Horrible line and customer service. The printer was out of ink so I couldn't read the contract. The car they sent me to was dirty and didn't have a full tank. Marked on the car and windows. I had to return the first car as soon as I reached my motel and saw the damage. I didn't want to be charged for what i didn't cause Then had to wait in line again. Terrible customer experience Again not a clean car. They said they had to hurry to fill demand. I have never had this happen to me I'm changing companies read more

Service at airport fine, car was fine. After three weeks got an email from Budget stating I was being charge an additional 42.87 due roadside assistance OR damage to vehicle. I called legitimate number for Budget and indeed they verified the letter. She looked up if Columbus Budget provided info on charges or "proof. She returned to line and stated they had "not" provided info or proof therefore the charges would be dropped. What kind of scam are they running? If you don't follow up they will bill bogus charges? Never use Budget. read more

The last thing you want to have to deal with after a long flight is rental car issues. We landed after 6 hours in the air, got our luggage, got on the shuttle to the rental area... and then found out that ALL rentals (except Hertz) were being handled by a mere two station agents. The line went out the door and we waited for-e-ver to get up to the counter. Of the two agents, one kept leaving, like to take a break or something. I could see the remaining agent was getting very frustrated with the situation. After almost an hour in line, I got up to her station, only to have her system freeze up on her. I know this was NOT her fault, and the supervisor came in to help, but could not do more than just 'reboot' the system for her, only to have it freeze up again and again... HEY Budget, upgrade the tools your associates need to help the clients, and GET MORE STAFF!!! Finally, she got my reservation in the system and a car set up. But, things can only get worse, as she told me, "they will bring your car up to you, go to the second floor". So, we went to the second floor, only to find about a dozen other people standing around waiting for their vehicles "to be brought up". There was only ONE valet pulling vehicles and let's just say, he was being very casual about getting them. My partner actually went deeper into the parking structure to ask him what is the process and how do we know when our car will be coming out. He just said, "I'm getting them as I get the order". . . .Another 30-45 mins go by, and we are watching as the cars are brought up one by one. He would park it near where we were all standing, and just walk away. No indication as to WHO'S car it was. Everyone was asking each other if they knew... and of course nobody did. It was a crap shoot to guess. Someone could have jumped into our car and just driven away. You would never know. FINALLY, what appeared to be our car based on the paperwork description was pulled up and he ran off, did we get our luggage loaded, and drove out... The vehicle itself was brand new and fine, (I see a lot of negative reviews about the actual vehicles). THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO RUN A BUSINESS!!! read more

Booked through Costco travel. Received a letter after drop off that I was being charged $250 for cleaning "excessive dirt" and damage (more than the whole cost of the rental). Thankfully I was able to dispute and had videos of pickup and drop off conditions. The car was given to me with a mismatched VIN, significant wear and tear, water filled headlights, lots of dings etc. I was assured by workers that they were only concerned about "major damage" and not to worry. Protect yourselves from these fraudulent rand unethical business practices. Additionally there were 4 different types of tires on the vehicle, and 3 of them were completely bald with no tread. read more

After spending $3k on rental cars at Budget for our two-week trip, I accidentally returned one car and forgot to leave the key. 7/15 - dropped off car 7/16 - arrived home from flight 7/17 - Friday, Jet-lagged 7/18 - Saturday 7/19 - Sunday 7/20 - I call Budget to mail key back and they tell me it's too late. They will not give me $250 back for the missing key. I say it's not missing, I will mail it back. They tell me too bad - they cannot reverse the charge. Horrible lines while waiting for pick-up. Won't rent here again. read more

This is messed up. Like genuinely messed up and sadistic. Let me paint a picture. You fly to Columbus for your friend's outdoor wedding in the middle of October and there are no heaters the entire night, so naturally, you wake up terribly sick. Crusty, can barely swallow, fever and chills- you head to the airport to grab your car rental to drive home. You get to the entrance and, oh look! Budget is on the second floor. Why would you question that? You wouldn't. You go to the second floor and get in the 15 person line and wait. And you wait and wait and 45 minutes pass and then it's finally your turn. You lick your lips and muster up the strength to get the 10 digit order # out of your mouth. "Sorry ma'am, you need the budget window DOWNSTAIRS." Zero indication on the reservation, zero indication in the 45 min I waited on line, ZERO INDICATION ON THE SIGNAGE. You drag your shivering limp body and all your luggage to level 1. STILL no Budget signage. Only when you go to the other side of the structure in another entrance will you find the second budget window. And, you guessed it, another 15 PERSON LINE. Tears. Regret. Self hatred. You pull out your phone cause there's nothing left to do but write a review and warn the rest. read more

Budget Rent A Car - Car Rental Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Avoid this company like the plague. They are incredibly deceitful in their practices and should be reported to the BBB and the Attorney General. I booked through Priceline, and they treated the deal as a voucher instead of the set agreed-upon price. They also charged me 27% sales tax. I have put a stop payment with my credit card company for fraudulent behavior. I should sue them for time I have to spend on this issue. read more

Customer service was great but she didn't modify my reservation and I was charged for a late delivery bs. Never got my money back from my hold, times too hard for people and everybody just put they own fees on shit. read more

In 35 years of renting cars I have never run into a situation that I ran into at John Glenn Airport in Columbus Ohio. Waited in line for over an hour to be told that there are no more cars. Had to Uber to Hotel to make a meeting. Went back to Airport at 7:00PM and still no cars. I will never ever rent a car from Budget again. read more

Rented a car and there's no car available at midnight. And they can't refund my money for 5 business days. Avoid at all costs.

I can unfortunately confirm many of the negative reviews. I was in town for a conference and picked up a rental on Tuesday, April 29 at 5:00 PM, with a scheduled return for Thursday, May 1 at 5:00 PM. Due to bad weather and multiple flight delays, I returned the car three hours early to catch a standby flight. Per their instructions, I pulled into the garage, left the keys in the vehicle, and was told I'd receive a confirmation email once the car was checked in. That email never came. Three days later, I received a text stating that my rental was three days overdue and urging me to return the vehicle or extend the reservation. I've now spoken to two representatives, and I'm still waiting for confirmation that the vehicle has actually been received. Had I known this "key drop and wait for email" return process could lead to this kind of mess, I never would have agreed to it. This experience has been a headache, and the lack of communication and accountability is unacceptable. read more

I called Budget Rental on March 23,2026 and made a reservation for a car rental March 26-April 02, 2026. I picked the rental up at the Port Columbus airport in Columbus Ohio, March 26, 2026 at 12:54 PM. When I got to the counter the representative asked if I wanted to prepay for gas or fill it up before I brought it back. I asked her the difference. She explained and recommended I return the car as close to empty and Budget fills it up at $4.00 a gallon. She said that is what most people do. There were at least 12 people in line with two representatives and I felt a little rushed so I went with her suggestion. She also asked me about insurance and she explained the difference and I told her I did not want the insurance. I have my own insurance and an excellent driving record. However, I was charged the $230 fee (which I apparently did sign for). I guess I didn't know what I was signing. It's on a keypad for me to sign. Again I was rushed. But anyway, I know I'm not going to win that battle with the giant corporation. However, back to the gas. I got to thinking why the hell would I bring the car empty when I can just stop and fill up less than 1/4 mile from the airport. Plus trying to "time" returning it on an empty tank. I called in the day before my return date of April 2 and talked to a budget representative. I told the lady I wanted to bring the car back full and she said she could not change it in the computer. She got me to her supervisor who told me the same thing thing. She told me to take it back full and go to the counter once I got to airport. She said they could take care of it. So I stopped at the Turkey Hill #0708 convenience store April 1, 2026 located at 1425 N Cassidy Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43219 around 12:45 PM and put $35 in the rental car to fill it up. Google Maps show it is three minutes from the airport(photo attached). It is less than a half mile away. I returned the car to the airport on April 2, 2026 at 12:54 PM. When I drove into the lot a man was directing traffic. He pointed for the location for me to park. He walked over to me and scanned a bar code on the car with some sort of handheld device. Then he asked me to turn the car back on and he noted the mileage and note the fuel reading was full (on attached receipt). I asked the guy about the fuel and explained my conversation with budget. He said the fuel was full and I was good to go. He asked if I wanted a printed receipt, and I requested one, which he gave me. So once again, in a hurry. I didn't look at the receipt until the following day. Then I notice the $230 insurance charge WHICH I VERBALLY DECLINED, and a charge for the "Fuel Purchase Option" of $58.02. I called Budget and spoke with a representative that I could barely understand her English. She transferred me to her supervisor who was very friendly. She explained I had to provide a receipt that I fueled up somewhat near the airport. I looked at my Bank of America app and found the purchase. It was for $35.00 at the Turkey Hill #0708 on April 2, 2026. That is all the information that is on there. The supervisor told me I needed a receipt. I, like most people, don't get a receipt. I put every purchase on my credit card for airline points. I pay the statement each month. I have no use for a fuel receipt, until now. I suppose I could get a subpoena for the video footage showing me at the location but that would be about as over the top as me having to write this email and provide documentation that I filled a rental car up. The supervisor stressed to me multiple times, I just didn't understand what she could or could not see on her end. She kept telling me " you just don't understand". How can the guy checking the car in note on his handheld device that the fuel reading was "full" AND I get a printed receipt (attached) reflecting that it was full but I'm the dumb one for not understanding why she can't see that on her end. So she told me I could submit an email with the requested information. The only clue in this great big mystery is the time, because according to the supervisor, that is critical. So today, April 6, 2026, I contacted Bank of America. They do not capture the time on any purchase, just the date and location. So as I conclude, maybe one of your investigators can figure this mystery out and see I purchased $35 of fuel on April 2, 2026 AROUND 12:45 PM and refund me $58.02 for the fuel charge. read more

I reserved a car on line on Budget's website. I selected a small car. When I arrived at the Columbus airport's car rental facility, there were around twenty kiosks and just one associate working. The price I was being charged was significantly higher, than what I had already paid when I made my reservation. When I asked the man what are these charges for, his reply was "I have no clue, call the 1800 number and they will tell you". This was so very unprofessional. Why should I have to call if he's right there. Also, my friend was standing right next to me, it didn't occur to him to ask if I'd like to add her as a driver. So I had to ask. He said that's an additional $13 a day for another driver. So my total should be $39 plus tax higher than the original balance, since we would be using the car for three days. Well, no, it was still higher than my calculation. I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty decent at math. One final question I had for the man who was totally unhelpful, was if the car was small. He said "yes, it's tiny". To me this sounded as if he's making fun of us. The car it's self was perfect for us. It was a silver Subaru Crosstrek. It was small, but not tiny. It was new, with a rear view camera, cruise control, and all of the wonderful features of a new car. The car however, wasn't clean. There were finger print words, smiley faces and hearts across the windshield. There were crumbs all over all the nook and crannies. There were also some fries that were left for us by the previous driver, loose in the cup holder. When I went to return the car, the final charge was even higher, which I just don't understand. Of course, for it to be understood, I have to get on the phone with someone who might be willing to assist. I will have to wait to call during their business hours. While both my friend and I enjoyed the car, we didn't enjoy the sneaky way they take my money without any explanation. read more

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Horrible experience renting a car. We waited in line forever only to continue to wait forever for them to find us a car. I know it was 6pm and maybe they were tired, but they were also rude. I am still standing at the counter and will probably grow old here! Don't rent from them! read more

Zero Stars. They charged me for "Loss Damage Waiver " $89.99 perday that I specifically said NO to! I did not agree to any loss damage fees. They say I signed the form but this is incorrect.. I did not agree to this . Now I am out $269.97 for no reason. This should be refunded. I did not accept this! We waited over one hour in line on a Thursday night (September 26th, 2024 at around 8:00 pm. One person at the counter . After about 45 minutes another person finally showed up. I am done with Budget. No more. - read more

I rented a car from Budget, and at the time of pickup, the employee clearly told me the weekly rate was $230 plus a $200 deposit. He also told me that if I decided to extend the rental, the rate would be even cheaper. Unfortunately, that was not the case. When I extended the rental, no one informed me that the rate would change. I wasn't given any clear explanation or updated agreement. Then, when I returned the car, I was shocked to find out I had been charged a total of $539. When I asked the employee, he said it was because I didn't return the car on time, so the daily rate of $51 applied, along with other unexplained fees. I tried to speak with the supervisor, but sadly, I received no real support or clarification. Each person gave me a different explanation. This felt like a clear case of misleading promises: one story when picking up the car, and another when returning it. I strongly advise anyone renting from Budget to make sure all details are clearly written and confirmed via email or contract. read more

Buget overcharged my credit card $962.39. I disputed with my credit card company after I was told that it will be fixed but never was. Buget showed so kind of invoice that I never seen. So I called back and got Roxanne on the phone she noticed the overcharge and told me wait 5 to 7 business days and I will have my money back..today is day 8 no refund and they told me Roxanne was wrong. I have everything recorded and I have all the paperwork. I will file with my attorney soon as I leave work.DO NOT DO ANY BUSINESS WITH THESES CROOKS. the only reason I put one star is so I can post and let everyone know their business practices. read more

Sadly, this company has done me wrong twice! No call to ask about anything just automatically charging my credit card! There's a reason the ratings are so low for this company! You offer me a car and it smells like smoke but you say no don't worry you won't get charged guess what I got charged next incident was a minor scratch that don't know if it was during the time I rented the car or not I get charged $1400 And I thought it was fraud because the charge came three months later and on their end, there was nothing to dispute! I will never rent from this company again, and I will tell others to go elsewhere because you did me dirty. This is the best recourse that I could have is to tell others. I'm sorry you could've done better. read more

First time using budget at this airport and did not disappoint. From first contact at customer check in to the porters getting the car everything was top notch and very Customer service forward. Slight delay bringing our car up for us, while we were waiting 3 workers came to ask if they could help. It's rare these days to see such pride in customer service. We appreciated the quality of care and will definitely be back. read more

The absolute worst process at this airport for rental cars. Expect to wait even if you complete information online. Never is it a short process. The person behind the counter is equally frustrated with the customers who are I'll prepared and cause the process to take longer than it needs to be read more

Budget Rent A Car - Line at rental counter - Car Rental Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Rental counter is wildly understaffed. I was in line an hour, and I had checked in before my flight.

Tried to rent a car there, they gave me one with expired license plate. I told them I could not take a car that was not street legal.

I originally had a reservation for Budget..... why did i do that?!?!? When I got to the rental car facility, the line was long as hell because it was a sale. I looked over at Alamo and there was one person in line. I promptly booked my car via Priceline, and it was about $18 more than Budget. I was in and and out the Alamo line in 10 mins. I looked over at the Budget/ Avis lines , they were still working with the same 2 people when while I was in the Budget line. Budget you have to do better. Only 2 agents working the Budget and Avis lines??! read more

Let's start with the worst. They rented me a car with two bald/damaged front tires that could have killed me while driving. Fortunately, I didn't have a blowout--one of the front tires went flat at highway speeds. The car did not lose control, thank goodness. At the Budget roadside service's suggestion, I took it to a nearby Walmart to get both front tires replaced. The technician at the store was appalled. There were exposed steel fibers and baldness on the tire that went flat; the other one had rubber coming off and was absolutely beyond the pale. I had to pay out of pocket and await reimbursement from Budget. Some other problems. Despite having a reservation and FastBreak, I had to wait about an hour to get a car assigned to me and then over 45 minutes for it to be brought up. About 50 people were in the same boat. They didn't have me initial anything and the printout was so faint that the ink was barely legible. (I wrote the main Budget email and was promised about $90 in reduced rates. I haven't seen it yet.) When I returned the car with a full tank of gas, despite this being noted on the receipt, they charged me $16.99 for a "fuel service charge." I wrote the Budget email again and was promised this charge would be removed. The good news is that I didn't die despite being sent out with a car with tires that could have killed me. Had I read Yelp reviews before renting from Budget, a company I've rented from for about 20 years with no previous problems, I would have avoided a near-death experience. UPDATE: After contacting the company's customer experience head directly via email, Budget apologized, refunded the entire cost of my rental, reimbursed me for the tire cost, and gave me a few days of future free rentals, as well as promised to look into what is going on in Columbus, including reviewing their procedures for safety. I received nothing for the loss of time or fear for my life. 8 November UPDATE: I received a letter today that Budget is charging me $60 for a tow and $29 for administrative costs. For a tow. I didn't receive a tow (I changed the tired with the help of a Good Samaritan onto the spare); I wasn't informed of the cost; and this was obviously Budget's fault, given that they admitted it in writing and refunded the rental cost. I'm disputing this charge now with Budget, first. read more

Budget Rent A Car - Tire showing wear through to the steel belt. - Car Rental Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Hugely disorganized process for getting the car after already waiting in line to do paperwork for 20 minutes. I even did the "precheck" process to save time but dammed if I think it actually got me through the paperwork any faster than the next person. Meanwhile, I've been standing the garage for almost 30 minutes with a lot of other folks and none of us have our cars yet. First and last time I will rent with Budget at this location. read more

DO NOT USE THEM! Yeap, they deserve no star actually. These people didn't tell me I had to give 250 deposit, their smart ass is didn't you read the policy, they know better we're not going to read it, but as a courtesy you can remind us, knowing it's a big deal. I had to wash and vaccum the car or they would charge me, and had to recharge the vehicle even when I was just using fuel. I will NEVER rent a car from them again. The vehicle was nice, but the people have a very ugly attitude, and the smurk they give you tells you enough about them. DO NOT USE THEM! read more

Had a Rav4 or similar and they put me in a crosstrek, it's hardly even an SUV. Then I had to pay almost doubled to upgrade to a equinox ( which is almost the same size as a rav4). Car was dirty, staff was rude, worst experience I could imagine. read more

Sketchy sketchy sketchy. After renting an absolute piece of trash with bald tires that had an unsafe amount of air in them and smelled of BO from another location, I dropped this at the airport location. I had a strange hunch to take a photo of the dashboard of the car to show that the car had a full tank of gas, and I am glad I did this. Even though the receipt SAYS that I returned the car full, they charged me $16.99 for "fuel service." No one said anything to me when I dropped the car off. In fact, everything seemed fine and I was told my receipt would be emailed. Thankfully I carefully check my receipts, as that was the only way that I saw I had been overcharged. I had to spend 45 minutes trying to get ahold of someone from customer service, who was kind enough to remove the charge, but I also am waiting to see if the money is actually refunded. From the neighborhood to the airport location, I have to tell everyone: stay away from Budget in Columbus! read more

Not in any particular rush for customer service. The company simply provides 3 agents for 40 people waiting to rent a car. read more

Budget Rent A Car - Line waiting for rental car, 3 agents at the desk. Not in any particular hurry. - Car Rental Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Wow talk about bait and hook. We were rushing for a wedding and needed a car. The wait wasn't awful but they sold me a price on a Chrysler 300 and then had no cars available at time of rental. Then the crappy small suv available was the same price as the Chrysler 300 and shook and rattled the entire rental. At least it was clean but not at all what I originally asked for. I will not rent from Budget again!! read more

Budget Rent A Car - Can't actually show you how bad we are shaking. - Car Rental Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Very long wait times, only one person staffing the kiosks at CMH airport location. Rented and paid for full size, but was given small. Car was not in very good shape, only option was take it and note problems or go to the end of the line and wait an hour. Upon return they wanted up so just leave the car with just a scan, we asked for a receipt and found they tacked on a tank of gas. Same thing occurred for the couple before us. It took 20m and then a call for a manager to resolve this. Comically other status members we're having difficulties, one guy had to make 5 trips to to counter, waiting in line each time (45m and counting). Another said this and only this location consistently fails to have his cars even after receiving email confirmations. It felt like lack of merit and incompetence, with a smattering of a shady business practices. read more

Avoid this rental car agency - especially if you are driving less than 70 miles. Budget tried to charge me $16.99 for fuel service, even though I told them I filled it and the fuel gauge said full. The agent explained that they always charge $16.99 when the car is driven less than 70 miles even if the customer tells them they filled the car. After a bit of an argument and producing the fuel receipt they took the charge off. read more

30 minute wait list to catch up with. Not very many cars available is what the customer service said. Waiting waiting waiting waiting waiting for Budget rental car at CMH. Rental facilities are a joke! Not Smooth transition. read more

First I reserved my car online and prepaid for my car. I used affirm to pay for the car which you offer on your website as a form of payment. They refused to rent me the car when I showed up because I could not produce the virtual credit card in person. Affirm does not give actual cards to you as it is an online service only. So I had my mother come meet me at the airport since I lived almost 45 minutes away and was told if I leave there is a chance I lose the car I already paid for and reserved. My mother got there and they then refused to let me use her credit card or add her to the drivers so we could use it. They told me to call customer service and then get back in line which was almost an hour long. I called customer service which then told me my only option was to cancel and re reserve the car but my refund would take 7-10 days. So since I didn't have another thousand dollars my mom offered to put it on her credit card and not to mention it went from 1000 to over 1500.. So we reserved with my moms name. Got back in line only to be told they couldn't see our reservation and we would have to wait another 30 minutes. After waiting the 30 minutes for it to finally show up. They go on to tell us that they don't have an 8 seater and we would have to wait to see what else comes in. So again I pay for a car and am told it is not avaiable. Finally a car that fits 8 but has smaller trunk storage came in. So we took that. At this point I've been here since 230 pm and it is not 530. They tell me to go to the second floor and wait for my car to be pulled around. It didn't get pulled up until 640pm. So not only did you offer a service online and not honor it in the location. You made me cancel and re reserve a car for more than what I paid prior. Your receptionist at the counter were rude and not helpful at all. And not to mention I had to wait from 230pm to 640pm on issues with your company. I want a refund. And I will never ever rent through you again. Update. They emailed me and did not address the fact that they offer affirm payment on their website but force people to show the card which is impossible as affirm doesn't give actual cards to people. But they tried to offer me a 2 day free rental in which I do not want. I would really like to just have my orinigal price I paid when i paid in full months ago. Budget is a nightmare and are only about making an extra buck and not taking care of the customer. Do not use them. read more

After reading other reviews, I was worried about this rental car company, but everything went smoothly. I was able to pick up my car in under 30 min and dropped it back off in under 5. No crazy charges. read more

Estimate was $200 difference from actual charge. The car was dropped off one day early and was not entered into the system until a day later, and charged a late fee!! read more

Charged almost $100 for no reason. I usually do not complain on minor things but this was too much. We rented suv from budget and they gave us with HALF TANK, the guy the the rental place said you can return with half tank so we did but on receipt they charged almost $100 for it. Its outrageous Someone please tell me how to get my money back. read more

Flew into CMH and reserved a car online to drive it 35 miles round trip. I ticked the "prepay" option for fuel since the fine print read that prices were comparable with pumping yourself. I got to the counter and noticed they were going to charge me $55 for fuel. I asked the lady at the counter to change my choice, telling her I would fill it myself instead. She looked at me confusedly for a bit when her colleague piped in and told me, "If you keep it under 75 miles, we only charge you $17." Still expensive, and definitely not in line with pumping myself, but whatever. I conceded, and went through with the transaction. When I got the receipt, I noticed they charged me the $55 anyway. I called customer service and told them to rectify this. Their response, effectively, was that, since I had no proof, they would not be reimbursing me. This would lead me to believe that Budget is either (1) liars, (2) hiring inept employees who are really bad at their jobs and have no idea what they are doing, (3) struggling so badly they are wiling to lose a customer over $38, or (4) some or all of the above. Oh, and this isn't even taking into account that the vehicle they gave me was extremely filthy and smelled like the previous occupants had been chain smoking in it for the last 24 hours. I will be traveling and renting cars through CMH regularly for the foreseeable future, but I assure you, I will never rent from these thieves again. read more

I wish I have never rented a car from Budget at Columbus, OH. They are unprofessional and crook. I was charged over $578 for the key I returned. They did not remind me to leave the key in the car at the time when I was returning the car. Once I realized that I had the keys in my purse after having passed airport security, I took the shuttle back and returned the key to the car rental counter. The gentleman at Payless counter told me to leave the key to him because the person at Budget counter was busy with other customers. I never gave it a second thought I will be charged for the car key I have already returned. I called Budget and Payless multiple times and they are the same family as far as I am concerned. But they did not solve the issue. They also charged me for returning the car to a different airport and gas fee. I had to show them my flight itinerary and boarding pass and told them the car I rented was a EV car and did not require gas! What a scamming place! read more

great customer service and they always give me a great vehicle that runs great! I have zero complaint.