Taxi Driver Online

Family and taxi firm in airport stranding row

A ROW has developed after a holidaymaker complained the taxi he booked could not bring his family home from Manchester Airport. Shaun Pimblett, from Poolstock, had to pay more than £80 for a taxi back to Wigan after returning from a holiday in the Spanish resort of Salou with his wife Dawn Taylor and 13-year-old son Aaron.

Mr Pimblett claims he booked a private hire car with Blue Star Taxis, but had to wait more than half an hour for the driver to arrive and find them. When the car turned up the family’s luggage could not fit in the boot and the driver then left the airport, leaving them stranded.

However, the company has launched a vigorous defence of the driver, refuting the allegations concerning his conduct and saying the family were given the option to place the spare case on the front seat, which was refused.

Mr Pimblett, 40, said: “When we got out of the airport there was no sign of the taxi. We were sent a text message saying it had set off and another when it arrived, but it took a while for the driver to find us. “We tried removing the parcel shelf from the boot but the case still wouldn’t go. We said we will have to phone head office and he got a ticket and left us, which left my wife and son both very upset.

“It cost me £87 for a taxi but I just had to get my family home. We had been up early to check out of our room then spent most of the day hanging around waiting to come back. “I’ve never had any problems with taxi firms before but I was really annoyed and feel what happened was totally unacceptable.”

However, Blue Star has disputed Mr Pimblett’s version of events, saying the family had booked a saloon car rather than a slightly more expensive estate, which would have comfortably taken all their luggage. The firm also strongly refuted Mr Pimblett’s allegations about the driver’s conduct towards them, and advised any customers who felt issues could not be resolved to speak to Taxi Licensing and Trading Standards.

Company director Peter Bailey said: “The driver has been with us for several years and we’ve never had any complaints about his driving, attitude or manner towards customers. As far as I am aware he explained the situation to the customer before he left the airport.

“The customer had booked a saloon car and when we sent it he couldn’t find all the cases in. The driver said he could put one on the front seat and the customer refused, which meant there was nothing the driver could do and he had to come away. “We would have sent an estate car if he had booked one. I believe he rang and spoke to us, but we weren’t able to come to a conclusion. “I have spoken to the office staff and the driver as we take all complaints extremely seriously, and I am quite happy they acted in a professional way.”

Mr Pimblett said he has now made a complaint to the taxi licensing department at Wigan Town Hall.

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IDFIMH

A blast from the past.

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IDFIMH

Who took him to the Airport on his outward journey and in what kind of car?


presumably he Didn't pay the PH guy so that would have offset the cost of the Taxi home, and Did the PH arrive late or dod the Guys plane arrive early.

I reckon we're just getting half a story here.

Since when did a saloon have a parcel shelf??

Mine have, but they aren't removable. I would guess that it was a hatchback. Why would a hatchback cost less than an estate? We would never send a hatchback to pick up 3 passengers with luggage. That is asking for trouble. I think the customer has been poorly advised by the company here. If I had a customer who requested a car that I knew was likely to be to small for his needs, I would tell him and if he still insisted on the smaller car, I would not take the booking.

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Grandad,

A hatchback is a saloon in most people's view.

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IDFIMH

He's out for a pay out. The Company did nothing wrong in my eyes, the customer should've booked an estate car.

I got sent to a job last month early one morning 4am, (estate car job to the airport", when I got there I was greeted by 4 people with 8 cases, 4 sets of golf clubs and 4 golf trolleys plus hand luggage. I said there's no way on this earth that lot will fit in there I'll struggle with the 8 cases. They said we booked an estate because we thought it would all fit in. Have you got a bigger vehicle like a minibus? I said no he's on his way to Manchester.

The operator played the booking over the radio, all they said was can we book an estate car, they didn't say how much luggage they'd got.

I had to leave them because they wouldn't pay for another car to split the luggage and passengers.

Hatchbacks have them.

This may seem a strange concept but when passengers ask our operators for a specific vehicle we usually ask why? Had the operator done that they would have been told about all the luggage and then could have suggested they try a minibus service.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Surely all the punter has to do is to book the same car that took them to pick them up.

Problem solved.

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IDFIMH

I assume this was a return only booking ? had they taken the family there they would have had a record of a larger vehicle being required so I would say this is a customer who has messed up trying to save face. I get it regularly vehicle turns up there are 6 passengers but customers are adamant they told me that on the phone ! wouldn't do for person who booked the taxi to shown up as an idiot !!!!

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector