Locator: 50349CARRENTAL.
In this case, the customer lost, and long term, Budget lost a customer.
I understand the "small print" and the "legalese" but I don't understand at all why Budget would put that in the small print in the first place? Except to significantly "screw" the customer, why would a rental company care if someone returns a car early. Where I live, Enterprise is often short vehicles, and seems to appreciate when I bring back my rental early.
Also, it appears, Enterprise has one low rate all the time. I've not seen ads from Enterprise offering "budget" deals if one contracts for specified periods of time. Yes, they have weekend rates, etc., etc., but these rates are not subject to change if they bring the car back early.
Now that customers know this Budget trick, I would assume the best course of action is to bring the car back to the rental location, but not check in at the office. Simply leave the keys in the car, leave, and complete the "return paperwork" online. The problem: at airports, it is not uncommon that as soon as you arrive at the rental agency, they scan the barcode on the car and that time-stamps the return date/time. I try very, very hard not to rent at an airport location, unless, off course, it's Enterprise.
