Take your pick: Basic economy, standard economy or…. something slightly better, but pricier?
Help! Budget Charged Us $450 to Clean Our Rental Car. Can They Do That?
05.11.2024 - 07:01 / nytimes.com
We rented a car from the Budget agency at Kennedy Airport in New York this past August for a two-week family vacation. When we returned it, the staff member who checked it in told me everything was fine. But four days later Budget sent a letter saying it was charging my credit card $450 for “Excessive Interior Dirt — Sand.” I complained multiple times via email, sending them time-stamped photos and video I had taken of the car’s interior, to no avail. Can you help?
I took a look at your images, but also those from Budget’s own damage report, and could see little grime beyond kid footprints on the back of the driver’s seat and some dirt in the footwells.
The company’s terms and conditions note that it can bill you “for what we determine in our sole discretion are excessive stains, trash, dirt, soilage, odors or pet hair,” and elsewhere on its website states that fees max out at $450, noting that “tobacco odor and residue” might result in such a charge.
Determining cleaning fees is not an exact science, but it’s also not brain surgery: Budget went overboard here. As far as I can see, there’s no excessive anywhere.
Soon after I contacted Budget, an employee called you to offer a full refund and you said the company admitted the charge was disproportionate. But in a statement sent to me, Lauren Bristow, Budget’s director of marketing and communications, avoided admitting the company was at fault.
“In this case, the vehicle did require additional cleaning, which resulted in the cleaning fee,” she wrote. “However, as part of our commitment to customer satisfaction and based on this customer’s overall rental experience, we did refund the charge in full as a gesture of goodwill.”
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
thepointsguy.com
20.11.2024 / 17:51
First look: Here are your new 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade floats and balloons
It's one of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions: watching the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The parade has been happening since 1924, and this year is the 98th edition. It'll occur Thursday, Nov. 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon EST.
insider.com
19.11.2024 / 14:21
The 5 best states to visit on your first trip to the US, according to a traveler who's been to all 50
From lush forests to scenic seaside drives and iconic skylines, the US has something for every type of traveler.
skift.com
19.11.2024 / 11:35
Arthur Frommer, Budget Travel Pioneer, Dies at 95
Budget travel pioneer Arthur Frommer passed away yesterday at the age of 95, his daughter Pauline Frommer wrote yesterday afternoon.
nytimes.com
19.11.2024 / 10:35
I Liked New York as a Tourist. I Fell In Love With It as a Tour Guide.
On a rainy December day in 2022, I did what most New Yorkers loathe to do: I took the train to Times Square. I made my way into a testing center used by the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, somewhere between Margaritaville and Madame Tussauds. No, I had not been subpoenaed; rather, I was one multiple-choice test away from becoming a licensed sightseeing guide. All I had to do was answer 150 questions about history, architecture and transit in the five boroughs.
thepointsguy.com
18.11.2024 / 20:27
Select Chase cardholders can spend $100 and get $25 back at eligible restaurants
Select Chase cardholders can get a limited-time $25 statement credit when they spend $100 or more at eligible restaurants in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami.
skift.com
18.11.2024 / 19:43
Spirit’s Bankruptcy: Our Answers to the 5 Biggest Questions
Spirit Airlines became the first major U.S. airline in 13 years to file for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy after facing mounting debts and declining revenues.
insider.com
18.11.2024 / 17:39
I've been skiing for decades, but my wife hates it. We have to get a little creative on our winter vacations.
In the early days of our relationship, my wife and I took a ski trip with another couple. My friend and I had been skiing and snowboarding our entire lives, but both of our then-girlfriends were novices.
euronews.com
16.11.2024 / 01:21
Brace yourself for travel disruption in France: Winter will be the season of strikes
Planning to visit or travel within France this November and December?
travelandleisure.com
15.11.2024 / 17:33
This Budget Airline Is Making It Easier to Get to Turkey — What to Know
Icelandic carrier Icelandair will launch new flights from its hub in Reykjavik to Istanbul next year, making it easier — and cheaper — to connect to the Turkish city from the United States.
thepointsguy.com
15.11.2024 / 16:31
American and JetBlue not ruling out reunion, despite another court blocking former Northeast Alliance
Could American Airlines and JetBlue make another go at a partnership in the Northeast?
nytimes.com
12.11.2024 / 10:37
Airlines Hate ‘Skiplagging.’ Meet the Man Who Helps Travelers Pull It Off.
Finding a great flight deal often involves diligently tracking and setting price alerts, comparing miles or points programs, signing up for new credit cards, flying out of an inconvenient airport at an inconvenient time, and more.