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Topic: Jonnycab read this, help neaded (Read 548 times) |
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cossie_al
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Ex 24v
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Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« on: Sep 30th, 2006, 12:20am » |
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Could do with some advise on this one.
We went to our nieces 18th birthday party tonight and decided to get a taxi home.
I rang a local well established firm that I have used many times before.
The telephonist told me that I would be charged from durham which is about three miles from our pick up point I was okay about this as the destination (home) was only three miles from the pick up.
I asked how much in total the fare would be and was told £4.50 to £5.00 seamed fair enough to me, this was between 10pm and midnight.
When we got in the cab the meter was on £2.30 and when we got home it was on £5.60. I handed over £10.60 expecting £5.00 change. the driver told me that was it and the extra was the charge from durham.
I told him that was bollocks as I was quoted £4.50 to £5.00 and the meter said £5.60 as soon as I said that he reset the meter.
At this point I kicked off and acused the driver of theft etc.
I argued the point for over 30 minutes and the driver would not back down.
Eventualy the wife cameback out and told me to go indoors as the neighbours were starting to twitch curtains (bloody women)
Anyway she rang the office and explained the situation and was greated with a load of abuse.
We ended up ringing this firms main copetitor and asked for an estimation of the same journey and they said about a fiver.
Janette then explained the situation and asked who do we complain to the guy was realy very helpfull and we now have the hackney carriage office for durhams address.
We rang the rip off murchants office again to tell them that we had spoken to various other taxi firms and that we now know where to complain to etc and the guy was much more helpfull saying he would get the boss to ring us first thing tomorrow.
So mate you being a pro in this industry where do I go from here?
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hepburn
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I'm a YaBB newbie!
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Re: Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« Reply #1 on: Sep 30th, 2006, 2:27am » |
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And hopefully Jonnycab won't come back with a reply along the lines of "so you were the *!&(")! who argued with me for 30 minutes last night over a fiver". hehe
Sorry to hear your woes. I hate being ripped off and will be interested in how this develops 
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Jonnycab
Senior Member
Former owner of 2.3 Ultima Facelift saloon
Posts: 3900
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Re: Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« Reply #2 on: Sep 30th, 2006, 3:21am » |
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Hmmmm....difficult one that.
If I read it right, then the company said there would be an add on charge as you were 3 miles away but didn't tell you how much that would be. They should have done.
When you got in the taxi & the fare said £2.30 that was probably the kickdown rate (min charge). The £5.60 was the total fare for your journey.
If they were charging you from the cab base then the meter should have been started at cab base. So if the cabbie wanted £10 then it should have said £10 on the meter.
Hackney carriage law states that the fare stated on the meter is the MAXIMUM fare.
If you are not happy with the service then you can ask the driver for his badge number, which he is legally obliged to give you.
I sometimes, absent mindedly forget to switch the meter on straight away. But if I do this then I can only legally charge what the meter says (have to explain mistake & rely on people's good nature). Once forgot to turn it on at all & the guy walked off without paying a penny....doh 
Also, did the cab come from 3 miles away to take you a further 3 miles (which the add on is justified), or did it come 3 miles & take you back 3 miles (should be no add on charge).
Also, was it deffinately a Hackney Carriage or a private hire, as most private hire don't have such strict regulations.
It also could be the radio controllers fault. You do tend to get alot of controllers who are inexperienced & don't really know how much fares are or how it works. But then again, in a Hackney Carriage if the fare is a tenner, it should have read a tenner on the meter.
Best thing to do is complain to the licensing officer at Durham council, & he should investigate it.
Hope this helps.
P.S. £5.60 for a 3 mile journey  that's cheap 
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cossie_al
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Re: Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« Reply #3 on: Sep 30th, 2006, 7:38am » |
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Cheers mate,
Thats helpfull. Had a phone call this morning the guy who was on the phone says he will come round this morning with a full refund.
But the boss isn't going to be in today' isnt that handy.
anyway I will let you know what happens.
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cossie_al
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Re: Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« Reply #4 on: Sep 30th, 2006, 9:42am » |
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Well I've just had a visit from the guy we spoke to on the phone, it turns out he was also the radio operator from last night.
He did give a full refund and said he has spoken to the driver concerned.
The driver reckons I refused to pay the extra charge (from durham to pick up point)
Which is obviously a lie because as soon as we arrived at our destination I looked at the meter which said £5.60 I only had ten pound notes and a small amount of change so that is why I handed over a tenner a fifty pence and a ten pence.
Apparently the owners of the company are on holiday but the office manager will also be talking to the driver today.
I have asked that they get back in touch afterwards and tell me how the driver explains his actions.
I did say that if they don't get back to me with a satisfactory explination I will report them to the licensing officer.
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Jonnycab
Senior Member
Former owner of 2.3 Ultima Facelift saloon
Posts: 3900
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Re: Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« Reply #5 on: Sep 30th, 2006, 11:29am » |
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Are you sure there wasn't a mix up, i.e. the controller forgot to tell you the add on charge, but told the driver that he did (to cover his arse).
In this case the driver thinks you know what the charge is goint to be. If this has happened then the driver takes a load of grief even though he doesn't know why.
Just a theory.
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cossie_al
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Ex 24v
Posts: 902
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Re: Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« Reply #6 on: Sep 30th, 2006, 12:04pm » |
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To be honest I reckon the driver was on the fiddle.
The guy that came round told me that the driver had already had ago at him over the radio for getting three short runs in a row.
Also I asked the driver for a reciept loads of times before he would give me one I even had to tell him to put the £10.60 on it as he left it blank.
Don't worry mate I don't tar all taxi drivers with the same brush.
Its always the same there is a bad apple in every barrel.
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Jonnycab
Senior Member
Former owner of 2.3 Ultima Facelift saloon
Posts: 3900
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Re: Jonnycab read this, help neaded
« Reply #7 on: Sep 30th, 2006, 2:33pm » |
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It does sounds as though the driver is on the fiddle mate if he wouldn't give you a receipt.
If you inform the licencing officer, then that driver should receive a call from him to come in & explain his actions. It is possible that the council will have had previous complaints concerning him, as drivers that blatently over charge usually do it quite often.
Good luck mate.
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