For the Budget rental at 1830 S Wabash Ave. Unassuming store front but the one guy working was super helpful and friendly. (Didn't catch his name but he's going to on an international family trip this Christmas). I had made a reservation on Costco Travel for a one way rental (drop off at an airport, not where I picked the car up). Paperwork was simple and easy. He walked me out to the car and noted existing dents and dings on the car. He explained the optional electronic toll pass (which I ended up using). Got my receipt and was on the road in no more than 15 minutes. read more

Budget Car Rental - Receipt showing address - Automotive Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Rented a truck online, called early to see if we could get it early and they said no. We showed up 10 minutes before pickup and waited in the longest line. Service is SLOW and many people were still waiting. They didn't take cards with expiration dates past 2030.. read more

Terrible, terrible experience with Budget and the on-site representatives. We reserved a truck for a very time-sensitive move and received the reservation confirmation email (Confirmation #1808391637565). Upon our arrival at the location (Budget Of Wabash, 830 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60616), we were informed that while they were able to TAKE the reservation, but they failed to HOLD the reservation. And the holding is really the most important part - anybody can just take 'em! It was crucial that we meet the timae-slot for this move. The representatives informed us that it didn't matter if we reserved a confirmation email - that didn't mean that they would necessarily actually have a truck for us to rent! They said that many of their fleet had been vandalized and were undriveable. The counter reps refused to help, were completely unapologetic, and were incredibly rude to my wife. It ruined out entire moving day and we incurred several fees for the elevator reservations as well as not being out of our apartment in time. Incrtedibly disappointed. Zero stars. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. They told me they didn't have a truck less than 24 hours before my pick up time. Then they told me I could drive 1 hour and 20 min away to pick up the replacement truck. I made my reservation a MONTH in advance. DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY OR LOCATION. Unprofessional and rude on the phone. Told me I could "cuss him out if I wanted to but it wouldn't change the outcome". I wasn't cussing or anything I was being professional and assertive. 0/10 experience. read more

The staff here so so rude and never has cars you reserve and pay upfront. I will never ever come here. WORST STAFF EVER!!

I rented a vehicle here back in February 2025. The customer service representative, would NOT remove the prepaid gas off my bill, after I questioned her about it, she mentioned that it would fall off after I returned the vehicle with a full tank of gas ... unfortunately it did NOT fall off and BUDGET got away with 50$ plus a full tank of gas !!! RIP OFF!!! Stay away from this location if you can read more

Went through the trouble of signing up for an account and needed to rent a car today through tomorrow. They called me 5 min after completing my reservation that they don't have that car in stock because the renters decided to extend their rental. There were like 5-6 other cars on the site but they said they had no cars left to rent. Super frustrating and I call BS on the previous renters JUST having extended their rental. Sure for one car but for 5-6 cars? You all just aren't updating your system timely. It wasted my time and now I have to find a different place to rent a car. read more

I have rented twice from this location, the second time on very short notice. I had a very positive experience and the cars were nearly new and clean. Customer service was friendly. read more

Reserved car online. I reserved for a Friday through Sunday. I went in to get the car and they said they had no reservation for me. Then they said I reserved for Thursday, not Friday. And because I didn't show up they have the car to someone else. The man was rude, and they called me the day before to verify if I was using the car for share riding or food delivery! When I told him No, he acted as if I was lying. I feel as though they were jes a bit racist, especially after I showed up. I have never been treated so badly, and I was stationed in the South in the 80's. At any rate, they prompted me to go buy a car. It was rage inducing, embarrassing and just plain tiring. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BUSINESS TO ANYONE!!! Be warned... read more

Very unreliable and unprofessional. Was able to reserve a truck online but when I came to pick it up at reserved time, they did not have my reservation. Employees claimed they called me and spoke to me - which never happened (why would I drive to south loop in traffic to pick up a truck if I knew they didn't have one??). No email sent regarding out of stock issue and not really any apology from staff. Would not recommend this location or service if you are relying on the truck for a move that day. read more

Do NOT rent from 714 S. Wabash in Chicago. We rented a car which had damage, but had no choice but to take it since they were low on cars. We reported the damage before we left and they noted it on the sheet. When we dropped the car off at a different location. They asked about the damage and we showed them the checkout sheet with the prior damage. No problem. 2 months later they accused us of damaging the car and contacted our insurance company. It's a total SCAM do not rent from these people!! read more

Encountered a very disappointing experience with the customer service at this location. 1. The first car we waited 15 mins so they can "clean" the car which had a damaged front that the employees were not aware of (shocking how they don't check the vehicles once returned) 2. Waited another 15 mins for them to search for a car which they mentioned were low on 3. During our wait the owner was putting on a shirt in front of the counter (Unbelievable how this is accepted manager behavior) 4. Waited another 10 mins for them to "clean" the car which is unacceptable as a customer to wait for every rental to be cleaned upon arrival rather than having rentals already available for pick up 5. The rental had a unresponsive digital display that kept switching screens while driving, unable to pair Bluetooth device Really expect Avis to look into this location and service provided to customers who are preferred members. read more

Oz was extremely helpful and even gave me pointers for my road trip. He was amazing and made this a very enjoyable and pleasant experience! The entire staff was very kind and helpful. Thank you! read more

Booked a truck for a National move, went in to pick up the truck and they told me they didn't have it for me when I am moving the next day. Did not receive any prior communication to let me know otherwise. The man at the counter would not even let me show him my reservation. read more

If 0 was an option I would select it. Made a reservation 2 months precious for a move out day to pick up at 9 AM. Received a call at 4:30 PM the day before saying they won't have a truck for me. read more

My girlfriend was in need of a moving truck and this location was within walking distance and so I made a reservation about a month before pick up time. Mind you, my girlfriend needed to pay a move in fee of $175 which allotted 2 hours for us to move in. Any longer, we would've had to pay $350. I went in as soon as the location opened and as soon as I arrived I was told: "we don't have any trucks here." I was appalled because I was not given any notice beforehand and the tone the representative talked to me in. Rather than an apologetic tone, he told me he had no control over the vehicles and that I will have to "make do" with what smaller vehicles he had on hand. This only added to the stress that naturally comes with moving in and out. I recommend choosing a different rental company for the ease of mind and ensuring a truck to be available the day of your move. read more

When I rented it indicated one could get pick up. The rental place said that was not true. The young lady seems cognitively challenged and it was hard to communicate with her when I came in prior to pick up. Service is basic. That did upgrade me at no additional cost which was nice. read more

Last week, I had the opportunity to rent a Budget car at the Rockford Airport. Usually I would leave the car in the O'Hare airport location and take the train home. After I searched for a location near my house, I decided to leave the rental car in the South Loop location. For many people that drive downtown, you know that is very stressful and confusing. When I arrived to the location, I did not see where to leave the car. As opposed to the Hertz office on Wabash Ave which has a sign that indicates where to leave the car returns, there was no sign. I went to park the car and two gentleman were in the store. One gentleman was at the counter and another person was sitting at the lobby area. When I asked where to park the car, the 'gentleman" rudely said to me "Back the car up." I was getting ready to park the car and the guy told me" If you don't fill up the gas, you have to pay $8 a gallon. I went back to the gas station and I filled up the car. What bothered me was the total lack of customer service at the downtown location. This is totally UNACCEPTABLE. If you have to rent a car in the South Loop, go to Enterprise or Hertz. read more

I would give this place 0 stars if possible. I showed up at my designated picket up at 6pm and the office was closed. Customer service moved my reservation to 5:30 the next day, and there was no reservation made or documentation that I called them. I was then charged a higher rate for a smaller truck for a shorter rental period. I lost a full day of moving and was overcharged. I am still dealing with customer service for reimbursement. They offered to reimburse me $10 for my troubles.. how does that make any sense? Do these people have any ethical standards? I get shamed and hung up when I call customer service. Then they pass me on to the next person. Their business practice has no accountability and is dehumanizing. Never ever use budget truck rental. It is never worth the cheaper rates. read more

I had a HORRIBLE experience. The guy who worked the front desk was already rude to the customer in front of me, but I didn't think much of it since I came in during the middle of their conversation. As I approached with my conformation/reservation the guy told me they don't have any trucks available because they were already reserved. I looked outside and saw 5 trucks in the lot that were the same ones that I needed. None of this made sense since I already had a reservation in my hand and there was no one behind else in line and they were closing in an hour. Even though I was frustrated, I asked well what should we do? He said you can try a van to see if it would work. I went outside to see if it would fit what I needed and I told him I will try it. He then said, those aren't available anymore either! There were 2 sitting right there! He then told me to contact customer service. They supposedly couldn't hear me over the phone. I left, went to U-Haul and was taken care of right away with no issue. This place is HORRIBLE AND A WASTE OF TIME! read more

My wife picked up a rental car from here in September and it was damaged. She mentioned there were problems with it. When I saw it and opened the door it sounded terrible. I said why did you get this car but she said she had pointed out the problems and they said, "If you're returning it here, it will be okay." We returned the car and everything was exactly as we picked it up. At the end of the month we were sent a bill for over $1000 from Sedgwick Claims Management which is Budgets Insurer. We believe we were set up from this particular Budget and this is a scam. Why wouldn't they notify us when we returned the vehicle? We would know if we crashed the car! It was in the exact same condition as when we picked it up. The customer service has been appalling and we can't get through to speak to anyone to get to the bottom of it. We even rented another car just before this fraudulent bill came so we took it in when we returned that car and tried to speak with the manager. They couldn't show us any records. The staff were absolutely useless with the request for the previous hire. We left our numbers and the manager never called. They are crooks. NEVER USE THEM. read more

If you live near the south loop area and need to rent a car, I recommend this place. Always make sure to check rates online and check for coupon codes (I use my United Airlines Mileage Plus, for example) when you book your reservation. The service is fine. Nothing great but nothing awful, either. I will continue to rent from this place. read more

I rented a truck from the 1830 S Wabash location, but there is not a Yelp page for that one - assuming these two must the same company/connected. Worst customer service I have ever experienced. The man at the front desk, Oz, was rude to all the customers and his coworkers. I won't go into all the ways he was rude, will just focus on one part. When I told him I did not have my own car insurance and was not going to buy insurance (was only driving the truck 2 miles total), he told me I had to buy insurance for $80 - which is insane because the truck only cost $30 for the day. When I questioned him about it, he just kept offering me discounts on the insurance and the price kept getting lower and lower. As my friend and I continued to question whether or not we had to purchase insurance, he threatened to take away the reservation. Eventually I paid $10 for insurance just so I get could out of that uncomfortable office. Turns out, I did not have to buy insurance, he was just scamming me. I'm sure there are other options for car and truck rentals in the South Loop - go there instead. read more

We used Kayak to use Priceline to rent a car from this Avis/Budget location for about 9 days. We mistakenly rented a car for a week later than we needed it. So, there we are--standing at the counter a week early for our reservation. Then the manager tells us that due to a recall, they have nothing available, but that he'll see what he can figure out. We sit for about an hour and they were able to procure us a nicer vehicle than we would have otherwise rented. The guys at this Avis/Budget location saved our vacation and we were able to see our family out in Maine. It is rare for any business to help their customers when the problem is 100% the customer's fault. These guys know what's up; they saved the day. read more

We've rented cars and trucks from this location and the experiences have been great. Oz, the manager, and his staff, are always friendly and professional. We once had an issue with a vehicle and they did everything they could to accommodate us - they really worked hard to fix the problem. Most car and truck rentals won't do that but this Budget location did. We've had very good experiences and I would definitely recommend this Budget location. read more

Rude, unprofessional, and clueless. Avoid at all costs. We made our reservation online following a major car accident. When we showed up we had our insurance claim number and Adjustor information ready to go. They said they had to do a credit check on us before they could let us rent the car. I thought it was strange especially since we were renting through our car insurance claim number but agreed. They ran it and said "No our system says we can't rent to you". I said that was impossible because I have a 645 score. They tried to run my wife's as well (she has a 720) and they said hers didn't work as well. Apparently we have good enough credit to buy a home and buy a car but not good enough credit to rent a car through our auto insurance. We went down the street to Enterprise and had no problems at all. I told them they had run our credit reports and they were shocked Avis would run credit reports especially with the rental being done through an auto claim. Enterprise said that's really strange and almost suspicious. We will never even look at Avis again after this! read more

Wow! Thanks for the heads up. I am a Enterprise girlie, but I like to shop around for car rentals, but I guess I will stay away from Budget.

If you like rude customer service and a door being slammed in your face, this is the place for you. I was running late to pick up my car and I knew they closed at 5:30. I called the location at 5:20 in a cab - less than a 1/2 mile from the place. No one answered the phone. I called several times. I had a reservation and I was picking it up for a business trip the next day. I arrived at 5:35 and the associate was helping a customer at the desk. The door was locked when I got there and the associate waved for me to leave. He finally opened the door and I told him I had a reservation and just needed to pick up my car. I was greeted with "Go to the 214 Clark location they are open until 8" and the door being slammed in my face. NEVER EVER AGAIN BUDGET!!! I have a reservation for next week that I am now cancelling. read more

Very, very happy with my experience. Originally, I had a reservation with Dollar, but the airport shuttle never showed up and I had to cancel. I went to Budget with no reservation, and was concerned I was not going to be able to find a vehicle. Troy at the desk worked tirelessly to ensure I got a car at a reasonable price. He troubleshooted and looked at every angle of the reservation system. I was stressed out, but he worked with me and made me it a positive experience. Next time you book with Budget, ask for Troy.....give that guy a raise!!!! read more

This is the worst place place to rent a car . I forgot my sunglasses in the rental car and called in to report the missing sunglasses. I called the location and someone told me they had it and they would hold it for me . Upon arriving at the location I was told they don't have my sunglasses . Moving forward I will not be patronizing these guys . read more

I had a great experience here. I booked online the day before (you save a little if you pre-pay) and was able to pick up a spotless car quickly and easily. They were a good deal less expensive and much easier to get to than Enterprise a little further North. The gentleman at the front counter was nice and professional. read more

Terrible service, car was dirty, owners are lazy, avoid at all costs

Budget on 18th and Wabash In Chicago discriminated against us today. Everything was flaky as hell. Specifically the guy who worked there named Oz. I would NEVER recommend Budget. I booked a reservation 4 weeks in advance. The day before our trip, me and my boyfriend pulled up at 7am on the dot to the budget rental facility on 18th and Wabash. When we walked in Oz was the only person inside. I told him how we reserved a rental online 4 weeks in advance. He took my boyfriend license, credit card, and proof of full coverage insurance and in less than a minute said that he wasn't approved for a rental and his credit score needed to be above a 700. WHHHHAAAATTTY?!!?!!! I have had multiple people recommend budget and not one of them has ever had their credit ran or been told that in order to get a car they needed a certain credit score. I told Oz when I did the online reservation no where did it mention anything about a 700 credit score. This man proceeds to tell me I need to read the terms and conditions and call customer service if I want my refund. BEST BELIEVE I WANT MY REFUND AND CALLING CORPORATE ON HIM. I called the 1-800 number got my refund and even asked the supervisor about this credit score check and they had NO IDEA WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. I even went through the terms and conditions and saw NOTHING MENTIONING A 700 CREDIT SCORE. We just ended up going through enterprise but I would never ever recommend budget. I know he discriminated against us probably because we were black and that is not ok. If I have MULTIPLE friends telling me that they've never had a credit check ran for them with budget I'm not understanding why we did. At least, Enterprise was able to get us a rental on such short notice. read more

If possible i would do negative stars for my last experience. I had rented the car for two days and had taken the full insurance coverage. The gentlemen at the desk explained my insurance coverage, after which just to confirm for my sanity i rechecked with him, if i were in an accident will I and the passengers be covered and he said yes. It probably is my mistake that i did not check the papers that the driver and the passengers were not covered. I guess as there is no proof legally that we had this conversation we can't prove anything. may be if the location had audio recording capabilities we could prove our conversation. the person from whom we rented the car was also rude when we asked him what was the solution for this scenario. But he kept on repeating the contract as a broken record. when we asked whom should we talk to resolve this no one gave us the right contact number. people were just giving us new numbers to reach out to. all in all a terrible experience read more

I have rented from this Budget site for several years and until last weekend was pleased with the service. The person who "helped" me was rude and disconnected during our face to face exchange. Later that day, my tire blew out on the road and while everyone else at Budget was helpful, this guy was yet again rude and was not helpful at all. I will continue to use Budget, just not this one. read more

FRAUD..... Was told it was ok to use my own IPASS for the tolls and then they charged me anyways plus a penalty fee. Refused to reimburse me the full cost. I also paid for a better vehicle and was given two levels less than I paid. Car was very dirty and smelled like smoke. I was given paper towels to clean up the sticky mess myself bc no other cars were available?? Seriously the seat, window, steering wheel, ceiling were all covered in pop and the seat was wet because the window had been left open. I paid more than $400 for this rental. There are much better rentals nearby that don't steal your money and give you a piece of shit car!! read more

We rented a Toyota Sequoia for a road trip and got an excellent price. The gentleman that helped us before and after was very efficient and helped us out when we were running a little late for the return. The location was very convenient, right around the corner from our hotel in the heart of the loop. Definitely recommend!! read more

Horrible customer service. I asked the manager a simple question regarding an exchange of vehicle at another location for another fully loaded car. In return, he refused to rent the car and threw my credit card back at me. Not only did he do that, he walked out of the room before I even got the chance to clear the situation. Called the territory manager to file a complaint, if nothing is done I will take it up with HQ. read more

Quick, easy check in. No pressure to add unnecessary charges, particularly appreciated since taking a redeye may result in a tired, vulnerable customer. And no "oops, I accidently checked the insurance box" accidents (like the tricky Payless agent did in Orlando who took advantage of my fatigue in November). Budget/Avis shuttle was waiting at the airport. Return was equally error free. It was worthwhile to pay a little more than Priceline name-your-price would have cost to have the comfort of cancellation should the weather have turned nasty. read more

Showed up the morning of July 5 at 9:30 am to get the car I had reserved online and nobody was there. The sign on the door said their hours on Sunday began at 8 am, over an hour earlier. No lights were on. The door was locked. Nobody was working. No explanation. Nothing. We called Budget and they would not send a van to pick us up and take us to another location. We had to drag our luggage to the nearest hotel and get a cab (Budget said they would reimburse us for it) to the next location, where the staff tried to rent us a car with a nail clearly sticking out of the tire ("It's not a puncture, just don't pull it out."). read more