Budget Rent-A-Car in Manhattan is an excellent way to travel NY beyond the city center. I decided to see NY beyond its city landscapes of buildings and parking nightmares, so I decided to look outward and beyond. Reservations online was easy but the limits are exclusive that's, you cannot use or input your own insurance to waive theirs, nor change your reservations once it's locked in. The staff seems to lack the training to accommodate customer requests for small changes and seemed unable to modify anything from their end. Prices are reasonable, of course if you consider the NY landscapes and the location is just perfect however. Calling their customer service number is a nightmare cause no one picks it up, good luck on that. So, since I wanted extend for the second day, I have to go back to the station to ask for the extension. Guess what, the agent went for his break and I have to wait for an hour for him to come back? Really unprofessional! Having this opportunity allowed us to leave NY and head to Albany for the first day and Long Island for the second. Returning was easy, drive in and the security person will take the car and check you out, done. However, the security guard asked for a TIP for his work. I'm not a cheap guy but with a very disturbing and unprofessional experience, I felt this rental agency did not deserve a too from me. I hope Budget Rent A Car retrain their staff and put a code of conduct around their mission of serving customers instead of lunching us with a buck or two! read more

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I rented a car through Expedia, which was supposed to be a Volkswagen Jetta for $140 a day, which was already expensive, and when I went to pick it up, I was told that they only a Chevrolet SUV which is an upgrade and I'm supposed to pay for the upgrade. I told them that I don't need an upgrade and I just want to pickup a car for the price I paid and they said that I can only take a paid upgrade or no car at all. They bring one car per customer from somewhere else and if it's an upgrade they'd charge you for that upgrade. This location are crooks and make sure to not rent a car with this company. I ended up in a mazda that smelled bad for $200 a day. Yikes! Stay away read more

So quick, so easy, had an answer for every question we had and were very helpful and nice!! Picked up before 830AM, made the experience even smoother and driving in the city was a breeze. read more

Car had donut spare tire mounted. I received it during rain in the dark on the street. Told the man from Budget that one tire marks 0 pressure, he checked the "donut spare tire" and told me that the tire is good. (We saw we had a donut spare tire mounted on a stop on the highway. Driving on highway speed with donut tire in the rain can easily produce an fatal accident) Giving the car back, Budget staff wanted us to clean the car and take out a box of tissues that was not from us. And regarding the donut tire they told me the car is out of service and I should not have got it. read more

worst place ever! this place deserves to get shut down. I reserved a car and the booking was confirmed and when I went the lady told me no cars were available for me and that she did not care and if I have an issue to call customer service. she was ready rude and very inconsiderate. read more

Been waiting with no AC for HOURS with at least 5 people still in front of me. Front desk worker was awesome, but said she has requested additional help to no avail. One person for so many reservations. We're now going to be late for our commitments, and have no idea when we'll actually make it. Would have been faster and much cheaper to take the bus. read more

Every time I have to use this budget location I encounter an issue. The employees who work here have no regard for any decency or appropriate conduct. They charge random fees, take random breaks without alerting reservations or posting online, close early, and are extremely rude and unaccompanied to change reservations if needing help they send you to the 1-800 number that never answers. Worst budget location i have ever been to, but budget overall isn't great so I'm not surprised the employees they seem to have gotten from NYC work here and act this way read more

Avoid Budget at all locations at all costs This location tops the list of horrible. The counter people are completely useless and seem to take delight in the customers anger because Budget cannot provide the services they advertise. Got there 15 minutes early to pick up mu car at 11 am on a Tuesday. 20 people waiting. No info on what is happening. 45 minutes later I might get a car or not So I cancel my reservation at the counter and go around the corner to Dollar rent a car Then just now I get a notice of a $50 charge for cancelling. Which of course I am not going to pay read more

booked a car with this branch through Expedia. When I arrived, I was told they didn't have my booking -- even though I had my Expedia confirmation and booking number printed and ready to show them. They blamed Expedia and said there was nothing they could do. I had no choice but to rent a new car directly through Budget. It cost nearly three times more, but I assumed I could sort it out and get a refund through Expedia later. Later, I discovered that Budget had actually used my original Expedia confirmation number for the new contract, meaning they did have the booking -- they just didn't honor it. When Expedia called Budget, Budget falsely claimed that I had used the original booking and voluntarily upgraded the car -- which is completely untrue. This was clearly done to cover up what happened and make it look like everything went smoothly. In reality, I was forced to make a second booking, and now I've ended up paying nearly four times what I originally planned. The staff at this branch were dishonest and manipulative. The way they used the original booking number to disguise the extra charge is shady at best -- and potentially fraudulent. I returned the car to a different Budget branch, where the staff were friendly and helpful -- so this seems to be an issue specific to the team at this Midtown location (304 W 49th St, between 8th & 9th Ave, New York). Avoid this branch. I genuinely believe the staff here are running a scam. read more

More ppl working when they know they have reservations , no place to sit and wait and boy do you wait !!!!!

BE CAREFUL!!! Returned a car at this midtown location on 2 recent occasions. The first time I returned the car FULL but was charged around $25 after the fact for allegedly returning the car less than full. I let it go as I was back in Florida already. Second time I asked the check in person if everything was fine, gas full, no damage. He said all is fine and will email me the receipt. When I got back to hotel, I was charged $22.50 claiming it was returned at 7/8. Luckily, I took a picture of the gas guage, and went back to have it removed. Seems like a common practice as this location is used by mostly International travelers. read more

DO NOT RENT FROM HERE. What a nightmare. One person working the counter and one person to get the cars. Waited over two hours just to get to the counter, had to wait in the sweltering heat in the garage. This place is a joke. Spend the extra $50 and go to LaGuardia. read more

The system for renting cars here is broken. Awful. Took over an hour with a reservation. After waiting over an hour in line, they claimed we no showed. Again terrible. To be fair. Clerk was polite, however he needs more help. The owner is at fault on this. Clerk was ok, the system is what needs to be fixed. This could really compromise travel plans! read more

Line to get a car hasn't moved. Standing in a huge line with no air conditioning and two desk agents.

Long lines, and SLOW employees. They averaged 30-35 mins per customer. If you're renting a car from here, plan on waiting in line for at least two hours, then another 35 mins when you actually get to the counter read more

They only have one reservation is checking people in on a weekend. It's totally ridiculous. If there other options, please consider the other options. read more

Budget Rent-A-Car - The line is out the door and there are at least 6 people inside. - Car Rental Near Me - New York, New York

This review was way overdue as we rented a couple of vehicles last year as we had a nice size group and needed two vans or big SUV's. Love the fact that we didn't have to go all the way back to the airport to get a rental car. This location is very convenient to get to if you are in the city. The staff was friendly and very helpful as my friend made two prepaid reservations and he gave us a suggestion so we wouldn't be penalized on a double booking. So nice of him. One of the things that you have to take note of is the fact the rental cars are underground and you will have to wait for them to bring it up. So be patient as it may take longer for them to bring your car up than it was to talk to the service agent. Tip for getting the best price, check with websites such as rentalcar.com, Costco, AARP as they might save you some $$$. read more

The worst experience I ever had car rental people angry and upset 1 person working the counter little to no experience no cars bad attitude 8 of us waiting with reservations over 1 hour this place looks like&)@)?" Never again rent budget read more

Budget Rent-A-Car - Horrible place very unorganized - Car Rental Near Me - New York, New York

If I could give this location 0 stars, I would. When returning the car, the yelled at me for not parking correctly even though there was no indication of where to park. The person that took the keys was not even wearing a budget shirt which was very unsettling. When I asked for a receipt to show that I had returned it, they said they didn't do that but that one would be emailed (sure if this person really works for budget). We then thought that we'd forgotten something in the car and called back repeatedly for multiple hours before going back to the location in person. The person there was listening to earbuds and did absolutely nothing to help. We tried calling corporate and got no help there either. I strongly suggest that you do not pickup or drop off from this location. read more

The vehicle was filthy - upon return the person who got the key wasnt even wearing a Budget uniform - I asked for receipt he said they woudl email me. Next think I know I was overcharged for a "late return" 10:19pm - But I had the credit card receipt showing my cab ride back home arrival at 9:25pm. The branch manager and all must be fired - but I am sure they do could not care less. read more

Why on earth would you have 1 person working during the busiest pick up time? Budget- I appreciate that it's a 'budget' rental but c'mon, there is such a thing as knowing your customers. It took me 2 hours to pick up a reserved car. The location was convenient which was the only reason we decided to rent from here.... read more

Do not rent a car from here. We had to wait over two hours past our scheduled pick up time to get our car to only be offered a vehicle that would not fit all of us. When we returned the car before the schedule drop off time, we were told that they cannot accept it because they do not have space. That makes absolutely no sense and should not be our responsibility. The worker was extremely rude and was not helpful at all. A complete waste of our time and money. read more

Took 30mins to get into the lot which I prepaid for. 1 guys eating and 1 guy on his phone while 1 guy moving cars. A lady was waiting for 45 mins. To get my car out took 20mins which wasn't too bad but the attendant was rude. I tried to hand him my ticket and he just pretended I wasn't there and walked away. Did the same to the person behind me. The 2 people waiting in front of me said they were waiting for 30 and 45mins respectively. Don't book here. read more

I was a bit nervous after reading some truly nasty reviews, although I generally know how to discount people who go off about things they apparently didn't understand. We showed up early for our 10 AM reservation, got cheerful and prompt service at the counter and were on our way out of the city before 10 AM even came. Yes, the location is Manhattan-style cramped, but if you're expecting a big open surface lot full of cars you're in the wrong city. We got a clean, new and undamaged car within just a few minutes of arriving. read more

I would give their service 95/100, but YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT since their location is very, very small (inside a parking garage if you missed it) and they have to get your car out ONE AT A TIME. This is so NYC because everything's compacted and there's definitely someone ahead of you if you're to join a line. I was actually a bit worried before checking in but after I've been there 2 times, it's just a typical city location and be prepared n' get ahead read more

It was a smooth ride and no real wait. But have to commend the customer service I got on Christmas Eve and Christmas. The agent was incredibly helpful and had such a good attitude. It really makes the experience delightful. Thank you read more

One star for the nice guy who checked the car back in as quickly as possible when I returned it. Otherwise this is probably the worst organized and slowest rental car operation I've ever witnessed. The space is so small and it's also a parking garage. Under staffed and the staff that are working are so over it. Especially the ones in the office. No hello, thank you, explanation of charges, discussion of upgrades or car options. Nada! Not even eye contact. I've rented here a few times for location convenience, but every time I do, I say never again! If you do rent from here, know that you're going to wait 1-2 hours for pick up and about 30 min to an hour for return. read more

Awful. Do not rent here! I wish I checked out the reviews before I pre-paid for a three day rental. I happened to check right after I paid and still went in optimistic for the pick up. I found the budget car tucked in the corner of a tiny valet parking garage. Walked into their empty office to two guys playing on their phones, not looking up for a solid 30 seconds. I had paid for a "Volkswagen or similar car" or a standard and was given told I was getting a Nissan Versa, which I though was odd as they're usually considered compact cars. I asked him if it was a standard car and he confirmed, "yes you're getting a standard" so I shrugged and left. I consulted the google shortly after and found that the Versa is in fact a compact car. I was instructed to walk right outside to wait for a car on the left so I did. I found a rental-looking empty Nissan Versa with windows rolled down. I assumed this was the car but no one came to help me for another 5m. Eventually a man came with the key and proceeded do the paper work for the car all while Video chatting someone on his phone. The car itself was fine. Compact and not standard. It sounded like it was dying trying to go 60mph but it was clean enough and got me from point A to point B. Now onto the turn in process: Turned in car, while waiting for final receipt inside the office, another customer was upset because the car he prepaid for was no long available and he was being offered another car for $80 additional a day but because they feel bad, it'll only be $40 additional a day. What the what?!? The customer made a good point "what's the point of pre-paying if I don't get the car that I want?" Which had me thinking- he's totally right. I prepaid for a standard car too and did not get that. When I asked about the compact vs standard car difference, the rep first said size, then I asked about price and they said yes there is a price difference. So I brought up the fact that their coworker lied to me and gave me a compact car saying it was a standard. The rep said this will be brought up to the manager and gave me a business card to call as in, I cannot do anything for you here Reading other reviews, this seems like a common scheme they have going. Oh! And they leave the ezpass on ON mode. Check before you drive off if you intend on paying cash toll or using your own ezpass read more

I had a quick pickup and pleasant customer service experience here. Edwin is the best!!

pay more to get a car elsewhere. unless you want to stand in line all day. i'm even a fast break member and it did nothing

There is the worst service car rental but Budget on this location managed to achieve a new low. Slow service and bad customer service. I am impressed how they are still in business read more

Desk guy was rude to me, then gave me 2 cars smoked in. Only other option they offered was a minivan or small car for the same price. This is not a good Budget location. read more

This place is so bad that you wonder if they have a hidden camera for a reality show. The service is unbelievably unfriendly and almost all employees do not care for the customers. Actually, they apparently hate the customers. To pick up the car is a bad dream but to return is a nightmare. You have two options: avoid this place so that they starve to death until they learn to respect customers or just relax and enjoy to be treated poorly. read more

Wish I read the reviews before I decided to rent here. I got caught with the common scheme that a lot of people had been hit with here that I rented a midsize car (Toyota Corolla or similar) and they ran out of cars and I ended up with a compact (Lancer). Really disgraceful because I had paid extra money for the midsize and instead ended up with a squishy ride for the entirety of the rental. read more

Budget Rent A Car Reservations number +1 (831)-(244)-(8250),For Accounts and Billings office is open (Mon-Fri) at Salinas CA. 9am-6pm .Phone number is +1 (831)-(244)-(8250). Customer service at Budget Car Rentals. read more

Simply the worse rental company in Manhattan. The staff is beyond unhelpful! Avoid this as much as you can! There is a reason why this is cheaper! read more

I am generally happy with Budget but the NYC locations are pretty bad. Terribly long wait to grab car and always a hassle returning. I still use Budget in other cities but will not be back to this location. read more

Will be here in line going on almost 3 hours of waiting to pick up my car that I pre-paid for and I am a budget member which is Ironic bc it means absolutely nothing. the worst experience I have ever had in renting a car.wouldnt have expected to waste half of my vacation day waiting in line. read more

Convenient, but expensive. Was charged $12 extra for using the EZ pass thing stuck to the window. I didn't realize there was an extra charge until I returned the car. read more

Super slow service at the desk, and waiting for the car once contract was drafted. Took over an hour to get my contract... with maybe 4-6 customers before me, then waited outside an additional 45 mins to get my car. Fucking worst rental place I've ever used read more