Unethical business practice. Terrible experience. Prepaid (not simply reserved) for the car a month in advance via the Budget website. Needed for a 3 week family trip during Easter break. When I arrived, the car was there. Immediately after I declined their extra coverages was informed that my card they needed to use as a hold for incidentals (same one I had used to prepay for the car) had been declined. This card had $12,000.00 available on it. I had used this card at this location numerous times before with no problem. I knew there was no problem with the card. They refused to refund my prepaid fee or give me a car. They claimed they were a franchise and so did not have to refund the money I had paid the month before. When I said I would return with another card, I was informed that the midsize car which was already there may not be there, and I might get a smaller car. when I called the national corporate office, they said there was nothing they could do to make this branch honor the contract. Corporate offered to refund the money, however, it wasn't going to solve the problem of getting us a car. I had to rent another car, an hour later from another company (Alamo) in the same class for which I had prepaid, and because it was peak season, had to pay $368 more than I had already paid Budget. I used the very card that Budget claimed had been declined. I am a lawyer and will be suing this company in small claims court for the full amount of the car rental.
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