Budget Bucks
 

I have been getting these 25 dollar budget bucks in the mail. Is anyone else getting them? Has anyone used them yet? Can you use more then one at once?

I used one. I presented it with my DL when I went to pick up the car. The clerk at the Fastbreak area did not appear to have seen one before, but after about 5 minutes applied it. It was for a 19 or so hour rental. It adjusted the rate of the rental so the amount taxed on the percentages was much lower. The fixed rate CFC remained unchanged. Basically my rental was originally quoted at $54 total, but after this coupon and the tax adjustment it provided I paid them around $17.

Where I am having an issue with them is I have had a number of rentals that are 1.8 or 1.9 days and these show as ineligible even though my receipts show I paid for 2 days. I am working with their customer service right now actually to get that resolved. I believe this has been discussed elsewhere on the board, and customer service will resolve if brought to their attention.

I should also mention if you redeem a Budget Buck that reservation will not count toward the future "2" reservations of 2+ days needed to earn another Budget Buck. Hence why I saved mine for a convenient one day rental. Still got some WN points off of that one day rental though. No HH. I like Budget.

I had about 4 e-mails back and forth with Budget until they agreed to provide credit for rentals of 1.8 and 1.9 days that were charged as 2 days.

The terms and conditions of the promotion clearly state the requirement is a rental with "two paid days."

They need to change their computer system... maybe renters who are achieving the "two paid days" are not receiving credit for this because they only rented for 46 or 47 hours rather than the full 48 hours and that simply is wrong.

I used 4 of them at the Airport Budget at COS for a 3 day rental. The compact rental cost me something like $2.50. The folks at the counter will have to do something to your reservation in order to apply these, but it only took like 5 minutes.

This has been a great promo! Used 4, still have 6 in the bank.

This is great news. I have at least 4 of these certificates just sitting around doing nothing. Thanks for the tip.

^

The terms and conditions are a bit unclear, has anyone successfully used one of these with a BCD that gives points without a coupon (like the Club Carlson ones)?

The online booking site accepts the BCD and coupon code, but the terms say it can't be combined with any other offer etc, I'm hoping that just means other coupons.

2012 re-up!
 

Looks like this promo has been renewed for 2012!

http://www.budget.com/bucks/

I have been using BCD and coupon codes with these all the time with no problem. I just present the coupon to the fastbreak booth when i pickup the car or at the counter when i checkout.

I have already received one of the new budget bucks and instead of saying same as cash like the 2010-2011 ones did, these say "$25 off time and mileage" "taxes and optional services and other surcharges are extra and at the renters expense". These also expire 12/31/2012

I used one of the new ones this past weekend (I never got the old ones). The time and mileage charge for my rental was $24.30, the coupon subtracted $25, leaving a balance of $.70 before taxes and fees.

I guess Budget's computers aren't set up to handle negative values. I don't really care since it's less than $1, but thought I'd mention it before someone posts they used one on a $16 base rental and only got a $7 discount.

I used 3 of these certificates in ABQ last weekend. My rental didn't cost me a dime for the 3 weekend days.

You do have to go to the counter and have them modify your reservation but it is worth it. My car was upgraded for this rental as well. I just got the email today for another of these certificates. I guess later in the summer I'll be using it.

:D

What are everyone's recent experiences with the issue of rentals that are less than 48 hours?

Last November, 1 email to Customer Service got me an apology with all of my missing Bonus Bucks for about 6 rentals, some of which were barely over 24 hours, but charged as 2 days.

Today, I got a reply to a similar request that less than 48 hours doesn't qualify and that I will get some smaller, partial ammount of bucks as a courtesy. Is everyone getting their full ammount of bucks for these rentals?
Thanks!

I've just started to redeem my Budget Bucks on all those <2 day rentals.

Have they changed the terms and conditions to state that 48 hours of renting time is required?

Budget at ABQ seems to always require Fastbreak to go to the counter... paperwork being ready to go isn't always the case, either.

Budget at MCI had a very nice Fastbreak; identical set up to an Avis Preferred. Go to your assigned zone, pick the car up, and go to the check out window.

Update on 2 day rentals and other items
 

With the current AA bonus miles promos and rate differences, I find Budget is a better choice than Avis at the moment (although I don't think it matters to Avis which side I pick).

Are folks still trying to get manual adjustments on the "paid for 2 days, rental less than 48 hours)" situation?

Thanks,
Rasheed

I went up the chain w/reps/supervisors yesterday for rentals of 1.75 and 1.91 days and they all said because of the way its determined by the computer they don't count and there is nothing they can do about it. IS there anyone I can contact about this crap?

My Budget Bucks voucher was not honored today at MCI. I made my reservation through Costco.com and chose Budget even though they cost $10 more than Enterprise with the intention of using my voucher. My plan was to keep Budget if I was told that the voucher could be used, or cancel on the spot and go with Enterprise if not.

When I got to the counter to pick up my car, the agent told me that I could only apply it when I returned the car (but I was cautioned not to let the car return people close out my rental). I did just that, and the counter agent said that he could only apply the voucher if I had entered it while booking online. I pointed out that I tried to do that, and every attempt to use the coupon code resulted in a "you can only use this coupon code at a service counter" error message. So he said that I should have called reservations and done it that way, and he couldn't do anything for me. It was 6 AM on a Sunday, so no manager on duty. I got his name and the manager's name/number, and told him point blank I expected a call from the manager first thing tomorrow. We'll see.