More than impressed

This Budget location mainly rents large vehicles, and our Kia Carnival was the smallest one. It is located outside Melbourne city, about a $30 Uber ride from the city center, which is very convenient since there are usually no large vehicles available in city locations. Communication over the phone was smooth, the car model was accurate at pick-up, and the staff was very helpful, assisting me in thoroughly checking the vehicle's condition, informing me of the fuel type and fines, and explaining the insurance in detail rather than trying to upsell. They assured me that using third-party insurance was fine. When returning the car, we were in a hurry, and the staff said they would wait for us until the agreed-upon time (since businesses in Australia often close earlier than 5 PM). We managed to return the car just before they closed the gate, and they didn't mind that we were a bit short on fuel.

I was worried about using the drop box to return the key in case of any unclear issues leading to charges, especially because I had a flight to catch. However, I saw many foreigners just drop the key and leave without any issues. Everyone was very honest. We also put the key in the drop box without any trouble. However, fueling up at the rental company is much more expensive than outside, so be aware of that.

Rented from Melbourne and returned in Hobart. At that time, Budget was the only company that could meet this requirement. Both the rental and return processes were smooth. Later, I received a charge of 16.84 AUD, probably due to a traffic violation.