Budget Car Rentals charges me $250 plus SALES TAX! for keys that THEY lost Burlington Vermont airport

I rented a car on 5/30/08 from the Burlington, VT airport Budget car rental, and when I returned the car, I left the rental agreement and keys in the designated drop box at the Budget counter, as no employee was present. Budget called me the next day, unable to find the keys. I informed them that I had dropped them in the drop off box. I was told that Budget would contact me by phone if there were further problems.

One week later, without hearing anything by phone, I received a bill from Budget charging me over $250 for the keys, PLUS sales tax for these keys, for a total of $267.49.

Since that time, I have contacted Budget's corporate and collections agency, and the Burlington, VT airport Budget numerous times to inform them that I do not have their keys and that I will not be paying for them. I fulfilled my end of the contract by leaving them in the key drop box that was provided by Budget; if they were not found, the onus is on Budget to replace them either of their own means or through their insurance provider.

Budget has now informed me that they will refer my case on to a 3rd party collector. And to this day, I continue to receive inflammatory letters from Budget Collections Department, demanding full payment for the keys. To add insult to injury, they state "since you have not responded to our previous letters, we assume you have no questions." As stated above, I have contacted collections, corporate and the local branch several times. It mystifies me how not one person has made record of this.

I am frustrated and upset by the way I have been treated by Budget, and I continue to be confused as to how one single person can stand her own against a large corporation wrongfully claiming she owes it money, not documenting her efforts against it, and now involving a third party in making unfounded demands. I would simply let this matter drop, but I am concerned about the threat of a third party collector and the repercussions it will take on my personal credit history, which I have worked hard to build and maintain.

Ss
Salt Lake City, Utah
U.S.A.