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When Mike Welden returned his Budget rental car after his Palm Springs vacation, he thought he was done with the car. The retired social worker had enjoyed a pleasant two-week trip through California without incident. But Budget wasn't done with him. Three weeks later, Welden's credit card got dinged with a $450 cleaning fee. The company claimed their vehicle reeked of cigarette smoke.

Budget hits non-smokers with a mysterious $450 cleaning fee. Do they have to pay?

April 14, 2026 by Christopher Elliott

When Mike Welden returned his Budget rental car after his Palm Springs vacation, he thought he was done with the car. The retired social worker had enjoyed a pleasant two-week trip through California without incident.

Walter Gluzkin faces a months-long battle with National Car Rental over a damage claim on a Hyundai Sonata he returned just 30 minutes after picking it up. National's damage recovery unit is demanding his insurance information for repairs he says he never caused. Can National get away with that?

I heard noises under my rental car. Now I have a $2,000 bill from National!

February 11, 2026February 11, 2026 by Christopher Elliott

Walter Gluzkin faces a months-long battle with National Car Rental over a damage claim on a Hyundai Sonata he returned just 30 minutes after picking it up. National’s damage recovery unit is demanding his insurance information for repairs he says he never caused. Can National get away with that?

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