I had a terrible experience with Budget. The car they rented me at 3 PM broke down in a bad area just five hours later, around 8 PM. When I called, they told me to go back to the RIC airport to get another car. After making my way there, Budget told me they "had no cars." Yet, I watched as priority members were given vehicles--so clearly, cars were available, just not for me. I asked if they could at least arrange a rental from another company, but they refused. Uber wasn't an option, because I was in Richmond for work with multiple field sites spread out at different locations. Because Budget failed to provide me with a replacement car, I missed the beginning of my scheduled sites and ultimately had to ask my company to rent me a car from a different agency. To make things worse, the staff was extremely rude, even talking about me in front of me, and offered no real help. This was one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had. I will never rent from Budget again--not that I could, since apparently they "don't have cars." read more

Terrible everything. They do not honor their own reservations. One customer after another they did not have the car for. Then I finally got a filthy dirty 50,000 mile car. When I complained they tried to turn it around on me. TERRIBLE! read more

I waited in line for 1.5 hours to get a car, was then told it would be another 30 mins.....hire more people or something!! You ask for our arrival...shouldn't have to wait 2 hours to get a car. Will never use Budget again. If I could do 0 stars I would. read more

An absolute disaster. In summary: Budget will take your reservation and money and then have no cars available at your pickup time. On May 8th I reserved and pre-paid for an economy compact car to be picked up at the Richmond International Airport at noon on Saturday, July 15th. I booked directly through Budget on their website, not a third party. Two months later I get a ride to the airport and follow the signs to Rental Car in the parking garage. I asked if I was in the correct place for car pickup and got in line. After 10-15 minutes of waiting the employee then told me I was in the wrong place, and I needed to go inside to the arrivals terminal to fill out paperwork first. I make it inside and find a small desk marked Budget and a large desk marked Avis. The woman working at the "Budget" counter very loudly and rudely tells every person who approaches to go to the "Avis" counter for Budget service, speaking to everyone as if we are idiots. I wait for half an hour behind only two people at the correct counter as the line gets longer and longer behind me. There is only one person working and I already know something is wrong. There is a sign with a QR code that says you can check in online and skip the line. I try the entire time to do this on the website, but it keeps asking for information that I entered back in May and then gives me an error message. Finally it is my turn at the counter. The employee is on the phone with someone else in the company and says, "What do you MEAN there are no cars? This is the third time this week." After he hangs up he has to explain to me that Budget only has one (1) car left to rent at the entire airport, an enormous pickup truck. I booked a compact, but he said if I don't accept this car it will be a minimum of a 1-2 hour wait for a different one. I've never driven a truck before, but I know I will miss my flight in D.C. that evening if I wait, so I accept. I sign the same paperwork I had done online when I made the reservation. The 25+ people in line behind me at that point were very unhappy to hear that they are now stranded, reservations or not. I still had to go back to the parking garage and wait in the first line again to get the keys to my assigned truck, and by the time I am finally on the road it is close to 1:30pm. At least I made it to D.C. and on to my international flight with literal minutes to spare. I think I'd rather pay for a rideshare to D.C. than to book with Budget again. read more

If you would like a car you reserved, don't get your hopes up. After showing up at our said time, we waited an hour in line to then be told it would take 1.5 hours to process the request. I'm now in a lobby full of people waiting for their reserved cars. Never again! read more

Awful. We rented a car in NJ and it smelled so horrible, like a full diaper was wrapped in another diaper that was left in the sun. We tried desperately to swap in Maryland and other VA locations once we got there. After 8 hours in this awful car where my kids eyes were watering and all our clothes and hair smelled like this I went to the Richmone Airport budget to swap. They had the gall to ask me what smell. The lady said she couldn't give me the same size car I had (Jeep grand Cherokee) but smaller and it wasn't their fault it smelled. I said the health and safety of my kids were put at risk thanks to your company and you are going to give me a camry??? They gave me a subcompact Subaru. I had to sit there in the 100 degree garage waiting for this tiny ass car. I walked passed probably 15 SUVs on the way to the car. Not only did I waste hours of time, gas and toll money and time away from family to make this swap they gave me a "honey I shrunk the car". Screw this company and the service at the airport. read more

After checking my reservation at the Richmond Airport counter the agent stated they had overbooked and my reserved midsized car was gone. Offered a suv for $19. Extra A day ($140. In my case) and said his manager would not allow him to honor the price in my reservation. The customer service number was closed for the night. I checked their availability online and they still showed midsize cars were available. I ended up xcelling my trip. Never again! read more

We had reserved a car prior to our arrival. Once arriving we had to go to the Avis counter no one was at the budget counter. There was approximately 30 people waiting for cars we were told it would be a 2 hour wait even though we had a reservation. The staff at the counter were extremely rude to everyone. Yelling at people who asked how much longer. The guy at the counter kept yelling at people telling them not to come to the counter it only delayed the process. The other rental companies were only accommodating people who had previous reservations with them. After waiting 3 hours only to be told there was 6 people still in front of me and to not come to the counter again to ask questions it only delayed them. Another rental company took pity on us and allowed us to rent through them. I will never use Avis or budget again . Not because of the delay but the way the staff acted to consumers it was one of the worst experiences I've ever encountered traveling. According to many people around the airport this is a common occurrence for these 2 companies. read more

WORST car rental experience I've ever had. 2 workers with a line of 50+ people waiting. They were so slow that i timed them with each customer. 30-35 minutes per customer until after 11/2 hours a man, who I can only assume was the manager, arrived. He was exceptional handling 3 customers to their 1. The man that helped us was slow and gave us a very dirty vehicle with windows so dirty it was difficult to see through. Also it was a jeep truck that was difficult for my husband to get into with his 8 broken ribs, broken pelvis and fractured spine. We made known my husband's injuries and requested anything other than a truck. First experience in Richmond can easily be described as awful. i will not be using Avis or Budget read more

Awful. Car was dirty. Service non-existent. This isn't want you want after a long, frustrating day of flying. Pay a little more for service elsewhere. read more

Budget Car Rental - Car Rental Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I reserved a care, paid was charged and received a confirmation and when I showed up there was no car available. No notification , no alternate transportation, no compensation. It was too bad too sad you're stuck. Absolutely unacceptable. I will NEVER rent from them again. read more

A quick and easy swap of a Smokey car. All of the workers were friendly and amazing to work with. They were able to get us a new car in no time. We were back on the road in 30 minutes. Thx you Richmond Airport Budget! If you are Budget Fastbreak member just go to the second floor booth and by pass the main counter. That was a lifesaver. read more

Made a reservation as a suggestion from a fellow traveler. Though I have another rental car company membership. This company, states that they can take a debit card but there is a $15.00 day extra plus a $300 deposit hold for using said card, with the reserved vehicle already totally around $600 for the week. Thus obviously my credit card isn't available to be used because it definitely would be cheaper and no issue. And it didn't help that the lady in the booth had a slight attitude and no compassion for the situation plus omitted pertinent information. I don't care if they do give a discount for having an Amazon account, won't be using them no time soon. read more

Waited three hours, yes three, with dozens of other angry customers for a car because "none of them were clean". When I finally got my car it obviously hadn't been cleaned there was food all over the floor and burn marks in the seats. Staff kept their AirPods in and were FaceTiming with their friends while we all waited angrily. I flew into town for my Father's funeral and memorial service, that which I essentially missed over half of. No apologies from staff or explanation, just laughter and rap music blasting behind the counter. read more

The worse car rental service I've ever received in my life. If you have another option, please go with the alternative. The wait time to get a vehicle that I've booked two weeks in advance was three hours. They have no regard for your time or schedule. Absolutely ridiculous. No one came out to reassure the crowd (those waiting) or offer any discounts or compensation for the three hours we wasted waiting. Not a manager in sight. This is a terrible way to run a business. read more

Worst experience. Waited 3 hours to get our car, which was reserved. Finally got a Chrysler Pacifica which was in good condition. And the staff was friendly considering the situation which was not in their control. read more

Poor business model. That is what I will be writing on my yelp, google, Facebook, TripAdvisor, etc reviews. My husband and I made a reservation over a MONTH ago from today (10/17/24) AND we paid in full upfront to RESERVE the vehicle. After travel from Oregon to Richmond and being in an airport since 3am, imagine the level of frustration to hear that there was ZERO cars when we got to the desk. NONE. Please explain what the purpose of in reserving and paying up front to be told all the cars were given out. Then trying to cancel and walk over to enterprise we are told that they ONLY had cars for reservations. This is a HORRIBLE model. Cars that are reserved should be held for those who booked in advance and not given away to walk ups. Or have a fleet for first come first serve and a fleet for reserved only. I will be again, sharing this EVERYWHERE. After traveling for 7hours this is rude and unprofessional. And if you're wondering what reserve means, here let me share the definition... res·​er·​va·​tion re-zr-vā-shn Synonyms of reservation 1 : an act of reserving something: such as a (1) : the act or fact of a grantor's reserving some newly created thing out of the thing granted (2) : the right or interest so reserved b : the setting of limiting conditions or withholding from complete exposition answered without reservation c : an arrangement to have something (such as a hotel room) held for one's use also : a promise, guarantee, or record of such engagement read more

Truly a terrible experience from beginning to end. Was 4th in line to pick up the car with 3 Budget Rental car agents working the desk and it took 50 minutes to get the car. I had my fight home got cancelled and spoke with an agent on the phone about driving the rental home and changing the drop off location and he quoted me an additional $350 to do so. Mind you this took 3 phone calls to accomplish and never received the promised email of confirmation. When I called back to see why I never received the email I spoke with David, who clearly was at home, I could hear dishes being washed and video games on in the back ground. I told him the story and he CLEARLY was not listening and asked questions repeatedly that demonstrated he was not listing. He then told me it would cost and additional $500. UNBELIEVABLE! He claimed he couldn't do any better, and literally trying to get to spell my email correctly was ridiculous. Again he clearly was not paying attention. I gave him 2 email, ensured he finally spelled it correctly. He promised that I would receive the email within 20 min. It has been over a week and I have yet to receive his confirmation email to either email address. I am stunned how awful the customer services it. I rented through Costco and you bet I will let them know. I am sure Costco does not want to be associated with this sort of customer service. read more

Good price and pretty easy checkout at RIC. Fastbreak counter is on the 2nd floor of the parking garage. Fastbreak members go directly there. Avis & Budget are in the same kiosk, and are apparently the same company. Went to the Budget window and the lady motioned to me to get in line behind the Avis people. Thankfully there were only about 5 in line. Got through the line promptly and got a new Chevy Equinox that had about 13,000 miles on it. Nice little vehicle. Return was super easy. RIC rental car return is very well marked. read more

This is the worst experience I ever had in my life. Despite having a reservation, I and about ten other customers, had to wait for two hours before a car was made available. My only option was to add my name to a waitlist and wait nearby until they called my name. There wasn't even an option to be texted or called when the car was ready. I then had to go upstairs to pick up the keys where I waited in a second line for another 30 minutes. They are understaffed and inefficient. It's a true scam for Avis and Budget to call themselves two different companies, have the same employees manage both, and thus result in terrible customer service. The leaders of these companies should be ashamed of themselves. The one star is only for the employees like Amina who were working hard, calm and informative through the process. read more

Rented in Louisville KY. The HIGH MILEAGE rental that we received lasted for less than 250 miles before failing with a major problem. We were left a hour from the airport and unable to shop, tour, etc. It was quite difficult to get Budget to make a meaningful effort to assist us. It appears that Budget rents JUNK, in spite of their claims. Hours have been spent on this problem - time that should have been devoted to family. read more

Initially customer service was lacking. There were no customers, but associates were chatting. I specifically asked about tolls. Member stated that all tolls have a booth and it is best to pay Cash VS service. I found out quickly that this was in incorrect and I'll likely have a charge in my mail shortl read more

Zero rating. NEVER rent from budget. I had a reservation, went to pick up my truck, and it was not there. It was at another location that was already closed. Now I have to move in 2 days, everything is closed, and I have no truck. This place sucks. read more

The RUDEST rental agents I have ever encountered. I was treated with more respect from the guards in jail. The nasty attitudes of the staff here makes me want to NEVER come back here again. I am literally dumbfounded that these "customer service" agents are still employed. If you don't like your job find a new one and don't take out your aggression on your customers. read more

The one star rating is about all they deserve. I was rented a mid-sized SUV with excessive mileage on it and later to find out, a rear passenger tire with a slow leak. The car wasn't cleaned very well at all, especially the windows. The tire pressure light came on as I was leaving the airport parking garage Budget Car Rental area. I dismissed it because the weather was very warm and figured the pressure warning light was sensitive. To my dismay, I realized the tire pressure light was really indicating a problem. On the way back from King's Dominion with my family, I noticed the vehicle seemed a little more difficult to operate while on I-95. When we got home, I looked at the tires and noticed the rear driver's side tire was low. I took it to fill it. It should have had 36 PSI but was down to 9 PSI!!! I'm lucky the vehicle didn't roll over and cause an accident. I filled the tire to 36 PSI. The next morning, I noticed the tire looked low again. I went back to the gas station and it was down to 15 PSI. I had to fill it again! I ended up buying fix-a-flat and filling it 3 more times. I had to fill it again this morning just to get it back to the Richmond Airport to return it and catch my flight home. The lazy staff of Budget/Avis were standing around and talking. Nobody met me at the vehicle when I returned it. I attempted to tell the representative the vehicle needs service and she cut me off and said put the keys on the seat and we will check you out later and walked off. I wouldn't be surprised if someone else got that same vehicle today with no maintenance being performed on the leaking tire. I am highly disappointed at the condition of the vehicle, tire and the very poor excuse of customer service I received when I returned the vehicle at the Richmond Airport. read more

When I booked a reservation, I reserved a full size car. When I arrived I was asked if I was interested in a Cadillac because they did not have the vehicle I reserved. I said the vehicle I reserved was for gas mileage and got a gas guzzler. I was charged $11 dollars more a day, when it should have been free. I agreed to it because it was 11pm at night. The car did not have a full tank when I picked it up but When I returned the car I was charged $30 for gas when I filled it up before dropping it off! Check in was kind of shady. Didn't tell me about the gas. Just said sign here! I don't think I should have to fight and argue for these up charges. A happy customer tells one person they know! An unhappy customer tells everyone they know. read more

Currently standing in line for 3 hours. 1 person present processing over 50 people. No refunds able to be given. Meanwhile every other car rental place is processing people so fucking quickly. This one guy is using a dot matrix printer from the 80s. read more

If I could give negative stars, I would! My reservation was for 3:00..... I got my car at 7:00. I was understanding as they were obviously overwhelmed. If I would have know it would be 4 hours, I would have Uber'd to the hotel, showered and eaten and come back. Instead, they kept giving me the run around. When I went back up to the desk to check the status, Jerquan just stared at me like I was asking for the impossible. A lady, who I think was his supervisor; Linda, replied with, 'if I didn't call your name, it ain't ready. Go sit down.' I was astounded by the lack of respect, especially after I had been so understanding. read more

Do not use. Poor customer service. Waited three hours for car scheduled months ahead, truly ruined first day vacation.

This rental place used to be decent, now its just a disgrace. They didnt have our rental vehicle ready. Lady at counter this morning obviously doesnt like working here, and had a bad attitude the entire time we were here.. we just left and rented from Enterprise.. Do not rent from budget.. read more

This is hands down the worst car rental experience I have ever had. Nobody answers the phone at the desk. I have called nearly 20 times to attempt to extend my rental past one month. The rental extension process is even worse. I will never rent from this company again. read more

Apparently, they don't like to answer phones at this location... called at least 18 times over the course of an hour.... ridiculous

Rented a mini van for a vacation in Vermont/New Hampshire area. First the rental agency didn't give us a van with navigation which we payed for. Eventually they found one that had the navigation for us and we were on our way later on to find trash in the cup holders which definitely wasn't ideal. After our vacation we returned the mini van with a full tank of gas as requested. A couple weeks later we receive a letter stating they are charging us an additional $250 due to the van being uncleaned. Minus the dirt on the mats due to us hiking the van was exactly how we received it. Most people on vacation don't pack a vacuum cleaner to clean the vehicle and definitely don't want to pay to take it to a car wash and pay even more. The agent we called about the letter said Budget is a car rental company not a cleaning service, not very helpful. We will never rent from budget again and hope people reading this won't either. read more