Arecibo is my go to car service. The drivers are prompt, curteous and kind.

used service once to get from JFK to LIC and had very good experience - will use over UBER from now on

I was looking for car service from Manhattan to Jersey City, which Arecibo does not provide. They are centered around Brooklyn, which is fine. The only problem was when I called to ask them about this, I was shuffled between 3 different dispatchers, and needed to explain the situation to each of them. Other than that, I thought they were pleasant and easy to reach. read more

WORST CAR SERVICE EVER. They say "five minutes" every time you call and end up showing up 15 minutes later or more, if at all. The drivers are all scumbags who talk on the phone constantly and almost crash every time. They are disorganized, rude, slow, inconsistent, and an all around awful business. I am officially done giving these guys chances. read more

Arecibo, you have lost a long time customer. I have used these guys for YEARS and partially out of loyalty, partially out of laziness, I consistently forgave their increasingly mediocre service. They are always 5-10 minutes late, which I learned a long time ago, so I always tell them to arrive 15 minutes earlier than I actually plan to leave. Getting through to them via phone is a pain; sometimes you get an answer, other times you're on hold for 10 minutes, other times no answer at all--the inconsistency is half the problem. They were late to take my mom to the airport once, but I forgave them because they made it in the nick of time. They were late to pick me up for a job interview, but again, we made it, so I forgave them. I'm always careful not to take my frustration out on the driver because often its not their fault. But, last night was the worst car service experience of my life, and I am never using Arecibo again. I called in the morning before to tell them I'd be landing at 10 pm at JFK and will need a car. I was told to call when I land, because there are always cars stationed at JFK. When I landed, I called and called and it took 20 minutes for me to even get a human on the line. (Before you ask, I was waiting on a very long yellow cab line anyway). When I got through, he told me a car would be there in 10 minutes. Well, 20 minutes later, I called dispatch and he assured me they'd be there in 5 minutes. I insisted that they owed me a discount for waiting it out, but to my bad luck, the phone died before the dispatcher could respond. So, 30 minutes passes and the driver shows up--I tell him that the dispatcher told me I'd get a discount blah blah. He says "dispatcher lied to you. I left from the base in park slope, so there's no way i would be here in under 25 minutes. if he told you 10, he's a liar". Wow, how professional-throw your company under the bus like that. So i said "well, as a customer, how can you help me, because i'm very disappointed and will never use your car service again". He basically told me to take it up with dispatch and that its his problem. He then proceeded, I think partly out of spite, to take the slowest possible route home. I asked him why he was taking Atlantic and not the BQE and he pretended not to hear me. The whole experience made me realize there is no reason to be loyal to any company in NYC. There are far too many other, better options. That's the beauty of competition--stick with who works. So, I recommend: LimoNerd (based in Dumbo), Cobble Hill Car Service, Family Car Service (very cheap, great for local Bk travel) and Northside Car Service (for Wburg and Greenpt). Arecibo, you need to step up your game if you want to stay in the game. Yelpers--go elsewhere. They may not suck every time you use them, but why not go with a car service that aims towards excellence? read more

TRAVELER BEWARE. Horrible customer service. I've tried to use these guys several times and they are always late by at least 20 minutes even if you book in advance and give them a specific time for pick up. Not very helpful when you are trying to get to an appointment on time or the airport. And they don't even call to tell you they will be late or answer their own phones. And the apology from the driver is a brief sorry and then hangs up the phone. Never again. read more

I usually use Arecibo but won't ever again. I was at JFK and their site says to call once you're out of baggage claim and when I called they said 5 minutes and I had to wait for a full HOUR for a car never to come before giving up. I got a full runaround including being put on hold endlessly and no one being able to offer me a discount or an ETA. Total bullshit and then they blamed me for calling upon arrival instead of making a reservation but that was what their website said to do, plus they had told me 5 minute wait when I called. I used to recommend them but will have to find a new car service. They're completely unprofessional. read more

"Five minutes". That's what the operator says no matter what the real situation is. If you car does indeed come in five minutes, it will be clean with a nice driver. If not, you're frantically calling another car service after waiting forty minutes looking up and down the street for nothing. The whole point of a car service is reliability: you need to get somewhere important at a precise time. Arecibo simply fails to deliver. read more

Driver was late, took me to wrong airport terminal, then claimed he couldn't take credit card, then threatened me and slammed trunk hitting my head. If you are at all concerned about your safety--especially since I'm a small women--DO NOT USE! read more

Caught a ride Oct 9 2015. Driver was Jean. On time, direct ride to JFK. Clean car. Intelligent unforced conversation. Cost $38 from Park Slope to JFK. Yellow cab opposite direction was $65. My experience with Aercibo was excellent. read more

Arranged by my hotel for transportation of my family to Laguardia. Big suburban which the driver drove like a maniac. I gasped and grabbed on for dear life a few times as he drove very aggressively. NOT what I was looking for when I asked the hotel to arrange car service to the airport for my family of 4. I have also advised the hotel. read more

I have never seen a business fall so quickly in the quality of service they deliver. It is like night and day . The drivers are great and their cars are clean but the dispatch sucks . I have spent 20 minutes trying to get someone to answer the F-ing phone no matter what time of day . I will have to find another service these guys are going out of business it seems like too bad I use them all the time last year . read more

Called Arecibo at 6pm to catch a flight at the airport. Were told 5 minutes. 20 minutes later called again. Were told two cars were 3 minutes away and a black car would arrive. 20 minutes later a grey minivan arrived. If you don't want a missed flight, have a backup plan with these dishonest dispatchers. read more

I use Arecibo once per week to get to work and they are usually on time and friendly. Today, though, after waiting for 15 minutes in the snow for the car I scheduled and then re-confirmed, I was notified that the car had left because I was not there at the scheduled and time and that no car would be sent for me. I was outside 2 minutes before the scheduled time and when I told the guy on the phone he hung up on me. VERY disappointed- will have to use a new car service. read more

This car service told me to wait 5 minutes for a car, and I called 15 minutes later to check in, I was told once again to wait for 5 minutes. The car never showed up. Try North Side or Puerto Rican instead. read more

Busy signals and long waits on hold. That's the story of Arecibo these days. Pity, it once was a great car service.

Waited an hour and a half for a car. Called three times to see what was happening with car, each time they said one would be to me in 10-15 minutes. On my way walking to the train, I saw an Arecibo car turn on to my block. My thing is why lie? If you haven't dispatched a car, don't say one is coming. Had better experiences with Arecibo times I needed a pick up from Park Slope. Still this experience has left the worst taste in my mouth. Thumbs down!!! read more

I would give them zero if I could. World's worst car service. Wanted to reserve a car early in the week for Friday. Told I needed to call on Thursday. I did. I confirmed on Friday morning. I made it clear I needed the car at 6, because I needed to make a connection for a weekend trip. Kept telling me it was no problem. Six came and went. Called at 6:10 and told car was on it's way. When a car finally arrived at 6:20, the driver did not to take the dog, which I confirmed having on all three calls. They said they would send another driver in five. By this time it was 6:35, I was not sure I could make my connection. They offered to take me but said if they had to take me back to Park Slope they were charging for a round trip. I think not. They are just plain lie. STAY AWAY!!!! read more

I ordered a minivan to take my family to Newark airport for an early morning flight in the middle of February. The car showed up 5 minutes late and it was only a sedan, not a minivan as we had ordered. The driver refused to take us, and took off as soon as he saw that we were too many to fit in his car. The dispatcher was no help as we scrambled to find a cab at 4:00 in the morning in Brooklyn. I don't plan to ever use Arecibo again. read more

These people are the WORST. The WORST, WORST, WORST. They totally stood me up tonight and left a five and a half months pregnant lady stranded in a not great part of town. They kept saying five minutes. After 25 minutes, I gave up and called Castle Cars, who told me they would be there in five minutes, and they actually were. I'm not even sure why I tried Arecibo again--I used them once for a friend's wedding and was totally late after they stood me up that time, too. I guess I felt like maybe that was a one-off and they deserved a second chance. NEVER AGAIN. Five minutes my fat pregnant ass. As other reviewers have said, they are lying liars who lie! Don't give them your business! read more

WORST CAR SERVICE I'VE EVER USED. They quoted me $7 and then charged us $19. We had to go to a police station to deal with them. It was TERRIBLE. NEVER USE. I am always going to use Pratt Service instead (718) 789-4900 read more

I have never had a bad experience with Arecibo. They've always been on time. Sometimes they play some loud music, but no problems - dance party in the back seat. What's more important is that they are honest - I left my iPhone in car #245 (driver Gustavo Cordero) last night and he drove it back to me the following day. Most other cab drivers would have taken it. I was lucky to have him as my driver. I'll definitely be giving Arecibo (specifically #245) a call in the future. read more

I've always had great experiences with Arecibo. I suspect a competitor is posting fake reviews. I've found them reliable and pleasant. When they say 5 minutes, they come n five minutes. read more

I was impressed with the cleanliness of their cabs, their quick response time, and the friendliness of the drivers, as well as their very reasonable rates. We used this service for most of our stay in Brooklyn and I would highly recommend them to anyone who visits there! read more

I found a late night post about an amazing couch that had to be gone that evening. It was 10pm. No man with van available anywhere at this hour! So...I took a chance and called this car service, requesting an SUV. I got one in less than five minutes, and asked the driver if it would be all right. He was cool with it, but hesitant, as were we...seeing the much smaller than anticipated size of the thing. We spent what must have been thirty minutes trying to fit this couch into the vehicle, and the driver was so cool he helped! We were all laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. He wound up driving us back with a couch against his head, me smushed in the backseat, and my boyfriend in the front with a baby seat. After ALL that, he even helped us unload, and then honored the serious underquote from the car service. So I tipped the HELL out of this man. I wish I knew his name so I could request him from now on! He was so, so humble and helpful. read more

Tuesday night my car wouldn't start hit was pouring out. I must have called every cab service on yelp that was near me. No one was willing to give me a boost. I called triple A and 2 hrs went by and I was still sitting in the car waiting. Someone outside gave me the number to arecibo car service so I called I asked if they give boost he said yes I'll send someone to you give us 7 mins. 5 mins later he was there. Thank God we had our own jump wires. He gave us the boast and we were up and running. Cost me 15$ but I was happy to pay. Still no triple A. Thanks guys for getting my car started and out of that rain. read more

I had a good experience before transporting a futon a short distance. They sent a very helpful driver with a mini van. So I thought it safe to call them ahead of time to arrange the transport of a full mattress and disassembled bed frame I was buying. The man who showed up in a Toyota Sienna immediately proceeded to say he was not told he had to deliver a bed. Where is going to put it? On your roof rack, dude, we replied. That's not a real rack. Um ok. Then he said he would only do it for $50, when I was quoted $25 on the phone and the previous time. I called the dispatcher to complain, he just hung up on me. Great service guys. I've been using you and recommending you for years for airport pick-ups, etc. You lost me. read more

Arecibo is the worst. They are totally unreliable - especially if you make an appointment. Then they refuse your phone calls when they recognize that they've messed something up. Try any other car service. They are ok only in times of absolute desperation. read more

A disappointment. Used Arecibo when we previously stayed in Brooklyn and they turned up on time after ringing to confirm booking. This trip started out OK as I used them on a Friday night. A bit of a glitch when picking me up on return back to apartment, but I only waited 15 mins all up. HOWEVER, I booked a car online for my trip to JFK. After ringing twice to confirm email booking, they didnt appear to know what I was talking about ( why even bother with email booking?) the second call was because they disconnected me. Flippantly, I was told that a car wld arrive at 1.30 There was confusion as to the street nos. They couldnt grasp the concept that I wanted a car at 255 NOT 335! The dispatcher told me that he couldn't understand me! My aussie accent is not THAT bad. After a 10 minute wait I made yet another phone call, and again, there was confusion as to the street no!!!!! Not even spelling out exactly where the building was seemed to help.... I was told that a car wld be there in 2 minutes. 7 minutes later a yellow cab had seen me waiting and rescued me. I think they are great for short journeys and it depends who you get in the phone. The drivers i had on the Friday night were fantastic and vehicles were clean. This could be a fanatstic service with the right people manning the phones with better customer service skills and the ability to tell you how long a car will take. If there are going to be delays, be honest and upfront. None of this "2 minutes" nonsense. I won't be using them again. read more

We were unfairly overcharged for their car service. When we asked if I could be dropped off 3blocks down the street after initial stop, the driver seemed to ignore us. He wouldn't respond. Then he waited until I got out to let me know it was 4 extra dollars above the original 7 dollar quote. This service has willingly dropped people off short distances before. This is not good customer service. read more

aricebo. i left my goddamn phone in your car so why won't you answer it? Why won't your answer your business line? Please call 512.3501220. Please answer the phone. I keep getting a busy signal. Just call me please. read more

Used them to get from Park Slope to LaGuardia Airport on a Friday afternoon. I got outside 5 minutes early and the driver was already there. Helped me put my bag in the trunk. Car was clean. Drove fast but not crazy. Didn't lie about the price ($33). Car services can be horrible, but I can happily report no problems with this one. Will use them again in the future. read more

These guys were always better than the crop of similarly priced services in Brooklyn, but sadly times have changed. After waiting 30 mins at LGA for a car that was supposedly "right there", the driver told me they didn't accept credit cards (they do), then told me there was a $5 service fee for credit cards (there isn't), and finally gave me three different cash quotes (including tip, not including tip, some phantom toll) - all after I had confirmed the price with the dispatcher. Use if it's convenient, but know that at least one of their drivers is super shady. read more

I reserved online a week in advance. Got an email shortly after saying "Your car is confirmed." The day came and no car. I called and they acted like they had no clue who I was. They stalled and then said the driver was a couple blocks away. 10 minutes later and still no car. Had to go chase down a cab so I didn't miss my flight. Never again. read more

Very disappointed in Arecibo, which i will no longer be relying on. I made a reservation the night before for a car WITH a toddler car seat for 5am so my husband and 3 year old daughter could go to the airport. He arrived on time, but with NO car seat and had no idea what i was talking about. He refused to call the base and ask about it, so I did, and was assured that a car with a car seat was now on its way, "Two minutes!" I was told. Then the current guy tried to leave, and we asked him to stay just in case. He gave us a lot of attitude about waiting, and again refused to call his base to check on the arrival of the other car. We waited 10 minutes and then decided we couldn't wait and that they'd unfortunately have to travel without a car seat, not our preference. As far as I know, the replacement car with a car seat never arrived, nor did I ever get any follow-up phone call. I gave up on calling Arecibo back to tell them off since their phone just rang endlessly. Either way, last time I'm relying on Arecibo for any trip that's remotely important or urgent - and i suggest you heed the same advice. read more

Absolutely awful! Believe every word the reviews say: unreliable, late and downright rude. They lie on the phone! When I said to the dispatcher that there is no traffic light on the street corner I was waiting on he hung up on me! Avoid this service if you can. read more

Used to be a lot better. When everything goes as planned, they are good. But at times they just aren't reliable and that seems to be happening more and more. Recently I had arranged 4 mini-vans to pick up 20 of us and they never showed up. And when something goes wrong (or just to make a reservation), it takes forever to get through to them read more

One of the best car service experiences I've had in NYC! Driver showed up in 5 minutes from when I called. The driver was very professional and friendly. The car was clean and well kept. They had no problem with my dog and dog crate (I requested a larger vehicle for this purpose). And the best part...only $40 from Park Slope to the UES of Manhattan! This is the best price in the city!! I would highly recommend Arecibo. read more

Arecibo is NOT your go to airport taxi service. Get this - the guy picks me up in Brooklyn and says it is $55 plus tips and tolls to Newark Airport. Ok. Do I want to take the Verrazano? Sure. That will be $32 in tolls he says. $32?? Why? Because I have to pay his toll on the way back to Brooklyn. I have NEVER been in a taxi where the company needs me to pay for the driver to get home. That is absolutely ridiculous. I call the manager and he says fine, I don't want to pay both ways then the driver can take me to Newark via Manhattan and then I just pay the one way toll for the driver to get back. This is nuts! It is twice as long to go through Manhattan and I am running out of time. So we take Verrazano and I pay both ways and I WILL NEVER USE THIS COMPANY AGAIN. read more

I live near East New York, and Arecibo always gets their affordable, efficient car service to me in a quick manner. Highly recommended.