Budget Car Rental Ireland
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Unreported damage scam
I hired a car with this company for a week at Dublin Airport, when I collected the car the agent was polite and helpful. The reported damage already on the car is sent subsequently by an email the expectation being you will check the vehicle before departing. The vehicle was parked in the multi-story car park at terminal 1. There is no ambient lighting at this location that will facilitate a proper examination. I took a video of the bodywork and wheels and noted some unreported wheel damage. When I returned the vehicle the following Saturday morning a rather rude abrupt female stated there was a small scuff chip on the windscreen. This mark was minuscule and I would not have noticed it in any event. To have noted this the car it would have needed a forensic examination and in my view this mark would not require any further repair. Several days later I note that my credit card had been debited €141 for this damage. Damage that I did not cause. I asked Budget for an invoice for the actual cost of repair, what I received was an estimate not an invoice my suspicions were aroused because after some research the aforementioned estimate was actually from another car rental company at the airport. I have again asked for the receipt for the damage. The cost of repairing a chipped windscreen at Halfords UK is approx £40. I suspect this is a complete deception being practised whereupon unwitting customers are charged for repairs that never take place. There was an article written on Irish Central about the very issue - car hire companies using such practices ripping off unsuspecting customers in this way, sadly I cannot share the url for the article on this review. This practice continues unabated I have therefore decided to report this to the Garda Siochana as a ‘fraud by misrepresentation’. Be very careful when hiring a car. I have replied to your reply I await your findings. Here we are now some weeks after Edel, from budget.ie asked for a reply and nothing from her, their silence is golden **you have been warned people**