UKC

Right any law people out there?

My missus booked a taxi back from the center of Birmingham at the weekend (we live near). She called up at 5:10 and booked it for 6:00, woman said it was fine.

6:10 no taxi so missus calls up and the woman says, he had a job before but is on his way and would be there in ten minutes.

6:35 Still no taxi, so missus hails one and jumps in it (amazingly quoted the same price)

6:45 I get a call from the taxi driver saying he has just arrived and where are we (i booked the original taxi into town so they had my number as well, why they didn't call her i don't know). I tell him the taxi was booked for 6:00 and he is 45 mins late and she has got a different taxi, he moans about it but i point out his is very late and didn't call to let her know.

6:50 I get a call from the office saying that my taxi is waiting, I explain what has happened, she claims she told missus that he would be late, I mentioned she called and was told ten minutes time and then waited another 25 mins, woman starts getting narky saying she should have waited and that I owed them the fare. I refuse to pay as the taxi wasn't used, and he was 45 mins late. She they says we are blacklisted (don't care) but that she is reporting me to the police for non-payment of fare.

So the question i have is, where do I stand on this if she has reported me? Haven't heard anything yet, and think it was a bluff to get me to pay.

In reply to Sam Edwards:

Load of bollox and don't lose sleep about it.

Non payment of a fare would require the taxi firm to provide evidence of said fair. It is normal practice for the fare to start when the passenger enters the cab, as your wife didn't enter the cab there was no fare.
For you be 'blacklisted' would require the taxi firm to pass your personal details to other firms which would be illegally possessing of your personal data under the DPA.

In reply to Sam Edwards:

Get back to them and say you're reporting them to the licensing authority. That's who they'll be more fearful of.

In reply to imkevinmc:

This, and really labour the point about leaving a vulnerable single woman on her own at night (in a frightening place?) due to their failure.

In reply to Sam Edwards:

that she is reporting me to the police for non-payment of fare.

Tell them you're taking action for breach of contract(which I reckon might cover this)

In reply to Sam Edwards:

Tell them you'll be round to pay the fare in 10 minutes.......

In reply to Sam Edwards:

It really is a disreputable industry, isn't it? I can think of few industries I have heard of, and had, so much trouble with as taxis.

Neil

In reply to Sam Edwards:

Thanks for all the replies, you all seem to have the same opinion as me, which is it's a load of B*ll*cks.

In reply to Neil Williams:

If only there was a way to book and track taxis using a smartphone app. Driver could be rated and you could see in advance.

One day maybe.

In reply to Sam Edwards:

I am always amazed just how bad taxis are around the country compared to the firms local to me. Expensive, poor service, trying to rip people off.

Ring the Council licensing team, they will help, but basically the firm is taking the piss!

In reply to Philip:

It here already the bloke in the Taxi office was showing me it on Friday night. I was too drunk to recall what it was called though, butit here and working in rural Oxfordshire.

In reply to krikoman:

Go into settings and enable sarcasm.... then re read Philips bit

In reply to Philip:
Are you referring to Uber? Tried it once and it has the same problems as calling a minicab. They sent a useless twunt who drove past me, then when I called to direct him he sent me a message saying he was waiting half a mile away. Then cancelled the job before I could reach him.

In reply to Philip:



Said app doesn't appear to have prevented some drivers taking the piss, though.

Neil

In reply to Philip:

KingKabs in Chester - you can't tell how good the driver is but you can book and track it through an app.

In reply to balmybaldwin:


Also known as 'playing the lone female card'.

Lose 10 feminist points. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200.

In reply to Bellie:


I can't find this setting. I'm on android, is this an Apple thing?

I don't like Apples.

In reply to Chris Harris:

This is the only good answer, bravo.

In reply to Sam Edwards:

Don't worry about it. I called my prebooked taxi when I knew I was going to be late and the depot said they'll keep an eye on my flight number and send the taxi at the appropriate time, but I should call when I land to make sure.

Flight ended up being over 5 hrs late. We landed at 2 am. I called the company, who said they were sending someone over. I waited and waited for my bags to arrive only to find out that my bags had been lost. I got a call from the taxi driver saying he was waiting while I was trying to get my bags found. Somewhat curtly (my bad) I said, I'll be out in 10 minutes.

He started shouting at me and said I was black listed for wasting his time and he was off.

When I finally sorted out my bag situation I called the taxi depot, who just sent another taxi.

Long story short; don't worry about it.