Budget Car Rental Ireland Anmeldelser 

decent car for a fair price. great service. would choose again

Very poor customer service and will not use them again having used them for several years. Extra charges applied without answering appeals or questions.

Extras insurance just a scam to get more money as it often excludes the very things you need the extra insurance for!

We use Budget often, and are always pleased with the people the cars and the price. Never had any issues and so would recommend them as the place to hire from.

Really unimpressed on this occasion with Budget Car Rental at Dublin airport both in terms of poor car maintenance and non existent customer service.

The long and short.....
• Over one hour wait on arrival in the car park for the car type booked
• Viedo-ed the entire car, windscreen and windows on departure
• Wiper blade rubber (driver's side) was dozed and torn which led to dangerous situations when driving in the rain due to lack of vision.
• Returned the vehicle after 15 days rental, 1100kms, fully tanked, litter free and without damage.
• The Budget employee noticed a 2cm missing piece of rubber in the sidewall of the front passenger side tyre - which I was accused of causing - rather than what looked like wear and tear!
• I informed them that there was no corresponding rim damage, nor contact with kerbs etc during the period I had the car. The rubber actually looked dozed (like the wiper blade).
• I was then marched into the car park office to a supervisor who immediately presented an Incident Form for me to sign.
• I refused to sign as there was NO INCIDENT and the damage was not caused whilst being driven by me.
• The supervisor was disinterested, rude and did not listen to me nor any reasoning. She simply stated that she was ‘just doing her job’, that my deposit would not be returned as this is the company policy and process.
• I wrote a complaint to Customer Services the following day but Budget apparantly do not see any need to reply to (returning) customers after 5 working days.
• They do however debit your credit card with extra Incident costs with no further explanation nor communication about the amount
• They then send an email entitled "You recently rented with us here at Budget Car Rental Ireland and as a valued customer your feedback is important to us". This is clearly NOT the case.

As I rent vehicles 10-15 times per year in Ireland and Europe I am wise to the MO of car hire companies, but a 2 cm piece of missing rubber on the sidewall of a tyre really takes the biscuit. Best of luck to you Budget Dublin as your poor product and customer service have both let you down on this occasion!!!!

To start with an £1800 deposit can be scary to some people but I must say me and my girlfriend came back from Belfast on the Saturday evening, it’s Tuesday and my card didn’t even have time to process the deposit being taken out because they refunded me so quickly, the car was immaculate and clean, and we were only in Belfast for a day and it cost me £10 to fill the car up. The lady at the airport reception was lovely and the whole process and even return was quick and simple, I’ve never used a hire car company before, saved us a fortune in taxis. Highly recommend.

Friendly and efficient staff, brand new car, easy booking process, good value for money

Wir haben für unseren 15-tägigen Urlaub in Irland bei Budget ein Auto (Qashqai oder ähnliches) gemietet mit Vollkasko und Option eines zusätzlichen Fahrers. Für die hohen Gebühren, die wir gezahlt haben, in Summe knapp 1600 €, haben wir einen Arcana von Renault mit einem Kilometerstand von rund 150.000 km bekommen. Das Auto war verschlissen, hatte mehrere Kratzer und Beulen, die Bremsen stotterten und die Lenkung war ausgeleiert. Bei der Rückgabe habe ich dem Mitarbeiter von Budget den deutlichen Hinweis gegeben, dass die Vermietung eines solchen Fahrzeuges unverantwortlich ist und das Auto mit einem Kilometerstand von 150.000 km sofort aus dem Verkehr gezogen werden müsste. Ich finde es unmöglich, dass Budget gute Kunden so verprellen muss.

Dr. Karla & Norbert K. aus Dresden

I rented the car threw a third party and whe I arrived the girl was not very nice I said I wanted to take out the extra insurance she went and got it all ready then took my credit card never explained nothing to me got me to sign and handed me keys never sent me a copy got a load of charges windscreen and road assist and late pick up when I was on time for when I booked it ive been using them loads of times I feel very let down tom leahy

Extremely disappointing experience at the Dublin airport branch! From the outset, the staff member, Tamsin and her manager Eren were very rude, dismissive, and, in our experience, discriminatory in the way we were treated. As autistic and disabled customers, we should have been treated with dignity, respect, patience, and understanding not judged or spoken to in a confrontational manner simply because we asked for clarification about the available insurance options before deciding.
Being asked to consider a €2,000 deposit is a significant financial commitment, and it is entirely reasonable for any customer to want time to understand the available alternatives. Instead, we were told, “I’m doing you a favour.” We fail to see how purchasing a service and asking legitimate questions constitutes a favour. Rather than being supported, our vulnerability appeared to be used to exert power and authority, culminating in our vehicle hire being unfairly cancelled and waisting airport police time leaving us stranded at midnight. The experience was humiliating and deeply distressing.
As a Black British family, the way we were treated also left us questioning whether unconscious bias may have played a role. We have always loved visiting Dublin and have hired a Budget vehicle on every previous visit, but our experience with Eren and Tamsin on Friday 3 July 2026 at approximately 10:45 pm at Dublin airport arrivals desk has seriously affected our confidence in returning.
Having since read other customer reviews, it is clear we are not alone in raising concerns about staff attitudes and lack of professionalism. Budget should urgently investigate this incident and hold those involved accountable. At a minimum, the staff members concerned should receive comprehensive training in customer care, autism awareness, disability inclusion, equality, and unconscious bias. If Budget fails to address this matter appropriately, we will be seriously considering legal action.
Ref: IE891637150

Didn’t have to wait, staff very friendly and polite. Made the experience very easy and not a t all stressful.

Our experience with this car rental service was extremely disappointing and poorly handled from start to finish.
After a minor accident with no injuries, there was a complete lack of meaningful support. Despite having purchased full insurance coverage, we were left without a replacement vehicle, without clear explanations, and without any practical assistance to resolve the situation.
Communication was inconsistent and often unhelpful. Attempts to obtain clarification or support were either ignored or met with contradictory information. At no point did we feel the company was acting in a transparent or customer-focused way.
What made the situation even more difficult was the lack of willingness to engage properly when language support was requested. This resulted in significant stress and confusion during an already difficult moment.
Ultimately, the contract was terminated without alternative solutions or any form of compensation for the unused rental period.
Overall, this experience raised serious concerns about how post-incident situations are handled and whether the advertised insurance and service levels are actually reflected in practice. We would strongly caution others to be aware that support in real situations may be far more limited than expected.

Easiest and quickest car hire ever. Excellent service and second time hiring from the team at Shannon airport. Can definitely recommend. Fast,friendly and uncomplicated. Great experience all round.

Staff were friendly and helpful and pleasant. Booking process was easy but desk was Budget rentals even though the company was Gotrentalcars but no mention of this in booking process.
The whole process was good, even though car was scratched prior to our use, as long as you take photos they know about scratches it is okay. Addtional help at collection would help an expereienced driver get use to more modern cars ( handbrake was a button ) very weird.

Car pick up was quick and efficient at a great price. Also easy drop off. Will use again.

The best one ever seen before 🙏
Thank you so much 💓

Easy to book, pick up.and return car. Car was good quality and better than expected.

So freaking shady. I was told my car had no damage but to take pictures and email them in if I found damage. There was a dent in the car- I emailed the photos and received an email saying "thank you for your photos documenting prior damage". When I returned the car they said we found a dent- yea I know I emailed photos of it.... then they claimed the dent in my photos was in a different place than the dent on the car- uh do you think I'm traveling around with photos of dents on a gray Suzuki? The car was also filthy when I picked it up. The staff are nasty. Do not get your car here. I've had such a much better experience with Sixt and eurocar on previous trips to Iceland.

Never ever again on Avis/Budget

The car had defective brakes that would not effectively stop the car as it should at speed. It would shake violently when braking.
Aside from this, other issues with the car
Made loud squeaks while driving slow, the screenwash did not work even though it was full, the exhaust was leaking and loud, and a loud rumbling noise on the motorway.
There is no way this car would pass an NCT in its current state, it was a danger to drive and should not be on the road. Dents and scratches on every single panel.

Several unanswered phone calls and emails to try for a replacement with no support from Budget.

The response from the complaint handler was pretty much that, no one else has complained about it so we’ll ignore all the issues you’ve had..

Also, it’s stated as being in the airport, it’s not, you still need a shuttle bus.

I rent several cars a year, by far the worst, awful company, never again with budget, Dublin airport.

Excellent.

Avoid budget Ireland at all cost.
My hire car had a high speed blow out from budgets negligence. They didn’t answer any of their helplines. I missed my flight. They could not have cared less. Horrible company. Haven’t responded to any of my subsequent emails either. Avoid avoid avoid