Budget Italia Reviews 

Absolute disgrace of a company.
I booked via Holiday Autos in the UK and paid in full with debit card, and was asked for credit card details when I picked up the car (standard requirement I thought), returning it in pristine condition with a full tank.
A week after I returned home I received an invoice for $40, with no reason attached, and they had simply taken the money from my credit card.
I have been emailing constantly and been fobbed off or ignored, they haven't refunded the money or given a reason why they've charged. This means they could conceivably take any amount from a card, with no reason and no accountability. Unbelievably unethical.

I cannot recommend Booking.com Car Rental or Budget Car Rental in Italy after this experience.

We booked and paid for the car rental through Booking.com Car Rental. The confirmed total rental price was DKK 2,827.55, approximately EUR 379, and the agreed deposit at pick-up was EUR 200.

At the Budget counter in Italy, we were pressured to pay a much higher amount. We asked three times whether this amount was a deposit, and three times we were told that it was a deposit related to insurance and that it would be returned after the car was returned, provided there were no damages.

That was not true. The amount has now been charged as car rental, even though the rental was already booked and paid through Booking.com. Budget’s invoice is in Italian and does not match the agreement we had with Booking.com.

We tried to show the Booking.com voucher at the counter, but it was rejected because it was in Danish. That is not acceptable. We arrived with a confirmed agreement from Booking.com, and Budget refused to respect it.

This feels like a dishonest business practice. Customers are pressured at a busy counter, told one thing verbally, and then charged for something else afterwards. That is not a misunderstanding. That is a serious problem.

Booking.com Car Rental cannot just sell the booking, take the payment, confirm the terms and then leave the customer alone when their rental partner charges a completely different amount.

Our request is simple: refund the unauthorised EUR 1,342.08.

Based on this experience, I strongly advise others to be very cautious when booking through Booking.com Car Rental or renting from Budget Car Rental in Italy.

Budget Italia is an absolute disgrace of a car rental company. If you value your money, your time, and your sanity, do not book with them. Full stop.

The dishonesty started before we even left the forecourt. The agent in Naples attempted to charge us for additional insurance we neither wanted nor needed, arbitrarily increased the deposit amount against what was stated in our contract, and then tried to hand us a car with a visibly flat tyre. When we raised it, his response was dismissive to the point of being dangerous - "it's ok, if problem, you come back." Unbelievable.

It did not end there. We were also hit with fabricated late charges during our time in Naples - fees conjured out of thin air with no legitimate basis. And in a moment that sums this company up perfectly, the agent in Naples attempted to charge us for pre-existing damage that was already recorded on his own iPad. I only discovered it by catching a glimpse over his shoulder. Had I not challenged him directly, we would have been robbed without a second thought.

This is not a one-off bad experience - read the other reviews, and you will see the exact same pattern playing out again and again. Fake damage charges, inflated costs, illegal deposit changes, and a calculated effort to extract as much money as possible from unsuspecting customers.

You will pay significantly more through Budget Italia than you would with any reputable company. The Naples and Salerno branches are running what can only be described as a systematic scam.

Do not book. Do not trust them. You have been warned.

Neodporúčam nikomu, prešli sme okolo 400 km a napísali nám že sme prešli 2373 km, požičali nám čierny osem miestny Mercedes a hradili nám škodu z bieleho Mercedesu. Pri ich prístupe si už od nich nikdy auto nepožičiam a nikomu to ani neodporučím.

This was an extremely frustrating and unacceptable experience with Budget.

At the time of booking, we had already paid in full for the car rental and were explicitly told that full coverage insurance was included in the reservation. Despite this, upon arrival at the counter, we were pressured into purchasing an additional insurance policy.

We were then charged an extra €211.40, with no clear explanation or transparency. Only at the counter were we told it would supposedly be around €30 per day, which was never properly communicated during booking.

This feels misleading and unfair, as we had already paid for what we believed was complete coverage. Being forced into an additional charge on arrival is not acceptable.

We are formally requesting a full refund of the €211.40 that was wrongly charged at pickup.

They charged us triple the price AFTER the car was returned. Just appeared on the credit card. Zero issues, zero scratches or dints; full tank of fuel. We took several avenues to deal with it but they have done this a million times. Long story short: DON’T RENT A CAR FROM BUDGET OR AVIS IN ITALY!!!!

Premetto che sono una persona che difficilmente lascia recensioni negative. Piccoli disguidi o episodi spiacevoli possono capitare ovunque, e spesso preferisco lasciar correre. In questo caso però mi sento letteralmente derubato, ed è per questo che scrivo questa recensione.

Ho effettuato un noleggio tramite broker con Budget presso l’aeroporto di Linate. Durante il noleggio ho avuto necessità di prolungare l’auto di un giorno aggiuntivo. Contatto quindi telefonicamente il centro prenotazioni Budget e mi viene detto che, avendo prenotato tramite broker, l’estensione non poteva essere fatta telefonicamente ma solo recandomi fisicamente presso un banco Budget.

Prima di muovermi chiamo il punto Budget di CityLife Milano per avere conferma che fosse possibile effettuare lì il prolungamento. Mi confermano di sì, quindi mi reco personalmente al banco. L’operatore mi conferma che il noleggio viene esteso di un giorno e mi comunica anche il costo della giornata aggiuntiva: 33 euro.

Da quel momento però iniziano i problemi.

Non ricevo nessuna email, nessun contratto aggiornato, nessun documento scritto. Insospettito, ricontatto il centro prenotazioni Budget, che mi dice invece che a sistema l’estensione non risulta. Torno quindi DI NUOVO personalmente al banco Budget di CityLife, dove continuano però a rassicurarmi dicendo che è tutto regolare e che il prolungamento è stato correttamente inserito.

Dopo decine di telefonate e continui controlli, riconsegno finalmente l’auto il giorno successivo. Anche in fase di riconsegna mi viene confermato verbalmente che il noleggio risultava esteso correttamente.

Al banco di Linate mi fanno firmare sul tablet senza darmi il tempo di leggere realmente il documento e senza spiegare nulla. Una volta tornato a casa, mi ritrovo però un addebito di 206 euro sulla carta.

206 euro.

Per un’estensione che telefonicamente mi era stata quantificata in 33 euro.

Quindi no, qui non si parla di un semplice disservizio. Qui si parla di totale mancanza di trasparenza, comunicazioni contraddittorie, assenza di documentazione scritta e addebiti completamente diversi da quelli comunicati al cliente.

Ma la parte più assurda arriva dopo.

Quando ho contattato il call center per aprire reclamo, mi è stato risposto che non esisterebbe alcuna prova del fatto che mi fosse stato comunicato il prezzo di 33 euro e che avrei dovuto avere una registrazione della telefonata.

Assurdo.

Prima di tutto perché registrare una telefonata privata può comportare problematiche legate alla privacy. Ma soprattutto perché le chiamate al call center Budget vengono registrate DA VOI “per finalità di controllo qualità”.

Quindi le prove esistono eccome.

Ho inviato via email anche gli screenshot di tutte le telefonate effettuate. Se davvero voleste verificare quanto accaduto, potreste tranquillamente recuperare le registrazioni tramite il mio numero di telefono e controllare esattamente cosa mi è stato comunicato dagli operatori, incluso il prezzo di 33 euro per l’estensione.

Altrimenti viene spontaneo chiedersi: a cosa serve registrare le chiamate, se poi quando il cliente apre un reclamo fate finta che quelle registrazioni non esistano?

Aggiungo un altro dettaglio assurdo: il banco Budget di Linate non ha un numero telefonico diretto. È praticamente impossibile contattarli. E allora mi chiedo: a cosa servono i numeri di assistenza, se poi non si può né gestire un’estensione correttamente né ricevere un semplice documento via email con il nuovo importo?

La parte più irritante è che so già quale sarà probabilmente la risposta standard sotto questa recensione: “Ci dispiace per l’accaduto, la invitiamo a contattarci in privato”.

No. Non scrivetelo.

Perché vi ho già contattati più volte via email e non avete mai risposto.

Quindi questa recensione serve semplicemente ad avvisare chiunque voglia noleggiare con Budget: pretendete sempre tutto per iscritto, perché altrimenti rischiate di trovarvi addebiti totalmente diversi da quelli comunicati.

Non noleggiate macchine da loro, non sono per niente professionali.
Addebitano costi extra a caso senza dare spiegazioni e per parlare con l’assistenza per il rimborso ci metterete ore e ore.
Per fortuna ho la prova che loro dichiarano il falso, patetici.
Non noleggerò mai più da loro.

I am extremely dissatisfied with my experience with Budget.

At pickup, we were promised winter tyres as a bonus. However, the car was parked in heavy rain, and since we were managing children and luggage, we did not immediately check the tyre condition. Later, we discovered the car had summer tyres, which is completely unacceptable given the conditions and our planned trip to the mountains.

Additionally, the fuel tank was only partially filled, which we noticed later due to an unusual and unclear electronic display. Attempts to contact the company were unsuccessful — they did not respond to calls or emails.

We had purchased full insurance through DoYouItaly specifically for safety while driving in mountainous areas. Due to the inappropriate summer tyres, the car slipped slightly at one point, resulting in a minor scratch on the rear bumper — something that could easily be polished.

We returned the car early in the morning outside office hours. No one contacted us regarding the damage. Then, exactly one month later, AVIS (their parent company) charged approximately €500 to my credit card without any prior notice.

When I contacted them, they simply sent a document stating the charge was for the scratch and claimed they were not required to inform me before taking the money.

The most concerning part is this: I had only 30 days to file a claim with my insurance, and they waited exactly that long before charging my card — effectively preventing me from using my insurance coverage.

This feels highly unethical and deliberate.

Now I am left in a situation where:

the rental company has taken the money without proper communication,
and my insurance is no longer valid due to their delay.

I strongly do NOT recommend this company. This experience felt like a calculated scheme rather than fair customer service.

Horrible horrible. My flight was canceled less than 48 hours before my pickup, and I rescheduled to arrive a day later. I made multiple attempts to contact you in advance—by phone and email—just to inform them of the delay. I wasn’t asking for a refund or discount, even though I would use the car for one day less.
Despite this, no one responded or helped. When I arrived, I was simply told I was a “no-show,” and nothing could be done. This was very disappointing given the effort I made to notify them.

Ladri..consegna avvenuta di notte..purtroppo non sono riuscita a fotografare bene tutti i danni dell auto consegnata,e al rientro mi hanno addebitato 365,00€ per un piccolo graffio sulla plastica nera del paraurti,considerandolo grande danno..sono dei ladri.ATTENZIONE,altre compagnie sono molto più serie,non fidatevi di quei ladri maledetti budget

We have travel to Italy every year for the last thirty years and on each visit, we have booked car hire for the duration of our stay. This experience has given us, we believe, a realistic expectation of the process of car hire.

No one will ever look forward to the experience of renting a car. The companies are in a price sensitive market and competition is high. Additional charges are always the norm and you know you will never pay the price quoted and rarely feel that you have had a good deal.

The staff have a difficult job and they have to deal with people stressed from the experience or expectation of a flight. They are also incentivised to increase income and we have become immune to the whole process. “Let the duel begin”, is usually our motto.

It is with this context that I offer my review of Budget Car Hire at Naples Airport. My advice is never, ever use them. If you are unsure, stop, pause, think about it and then go book somewhere else. There are people who hang around in dark alleys outside houses of ill-repute at 2am who you could probably trust more. Whatever incentives they publish on-line or whatever price that they quote, never believe anything they claim. They are merely a trap for the unsuspecting.

I would suggest that the experience of sticking a fork in your own eye would be less painful than renting from these charlatans. Actually, pouring petrol on your own genitals and standing close to a naked flame would probably leave you with less of a sense of pain or trauma.

The staff approach a returned car rather like hyenas who have spotted a wounded wildebeest. They sniff, probe and test for any sign of weakness and imperfection. I believe that should they not be able to find anything else, then they would insist that the windows were more transparent then when you collected it and charge accordingly.

I was already disappointed with Budget when I saw the added costs to the price quoted that were added from that quoted on-line when I collected the car two weeks previous. When I returned it, there was a slight indent on the passenger door on the drivers side. It looks like it was done by a door being open onto it by another car. It was the size of a chickpea - a very emaciated one at that. We believe that it was in the photos that we took but we were told that there was too much glare to see - Oh, what a fool I feel not to have booked and attended a professional photography course before my holiday. On our return, we were given excellent advice on how to best photograph dents and from which angle and the need to make a video with the picture quality of a cinematic masterpiece before driving away. All good advice that would have actually been quite useful when we actually picked it up rather than upon return.

All the time they are wearing you down for the kill and the charge that will exceed the national debt of Brazil for a small dent that will require the attention of a Formula One mechanic to repair it who has been specially flown in by private jet (I can only assume that is why it costs so much), the Budget team will tell you that “We are trying to help”, they really should add “….. to charge you more money”.

Genuinely, if you ever are in a position that your only option is to use Budget Car Hire at Naples Airport, please, please, please, I beg you either hire a donkey for your stay (at least then you get more good humour and patience than when dealing with the average car hire company employee) or organise a loan from the World Bank in advance of your trip.

I do not often do reviews but firstly, my therapist said it would help me and, secondly, if this serves to help others to avoid the descent into bitterness, self-blame and angst that I have encountered from using them. I consider that should this review help to stop only one person making the same mistake as me, then I can feel that I have done some good in this world.

Dear Reader, should you have been so kind and patient as to read this far into my review I can only add that renting from this company, no matter how good a deal you feel that you are getting, the money that you save will never be more than the cost of the therapy required after the experience.

For those who feel they still wish to rent from Budget Car Hire in Naples, I can only say that I admire your courage and that it was on such daring that great empires have been built. I salute you.

I suspect that one day some archeologist working on Pompeii will find a figure with a clenched hand holding a wooden tablet on which it is written, ‘Vesuvius do your worst, I have used Budget Cart Hire what greater tragedy could befall me?’.

It was good service and everything went quickly and well in Rome ciampino apt.

Pésimo servicio. Hicimos una reserva por booking. La señora del mesón (pelo blanco y corto, ojos pintados verdes) nos dijo que teníamos que esperar 3 horas, sin embargo si le pagábamos el triple an ella, nos pasaba un auto de inmediato. Le preguntamos por qué, y según ella así funciona el sistema, incluso si reservan por la página web directa pasará lo mismo, siempre esperar 3 horas a menos que quieras pagarle a ella. Nunca más confiar en esta agencia!! Luego fuimos a noleggiare y todo perfecto

I rented a car for a business trip, using Booking as the reservation platform.
I booked a compact automatic SUV as I need to drive around 600-800 km a Week.

A very rude staff hanlded my pick up at the Linate airport.

In spite of the car category, htye insisted to provide me a city car. I was handed over a dirty and very old car, way below the category I booked. I complained twic and then was haded over a city car of a better category. For the transition I was charged 18 euro, I found out later from an email communication.

I had to hear comments from another woman on the car category on women not needing a car anyway.

I have cancelled several meeting and now will forever avoid Budget,AVISand Maggiore as they share same staff.

My business trip is ruined and will not really consider long term renting again.

AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS, SHADY BUSINESS PRACTICES

I have rented a car through Booking.com for a total and final cost of €55 with no additional charges.
The original rental period was from 10:00 AM on February 6th to 3:30 PM on February 7th.

At your Linate Budget agency, I was told that:

I would receive a category upgrade at no cost to me.

I could keep the car until 10:00 AM on February 8th, having rented the vehicle for two days.

I could have added comprehensive damage insurance for about €20 per day. As I actually did,

To avoid penalties or additional charges, I would have to return the vehicle full.

I returned the car on February 7 at 8:10 PM, early, and with a full tank.

In the end-of-rental invoice, also attached, I was billed the following items:

Rental fees €85.11
Location surcharge €25.11
Vehicle license fee €4.70
Late return surcharge €15.00
Optional services €20.72

For a total of €183.78 (including VAT).

None of the above items correspond to the costs indicated in the contract with the booking portal, nor correspond to what declared when I have rented the car.

pS THEY ARE ALSO LYING ABOUT WHEN I HAVE RETURNED THE CAR

PPS I have written them several emails and they never replied.

AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS, SHADY BUSINESS PRACTICES

Not even one star, but there's no option to give ZERO... We booked a car through Ryanair (flights and car) and paid in full 45.53e. The car was dropped off on time, keys were left in the box, as per instructions, see photos attached.
The following day we received the invoice 408.87e :
252.53 rental charges, 55.86e location surcharge, 11.75e license fee and 15.00e late return fee.
163.34e was already deducted from deposit, the amount due is 363.34e.
We are renting cars quite often - 5,6 times/year, nothing similar ever happened to us...

Ho nolegiato mediante RyanAir. PROBLEMI:
1) Il sistema web ha cambiato in modo arbitrario il drop-off da me scelto (da BS a BGY), senza avvisare. Allo sportello Budget mi è stato quindi palesat oun costo aggiuntivo di 100 € per lasciare l'auto a BS.
2) Mi hanno addebitato unilateralmente 13€ di benzina, sulla base del 63km percorsi, pur avendo consegnato l'auto 1,5 giorni prima del previsto e con il carburante FULL. Per evitarme avre dovuto dimostrare l'avvenuto rifornimento, ma nessuno mi ha avvisato.

Budget Naples, there was no one at the car rental lot, we had to take care of everything ourselves. We took pictures and videos of the whole car, but somehow we missed a little scratch on the passenger mirror. It was very obviously an old scratch. They managed to be there when we dropped the car off and completely lied, said we did it, when it was obvious that it had been there for months. They are still putting charges on our card several days later. They are frauds, liars and cheats. Disgusting.

Un furto. Guasto tecnico all'auto ricompensato con un addebito finale sul carburante (avrei dovuto restituire il pieno, mail guasto ha anticipato la riconsegna e guastato i piani). Da 45 euro previsti a 197 euro. Nessuno ha nemmeno accennato ad un risarcimento in qualsiasi forma.