared forthcoming, he told us we would have to take either the minivan or the SUV, drive to Charleston Airport (on our own time, with us paying for the fuel used to get there) where we could switch the vehicle for a mid sized one.

Clearly and obviously unhappy I called the 1-800 customer service number and spoke with a man (whose name I did not record) who told me he understood my frustration, that he would reach out the Budget at the airport and arrange to have a car brought from the airport to the Meeting street address where it should have been to begin with, as that is what we reserved and paid for.  After being put on hold so he could call the Airport, I was promptly disconnected.  When I called back and explained the situation to the woman who answered my call, she said she had no notes on our file regarding the preceding conversation.

At the end up the day, frustrated by such an utter lack of regard for our time, and with Budget having failed to offer even the basic modicum of customer service, we took the Toyota minivan.  Instead of wasting more of our vacation time to drive to the Airport, spend time switching out a vehicle, and then backtrack from whence we came, we continued on in a vehicle that we did not want, and that we did not reserve.
I have never experienced such a complete and utter disregard for a customer’s business.    The second person I spoke to at the 1-800 number offered her apologies and two $25 gift certificates towards our next Budget rental, but I declined because not only will I never use Budget again, but I will actively ensure that I share my experience on Facebook, Trip Advisor, my blog, word of mouth and every other avail opportunity to me.

Should you wish to discuss further, I can be reached at...