Budget Truck Rental not so Budget

Trying to rent a truck for moving should be something that is done easily, after all I have rented cars with little or no trouble in the past.

My first experience was with Penske who promised me a truck at 9am, then 10 am, then 11 am but still no truck. So I am now half way through moving day with no truck to actually move with. My next stop was Budget truck rental which had no trucks. They referred me to another Budget rental center that was actually a citgo gas station with no gas pumps and a waiting area unable to hold more than 3 people at a time. I had a bad feeling about it when there was a sign that said we are just trying to make a living if you don't like it go somewhere else. I needed a truck so I went forward with the rental.

After returning the truck I get a call a couple days later saying the gas tank is not full and that they are going to charge a labor fee of $30 plus the cost of gas. This is strange because I filled it up before I dropped off the truck. So I look at my credit card statement and see a charge of $31.08 for gas from Budget. They charged me the $30 because I used $1.08 worth of gas driving from the gas station to the citgo.

When I complained to the citgo attendant he pulled out the contract that said the tank needed to be full. I doubt I could have used one dollar worth of gas getting there from the gas station. It seems to me that the $30 dollars is probably pure profit for the citgo station and they charge it on every truck that comes out of there.

Next time I have to rent a truck you can be assured it will not be from budget, I wrote a letter to the budget main office and I will reserve final judgement until they respond.