DON'T use legends car service!!!

Subject: Re: DON'T use legends car service!!!

belzjm wrote: has anyone else had terrible experiences with legends?

i just took a car that usually costs $6 max, and the guy charged me $12 BUCKS!!!!

he did not care AT ALL that it NEVER costs more than $6.

i feel duped!

With any car service, always get a price when you call.

I find that if you say "what will be $6, right?" when you get in you lose that risk without being pushy. If I ask "how much" I feel like I'm still putting the ball in their court.

I agree that getting in to a car service car is not a time to bring conflict, disagreement or bad feelings are way. If you haven't taken that ride with the same car service recently ask to dispatcher the price when you call and hand that amount of money (plus tip) to the driver when you exit. Any doubts at the beginning of the ride it is a great idea to up front state.."The ride is $7, correct." Any conflict at that point tell them to call the dispatcher before the ride starts. The few times at the end of the ride where there is a conflict just ask the driver to call the dispatcher to check on the price and do that with plenty of willingness in your voice to pay whatever that is. If the driver is trying to overcharge you they are likely to back down.

There was a time where I was taking the same ride with same service to same place afew times a week.. I make it a habit of tipping well. After a while I realized I was getting this one lovely man as a driver too often for odds to allow. I commented how pleased I was with that and he explained to me that if he was available when my call came in or would be available in 5 minutes he had asked the dispatcher to always give him my call. This fellow obviously had a good relationship with that dispatcher and was in a position to do that.

Bottom line be a consumer WITH the information, ie the price of the ride before you get in the car and be nice. these people are trying to make a living and it is not an easy job.

I had terrible experience with Legends over the holidays... called them about 3 days before Christmas to make an arrangement for a pick up early Christmas morning to go to JFK. The guy on the line said to call back the day before, no problem.

I called at around 10 am the day before (Christmas Eve) and the person told me to call "after 6". I asked, again, if I would be able to make a reservation for a car for the next morning. Again, he said, "no problem". I called at 6:05 that evening and the person on the line now told me that they weren't taking reservations for the next day (no matter what the 2 previous people had told me) and I would have to "take my chances" that they'd have a car available. At 6am. On Christmas.

I said no thanks and called Arecibo. They arrived on time (2 minutes early) and were courteous and $1 cheaper.

Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how those of us living in a relatively confined geographic area can live in parallel universes.

I've been using Legends for the past 10 years, for all my airport runs and for really bad weather runs, and have never had anything but good experiences.

We used them last for a trip into Manhattan during that Friday monsoon and had the sweetest old guy driving us who went out of his way to make sure we got to where we needed to be on time.

Subject: Re: DON'T use legends car service!!!

belzjm wrote: has anyone else had terrible experiences with legends?

i just took a car that usually costs $6 max, and the guy charged me $12 BUCKS!!!!

he did not care AT ALL that it NEVER costs more than $6.

i feel duped!

I must keep re-reading this post to remind myself that you were only overcharged. All those "!!!" keep making me think that you got touched in inappropriate ways!!!

all you have to do is say "that's, $6, right?" and if they say no, say that's what dispatch told you....if they still argue, take out your cell phone and call the dispatcher and ask

belzjm wrote: sorry, but i've taken this exact same trip to/from my boyfriend's house many times.

it's slightly over a mile.

you don't think $12 is a little outrageous?!

it's usually $6 which is still probably 3 dollars more than a nyc taxicab would be, but 12?

come on now.

Paying double fare is bad, but I feared much worse. I feared that that you got touched in inappropriate ways!!!

If this happens again with any car service, open the door and step out of the car, give the driver $6.00 and say that if there is any confusion you'll be happy to speak with his or her boss. Always carry $1 bills so drivers can't refuse to give you change.

belzjm wrote:
if i could, i'd put this place out of business.

Really? You'd put a place out of business over $6? Six bucks, I might add, as did other posters, that you should chalk up to your not being vigilantly savvy about taking a car service.

Arecibo is in fact the bomb, btw.

I don't even ask the drivers for the price when I take a familiar route repeatedly from the same car service, I just hand them the same amount of cash each time. If you know how much the ride is, why ask? Pay your fare in single $ one dollar bills and step out.

Raw... I totally agree with you that if you put yourself in the position of asking the DRIVER what the fare is then like duh.. you didn't do your homework. On familiar ride you already know the fare so fork it over with a nice tip and if you are unsure then ask the dispatcher before your little toesies get in the car.