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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Car didn't turn up at airport as agreed

61 replies

Justtheonethanks9099 · 02/12/2022 12:40

Landed in Milan this morning.
Hotel arranged for a private car to meet me. €65 to city centre hotel.
Waited at arrivals for 10/15 mins and saw no board with my name or hotel name. Picked up a taxi outside. €27!
Arrive at hotel and two guys on reception immediately said "you had a car booked" to which I replied "he wasn't there".
Guy #1: but you had his number
Me: he also had my number but he wasn't there.
Guy #2: they confirmed the car this morning.
Me: well, not with me, and I waited 10 or 15 minutes.

Half an hour later 3 or 4 calls from 2 local numbers which I didn't answer as it was probably demanding payment and blaming me for the confusion.

I don't feel I should pay but would relent and pay 50% if they persist.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 02/12/2022 13:11

Had you made it clear that you only had hand luggage. I suspect they will often arrive at the time expected based on collecting luggage etc?

But if you had his number and there is wifi at the airport I dont understand why you didnt contact them?

Outfor150 · 02/12/2022 13:12

I would expect the taxi firm to contact you, not the other way round. With the cost of making phone calls abroad, theOP should not have to bear even extra costs, beyond the expense of the private hire car.

AlisonDonut · 02/12/2022 13:16

I would have called the hotel to be honest, if they booked it.

MaggieFS · 02/12/2022 13:16

10 - 15 minutes is more than enough to wait for a service which should be waiting. For you when you arrive. HOWEVER not even making one phone call, if nothing else but to say 'you're not here, forget it' YABVU.

TheTeddyBears · 02/12/2022 13:17

10mins isn't very long and yes I'd have tried to call. If you had already paid I bet you wouldn't have jumped in another taxi so quickly.

They didn't know if u were still in baggage reclaim which can take ages so wouldn't want to be calling hassling you.

I'd have probably waited 30mins before getting a taxi.

TrashyPanda · 02/12/2022 13:17

LookItsMeAgain · 02/12/2022 12:54

As both I and @acornsarenottheonlyfruit are clearly in the minority on this I have a follow up question that I'd be interested in finding out the answer to.

To those of you who say that the OP should have contacted the transfer company, can I ask you if you have ever used a transfer company when travelling overseas and if you have, were they at the airport waiting for you or not?

Yes I have used one

no, they weren’t there - so I phoned them and they arrived a few minutes later.

i upgraded my phone plan worked in the country I was travelling to, and it was worth every penny.

Mangolist · 02/12/2022 13:18

We always book a car when abroad and will wait up to 15 minutes before phoning. They have never not turned up!! Baffled why you didn't call

randomchap · 02/12/2022 13:20

Continuing the take away analogy from the previous page, if it doesn't turn up when you expect it, you call the takeaway to find out what's happened, not order another one and not pay for the original.

Why didn't you call? A quick phonecall would have cleared up what was happening and you could have made an informed decision whether to take a taxi or not.

Mangolist · 02/12/2022 13:21

LookItsMeAgain · 02/12/2022 12:54

As both I and @acornsarenottheonlyfruit are clearly in the minority on this I have a follow up question that I'd be interested in finding out the answer to.

To those of you who say that the OP should have contacted the transfer company, can I ask you if you have ever used a transfer company when travelling overseas and if you have, were they at the airport waiting for you or not?

Many times and not always as I said. The longest wait was Krakow so I called and he had been in traffic. No massive bother tbh

Original poster
Justtheonethanks9099 · 02/12/2022 13:23

Just to add....there were 5 or 6 other drivers in arrivals holding name boards.
They managed to make it. But sadly not mine!

OP posts:
Wexone · 02/12/2022 13:29

"Just to add....there were 5 or 6 other drivers in arrivals holding name boards.
They managed to make it. But sadly not mine!"
But they could have been coming from a different direction, the could have dropped someone there earlier and stayed waiting, you do not know the back story there. Seriously could you not have made a phone call? What would you have done if you got delayed for something beyond your control and you were 15 mins late than agreed time to meet him? What would you be saying if he drove off without you ? or took another passenger instead ?

Rainbowshit · 02/12/2022 13:29

LookItsMeAgain · 02/12/2022 12:54

As both I and @acornsarenottheonlyfruit are clearly in the minority on this I have a follow up question that I'd be interested in finding out the answer to.

To those of you who say that the OP should have contacted the transfer company, can I ask you if you have ever used a transfer company when travelling overseas and if you have, were they at the airport waiting for you or not?

Yes I have on several occasions. It has been necessary to phone a couple of times to find the right location to meet them.

I really don't understand why OP got a different taxi without phoning first. I think that's a really odd thing to do.

romdowa · 02/12/2022 13:30

I wouldn't have rang and I think you were very generous to have waited. The whole point of booking a private driver is that they are there waiting for you ! Not the other way around. You pay a premium for the convenience of someone meeting you at arrivals and being ready to go. Surely the driver is aware of traffic in Milan and knows they have to leave in extra time. As the op said the other drivers managed to make it on time. It's obviously not a great transfere company and I wouldn't use them again.

greenhousegal · 02/12/2022 13:31

I really cannot understand why you didn't call the taxi company, or the hotel before flouncing off to get a taxi from the rank. Surely it's the obvious thing to do, and waiting a little while longer is not the end of the world if they are stuck in traffic or whatever. Expensive calls are a red herring, surely if you are going abroad you make sure your phone contract covers International or European calls. And there is always whatsapp on the airport wi fi. Honestly!

I use limo transfers to and from the airport every time when going to our family accomm in Estepona Spain. Works like a dream. The company will let me know if there is a massive delay (there never is), they monitor the flight arrivals so I don't have to worry if the flight is delayed, and if there are any disasters I can contact them by phone or whatsapp. Very reasonable price too for the distance and super clean Mercedes every time.

I wouldn't be getting in a strop about a delay of 15 or so minutes, or even longer once I have contacted them and know that they will be there. I reckon they would contact ME though, even though it hasn't been necessary so far.

Mummieslncorporated · 02/12/2022 13:33

That's not entirely true.

I still have free roaming in Europe with O2.

My daughter is with EE and she just had to pay a small fee in order to use her minutes and data etc in Europe.

It doesn't have to be expensive.

notdaddycool · 02/12/2022 13:35

If I arrive in a city I expect the taxi driver to be there, if local traffic is bad he should know this and leave extra time, and maybe charge more, but he should be there and if he wasn't I don't think you should pay. But a call would have been sensible, but not vital, and should have come from him if he was late.

Mummieslncorporated · 02/12/2022 13:36

That was in response to @CaptaNoctem

*Calling a foreign number from a UK phone is not cheap. I had an £80 bill for one call trying to sort out my own car woes abroad. Only a short call at that.

The days of calls being included in the monthly plans are now gone.*

The reply function doesn't seem to be working as it used to..

thelobsterquadrille · 02/12/2022 13:36

Justtheonethanks9099 · 02/12/2022 13:23

Just to add....there were 5 or 6 other drivers in arrivals holding name boards.
They managed to make it. But sadly not mine!

That's totally meaningless though 🙄

You don't know where they were all coming from, what their previous jobs were or what flights they were waiting for.

maddiemookins16mum · 02/12/2022 13:37

KrisAkabusi · 02/12/2022 13:06

To those of you who say that the OP should have contacted the transfer company, can I ask you if you have ever used a transfer company when travelling overseas and if you have, were they at the airport waiting for you or not?

Yes, and one time when they were not there I phoned. It turned out I was standing in the wrong place. Easily sorted. Why wouldn't you phone?!

100% this. My taxi transfer was not there once, I phoned them, stuck in traffic, told me to get a coffee and wait in the cafe near the meeting point. 20 mins later I’d been picked up, coffee paid for and was on my way.

MzHz · 02/12/2022 13:38

Outfor150 · 02/12/2022 13:12

I would expect the taxi firm to contact you, not the other way round. With the cost of making phone calls abroad, theOP should not have to bear even extra costs, beyond the expense of the private hire car.

So none of you have inclusive minutes? Don’t believe that for a second. Your inclusive minutes are all available in the eu as they are at home.

my son is sim only and ee won’t charge the daily rate of £2 to access all the bundle minutes/data because it predates dumbass brexit.

I’ve got a new contract and it’s got a minutes and data allowance which I can use abroad. If I only used the phone once to sort out this really simple thing it would cost me £2. My son wouldn’t pay anything.

but yeah, you were being ripped off by hotel/taxi and now they’re both annoyed

FeelWellEnoughToTellYou · 02/12/2022 13:39

He wasn't there. You sorted your own transport. I'm a taxi driver and if I wasn't there I'd absolutely understand why you arranged an alternative. I'd actually be a bit sheepish that you'd caught me out for over charging.

MRSDoos · 02/12/2022 13:39

I would of waited 30 mins (no longer) and I would of called the driver if I had his number.
10-15 mins isn’t that long. YABU for not calling him and he is also being unreasonable for not calling you.

QueenOf1969 · 02/12/2022 13:41

I travel a lot and regular lot and regularly book transfers so there is someone waiting and I don’t need to negotiate the airport and source a taxi. I’ve had a few who were caught up in traffic but messaged me to keep me informed - no issues at all with that, I understand delays can happen. I’ve also landed and had nobody there and no message - I’ve gone what the OP did - given them 15 minutes or do then sorted myself. I’m paying a premium for a service - the onus is on them to make contact with an issue, not for me to chase asking where they are.
YANBU

maroonhaze · 02/12/2022 13:42

LookItsMeAgain · 02/12/2022 12:54

As both I and @acornsarenottheonlyfruit are clearly in the minority on this I have a follow up question that I'd be interested in finding out the answer to.

To those of you who say that the OP should have contacted the transfer company, can I ask you if you have ever used a transfer company when travelling overseas and if you have, were they at the airport waiting for you or not?

Yes and yes and if they weren't I'd have used the contact number of the driver or the company to check where they were before using another taxi.

parietal · 02/12/2022 13:43

I would have texted the number to say 'I am here, where are you?' and only get a taxi if there no reply in 10 mins.

but given you are now at the hotel, i would not pay for a lift that did not happen.