The ex-manager said he purchased windshields in bulk, for less than $100 each. Go Public reporter Kathy Tomlinson tried to connect with Syd Belzberg at his Vancouver mansion, but didn't hear back. "Everything that was going on, he knew about." "He was there every day," said the former manager. In reality, he said, Budget and Inland Transportation are the same Belzberg operation. "The way got around it is he would write a cheque from Budget to Inland Transportation, as if it was an outside firm, and he wasn’t making profit." He also owns Budget Rent a Car of B.C., which runs the car rental outlets in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Every repair that went through the system - the customer got overbilled."īudget's repair facility is owned by Inland Transportation, a company owned by wealthy Vancouver businessman Syd Belzberg. "Every car that came from Budget that needed repair all had inflated costs on them, frivolous charges on them. He estimated 25 customers a day were overcharged for repairs. "There were a lot of complaints when I was there," said an ex-manager, who worked at Budget’s repair facility at the Vancouver airport several years ago. Go Public agreed not to name him, because he fears repercussions. The manager will make a decision ‘Hey, call the customer - he’s your damage.’"Ī former manager from the repair facility said customers were overbilled for repairs on every vehicle Budget sent there. "Sometimes it’s the employees that make the damage, but everyone doesn’t want to be responsible for that. He claims some people were made to pay for damage caused by Budget employees after vehicles were checked in. They were shocked," said the lot attendant. "If didn't notice it and we didn't notice it, then we would just charge the next person," she said. She also claimed three or four times a week people were billed for damage they didn't cause. "The manager would decide how much to charge. "Every time there was a scratch, I would always get a manager, because I didn't want to be the person getting screamed at for the fact it wasn't their responsibility," she said. She said many customers who bought insurance were later charged the $300 deductible. We were there to convince customers that were renting cars that they had no insurance." She also claimed she was trained to push people to buy Budget’s insurance coverage - using a memorized script - even when they were covered by their credit card or other insurance. Submit your story ideas to Kathy Tomlinson at Go Public We want to hear from people across the country with stories they want to make public.We tell your stories and hold the powers that be accountable.Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web.She worked at the Budget counter at the Abbotsford airport, and also spoke on condition she would not be named. "If there was a scratch on the car, we charged their credit card immediately … and that scratch would never even be fixed," said another former employee. And then the manager charged them, just charged them." Some repairs not done "The other asked for the manager to come out and take a look. But from our standards, they should not charge them, honestly," he said. The other found out there was a tire cut.
"I remember one time there was a senior couple. He said staff members were told to inspect vehicles from top to bottom, even after customers were gone, and report any damage to managers no matter how minuscule. "All of the inspectors have to look at the windshield first."
They can make more money from the windshield," he said. the small charges, they make them big charges. He agreed to speak to CBC News only if he was not identified. "They did it on purpose - charging the customer like way too much," said a former lot attendant, who worked at Budget’s Vancouver airport location for a year, checking cars for damage. Three former Budget Rent a Car employees have contacted Go Public to allege the Vancouver-area operation systematically and intentionally rips off customers, by grossly overcharging for minor repairs that sometimes aren’t even done.
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