Avis and Budget, which are owned by the same company, are co-located in the Hilton in downtown Charlotte. This review addresses Budget, but either way if you rent from this location you will deal with the same organization and the same representatives behind the counter, which appears to be the rental car world epicenter of negligence, rudeness and dishonesty, at least as long as the current general manager is employed there. The short version of this review: you do not under any circumstances want to rent a vehicle from this location. Want more? Read on.
I reserved and paid for a one week rental of a full-size vehicle. I was assigned a Nissan Sentra, which is classified as an intermediate (you can look it up on the Avis or Budget websites), with the assertion that it was a full size car, and the excuse that it was the last vehicle they had available. On day two, it became clear that the occasional day one appearance of a large stink bug on the seat, the floor, the dash, etc. was in fact an infestation. I returned to the location and explained the need for an exchange. The general manager offered no concern or apology but remarked that "someone must have used the car to move", which fell somewhere short of an appropriate response in the circumstances.
The vehicle I was assigned in exchange proved far worse. In short order I had a flat rear tire, and happened to be only several blocks from the Budget/Avis location at the time. I phoned them. They told me they were about to close for the day and could do nothing to help. They said I should call the Budget roadside assistance number. Instead, I changed the flat tire. This is where the gross negligence part comes in...that tire had gone flat because it was worn all the way through not only the tread but also the steel belt. Think about this: not just worn down, not bald, but all the way through the steel fibers. Incredibly, the other rear tire was also worn through to expose the steel belt. Makes you wonder does Budget/Avis EVER inspect or service their vehicles? Either they were grossly negligent, or they were aware of the condition and chose to recklessly endanger the welfare of their customers, passengers and anyone close to this vehicle. Had the tire blown out when I was driving 55 mph...
A replacement vehicle required a half day of talking to Budget representatives. They finally agreed to an extension of my rental period which they deemed "adequate compensation." I sent photos of the worn-through tires to the Charlotte location's general manager; he replied that the vehicle must have been defective. Budget's national customer service office wrote to inform me that their "service" to me would consist of reporting the incident to the location's general manager who had rented me this potentially lethal vehicle to begin with.
On returning the vehicle, the general manager failed to clear even the low bar he had already set for customer care. He insisted that he must charge me penalty fees for returning the vehicle late. I reminded him that Budget's national customer service office had authorized an extension. He insisted the car was late, then carried on angrily about how he had "given" me several days of usage "for free." His approach veered between indifferent and hostile throughout the interaction.
Need a rental car in Charlotte? There are many options, and you could not possibly choose a worse provider than the Avis/Budget location at the downtown Hilton. read more
