We booked Golden Gate Limos for our wedding on the 2nd of July 2022. We were advised via email…read morecommunication that the following were guaranteed and I quote the email below:
'Guaranteed - Unlimited distance, unlimited number of pick-ups / drop-offs and unlimited photo locations / stops....All yours.... Your wedding package includes - Ribbon (custom colours available no extra charge), tulle, wheel covers, red carpet, 3 bottles of Jacob's Creek champagne, glasses, ice, chilled water & soft drinks, corkage, service and full attention by your fully uniformed chauffeur / butler and of course GST all included.... Everything you could need for your wedding transport, all included.'
When my limo arrived, the Driver did not say hello, introduce himself or even smile. He was very short at instructing me how to sit down in the limo. Arriving at the church he realised that one of the vehicle's doors was jammed and would not open. We were one door down, which meant that I had to walk out first and manage my wedding dress on my own in the rain before the bridesmaids got out. It also meant that following the ceremony, the wedding party had to enter at one end of the limo and crawl their way to the seats on the other side. I understand that things can go wrong. What we did not appreciate is the driver's reaction. He did not even apologise for the inconvenience and was constantly grumbling.
At the end of the service we walked out through the exit of the Church, and expected that the driver would simply drive to us, as it was a wet day. Instead the driver just sat in the vehicle about 20-30 meters away in the Church carpark. Seeing no reaction from him, the Groom had to walk over to him and ask him to drive the limo to the exit. The driver replied with a flat "No". When the Groom then said to the driver, "So, do you expect the bride to walk in the rain carrying her dress to come over to you instead of you driving to the exit to pick everyone up and leave via the exit", the driver responded "Well, if you move this (pointing at a nearby guest car that was parked) and that (pointing at another guest car parked), then I will drive to pick you up". The Groom organised for the cars to be moved and we finally were able to crawl into the limo. The driver just stood there and barked instructions regarding the wheel cover. He was neither proactive nor courteous, and it seemed that if the groom hadn't walked over to where he was, we would be standing there a long time!
When, again, the Groom enquired about the fact that the only drinks available were a few water bottles (not even enough for 1 each), the driver responded with a curt "Nothing. That's not included with this". This is completely incorrect. This email/review is not about getting a couple of complimentary $10 Jacob's Creek bottles - although it was guaranteed that we would have 3 bottles and soft drinks - this is entirely about the lack of service and attitude of the driver. If we had have known in advance that drinks were not included (even though we paid for them), we would have arranged our own refreshments.
To summarise, to hire a Golden Gate Limo limo for 3 hrs cost us $699, and we received a vehicle with a jammed door, a rude driver with no chauffeur skills and no customer service or refreshments. Sometimes, a few minor things might go wrong with a service, but a smile, kind words and politeness go a long way to smoothing these little rough patches for clients. We would not, however, categorise the behaviour of the driver and lack of paid-for services, as 'minor things'. Accordingly, as a result of our experiences on an important (and supposed-to-be-fun) occasion, we would certainly not recommend Golden Gate Limos to anyone looking for a comfortable, courteous, prepared, relaxed and enjoyable transport experience.
