Name: Budget Car Rental
Address: Provincia de Alajuela, RÃo Segundo, Costa Rica, CR
Telephone: +506 2436 2007

Budget Car Rental is a car rental, located at Provincia de Alajuela, Río Segundo, Costa Rica. They can be contacted via phone at +506 2436 2007, visit their website www.budget.co.cr for more detailed information.

Location :

Provincia de Alajuela, Río Segundo

Contacts :

Added by Jopie, at 14 September 2014

Monday 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Tuesday 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Wednesday 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Thursday 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Friday 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Saturday 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sunday 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM

Add email
Add business description
Add Social Media
Add Products and Services

Anonymous

02 May 2018

Went in with low expectation after reading other reviews and just stories of what to expect with Costa Rican rental car agencies. We were pleasantly surprised, the car pickup was pretty quick. We paid the mandatory insurance and got a free upgrade.

Upon return we had no issues and had a nice shuttle ride back to the airport.

Overall one of the cheapest options we found, friendly service and pretty modern facilities.
Anonymous

29 April 2018

Don’t expect any help if something goes wrong - even with full insurance.

I rented SUV with LDW insurance. The clerk assured me that no matter what happens to the car I am covered.

First car they gave us was in terrible condition and had burned out clutch and one completely bald tire.

I brought it back and was given a replacement.

While driving in Puntarenas province on main road (RT160) to Santa Teresa - we had to drive through several sections of the road that actually followed the path of dry river beds. Seemed crazy.

On RT160 just outside Coyote we encountered a section of water spanning across the entire road/ river. Maybe this is normal? I don’t know.

We tried to drive through thinking there is no way a municipality would leave a potentially car drowning hazard right on a main road without signage, blockage or indication of detour.

The car did not make it though.
The next morning Budget told me insurance does not cover driving in rivers and I owe them $15,000 for the car repair. I explained I was on a road and showed them the google map I was using with exact location of incident. GPS coordinates 9.737991, -85.195320

They told me if I do not pay that Budget lawyers in the USA will come after me. I said good and I asked them to send me bill in the USA so we can let a court decide.

Instead they went ahead and put a $15,861 charge on my credit card.
I’ve asked them several times for summary of charges and copy of insurance claim they submitted to Qualitas.

They have not responded.
Anonymous

27 March 2018

Excellent service and prices. There's a kiosk at the airport and a shuttle to the rental center. Quick and painless.
Anonymous

03 March 2018

We read the reviews before travelling so had low expectations going into the rental. We also read up on the car insurance laws in Costa Rica before travelling, so we were aware that we would have to pay something additional (we chose the $30/day option which covered the deductible of the other vehicle, although we could have went with the base insurance which was $20/day). Yes, the rental location is around the corner from the airport, but it was a quick shuttle ride to pick up the car and a quick shuttle after dropping off the car. The location is new and nice (with public washrooms) and the service was exactly what you would expect from any car rental agency. We rented a Toyota Rav4 which drove fine but had many "cosmetic" issues. Be sure to read the damage page that the rental agency will give you and make sure that it corresponds to the actual damage on the vehicle before leaving the lot. This is similar to any car rental location ,it is just that in Costa Rica the vehicles may have more dents and scratches then elsewhere. In our case (and since it was a Monday) we did not have to wait to pick up the car, but when we dropped it off (on Friday) the location was very busy and I could see how some people would have to wait for varying lengths of time. The staff was pleasant and efficient. All-in-all a good experience.
Anonymous

26 February 2018

What a bunch of crooks!!! If you reserve online beware, even if you get printed confirmation that your credit card covers all liabilities including third party damage they will still force you to purchase the third party insurance for 19.99$ a day. This nearly doubled our already over priced rental. The car we picked up was also already dirty when we picked it up. The staff was not friendly, not helpful in any way and used high pressure tactics to force you to purchase the additional coverages. Basically there were no other cars in the lot available, so when i asked if I could just come back in an hour and go see if my other reservation through Fox was going to tack on massive 3rd party liability fees, they said they would cancel my reservation if i stepped foot off the lot. BEWARE, If visiting Costa Rica, rent from someone else!!!
Anonymous

21 February 2018

Worst rental experience of my life. If I could give it a zero star rating I would. I was given a car with brake issues. Only 20 minutes into my drive, I hit some oil during a turn, went to apply the brakes, and they did not work. We ended up hitting a rail. No one was hurt thankfully. Nothing showed as not working on the dash board so we continued to drive. Maybe 15 more minutes into the drive, the brake lights came on indicating the brakes were not working. We had no other option but continuing our drive to Arenal in a car with no brakes. In Arenal I was brought a different car with working brakes. Scariest drive of my life. Even though my life was put at risk, I got a police report, an insurance report, and proof the brakes weren’t working, Budget Car Rental is still attempting to charge me for the minor of the vehicle they rented me without brakes.
Anonymous

21 February 2018

Bad experience, after the drama with the deposit (typical for CR) we waited for over 90 minutes for our car to delivered from the lot. Car was well used, with lots of damage, all minor, but it was impossible to do a proper circle check. Half the form was in Spanish, and half in English. A few minutes down the road locals were waving at us to let us know the Hood was not latched properly.

Brakes squealed a lot, and minor things here and there. I guess these cars take a pounding, but I expected much more.

Overall it was a rougher than expected start to our vacation, let's see how it goes on the return.
Anonymous

04 January 2018

I have heard nightmare stories about the rental car situation in CR. This was my only experience, as I have taken the bus on previous trips. I found the staff friendly and sincere. I discussed with them that my Visa would cover any damages to the car and no need for purchasing additional insurance. They informed me that they would hold a deposit (I think$3K) until I returned the vehicle. They encouraged I document any additional damage and photograph anything before I left the rental facility (which I did). Once I returned it (I made sure everything was tip top before turn in) they said the deposit hold would be released in 4-5 working days. Its been 2 weeks and there have been no charges to my Visa. I was only charges $160USD for 8 days of rental. So I feel they were honest and fair and no shady business, unlike some of the other reviews. I just wanted to make sure not all the reviews were bad, since my experience was very good.
Anonymous

02 January 2018

Good customer service. Words of the wise - fill tank up with gas prior to dropping off, otherwise they charge $150, regardless of amount.
Anonymous

02 July 2017

Very similar to others, they are extremely sleazy here! The guy who checked me in did not disclose his intentions. In the end, he pre-charged me for the whole rental AND a $1,000 deposit. He also had me leave a blank charge receipt. Upon my return, I has less than 1/4 tank and he informs me (he didn't originally), that the gas is 3.5 times the price!!!!! DO NOT RENT FROM BUDGET IN COSTA RICA. Don't do it! They are scam artists!!!!
Anonymous

17 December 2016

Look for another rental place, if you use them you will not only be overcharged, but they will try to charge you twice. First of all, the price for insurance went up 3 times during our discussion. They claimed I did not reserve automatic, when the reservations clearly stated otherwise. I would walk out of the place, If it wasn't late at night and our baby wasn't crying all the time. Clearly they know how to take advantage of tourists. Now, I am trying to dispute extra charges for Gas, where I returned full tank. Did I say that I saw two charges after my visit to Costa Rica, yes one was process and one pending for almost the same amount. I had to cancel my card to stop extra pending charges.
Anonymous

10 December 2016

Wow, if I could give a negative star I would. The car that we were given was dirty and just plain old. We asked for an automatic and we were given a standard transmission.We didn't have much of a choice at the time so we had to take it. Also, their service was extremely slow. It was close to two hours once we got to their station. I would not recommend them at all.
Anonymous

01 December 2016

Booked over rentacar, when we arrived there we found out that the anti theft insurance does only Cover the damage if the whole car is stolen. If your radio or tire is stolen ypu have to pay, even the broken window
They even wanted a blanco credit cars check to cover a eventual police fine
Never again, luckily we didnt have any problems during our rent, i dont know what would have happened if
Things if learned read everything when it comes to rent something more expensive, check if an other insurance that u have may cover the damage
Anonymous

25 November 2016

Excellent customer service. Do your research before coming to Costa Rica! They have a jacked up rental car system. I booked a car for $2 a day and payed $250 for a week. You have to buy the minimum rental insurance no matter what and that'll be most of your cost plus a variety of other taxes and fees. It will be on par with any US city, it's just a surprise if you are expecting to pay $2 a day. Everyone I dealt with, even in the midst of a hurricane, was friendly and efficient. Also, this location is open 24 hours. We were picking up late and I was afraid they'd be closed.
Anonymous

13 April 2016

Great experience. I did a bunch of homework online due to the horror stories I had read when renting a car in Costa Rica, so I knew that the minimum production MP ($20/day) was required by Costa Rican law. My credit card covered any further damages. Just ask for liability only.

The associates at the counter were very helpful and provided a smooth pick up and drop off experience!

If you budget $20/day on top of any rental fees you saw when booking, there shouldn't be any surprises.
Anonymous

11 February 2016

they asked us to sign a form agreeing that the rental car had been damaged by us before actually seeing the car. When we said no way, this is like accepting liability for something we didn't do, they wouldn't rent us the car that we had reserved. We then left with no car.
Anonymous

24 January 2016

Crooks, crooks. Don't rent with this "company". They will try to take every penny you try to save one way or the other. My wife rented a car without paying for gas, she returned it with a full tank and they did not care, because it was listed in "the contract". The manager Andrea has "no power" whatsoever to waive or make any exceptions, while a refund is the right thing to do if they advertise themselves as a legitimate company. They also made up a "damage" to one of the headlights. The mechanic was part of the setup. Fortunately there was a honest employee who acknowledged whatever it is they found, was there before she rented the car. Obviously, this is filthy business. Obviously, they don't care about repeated business. One time a customer, last time a customer. Let's see how long they lasts with these policies.
Anonymous

14 April 2015

Here are a few reasons why to look somewhere else for a car rental:

1) Their online quote is not even close to being accurate. I was quoted for around $200 and it ended up being over $600.

2) Their "salesmen" are rude, pushy and thieves. Let me emphasize 'thieves.' They will try to get you to purchase everything under the sun. More insurance, their gas package, etc. They assure you its a great deal. They are nothing but modern day pirates.

3) After you get robbed by their sales force and the contract is signed, they will not go out of their way to help you any further. They didn't help us with directions or help setting up our GPS.

DO NOT use them. Trust me.
Anonymous

06 March 2015

Very bad service! Did not accept the deal done true the travel agencie. Push Very hard to sell insurances, freeze $4 000 on my crédit card. Don't make business with them, they are crooks!
Anonymous

21 September 2014

Dishonest, bait and switch tactics. The slick talking customer service rep informed us that the vehicle we reserved was not available even though we could see one sitting in the lot right outside. Totally jacked up the price that we were supposed to pay for the car and it smelled like a wet dog inside. It's terrible the way some of these outfits treat tourists in Costa Rica. Shame on Budget for their dishonest business practices. We will definitely look elsewhere next time.