Prepaid Taxi Dispute

Newport1987

Hi, looking for advice ASAP if possible.

Myself and three friends went to Cardiff on Saturday night, we all live in Newport and stay out after the last train. We did our usual of booking a taxi to pick us up in advance, and paying for this upfront so that we know we will get back to Newport.

We did this, arranging a pick up at 2:30am at a cost of £22.

We left around 2am to get food and head to the pick up point and arrived about 2:20. After waiting for about 20/30 minutes, we hadn't been picked up nor received a call or text from the driver.

Long story short, the company are saying that the booking was made for 2am that the driver waited 20 minutes and tried to contact us.

No phone call was received, and it wasn't until 3:18am that we received a text about what taxi to look out for. They wouldn't send another (on the assumption that a driver turned up at all) unless we prepaid again.

We ended up having to pay a Cardiff firm £30 to get us back, so it has cost us £52 overall. This driver kindly wrote a receipt for us on a card to show that we had to pay more money to get home.

I have already spoken to a police officer who advised it was a civil dispute and spoken to the taxi company who said that I can speak to the boss today.

Do we have any rights given the facts above? I'm quite annoyed given that had it been four women left in another city to get home, that anything could have happened. Thanks in advance

neilmcl

Speak to the manager and if no luck getting your money send a Letter Before Action.

Can you prove that the taxi was arranged for 2:30 am?

Hintza

Situations such as this need to be confirmed in writing if possible. eg text/email a confirmation of your times to the taxi company after making your booking.

Mistakes happen. So if you can't prove it not much you can do.

SailorSam

You're going to find the manager couldn't care less.
If you can prove your booking time and the fact they never sent a text. Go to the licencing section in your local Council.
They authorise both the firms and the drivers to work. They're not going to want a black mark on the records next time they want to renew their licences, if they think you're reporting them, they may return your money just to get you off their backs.

Newport1987

We had a card from them, but the lad who had it threw it away - now I know what I do and what happened, I'll be looking after the card each time!

We booked in their office so no text or email was done. Every other year, the driver has always phoned us in advance to let us know he was on route. This year, no contact at all even when he was supposedly waiting. I honestly don't believe them, I know that we booked it for 2:30.

George_Michael

Hintza wrote: »

Mistakes happen. So if you can't prove it not much you can do.

Yes, mistakes happen but if the OP has lost out due to a mistake by the taxi company then they are entitled to that money back.

As to proof. If it went as far as court, I would have thought that the text message received at 3:18am advising them of what vehicle to look out for should be more than enough to cast reasonable doubt on the claim that the taxi was there at 2am. After all, why would they send a message like this 1 hour after the scheduled pick up time? As the taxi company claim that their driver tried to contact the OP's party at this time, this should be easy enough for them to prove by simply showing a record of the text or phone call on the phone log.

IMO, sounds like the taxi firm ttied to make the pick up at 3:30 instead of 2:30.

Newport1987

George_Michael wrote: »

Yes, mistakes happen but if the OP has lost out due to a mistake by the taxi company then they are entitled to that money back.

As to proof. If it went as far as court, I would have thought that the text message received at 3:18am advising them of what vehicle to look out for should be more than enough to cast reasonable doubt on the claim that the taxi was there at 2am. After all, why would they send a message like this 1 hour after the scheduled pick up time? As the taxi company claim that their driver tried to contact the OP's party at this time, this should be easy enough for them to prove by simply showing a record of the text or phone call on the phone log.

IMO, sounds like the taxi firm ttied to make the pick up at 3:30 instead of 2:30.

I agree to a degree, I think they sent the text to cover themselves. I have records on my phone that I spoke to them at 2:49 for 4 minutes, so just before the text was received.

SailorSam

If you were speaking to them at 2.49am Where does that leave their claim that the driver was there at 2.30am and waited 20mins.

George_Michael

SailorSam wrote: »

If you were speaking to them at 2.49am Where does that leave their claim that the driver was there at 2.30am and waited 20mins.

The taxi firm stated that the pickup was for 2am and the driver was there until 2:20.

BykerSands

George_Michael wrote: »

Yes, mistakes happen but if the OP has lost out due to a mistake by the taxi company then they are entitled to that money back.

As to proof. If it went as far as court, I would have thought that the text message received at 3:18am advising them of what vehicle to look out for should be more than enough to cast reasonable doubt on the claim that the taxi was there at 2am. After all, why would they send a message like this 1 hour after the scheduled pick up time? As the taxi company claim that their driver tried to contact the OP's party at this time, this should be easy enough for them to prove by simply showing a record of the text or phone call on the phone log.

IMO, sounds like the taxi firm ttied to make the pick up at 3:30 instead of 2:30.

The op can at this point only show what time the text was received not what time it was sent. It's not uncommon for text messages to be delayed.

Newport1987

BykerSands wrote: »

The op can at this point only show what time the text was received not what time it was sent. It's not uncommon for text messages to be delayed.

A bit suspect given that we are disputing he showed up don't you think?