I love this car service. the app is great, the drivers are extremely friendly, and they found my girlfriends phone when she's left it in the car read more

This die-hard public transportation person avoids cabs and car services at all costs. Sometimes, however, there are times when fast and reliable transportation is necessary - - like to the disaster area we call LaGuardia. Several friends recommended Arecibo, and now, having used their services, so do I. Ordering the car service was easy on the phone. My driver was there on time (early, actually), and was courteous and professional. Arecibo takes credit cards, the credit card machine told me how much to tip based on percentage, so I didn't have to figure it out. Got to LaGuardia in plenty of time, and that was that. No angst! Thanks, Arecibo! read more

I used Arecibo for years to get to and from the airport. This past weekend $40 extra was added to my ride cost on my statement and they refuse to refund me. They just lost another customer to Uber/Lyft. read more

Have used several times to get to the airport. Never had a problem. So they're a bit businesslike on the phone - so what? Can't understand all the grumbling. And maybe pay cash instead of fooling around with credit cards. It's quicker. read more

Today I called for a car service (sunday afternoon) and was told 10 minutes by the Arecibo dispatcher. After waiting 20 I called back - no one picked up after 10 rings - called back 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes later, still no one picked up. After 30 minutes I called Evelyn car service, was told 5 minutes, and 5 minutes later both cars arrived. Luckily, we got in the right one. read more

I call 4 times beforo driver arrive 15 minutes later for a reservation. Just I am dissapointed for that. Price and service is a overage in Park Slope, nothing special. read more

I called Arecibo at 11:30 am and told them I needed to be picked up at 2:30 at 259 Parkville Avenue. At 2:30, my car was not in front of the building. I called them and was told that my car was "one second away". It was 9 degrees outside. I ended up waiting for 30 minutes, and every time I called back I was put on hold. I finally ran into my car two blocks away while I was walking to the subway. To make things worse, when I called to complain, they blamed this on me for not giving them the cross-streets. (I told them it was off Ocean Parkway, apparently this and the address wasn't enough for them to find me.) DON'T USE ARECIBO!!!!! THEY'RE RUDE AND UNRELIABLE! read more

Terrible service - I called to arrange pick up at 3pm in order to make it to a friend's wedding that began at 4pm. The driver called me at ~2:40pm to inform me he was waiting downstairs, at which time I pointedly reminded him I was located between Avenues A and B. At ~2:55pm I called the driver to ask where specifically to meet him, at which point he said he was on West 12th St. rather than East 12th St and that he would be there in 10 minutes, and I again reminded him that I was on 12th between Avenues A and B. Approximately 15 minutes later the driver called again and said "wait... are you in Manhattan or Brooklyn?" There is no intersection of Avenue A and 12th St. in Brooklyn, which means the driver must have ignored my repeated mention of that specific intersection. He arrived to pick us up at 3:45pm for our 3pm reservation, and promptly said "I never asked whether you were in Manhattan (though I told the service when booking), half my fault half yours." The audacity of this driver to arrive 45 minutes late, causing us to miss our friend's wedding ceremony, then suggest it was even partially our fault despite repeated mentions of "12th st. between Avenues A and B," and confirming I was in Manhattan when making the original reservation, shocked me to say the least. He did not offer a discount or apology for his tardiness. Avoid this service at all costs - you are better off with an Uber, medallion taxi, or another black car service. read more

THE WORST CAR SEVICE IN NYC !! BY FAR !! I give them chance after chance !! It's sad how bad this car service is . Drivers are ok : friendly but they timing is the worst and the dispatcher are rude and races!! And I'm Spanish !! DONT CALL THIS CAR SERVICE !!! THE WORST !! THEY TIMING IS BAD !! read more

The ride was $7.00 and the driver charge $10.00 because their minimum is $10.00 I believe that is against the law therefore, I will never use or recommend Arecibo car service any longer. The are thieves! read more

Arecibo came to my Park Slope door in less than 6 minutes, and the ride to JFK was smooth. Very reasonable. Less expensive and better than a cab. The driver was friendly. I highly recommend this car service! read more

I have now been left standing alone on a corner with my infant son twice. 10minutes=we are never going to actually pick you up. Try calling dispatch=get put on hold and left to wait again. Horrible horrible experience. Just Uber if you actually need to get in a car and go anywhere. read more

The prices are pretty affordable and when they say "Be there in 5 minutes," they're not kidding 99.95% of the time. Big, big win. The cars are clean and in good shape and the drivers are safe and courteous. read more

Spotty at best. The drivers and cars are pretty good but dispatch is either overwhelmed or doesn't care as much as they should. Or maybe they aren't profitable enough to really handle their calls and coverage well. So-so, and ok rates. I will probably just use Uber going forward. read more

I used to love Arecibo, used 'em all the time. But over the last couple of months they've become truly awful. They used to say 5 minutes and actually show up in 5 minutes, now I'm lucky if they come in 20. Last time I waited for a solid hour and they never showed up. I called and said I would need a discount to still take the car or use them ever again, they said no. So that's that. Anyone have a new car service to recommend? read more

Literally the worst. I just waited 20 minutes for a car that was supposed to take 5 minutes to pick me up. I kept being told that the car was right outside or just a block away, when in reality it took much much longer. Arecibo has caused me to be late for the last time, and I will not be using their service again. Awful, just awful. read more

Pickup scheduled for 4:30 A.M., driver arrived at 4:25, very pleasant, and a good trip to JFK.

The other night my family and I took this awful car service against my suggestions to just take a regular taxi from JFK airport to our place in park slope. Despite that it was frigid outside, the man at Arecibo assured us a cab was in the area and was 5 minutes away. After calling back multiple times a cab finally arrived 30 minutes later by which time my fingertips may well have turned to icicles. After asking the cab driver why he took so long to get here when the operator said it would be only 5 minutes, the cabbie told us he had told the operator it would be 20 minutes. Basically the operator lied at our expense while we waited a half an hour in the cold rather than tell us the truth that it would be around 20 minutes for anyone to arrive. Then when we got to our house we were told the fares had been raised THAT DAY. Come on what ridiculous bullsh*t is that?! Basically this cab service is terrible made up of liars and swindlers with no sense of decency and honesty. read more

I keep giving them a chance, but they keep disappointing. Tonight was the last straw. I'm 9 months pregnant, due any day, so needed to take a car up 5th avenue rather than wait for the bus at 10 pm on a Saturday night. After I got in the car, the driver asked if I had change. I checked and said no, I have a $20 and a few ones. Or I could use a card. He tells me a card is a $10 minimum. I was so annoyed - why does a car service driver have no change at 10 pm on a Saturday night. So, I said, well, what are we gonna do? He didn't answer. He then proceeded to drive recklessly and go into the oncoming traffic lane to pass cars ahead of us if they stopped/yielded for any reason. Did this about 4 times in 10 blocks. I had to ask him to stop. I had to actually say, please stop going into oncoming traffic - i'm 9 months pregnant and you're stressing me out. He then stopped at a corner store and said "here's a store if you want to get change." I was baffled. I said, "You don't have any money at all on you? You can't go in and make your own change? I'm pregnant and I have to get out and go get change?" He held a hand back at me like I should give him my money for him to go in and then make change. I got out of the car and told him that I called car service to make my trip home easier, not more difficult and that I'm no longer interested in a ride. I was so utterly angry. And I don't even know how to call an make a complaint to Arecibo, as its hard enough to get them to pick up the phone....So, Yelp it is. (PS The end of the story is that, thankfully, an empty yellow cab came along and I took that home instead.) read more

I just had the worst experience with an Arecibo driver (#307). Never mind that he was on the phone every second, I left my wallet in his car called the base immediately after exiting the car, literally 1 minute later. The dispatcher contacted him and she said the driver said the wallet was not in the car. I told her the wallet was definitely in the car there was no time for him to have picked up another fare. Of course, this did not go well. I went to the base in person and to their credit they did call the driver to the base where he denied having the wallet. I asked that at least the ID be returned, but no such luck. I called the bank to cancel all my cards and what happened?! Charges to my debit card from three different gas stations for a total of $180. Hmmm I wonder who would use so much fuel in such a short time??? And really if you are a customer and are driving so much why would you call a car service? Full disclosure, they are reliable when you need a car in some obscure location, are generally speedy to arrive and actually I havent really had a bad experience with any other drivers. As Michael says "One bad apple dont spoil the whole bunch..." but it certainly leaves a bad taste in the mouth. read more

this is the first time I have ever written a Yelp review. In the morning, I called the dispatcher and stated explicitly that I needed to pay by credit card. When we arrived at my destination, the driver refused to accept a credit card, stating that the guy at the office didn't tell him - this was now apparently my problem. This evening, I called the dispatcher again (my own mistake for not having learned from my morning experience), and he said a car would be there in 10 minutes. After 20 minutes and no ride, I called the dispatcher who said that the driver left after calling me twice. No missed calls, no Arecibo cars while I was waiting in the freezing cold... He said another car would be there in 2 minutes. 15 minutes later, I called back - again "2 minutes a black car." Not surprisingly, it never showed up. NEVER AGAIN! read more

I recently had a terrible experience with this company. I, like many, was a faithful Arecibo user for years. Then recently, I called a car with limited time to catch a train. I was told the car would be there in five minutes. Fifteen minutes later, there was a good chance I was going to be late for the train so I hailed a taxi. I immediately called Arecibo to cancel the car. While the phone was ringing I got a call from Arecibo on my other line asking me where I was. I told them I'd run out of time and left. This person literally cursed at me, saying "Don't waste my f'ing time." I will never, ever use them again. I suggest Eastern instead. read more

Like many over the years, I've had ups and downs with every car service in the South Brooklyn area. Daytime and evening travel in the area is never great, and often the drivers can't get to you in the time given by dispatch. But at 3:45 a.m. this morning, Arecibo came through in a big way. My dog was having a life-threatening medical emergency. I let dispatch know and asked if they could come ASAP. The driver arrived in three minutes. He was kind and calm in a time when we needed it more than ever. Arecibo, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made things as easy as possible for us in a very difficult time. The receptionist at the animal hospital informed me that everyone had arrived via Arecibo last night. read more

After reading these great reviews, I decided to call them to make a reservation. The guy who answered the phone was extremely rude. I almost wanted to hang up. I will see if the car comes on time. Not happy at this time. read more

As others have said, either perfect or a no show. So when you've got a flight to catch and they do not show up and all of their numbers ring busy for 15+min straight..... well that is a bad sign. So if you just need a ride to the store or something, go for it. If you need something reliable; avoid Arecibo at all costs! read more

One star is too much for this business! on Aug. 18/17, we hired a car through Arecibo to take us to Newark Airport from Park Slope, Brooklyn. We got an Uber driver in his own car who claimed not to know the price quoted by Arecibo ($80) and demanded $120. Not something you need early in the morning as you're trying to catch a flight home! After getting Arecibo on the phone with the driver, he agreed to the original amount. On top of this, the drive was *completely incapable of driving.* There were many moments we thought we were goners! He couldn't stay in his lane, couldn't keep up with the speed, or went too fast. It was a nightmare! Once at the airport, he again insisted that he wanted $120 bucks and was going to call the cops if we didn't pay it to him. Got Arecibo on the phone again. They calmed him down, but really?! When I hire a car, I do not expect an Uber!!! read more

Arecibo was my go-to car service to get to the airport or home late at night...but their device seems to have gone seriously downhill. I called over an hour before I needed a taxi to the airport, and there was no car when I went outside at the agreed time. I called and they said it had not been put into the system but another car was on its way and would be there 'any second'. Ten minutes later I called again and my car was still about 5 mins away. I got into the car 20 minutes after I was supposed to leave - good thing I left plenty of time to get to my flight! read more

The last two pickups we had scheduled to get to the airport were both over 45minutes late and they didn't have the decency to let us know with the result that we missed our flight. We will never use them again as Arecibos unprofessionalism is unacceptable. read more

They did not make reservations for pick up at the airport. First they tell you that you have to call them when the plane is landed - so far.....when you call them about the plane is landed....they will tell you the pickup person has to call her/himself. At first I thought is was a joke! unless you are not allowed to make phone calls when you enter the US from another country - and what about the people who are visiting you from another country without a US cellphone?? But it was NOT a joke... They told me I cannot provide the info they need _ hello???? I'm just online and what else do they need as airline and flight number and in our case the cell from the passenger in case .. As a matter of fact - they do not do pickups until the passenger calls after get the luggage!!! So I can recommend maybe bluecar or heightscar limo- they have done that without any problems!!! only info: airline and flightnumber as usual... Best Anja read more

Would give zero stars if I could for the number of times these guys have botched a pickup. Tonight was the final straw, as it was Valentine's Day. Made an online reservation, called and confirmed the reservation beforehand too. BUT IT NEVER SHOWED UP. Called back and they acted like I didn't have a reservation, despite my having a printout and reservation confirmation number from online. Liars. Don't waste your time, call another car company. read more

i love love love the good people of arecibo. they are friendly, fast (unless it's peak time on a saturday night, but even THEN you rarely wait more than 7 minutes) and reasonable. they will always charge the same rates for certain trips, no matter what driver you get. the drivers are honest, good to talk to if you're into that and have saved me from unsavory locales in the middle of the night and never once complained when i wanted to stuff my bike in their trunk. lifesavers! read more

they are literally across the street from my apt, so when i phone in for a car, they really do show up in 5 mins (sometimes sooner). thus far, all the drivers have been fairly pleasant and friendly. i mostly use them to go to jfk at 4am to catch my 6am flight out. normally the roads are pretty empty at that time, so we don't have to deal with traffic. but the downside to that is, it gives the drivers more freedom to drive as fast and as crazy as they want. which leaves me carsick and dying to get out! but overall no complaints yet. read more

Never had an issue - always "5 minutes"...respectful drivers, never scary or rapey like other car services.

Arecibo is always there in 5 minutes at all hours of the day and night, and the fares are usually $8 for local rides and $35-40 for the airport. Since they are reliable and relatively inexpensive, they get 4 stars. I deducted a half-star since would not book them however for anything in advance (like the poor couple in a previous review who tried using them for their wedding). Another half-star is deducted because sometimes when I call it rings for a long time before anyone picks up. Overall, I'm a frequent user and therefore a fan of Arecibo! read more

In order to be a car service you actually have to answer your phone. Have used them with success in the past, but the last three times I've called no one answers. Try harder Arecibo, there are other car services in Brooklyn. read more

UPDATE TO THE BELOW REVIEW: I used this car service for the second time (as a round-trip) and had a very different experience. The driver on my trip from Brooklyn to Manhattan was almost 20 mins late, and each time I called the dispatcher, he lied about how close the driver was ("less than 5 mins," "less than 1 min," etc.). Worse still, the driver didn't apologize at all and bitched about the rate they had given me over the phone. On the return trip several hours later, the driver was lovely and helpful, BUT (and I blame the dispatcher for this, not the driver) tried to charge me almost twice what they told me on the phone. I asked for a minivan on the return trip, told him I had a couple of keyboards, and the dispatcher had said, "$22 plus whatever extra the driver charges for the stuff you're carrying." The driver wanted to charge me $40, NOT because of what I was carrying, but because he said the $22 rate was for a regular car, and it was $40 for a minivan. He was so sweet that when he offered to drop it to $35, I decided to live with it, but I am VERY disappointed at how sketchy the whole thing was on both trips. Just like a "normal" car service, not the impressively different service I experienced the first time. MORAL: Arecibo seems to be seriously hit or miss. -- Easily the best car service I've used in New York. Found them here on Yelp and thought I'd give them a try (I've often used Evelyn Car Service in the past, who are mediocre, often late, etc.). I was seriously amazed how good and how cheap Arecibo was. I took two separate cars, one from Downtown Brooklyn to downtown Manhattan and one back, a few hours later. In both cases, their service was exemplary. As other people have stated here, they offered me a short wait time (10-15 mins.) and showed up even earlier (and were happy to wait when I wasn't quite ready). The drivers were both polite, quick, safe, and very helpful. I had a couple of keyboards and a suitcase, and neither wanted to charge me extra as a result. In fact, they were anxious to help me load my gear into the car and back out. Assuming that these two experiences were representative (and according to most reviewers here, that seems likely), I will never use another car service again. I would recommend them highly. read more

Never using Arecibo again. I've been a loyal customer for many years but they failed to send a car to the airport despite my calling several hours ahead of time to reserve a car. I have very young children who had to wait over an hour for a car after a cross country flight, and now we're in rush hour traffic. This is completely unacceptable. I'm switching to Eastern. read more

I've had some great cab drivers but some not so great. They're never on time and always blame traffic or they go past my building and expect me to walk how many ever blocks to them. On one occasion a cab driver put headphones in his ears because my son was a bit fussy! Very unprofessional! I'm definitely going to stay with Promenade car service. They're best at everything read more

Never on time. Even when you reserve a car hours to days in advance, ya know, like when you REALLY need to be somewhere. On time? The first time was at 6:00am for a flight out of LaGuardia. They were over 20 minutes late and I had to call another car service. They got there instantly. Second time was today...25 minutes late to get to a shower in the city. And when you call to follow up they either don't answer or put you on hold interminably. Call another service. They stink. read more

I have stopped using Arecibo after several frustrating experiences. The worst being the time I had to wait 40 minutes for a car to finally come (I waited that long because I kept calling and was told "5 minutes" and I refuse to just leave without notifying the car service). The dispatchers for Arecibo never listen to you - they either keep putting you on hold, or they hear an address and hang up on you. I only use them if I am absolutely DESPERATE. I almost always use 11th Street Car Service - they are great. read more