Budget Rent A Car - Budget downgraded me and charged me double

I rented a Jeep Cherokee through Costco Travel at an agreed base rate of around $412. Within 24 hours, I discovered the car had a plugged sidewall tire, a dangerous and illegal repair that made the vehicle unsafe to drive. I documented the damage and sent photos to Budget. In response, they confirmed the defect and instructed me to exchange the vehicle immediately.

That alone should've triggered better service. Instead, here's what happened:

I was downgraded to a cheaper Chevy Trailblazer, yet still charged for a standard SUV.

A Budget rep promised me a free rental day to compensate for the safety issue, but it was never honored.

Budget then re-rated my contract, increasing the base charge to $699.96 without telling me.

All fees, taxes, and surcharges were inflated because they were calculated off that improper rate.

I was charged a total of $930.13, far above what I agreed to, with no updated invoice, no breakdown, and no justification.

Only after escalating through Costco (who I originally went through) did Budget refund $342.28, but they still never explained what that refund covered or provided a breakdown of the refund.

I asked repeatedly for a corrected invoice, an explanation of how the refund was calculated, or proof that I was ever informed of the rate change. They never responded.

This isn't just bad service; it's a company that rents out unsafe vehicles, manipulates pricing after the fact, breaks its own verbal agreements, and hides behind silence when questioned.

I've since submitted complaints to the BBB and am pursuing additional consumer protection options.

After reading many reviews, this is not uncommon with Budget.

If you care about safety, transparency, and being billed fairly, avoid Budget. I wouldn't trust them again under any circumstances.