Budget España Reviews 

We were asked if we wanted an upgrade which we declined. We were then asked what colour car we wanted red, silver or black? We said red we were told it was our lucky day, when we went to the car we had an upgrade which we assumed was free of charge as we had said no to extra charges. When we got home we had been charged 292 euroes we complained but have been told we need to pay. We have been conned.

I rented a car in Las Palmas Airport, Gran Canaria, the receptionist was fantastic, however the car I was given had a slow puncture which they changed the car, however I left my medical bracelet that recorded my Blood pressure and heart rate in the original rental car, I called them to let them know and they assured me that the car had not been rented out, so will let me know when they see it. I called the following day to get an update only to be told they didn't find the bracelet which I specifically told them was in the center console, someone in that branch had obviously taken the bracelet thinking it's a fashion accessory. I now have to replace the equipment at a cost of £200. The whole experience has left a sour taste and will not be renting from Budget ever again.

Budget is unethical - there was a dent in the car and they told me not to worry, they will update their system. Trusting them, I didn't ask for updated paperwork, and when I returned the car 5 days later, there was NO record of the dent in the system. Now they want to charge 600 euros to fix it. This is the SECOND time something like this has happened. Avoid them. They lie. They steal.

Unfortunately, insufficient and incorrect information provided by Budget Car Rental at Valencia Airport. It was just a nightmare at the beginning of a long-awaited vacation. It's a pity that car rental still seems so complicated these days - probably due to unqualified staff. A better rental agreement explained on site should really be considered in the future. I'm not surprised by all the bad reviews.

All in all, a very unprofessional and extremely unfriendly handling of the rental - in short: an absolute nightmare and definitely not recommended! Rental conditions were not clear from the company and you were expected to sign a rental agreement for a car that you had not even viewed with the staff. Ultimately, contract information was handed out in the wrong language (neither in English, German or Spanish) - unfortunately all very unprofessional and very chaotic! I wonder how a business like this can exist. The manager of this business unit should take immediate action, please!

Update as of 9/24/2023, 4 months after we rented the car we finally reached the Presidents office. the executive team was able to research the situation and did the right thing and refunded our card for the false claims. It was a lot of work and I put in many hours to get to the right people to resolve the issue,

MR KEITH RANKIN (President of international for Avis/ Budget). I wrote you a letter with all this documentation and you just passed it back to your customer service team to respond with the generic apology!!! You need to take a look at this location at the Malaga Spain airport and review their fraudulent business practices. This Budget location at the Malaga, Spain airport steals your money and is dishonest. We rented a car for 3 days only to be used to get to our resort(60 miles each way) Returned the car in perfect condition and a full tank of gas. Upon return home, we noticed a charge of over $500 in addition to the agreed upon price. We were never notified of any issues. We tried to call the office in Spain(they don't answer). After many calls and emails, someone in the US was able to send us a breakdown of what the charges were for. They are claiming that there is a parcel shelf missing! I can assure you that we did not walk away with that shelf which is approx 3 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet and take it on the plane home! It was never there! You sent us a blurry picture showing only black when the trunk was open. Show us a picture of us in the car before we left the airport? You can't! We did not take that part. In addition, we filled our tank right outside the airport and you still charged us for 35 euros. You even say in your notes that the tank was full on return and we provided a picture. Take responsibility and do the right thing! Don't use this rental company at the Malaga airport...it's a scam.

They are thieves. The person who does the check when taking the car, systematically tells you, when you point out to him that there is a small scratch here, or there, that it is not important that it is nothing at all . On return, they charge you a damage fee of €500 for a 2cm scratch on the hood which, for once, is almost invisible. It's an organized scam. Avoid them like the black plague!

Rented at Menorca Airport. I was offered an upgrade for 15 EUR extra a day which I accepted. It was a brand new SUV with approx.150 HP.
Dragging heavy luggage out of airport to rental building was a challenge. It is not a short distance.
Floor mats are an important part of car interior. Car rental companies keep removing them before renting. The customer has a hard time cleaning the car before return. We started to use paper from carton boxes or bags to protect the floor of the rental car. Very annoying...
I did not like the option of 72 EUR pre-payment for gas, but I agreed because the gas was offered below street-price and it is like insurance if you have no time to fill the tank to catch your plane. The amount was returned promptly after rental.
I never buy the extra insurance from any car rental. But it is a risk. Even if you buy it, many things are not covered anyway. Renting a car is a risk on its own.
I've heard this summer from a rental company worker elsewhere that people below 25-40 are not renting cars on beach vacation anymore, they take buses instead. If car rental companies push a little harder with their unfair practices and super high prices, they will not have enough customers in the near future.

We had no extra charges after returning the car which was good.

Take time-stamped photos and videos before driving away.
Clean the car body and interior before returning.
Fill the tank and take time-stamped photo of the gauge before returning.
Try to be nice to staff, it is extremely important! You cannot win an argument by being arrogant.

There are pros and cons of booking directly at Budget website. Prices are the same but in case of a problem, there won't be a third-party supporting your claim.

I wish to have read online reviews of this company before I booked. Now I know why the rental office at the airport was empty when while a nearby rental agency was packed. The rental agent slided added charges and services (roadside assistance) without my knowledge then rushed me into signing a contract in Spanish knowing that I do not speak the language. The other agents where rude when I returned the car. The company refuses to assume responsibility for the unethical conduct of their agent. Instead, the customer service office affirmed that I signed a contract so it is my problem. Never will I seek this company's services anywhere in the world.

I picked up a car from the airport today and was told the car was in perfect condition. The garage was so dark and the car was backed in, so I did a look around and didn’t see anything. When we got to the hotel, in daylight, there was a huge scratch on the rear bumper. I immediately called every number they gave me, only to get a recording then be disconnected. I called Chase to report their fraudulent dealings. Unfortunate start to my vacation.

I rented a car at Murcia airport almost a month ago and I’m still waiting to receive the deposit

Month after the rental, the company charged me 80 euros for unknown reason. I tried contacting them but i haven't received any response. NEVER RENT A CAR THROUGH THIS COMPANY!

Good cars to chose from and very quick and friendly service

Could not get into the Budget rental car on the day of our return - something about the electrical key not working. Tried all phone numbers available with no luck. They simply did not answer the two provided 24/7 Road Assistance numbers. Could not get in contact with any Budget car rental offices anywhere, so we had to leave the car and pay 200 euros for a taxi from Tarifa to the Malaga airport.
When returning the car key at the office (since we were not able to bring the car), the Budget employee asked for my email address and accepted to refund our taxi costs as soon as they had picked up the car.
One month later I have heard and received nothing from them. They do not answer my emails nor pick up the phone. I have tried for hours...
Do NOT book a car with Budget car rental in Malaga.
By the way, it's the same company as Avis. They don't answer the phone either.

Hired a car for 2 weeks at Palma Airport, Majorca at cost of about £800. Late at night given old car with lots of minor dents. Fuelling options not explained, they just assume you will return not filled, hence charged extra. Returning agent said I would be given a refund. He lied and no refund forthcoming. A most unpleasant experience and I strongly suggest you never hire from this company.

Car stolen, Terrible service promised a car , no car promised a part refund , no refund and call back or email! Full insurance! A
joke! Left stranded.. no communication at all!! One department to the next!

I rented a car from Budget/ Malaga airport and returned it on time with no (further) damage and a full tank, all my responsibilities with the contract.On returning home I find that further funds were taken from my bank.
I called budget and they said it was a mistake. Weeks later it’s not been refunded. No response from the many emails to them.
I won’t be using Budget car hire again.

During a short trip to Madrid past 7 Jan22 called for information to 902 112 585.

Today I realized that i was charged 25 Swiss francs (~24 Euros) for less than 5 minutes. The website does not mention that you will be charged for calling to that number or the cost per minute.

Apparently local government passed a law in 2020 that forbids companies from using these pay numbers so wondering why this company still use a 902 line.

In summary, the company try to make easy money with uninformed tourists. Not informing the cost per minute in the website makes it look like a scam.

I rented a car from their Palma office on October 16th for EUR 260. But when I returned it, a mystery charge in the "Other Fees" for EUR 41.53 appeared. I asked the woman at the airport but she said all was fine and I could follow up later. I assumed I had misread the rather confusing invoice so accepted it as she requested. I now am out of pocket EUR 41.53. I feel ripped off by this company.
.......
Well, I emailed the contact that David from the company provided below on Wednesday morning and I have followed up twice. No answer. I also filled on a contact form on the Budget Spain and UK sites. I provided all the required information. Yet no answer. It really is shocking. One has to wonder if this is an intentional policy. Well, Budget, I haven't given up yet....

Follow up: Budget asked for clarification of the RA agreement last Friday. Since then, radio silence. I wonder what is going on here? I suspect , not yet confirmed, that the overcharge was for fuel. I returned the car with a full tank and presented the receipt as requested. But I found it odd that the initial contract mentioned a fuel charge. When I queried it, I was told not to worry and I wouldn't be charged that if I brought the car back with a full tank. But as other reviewers mentioned being overcharged for this, I wonder if that is what happened? In any case, DO NOT RENT from these guys. Pay up and use Sixt or someone else.

As other reviewers advise AVOID Budget Malaga at all costs or you will be ripped off. Zero customer service, massive queues, unhelpful and rude staff. Plane was delayed despite paying a late booking fee, they closed the office. Then charged us £550 extra as we did not pick the car up within 24hrs. When we pointed out it was within 24hrs, we were told it had to be before midnight on the same day. Our booking was for 11.30pm!

I rented a car from Budget, I was served by a lady from Avis and I was given another older car from another company. Tourism Prime. He hit me with the broken back wiper and when I got back they wanted me to pay for the wiper. Some miserable people. Tenerife south