I've used Addison Lee cabs a few times over the years and have recommended them to people. No more.
A couple weeks ago, I booked an Addison Lee cab over the phone. I paid with a credit card. The woman made me repeat the card number three times. It was annoying, but in the end, it seemed fine.
When we got to our destination, the driver asked for the fare. I told him that I already paid. He insisted that it was a cash fare. I phoned Addison Lee from the cab. They said that I had to pay the driver, and that they did not have my credit card details on file. Odd. Fortunately, I had enough cash to pay the man.
A couple days later, I checked my card account and saw that it had, indeed, been charged (actually, overcharged by £3). I e-mailed Addison Lee, who refunded the money.
Annoying? Yes.
But it gets worse.
A few days later, I got an e-mail from Amazon stating that someone had tried to open a new account using my card, but not my postal address. It triggered a fraud alert. Amazon canceled the order and advised me to contact the card provider.
It turned out that someone had been using my card to go on an online shopping spree.
Obviously, I have no proof that Addison Lee had anything to do with the credit card fraud. But it's the only place where I've had to give my card number over the phone in months. It's an Amex, so half of the places I go to don't accept it. I mainly use it at Tesco, Amazon and such. In restaurants, they always bring the chip and pin machine to the table.
It may not have been the woman at Addison Lee. But, at the very least, they fucked up my transaction and 'misplaced' my credit card details. From now on, I'm using the minicab office opposite the tube and paying cash.
And yay for Amazon catching the fraud. And a big thumbs down for Comet, who let the transaction go through, even though the billing address didn't match.
Comments
I was refunded for the loss immediately - Next and Air Jamaica would have had to pay. I would have thought it would have been very easy to find the name of the passenger on the flight and do them for theft or receiving.
I don't understand what goes through these people's heads. Did they think I wouldn't notice the extra charges on my card? I've never bought anything from Comet in my entire life. And if you're going to steal, why give your address?
It's just a hassle. The card probably won't arrive before we go to New York. I'll have to use another one.
I like the people in the cab office opposite the carwash. We've only used them a handful of times to get to Stansted and such, but they've always been on time and reasonably priced.
I've had so many bad cab experiences in different countries that I have very low expectations. Though I've never had a bad experience with a proper black cab. I just wish I could afford them.
Shouldn't they give us money for it?
http://www.meadway.com/
Have to agree on the Addisson Lee rant - we used one a couple of years ago. For whatever reason the driver (white, English, 40s) - he didn't know the way and got a bit upset, me (a Scot) and my friend (an American) got racist abuse off the driver.
No joke - was like 70s comedy - 'You people!! Coming here, taking our jobs! Go home!' Absolutely bizarre. Not that it makes it any better/worse - but we are Caucasian. Guy was crackers.
We complained to AL and figure he got sacked. Funniest thing was when we were taking our luggage out we accidentally picked up his night-school homework and he had some come back to collected it hee hee.