Terrible Experience – Unsatisfactory Car, Rude Service, No Support, and SCAM
We had a very disappointing and stressful experience with Budget Car Rental at Dublin Airport.
From the moment we mentioned using our credit card insurance instead of theirs, the staff at the rental counter became rude and uncooperative. They insisted that no U.S. credit card would cover rentals in Ireland, even though I had already researched this thoroughly. My credit card (Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard) did cover the rental, and I even emailed Budget proof of this after picking up the car.
However, in the meantime, they charged an astonishing $6,200 deposit on my credit card — an amount that seemed completely disproportionatet. While I understand rental car deposits, this was far beyond reasonable and set the tone for the disappointing experience that followed.
The car we were given was in poor condition, with scratches all over and visibly worn tires. Unfortunately, one of those tires blew out while we were driving on a busy highway, heading to the airport. We immediately tried to contact Budget for assistance but couldn’t get through to anyone on any of the numbers provided. At one point, we received an automated message telling us to call AA. We did reach someone there, but they informed us they wouldn’t be able to help for several hours — which, of course, meant we would miss our flight.
We didn’t feel safe on the side of a busy highway with cars speeding by, so we tried calling an Avis number, and someone finally answered. They referred us to a local tire shop, but once again, we were told they could assist... in several hours. When we called Avis back, we were told to abandon the car and take a taxi — which they assured us they would reimburse. Of course, that reimbursement never came, and they later denied ever saying such a thing, despite specifically instructing us to get a receipt and drop it off with the keys.
By the time we reached the rental office to return the keys, we were racing against the clock to catch our flight, and once again, we were met with rude and dismissive behavior from the staff. At that point, we were just focused on getting to our gate.
The weeks following our rental were a complete nightmare as we tried to resolve the situation. Budget held a $6,200 charge on my credit card for three weeks, which was absolutely unnecessary. To make matters worse, they accused us of driving on a flat tire — something we clearly did not do. We were on a busy highway, and as soon as it was safe, we pulled over to address the issue. It was both insulting and completely unreasonable for them to suggest otherwise.
In the end, they added an additional $600 to our final bill to cover a tow and tire replacement Normally, I’d just dispute this with my credit card company and move on, but after reading multiple reviews from others who have had the same experience at this location, it's clear this is part of an ongoing pattern where Budget shifts the blame onto customers to avoid paying for damages. To top it all off, we're also out $170 USD for a taxi and tip, which they failed to reimburse as promised.
I would strongly advise avoiding this location. The customer service was shockingly bad, the car was unsafe, and they take no responsibility for their vehicles or broken promises.
