This location is closed and surrounded by homeless and 2nd street is closed. Use the downtown location! Great service!

BEWARE...you problem with Budget originated from Seattle but the policy is the same. I phoned to advise that my flight had been delayed and then canceled I would arrive on a late flight. It was around 11:30PM when I got to the rental desk. The attendant was pleasant and stated she could put me in a different vehicle than I chose and save me money. Sounded good. I was given the key fob and location of the vehicle. I was asked if I wanted a copy of the receipt of to have it emailed. I chose email/Once at the vehicle I note several scratches. My friend walked back toward the desk. The representative met him at the door. It was COLD outside. When advised of the minimal damages she stated I should take photos. She did not want to come outside. Took the photos and was on my way. I had no incidents with the car. When I returned the car there was no attendant present. I walked the fob inside and was told to simply put the key in the drop box. When asked if I wanted a copy of the receipt of to have it emailed. I chose email. After several weeks I got a letter from Sedgwick Claims Management Service claiming I was responsible for damage to the vehicle. I informed them the agent refused to examine the vehicle when I picked it up and I had not damage the vehicle. I had purchased Car Rental Insurance from Allianz and advise them Sedgwick of the policy and supplied the photos taken when I picked up the car. Sedgwick filed a claim with my personal auto insurance. According to Sedgwick Budget Rental agreement states "Renter is responsible for the costs associated with the damage regardless of fault." The photos were not acknowledge. I had to file a claim with ALLLIANZ. They requested copies of the Rental Agreement. It was then that I realized Budget had not sent copies of the Rental Agreement via email. I called Budget and they offered to sent copies of the Agreement. The copies never arrived. The Adjuster from my personal auto insurance was provided copies that I in turn submitted to Allianz BEWARE...BUDGET DOES NOT CLAIM ANY RESPONSIBILITY EVEN THOUGH THEIR AGENT REFUSED TO SURVEY THE VEHICLE WHEN I PICKED IT UP. read more

Terrible experience!!!! I reserved a truck with my business debit, Rode my bike 15 miles to Oakland airport to pick up reserved truck, only to be told after a long line, that I could not rent the truck with the card it had been reserved with. Rude and unaccommodating in person and on the phone. I left on my bike after a phone call transfer runaround. Rented successfully and with no problems from a local competitor U-Haul. THEN, I looked at my bank statement and Budget HAD CHARGED ME FOR THE RENTAL! Another multi hour phone call runaround to rectify the situation and get a refund. No thanks. My company has dropped our Budget business account and has gladly taken up with U-Haul. read more

Hundreds smushed together. 4 hour wait. . They have plexi glass so their employees don't get Covid. Customers all with Covid In a week Denver airport. Totally unacceptable. Where is the CDC. How is this allowed read more

Budget Car Rental - Car Rental Near Me - Berkeley, California

Reserved my car and prepaid a month prior. Arrived on the day to pick up my rental. Didn't receive want I reserved online however, I got a better rental!!! It was clean inside & out. No dents or dings and freshly washed! Excellent condition which made our ride so much better!!! Thank you Berkeley Budget for making my mini honeymoon grand!!! read more

"Great prices no trucks" as I learned in the most brutal way... Wish I knew it before I booked, I was suppose to pick up my truck in 30 minutes but just learned it's nowhere to be found. Meanwhile the movers are scheduled, we need to move out of our house and Budget says "a lot of people are moving out of California, so it's hard to find trucks". However they still let me make a booking (over a week ago) saying the truck is available and then failed to inform me of it's unavailability until it was almost time to pick it up. If you are looking to move and don't want to carry all your stuff on foot because you won't get a truck, book with someone else. Very stressful and I really wish I knew how unreliable Budget trucks is. read more

I rented a moving truck and made a reservation with them a month prior. The day before at 1pm, they call me to tell me they don't have the truck (because the catalytic converter was stolen). I said fair enough not your fault. I asked them if they can find me another truck, they told me they would call me in 2 hours, they never did. I found the number for the inventory person, they told me they would find me another truck but kept pushing me to change my date or the size of the truck. I told them I couldn't, I had a specific move in date. They said they would call me back asap. They never called me back they just abandoned the reservation. If it wasn't because I trust no one and called Penske, I wouldn't have ever moved. read more

This location may not be to blame, but I rented a 16 foot truck and car trailer to move to Eugene, OR and on a steep downhill stretch nearly lost control due to the front end and steering wheel shaking VIOLENTLY at only 50 mph. Needless to say, the last 150 miles I went very slowly on the downhill stretches (above 40 the violent shaking would start) and I made it to my destination late that night. Instead of apologizing for endangering my life, or maybe refunding the rental fee, the company claimed the truck was fine and when I refused to drive it another mile because it was unsafe to drive (the return location was an hour away from Eugene), they charged me more than $1,500 dollars to tow the truck. NEVER rent a truck from Budget. read more

Do not rent from Budget at all, they did not honor my reservation made over a month prior to pickup. I was required to call them repeatedly, be held on hold, to try to get my truck and tow and was told I would have to drive many miles away to get the tow even after talking to them a week in advance and budget admiring they couldn't get it in time. A week is not enough to transfer equipment and they put it on the customer to drive to get it after your pickup date. They do not care at all about the customer. This location does not answer the phone and will not help with anything, they wouldn't even help the police after the truck was stolen. Budget is the worst company I have ever dealt with and will not honor their reservations or assist in an emergency with a replacement. I had to book a new truck with U-Haul and drive an hour away to get what I needed to move cross country. read more

I am fed up with hour long lines at Budget. Fast break means nothing except wait wait wait. Budget, I detest this and I'm done with your lousy service. I'm physically impaired and I can't stand in your lines any more. read more

Booked a truck weeks ago to move my furniture this past weekend between my old apartment and new house. They called me up on Friday to tell me that they had no trucks available this weekend and every other truck was reserved. _ read more

This place has totally redeemed Budget truck rental for me and my company! They were superior in customer service and went above and beyond when we needed to store our packed truck securely... they offered to park our loaded truck in their space overnight so that we didn't have to risk thousands of dollars leaving our truck/valuables on the streets of the east bay. Also gave us rides to our truck and my place of work which they didn't have to do. I will be back to rent vehicles from them and appreciated their honesty, integrity, friendliness, and quality of vehicle. I would give them 6 stars if I could. read more

I have used Budget before for truck rentals, and they have been very straightforward with me, compared to the horror stories I've heard about other places. This is the first time I've been to this location. Wayne is the best vehicle rental associate I've ever dealt with. He was cheerful and funny, and judging by his interactions with the other customers I observed, he's like that with everyone. I appreciated him taking care of me, and would definitely come here again to rent from Wayne. read more

They never answer the phone EVER and they never have clean cars. Would not recommend renting from this location ever.

If i could give 0 stars i would. horrible rental company, they take your money even if you didn't use their services. WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND!! horrible customer service idk why anyone would represent a company like this, matter of fact idk why they still in business. read more

I called per the promotion on tv for an SUV or Economy car, however, EVERY Budget did not participate in the promotion in the entire northern area, from the Delta area to San Francisco. What's the point of advertising a promotion when it only works in Hawaii, Canada, and states so far away, that I might as well drive my own car. The online system didn't work no matter what information was entered or changed, AND when I called directly, the rep sounded drunk, and wasn't of much help, leaving such ridiculously long pauses on the phone, to the point that I had to say HELLO? because I thought they hung up. SO, DONT FALL FOR THE BAIT COMMERCIAL!!! read more

(Avis/Budget combo location - our rental was through Avis, but same staff here for both.) When we arrived at Avis' specified pickup time, the office was closed, no sign of anyone present, other customers waiting. After we called the other Avis branch in town, the Gilman street manager (Tien) eventually showed up (no apologies). There was no driver's manual for the car we were renting, and no effort was made to find one. The last customer had left a CD jammed in the car player rendering it inoperable. I wouldn't go back there again. read more

Great experience with tis place. The staff are awesome...funny and a pleasure to have assist us. No hidden fees or charges. The car we rented, Chevrolet Cruz, was really cool; it got us from San Diego and back with no problem. How much can one really say about a car rental place...you have a good experience there or you do not, right? We had a very good experience at Budget Car rental and would recommend without hesitation or reservation to anyone we know that shall be visiting the area and is looking to rent a car; check it out. read more

DO NOT USE THIS BUDGET RENTAL facility, don't use Budget period. A friend rented a car from them for a road trip and we got a flat tire within the first hour. Not acceptable. The tire was completely BALD! Also, the spare was patched up in multiple places. My friend said when she rented the car the reps were rushed and unorganized. Basically, you get what you pay for. Cheap cheap cheap. Never using Budget or recommending it to anyone. Also their customer and roadside service is terrible. After talking to four different people someone finally told us where we had to go to swap out the car. What is the point of roadside service if they can't come to you. Never again! read more

Inventory: Rented a red Chevrolet Cruze and didn't expect it to have so much power. It was new and had a lot of impressive features such as digital FM radio, option to switch between automatic and manual shifting, and nice leather/pleather seats? The car smelled relatively new and the mileage was great! I'd definitely rent their cars in the future. Policy stuff: I did a quick run through and didn't see any major scratches until AFTER the car dried when they washed it. OH, HELL NO! Worried to death and unsure if my AMEX would cover the charges, I returned the car and the guy, did a quick look, checked the fuel gauge, parked it and said, "You're all set." Wait, really! His response, ".... yes." What actually happened in my head. "That's so messed up they would give me a car that was wet so I couldn't see to major scratch marks. A**holes! "Ok, if I park this car in the shade, he won't see it. Oh! He's looking at it. Please don't see it. Please don't see it. He passed it. Why is he moving it into the sunlight? Does he know? Why are they such sticklers. He's looking at the fuel gauge. Ok, don't look at anything else, please. He opened the trunk. Good. My bike is still in there. Wait, he's walking over. I can't see his eyes behind his sunglasses." What!? We're all done here?! DUDE! 5 STARS! Service: Quick, straight forward, and gave me an option to choose btwn black or reeeeeeeed! I chose red. It looked faster. read more

Come here if you want to get your money stolen My boyfriend and I went in to rent a car for one day, while still at the register we extended it to two days. The man quoted us 80 dollars total for both days, so we signed the bill. We come back two days later, earlier than expected, with the car in perfect condition and filled completely with gas, to turn it in. This shady Arab guy tells us that what we signed only applies to one of the days, then tells us we must pay 170 dollars. We tells him we were told 80$ and he tells us we returned it a day late and must pay a 10$ extension fee( bogus) and that there is a fee for drivers under 25. In none of the fine print on expedia, or budget's contracts does it mention this fee! It was an additional 50$ We complained and showed receipts proving our story, and yet he didn't care at all. When we asked for the managers name, he refused to give it! Don't ever come here, it will ruin your trip! read more

I had a trip to Tahoe for work and I didn't want to put the miles on my car, so I called the boys at Budget to hook me up. And well, nothing says "I'm a serious professional" like a sparkly gold PT Cruiser. Oh yeah, I rolled up to the meeting in a ghetto clown car. I'm amazed one of the nearby 4 x 4s didn't just eat it while I was gone. I had asked for an economy and they told me "this is all we have." Hmm. Seriously, the car selection here is very limited and heavy on the Cruisers & gas guzzlers. They got three stars because the guy who picks you up at the BART is funny and helpful and knows his footie. read more

I STILL remember their SUPERB customer service grom June 1994! This wonderful eoman rented me a car bc I could not find the reservation! I HAD to be in Ukish for the county fair that afternoon, as I'd promised! She was so smart: trusted me with the unglamorous but dependable Ford Tempo, and I was off! Just terrific! Got yo Ukiah judt fine; success for the Kathleen Brown for Governor Campaign. Grateful to this day! read more

I wish I could give a negative star review after yesterday. I am beyond upset over this moving experience. Let's just start at the beginning, my boyfriend was looking for an inexpensive moving truck in Berkeley. He discovered Budget and was told originally that the truck would be about $165, which is a deal, if you think about it. Upon arrival at Budget in Berkeley, we find out that there were a few other extra charges they decided to add as well. I also find out, thanks to one of my moving party that Budget had almost given us a cracked mirror, scratched up 12' truck; they had to give us another one, which had mirrors practically falling off and were being held together with tape, so they "remained in place". There was also a hissing sound within the dash of the truck, that made me severely uncomfortable to deal with as it increasingly got louder the farther I drove. We fill the gas tank and upon the arrival at the drop off center, on 12th street in Sacramento, we come to find out that they don't have a 24 hour drop off. Which would have been great to know, if the people in Berkeley had actually said something. My boyfriend calls the 800 number to find out that the only Budget that does 24 hour drop off, is in Roseville. We drove 26 miles to that location and dropped off the truck and the key. Not told to leave the paperwork in the truck, as from experience with other rental agencies the number is attached to the account therefore account check is simpler. We took the paperwork as a receipt and left to go home. This morning, we wake up to a new charge of being under full in the gas tank when upon dropping off it was exactly at a full tank. They charge us a $20 fee because it wasn't to "their standards", and then add an extra mile fee for the extra mileage which was their fault. Within any rental agency, it is extremely important to be honest with your customers. This company is disrespectful, rude and has zero disregard for anything. I will never be renting from them again, nor do I ever intend on recommending them to anyone. Suggestion to anyone reading this review, their prices are bullshit, do not trust anything they say. read more

Absolutely one of the worst experiences renting a car I've ever had. I had a coupon for a free rental, rented my car, returned it in good condition and they charged my credit card full price. It's some malfunction in their own system that they refuse to rectify. I called them 3 times, and I'm not kidding, they hung up on me 3 TIMES!! Absolutely stay away and by all means, avoid the coupons! read more

Bad. Don't use the website for reservations. I wen't through the process only to have the pickup location switched on my confirmation email (though it was entered correctly on the site). There were no cars available at the pickup location I needed, so had to cancel with a $50 cancellation fee. Customer service was unable or unwilling to waive the fee, which is ridiculous since the mistake was caused by a bug in their site, and was not my fault at all. read more

Lame. Rented a car for one day, then extended for another day. I drove 99 miles, but managed to put 6.75 gallons into this Chevy Malibu which was supposed to be full when it went out. I mentioned it to the clerk and asked him to credit me for some gas, but no, they can't do that. It's simply my problem that they said it was full but it wasn't when they rented it to me. There's no way this car gets only 14 miles per gallon on the freeway. They have a pump right there. They should top off the tank just to be sure that it's actually full. Other rental agencies would have credited me for a few gallons. Then I look at the bill, only to find a $10 "extension fee," which I wasn't told about when I extended it. They wouldn't remove it, despite my protests. They also advertise that they will pick you up and drop you off. The area sucks and isn't close to anything, so it only makes sense that they would do this. All the other agencies in the area will pick you up and drop you off anywhere within a few miles. Could I get a ride less than a mile? "Oh no, I'm the only one here on Saturday," said the clerk. Years ago, this place used to be OK, but now it seems shady. There are other places to rent cars in Berkeley. Indeed, I've had good experiences at Enterprise on San Pablo. I would have rented from them, but they were sold out. I will never again rent from this budget location. I will complain to budget. Their response will determine whether I ever rent from another budget location in the future. Here's your yelp, Berkeley budget. read more

Reserved a 12' rental truck from this location yesterday and received excellent customer service. The check-in process was quick and thorough. It was a pretty cold/damp day, so the window was fogged up and we didn't notice a small crack in the driver's window, so it wasn't noted on the paperwork. When I turned the truck into the Fremont location, I had to call Berkeley back and they took care of me so THANK YOU. I really, really appreciated it! The truck was in good condition, ran well and was clean; no problems there. They beat the price of UHAUL by about $15 with their 20% off deal they had. read more

Our beater finally died and we needed a car to get us through the week before we could buy another vehicle. I compared rates online and found Budget to be the cheapest (google for budget coupons, too, they're out there). Reserved a compact car for pickup later in the day, and they gave me a nice semi-luxury car in its place for the same rate when I arrived. So their limited car selection can work to your advantage... reserve a cheap car if you don't care what you get, then see if you get upgraded to something nice. Staff was extremely courteous and easy-going at pickup and return, didn't try to stick me with any hidden fees or anything. The only disadvantage for some might be their location by I-80 and Gilman, but it was perfect for me. Maybe an obvious tip, but return the car with a full tank, otherwise it's $8 a gallon for them to fill it up. Glad I avoided that. read more

Excellent customer service by Steve! He got me in and out quick and on the road for my vacation. Couldn't be happier with the experience.

Picked up a compact vehicle from this location for a one way rental. They had the best rates in the area, and had no charge for a one way rental when every other car rental place did. I reserved online well beforehand and called a day before to make sure my reservation was in place. I had no problems on the day of and ended up with a VW Jetta with leather seats and a sunroof! I was impressed with the vehicle. read more

Very good place to get a car rental. Staff are super fast with paper work and excellence customer service. Car is like brand new when I got it. Very happy with the rate and pleased with the experienced. Keep it up the good work guys! read more

Many Thanks to the friendly efficient staff.Also I only had my debit card which was no problem.That can be a problem with other agencies if you don't have an actual "credit card"They had me in a nice car and on the road in less than 10 minutes.Very courteous as well. read more

These guys had FANTASTIC customer service! I screwed up the scheduling and gas-filling and they totally helped me out. Probably the best car-rental experience I've had from anyplace! I would've liked more choices for high-MPG compact cars and/or hybrids, but it seems no rental companies do that well. Anyway, these folks did a great job, and were also quick & no-nonsense with all the paperwork, and there was no wait at all, both for pickup & return. read more

This is the second time I have used this Budget at 600 Gilman, once last year when my own car had been stolen and again this month while my car was in the shop for repairs. Both times the car that I had requested online was ready, clean, and full of gas. This last time the lower cost economy car I'd requested was not available so I got a little upgrade at the original price. I'm regret I didn't note the name of the man who works there, but he was efficient and very professional, everything from rental to return went smoothly. I'm sorry the previous reviewers didn't have the positive experience I did, maybe there has been a change in staff. I would definitely come back here again. read more

I always loved Budget Car Rental. Having rented at several locations over the years and having been very satisfied, I thought I'd try this Gilman location, but it was the worst experience I've ever had with auto rentals. DO NOT COME HERE--The employees that I've dealt with here were incompetent and extremely rude. Been twice. Both times, did not have the car that I was supposed to have. Was overcharged on two occasions. Went to pick up car and was closed after talking to someone there who said they would be open. Another time arrived about 15 minutes before closing to return the car, and they were already closed. I was forced to hold the car for an additional day, and they charged me for their mistake with no apology. My one star rating is being generous. The Budget at the Oakland Airport is superior in all respects. read more

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RENT FROM THIS LOCATION OR ANY BUDGET RENTAL. I reserved a truck for a big move and they canceled on me 1 hour before I was supposed to get the truck. They didn't offer any substitutions or possibilities to reschedule: just called and said sorry you're out of luck. I had movers scheduled for that day and had to cancel them. Budget cost me a lot of money and caused a lot of headache. They are TERRIBLE. Save yourself headache and money and rent from someone else. read more

Best car rental place in the area. Prices are better than anywhere else and Wayne is always helpful, efficient and just a cool guy. No need to quote anywhere else, really. read more

Budget absolutely sucks!! These guys knowingly overcharge people and set up contracts that are so slimy that the customer gets screwed no matter what. Budget overcharged me for one day and even though I explained that the charge is unjustified they kept throwing the legal language in my face. Not to mention the cars they gave me was not serviced and the service light kept coming on. Never going back to these guys again!! read more

This business is also an Avis even though it doesn't show up when you search on Yelp for Avis in Berkeley...... Got a good 1-way rate in July 2013 from So Cal to this place. read more