Drove Over 1000 Kilometers Along the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne

Satisfied

1. We booked a 'mid-size' car, specifically a Toyota Corolla automatic or similar on the car rental site, but we were given a very compact Hyundai i20. In the rental site options, I couldn't even select an i20; the smallest option was a Hyundai i30, neither of which fit the definition of a mid-size car. 2. Our original rental was for three days, but when shortened to two days, the daily rate increased. The total for three days was AU$196.49, averaging less than AU$66 per day. However, at the counter, changing to a two-day rental was no problem, but the price was quoted as AU$78 per day. When asked why, they simply said the original quote didn't apply. 3. None of the insurance options selected on the rental site were recognized by Budget. We had to purchase all new insurance options at the counter. When asked why, the response was that the insurance provided on the website wasn't their responsibility; they only honor insurance packages offered at the counter.

The staff at the front desk were very nice, but they said we could pay in cash when picking up the car. However, they charged my card instead, which was a bit frustrating. Overall, I was very satisfied, and the car was in excellent condition.

I picked up the car in downtown Melbourne. The young man kept trying to upsell me to a hybrid Camry for nearly double the price. I told him I already drive a hybrid in my home country and that the Cruze would be fine. Despite that, he insisted on giving me the keys to experience it. Do I really seem that naive? The Cruze's condition was good, everything you need is there, and with just 40,000 km on the odometer, it still felt relatively new.

Everything was fine, picking up and returning the car was convenient.