Budget Rent A Car Avis Rent A Car Charge $10 a gallon for fuel when vehicle was rented with half tank of gas. Parsippany New Jersey

On Budget rental agreement there is a line marked 'Fuel Gauge Reading' followed by '_/8{{{{{{{{{{.  According to Budget the '_/8{{{{{{{{{{' that means the vehicle was rented with a full tank of gas.  The car Budget rented to me had a hair over a half tank of gas.  I returned the vehicle to Budget with three quarters of a tank of gas.  The Budget agent provided me with a receipt when I turned the vehicle in showing my final charge without any additional charges for fuel. Only after checking my credit card and spending 20min on the phone with a Budget Customer Service Representative did I find out I was charged for 6 gallons of gas at a rate of $10 per gallon.  It took the agent about 10 minutes to answer my question 'Why was I charged more than double my contracted rate?'  In my opinion the Budget Customer Service Representative was trying to obfuscate the fueling charge.  The agent asked me if I had taken a picture of the gas gauge.  In my opinion Budget's rental contract is in regards to the Fuel Gauge Reading is written so that a reasonable person will not understand its definition in order for Budget to charge customers highly inflated rates for fuel ($10 per gallon).

Budget customers should not have to take photos of the fuel and millage gauge in order to protect themselves from Budget but that is exactly what the Budget Customer Service Representative recommended to me.

I am a simple Soldier who was trying to return home for Christmas in order to spend a final Christmas with my mother.  I did not need this.