Pickup was convenient; Budget and Avis operate as one company now, using electronic receipts, so you can grab the keys and go. The car was relatively new, with a mileage of over 10,000 kilometers. It was a hybrid, possibly due to environmental restrictions in large cities. However, the transmission had issues, as it sometimes wouldn’t shift beyond third or fourth gear on the highway.
The store was easy to locate. They tried to upsell a lot of extras like roadside assistance, but these could be declined. Vehicle maintenance was poor—after driving less than 200 kilometers, the AD Blue warning light came on in the diesel car.
Highly satisfied, no forced insurance upselling. A deposit of 200 euros was taken, and it was refunded immediately after the car was returned, with no extra charges.
The pick-up process was smooth, but I almost got scammed during the return. Here's a reminder for everyone:
1. During pick-up, you need to get a number and queue up, so it's best to go early. This place shares the same location as Avis; they asked if I wanted to purchase insurance, but I declined since I had already bought it, and they didn't try to upsell further. To get the car, you need to walk to the P3 parking lot. The staff kindly pointed me in the right direction, but I still couldn't figure it out and wandered around for a bit. Eventually, I asked a parking lot employee who directed me to the correct place. Picking up the car was relatively smooth; it wasn't the model I reserved, but I didn't mind as long as I had a car. It was a new vehicle with less than 1,000 km driven. The staff confirmed it was full of fuel, and when I started it, the fuel gauge was full, showing 520 km.
2. Returning the car was where the issue arose. When I picked it up, I took photos and videos of the entire car, including the dashboard. At return, the fuel gauge was full, showing 570 km. However, the first staff member did more than just check this; they accessed the car's smart display and claimed I had driven an additional 60 km after refilling, meaning the tank wasn't full. They said I either needed to go to a nearby station to refuel or pay €35.15 for the missing fuel. This was unacceptable to me. How could 60 km cost that much in fuel? And this process seemed unreasonable—why only use the dashboard to confirm the fuel level at pick-up but then rely on the smart display during return? I immediately called QEEQ customer service to explain the issue, staying on the line for about 20 minutes. QEEQ's team told me to hand the phone to their staff to clarify. The initial employee was busy with other customers, so a second staff member took the call. He seemed unaware of the problem, so I briefly explained and showed him the dashboard photos I took at pickup. After checking the car again, he stated, "I think there's no issue with the fuel; you're good to return it." He inspected the car for damages, found none, accepted the return, signed off, and refunded my deposit immediately! What a surreal experience. Thankfully, I stuck to my position from the start. Everyone, take note: Make sure to take photos of the fuel gauge, and if there's a smart display, ask staff upfront which measure is considered definitive.
Car was a fairly new with a good spec. I couldn't have expected any more. The only issue I would raise is that the Budget booking information stated that they require an International Driving Permit. Even though the UK gov website said it wasn't required by law, I got one just in case . It wasn't requested at pickup.
About QEEQ:10.0/10
QEEQ communicated very well and I would use them again.
I rented a car in Madrid and picked it up in the city center. They neither mentioned in the contract nor told me verbally that the car did not have an A-class environmental badge, which meant it could not be driven in the entire city center. As a result, I unknowingly entered the restricted area and received a penalty fine. The rental company should bear full responsibility for this.
Budget is pretty good. They asked once about insurance, and we said we don't need it, so there was no upselling. The car had some scratches and dents, which were pointed out during pickup. During return, the staff inspected the car condition and checked the fuel receipt. Everything was fine.
“Crowded (and hidden) shuttle bus, too far from the airport, too slow at check”
About Budget:6.0/10
Nice car, lots of unlisted scratches but they dont seem to care when you return the car which I found surprising (I had taken loads of photos and videos to prove they were there before my rental just in case but it wasnt necessary). Super slow/insufficient staff at check in and pickup is far from the airport and not well indicated at all.
About QEEQ:10.0/10
Have been using QEEQ for years and still generally happy with it although in this instance the "Pickup in terminal" filter obviously didnt work.
I returned to the desk when I discovered there was additional damage on the car at pickup. This is quite a long walk back into the terminal. Agent at the desk was dismissive, told me it was minor and that it was "impossible" to add the additional damage onto my rental agreement, and that it should be reported when I drop the car off. There was no one to report it to when I returned at the end of my trip. Received an email a few days later attempting to charge almost £200 for damage to an alloy wheel which was there when I picked it up. Luckily I had pictures but it took a very long phone call (over 40 mins on hold) and further emails to resolve the issue and cancel the damage charges. Avoid Budget in Palma!
When I arrived at the store, I was informed that I needed two credit cards under my name. Since I only brought one, I was forced to pay an additional 20 euros in rental fees.
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