Well, as you can see from my post right behind this one, I experienced the same thing at the YVR location. Now, this is only my opinion, but I certainly felt like they were shaking down tourist. The amount they charged me was ridiculous.

Do I have insurance to cover it? Yes. That dosen't make it right. I have never felt so ripped off. Frankly, I have yet to find one person in the Cendant organization that cares about this. So I will submit the paperwork to my Visa and be done with it.

What a hassle. My only recourse is that I will NEVER use Budget again for business or liesure travel. There is simply no point in exposing myself to both the expense and hassle. I have never had an issue like this with Hertz nor have I ever heard of anyone who has. They respect their customers and deserve my business.