Budget - Surprised, not pleased: $10/day late fee, in addition to daily rate

I expected to pay the $18.05 per additional day - and t&f - when I was late. Not a bad deal, actually. Then I saw the $10 fee. Never had that before. Moreover, the customer service rep said, it would have been $10/day if I'd kept it longer than the one day.

Moreover, this was not in the contract.

I expected to pay the $18.05 per additional day - and t&f - when I was late. Not a bad deal, actually. Then I saw the $10 fee. Never had that before. Moreover, the customer service rep said, it would have been $10/day if I'd kept it longer than the one day.

Moreover, this was not in the contract.

Do you have original paperwork showing anything about this? If not on there call up and contest it. If it's a location you rent a lot from and that may be due to the 5k/Delta promo explain you rent a lot from them and maybe they'll drop it this one time. I returned a car Easter evening only to find it closed. Well now I'll have to pay for another day- and I forgot to enter mileage in nor provide gas receipt. Actually I didn't take it of the lot. Rent from them a lot for the 5K promo just pick up paperwork and keys and come back 2 days later and hand it back they usually throw on 100 miles so as notto charge me for fuel and that's it. I called next day- they didn't charge me extra day nor the fuel charge for less than 100 miles.^

Nevermind.

And I thought my biggest problem was the $10 late fee... Is there a smiley for "Eating.My.Words!"? Maybe this works: ^:eek:

I feel that the following is really buried, discoverable only if you click on the link on the last rental page, "You're done! Your car is rented!"

The following terms and conditions apply for your rental:

additional fees & credit holds:

• To extend a rental from your originally scheduled return time, you must contact a Budget reservation agent at 800-824-6287. A service fee of $10 will apply and your original per-day rental rate may change. If within 7 hours of your originally scheduled return time you don't call to extend your rental, a $10/day late fee will apply.
• Your total rental rate is calculated based on the information provided at time of reservation.
• Vehicles are rented on a daily (24-hour) basis. There is a 29-minute grace period for returns. After 30 minutes late, a 3/4-day late charge + $.01 + taxes apply. After 90 minutes late, full-day late charges + taxes apply. There is no grace period for rental fees, surcharges and optional equipment or protections charges, so full-day late charges will apply for these items.
• If your plans change and you no longer require the rental, you must cancel this reservation before the scheduled pick up time or you will be charged a $75 US fee ($50 US for a pre-paid rental).

I was doing a series of two-day 2-day/5,000 SkyMiles rentals, keeping the same car, to capitalize on the promo. So the one day I was late returning on one rental, I was a no-show for the following one. But I "picked up" on a new rez the next day. Looks like I may be out the $75 no-show fee, as well. (Though, in the event, nothing was said.) I expect to see it on my Visa statement...

We should read the fine print, but this is a big change. I think there should be a highlighted warning. Until or unless it is, in the meantime, Budget is going to make a ton of money on this.

...which is a long way of saying, "It was in the contract, Bozo!"

^:eek:

To put to rest the $75 no-show fee worry - mine anyway :o - as srodr diplomatically pointed out in the other thread, we don't put a credit card on the reservation, so they really can't enforce the fee until a cc is required, even though the penalty provision really is in the fine print.

I expected to pay the $18.05 per additional day - and t&f - when I was late. Not a bad deal, actually. Then I saw the $10 fee. Never had that before. Moreover, the customer service rep said, it would have been $10/day if I'd kept it longer than the one day.

Moreover, this was not in the contract.

I was hit by the $10 fee yesterday and had it removed.
I picked up a car at 6:15PM and reserved it to drop off at 7AM the next morning. Before I left I asked the agent in the fastbreak office if there would be an extra fee if I kept it past 7Am and was told there wouldn't be.
However, I returned it at 6:11 PM and saw a $10 late fee added. ...???
The contract indicates cars are rented on a 24 hour basis. The rate booked did not change based on the time I returned the car. That is, if I had orignally booked for a 6:15 PM return, the rate would have been the same.
I have learned my lesson. The next time, if I ever book with Budget again, will be to book the entire 24 hour period. This is nonsense.

+1 - This is true with all car rentals. I always list the drop off at roughly the 24-hour mark. Some have penalties, some do not, but nobody needs the hassle of being hassled for being "late" when it's been paid for.

Good example of bad business practice by Budget. For $10, they lose the value of the information they would otherwise honestly obtain from customers.

+1 - This is true with all car rentals. I always list the drop off at roughly the 24-hour mark. Some have penalties, some do not, but nobody needs the hassle of being hassled for being "late" when it's been paid for.

Good example of bad business practice by Budget. For $10, they lose the value of the information they would otherwise honestly obtain from customers.

It is not true with all car rentals. I have never been hit with a $10 fee from Hertz or National when returning after the requested drop time, but within the 24 hour of the day. I understand a charge if the rate changes if you drop off after a certain time. In this case, there was no rate change. It went from a 13 hour rental to a 24 hour rental. Budget says the rates are for 24 hours. I rented from them, because it was the cheapest rate from SJC to SFO... no drop fee.
It was my first fastbreak rental. Fastbreak doesn't even compare to Hertz Gold or National Emerald (I use National Executive). You have to first stop at the desk to get a contract. They did drop the fee on request, but they have lost a customer for other rentals.

It is not true with all car rentals. I have never been hit with a $10 fee from Hertz or National when returning after the requested drop time, but within the 24 hour of the day. I understand a charge if the rate changes if you drop off after a certain time. In this case, there was no rate change. It went from a 13 hour rental to a 24 hour rental. Budget says the rates are for 24 hours. I rented from them, because it was the cheapest rate from SJC to SFO... no drop fee.
It was my first fastbreak rental. Fastbreak doesn't even compare to Hertz Gold or National Emerald (I use National Executive). You have to first stop at the desk to get a contract. They did drop the fee on request, but they have lost a customer for other rentals.
I didn't say the $10 fee is charged on all car rentals. If you read the context of what I wrote, you would see that it is the drop off time which is requested on all car rentals.