Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

silvercar

How much complaint to give a taxi firm?

Mum came to stay and went home by coach. She arranged a "meet and greet" service to collect her from the coach. Found it on the net as part of a large firm. Spoke to them on the phone and they understood that she wanted "greeting" from the coach stop. Not a problem, they claimed as they offer this service from the local airport and can do it from the coach station easily. Paid in advance by credit card. Confirmation email came through with the number of the cab office etc.

When she gets there (and you can track national express online now, so no excuse not to know arrival time) the coach was 7 minutes late. No sign of driver. No answer from the office. SO she phones national firm who also phone office. Eventually she gets through and the driver is still 10 minutes away, 10 minutes later he is still 10 minutes away.
- which means in all likelihood he hadn't left the office until the first call. So having waited around and having had to lug suitcase up one step she tells them to forget it and will get a cab from nearby taxi rank.

I email the head office who refund immediately with apology. But that really isn't enough, because now she is reluctant to take the coach again. So I'm stuck with the problem of having to pick her up and deliver her home (155 miles away) next time she wants to visit. She never wants to stay more than 3 days, so it is a lot of travelling for a short visit.

sss555s

silvercar wrote: »

How much complaint to give a taxi firm?

I'm not really sure what compensation would be due for a taxi "no show"

You have to ask yourself if you would be willing to go to small claims court over this.

Have you told them that you're not happy/ want compensated, and the effect it has had on your mum?

Just try not to associate your future inconvenience on this one inccident as I doubt if that has any legal bearing.


Edit: Are flights not an option? She must be very close to the airport going by the milage.

Generali

silvercar wrote: »

How much complaint to give a taxi firm?

Mum came to stay and went home by coach. She arranged a "meet and greet" service to collect her from the coach. Found it on the net as part of a large firm. Spoke to them on the phone and they understood that she wanted "greeting" from the coach stop. Not a problem, they claimed as they offer this service from the local airport and can do it from the coach station easily. Paid in advance by credit card. Confirmation email came through with the number of the cab office etc.

When she gets there (and you can track national express online now, so no excuse not to know arrival time) the coach was 7 minutes late. No sign of driver. No answer from the office. SO she phones national firm who also phone office. Eventually she gets through and the driver is still 10 minutes away, 10 minutes later he is still 10 minutes away.
- which means in all likelihood he hadn't left the office until the first call. So having waited around and having had to lug suitcase up one step she tells them to forget it and will get a cab from nearby taxi rank.

I email the head office who refund immediately with apology. But that really isn't enough, because now she is reluctant to take the coach again. So I'm stuck with the problem of having to pick her up and deliver her home (155 miles away) next time she wants to visit. She never wants to stay more than 3 days, so it is a lot of travelling for a short visit.

If you can show a breach of contract has caused you a genuine loss then I guess that in theory you have a claim against the firm. In this case if you can prove on the balance of probabilities that your mother is no longer able to take a coach to visit you and that will cost you £x and you can prove on the bop that is the fault of the taxi firm then you might be able to sue successfully.

IANAL and TBH it's probably only worth going for the maximum claim against them or nothing as I reckon this stuff is too complex for the small claims court.

silvercar

Edit: Are flights not an option? She must be very close to the airport going by the milage.

Same problem of meeting at her end. A lot more expensive than the coach and becomes more of a journey by the time you have to check in etc. and flights would go from London city which is a pain to get to from Hertfordshire.

Just try not to associate your future inconvenience on this one inccident as I doubt if that has any legal bearing.

That is the problem, I would brush it off and think better luck next time. She is in a fragile state and I doubt she would be so willing to risk it. She has strained something by lugging her case (even though it is on wheels and only a short distance), so is now uncomfortable as well as upset and frustrated. Plus she is alone.

GDB2222

Advice needed please, NP, particularly the Aspie ones. The sign in the Starbucks loo I visited today said:

Put nothing in this toilet except toilet paper

Would the NP have complied, and where would they have pee'd?

lostinrates

GDB2222 wrote: »

Advice needed please, NP, particularly the Aspie ones. The sign in the Starbucks loo I visited today said:


Would the NP have complied, and where would they have pee'd?

They need the ' no tapas' sign doozergirl suggested to me.

I am often surprised what people think is ok to put down a loo.

GDB2222

Generali wrote: »

If you can show a breach of contract has caused you a genuine loss then I guess that in theory you have a claim against the firm. In this case if you can prove on the balance of probabilities that your mother is no longer able to take a coach to visit you and that will cost you £x and you can prove on the bop that is the fault of the taxi firm then you might be able to sue successfully.

IANAL and TBH it's probably only worth going for the maximum claim against them or nothing as I reckon this stuff is too complex for the small claims court.

I am not a lawyer, but I think that the loss has to be reasonably foreseeable. So, for example, missing an onward connection would be claimable, but being so traumatised that one is unable to use the coach service ever again isn't. It might be different if she put the taxi firm on notice that she is a frail old lady who cannot stand for long. And, of course, the inability to use the bus service is not very believable, is it? It's a big disappointment for her that she thought she had found a terrific wheeze, and the taxi firm messed it up. It's also intensely annoying being messed about like that and lied to.

If she absolutely has to be picked up at the coach station without a moment's delay, then she needs to work out a better system, for example phoning the taxi firm whilst she is still on the coach and being prepared to pay for some waiting time. Or phoning you to pick her up!

Generali

'Twas a lovely day here today, mid-20s and sunny. Not too humid. The temperature is going to slowly rise over the week until Friday when we'll have 35C and the cool change is due through on Friday afternoon.

I had my first day at New Job today. Nice offices, nice people and the work sounds fascinating. It's a good start.

GDB2222

silvercar wrote: »

That is the problem, I would brush it off and think better luck next time. She is in a fragile state and I doubt she would be so willing to risk it. She has strained something by lugging her case (even though it is on wheels and only a short distance), so is now uncomfortable as well as upset and frustrated. Plus she is alone.

I sympathise with you over this. She probably loves the idea that you will drive over, and she will have someone to chat to on the journey, particularly as she is alone. However, this has two disadvantages. First, she will lose some of her independence. Second, you may not do the journey as often, so she will see less of you.

A practical solution may be for you to keep some of her clothes at your house, so she can travel without luggage. Then she can just wander round to the cab rank and there's no need for anyone to meet her.

GDB2222

Generali wrote: »

I had my first day at New Job today. Nice offices, nice people and the work sounds fascinating. It's a good start.

Good for you, Gen! :beer: