If you are sending your kids to the prom and want a stuffy, rule ridden company, then Excel Fleet Limo is your place. If you are a hard working, mature person looking to hire a limo out for a night on the town, then AVOID THESE GUYS! They are a HORRIBLE!
Now, on to the GOOD, the BAD, & the UGLY....
First, let me give you a picture of our scheduled evening. A family member booked this limo for her 26th birthday and was going to Hollywood (from OC) to do some dancing, drinking and all around partying. We had 20, 30 and 40 somethings in the limo; a diverse group.
THE GOOD: Our driver, Richard showed up on time in a large limo (Ford Explorer, I think) that accommodated the size of our party. He also stocked the interior with bottled water, ice and champagne.
THE BAD: They sold us on a fog machine in the limo, there wasn't one. Richard also asked us to give him a credit card since we were bringing liquor into the limo. We thought that was odd and he said "company policy". He then went on about how vomiting in the limo would result in a $500 fine (punitive) and also a charge for each day the limo was out of service.
My wife asked if there was juice and mixers in the limo. Richard responded "No. You should have asked for the package with mixers." Again, odd. Every limo I have ever retained came with drivers that would respond "No, but would you like me to stop at the store on our way out?" Again, defensive and authoritarian; this will become the theme of our evening.
We told Richard we would be dropping off some guests at a club then the other guests were to be taken wherever they wanted to go or just cruise. Richard didn't like this. He responded, "I can't do that. I can only go to an address. No cruising. Company policy."
He also strongly warned us against "placing ANY body parts out the window." After he told us we could only roll the window down "a little." Huh?
THE UGLY: We drop off guests at the club, but when we come back to the limo, Richard is watching TV in the front seat. He didn't even turn it off or get out to help us into the limo. We tell him we want to go to Griffith Park and he responds, "No. Can't do it. This limo can't be driven up there." WHAT??? They have buses that go up there. So we ask Richard to take us to Seven Grand. He asks for an address and we tell him we don't know it off-hand, but that it was located in the area of 7th St and Grand Ave in DTLA. He says, "I can't go anywhere without an address." WTF? IT IS 2010 and YOU ARE A DRIVER FOR HIRE, GET A SMART PHONE!!! We open the back limo door to get in and he runs over, "You can't open this door. Only I can. Don't open in again." We get into the limo and it is still disheveled with empty bottles and glasses everywhere and all the ice was empty from our drive over. He didn't clean the back, probably because he was too busy watching TV.
We get to the bar. I hop out and ask him to be available by phone for a pickup and to clean out the back of the limo and restock the ice. You would have thought the world was ending with the "I'm not supposed to clean anything" look on his face. Richard picked us up at the bar and we saw the back was cleaned out and restocked with ice.
We pickup everyone from the club. One of our guests was really tired and was a bit tipsy, so we told Richard to just take us home. This is when the wheels really came off!
While driving home, Richard wouldn't put up the privacy screen. He locked us out of control and kept it down. Once Richard heard someone was 'tipsy', he pulled over and demanded he get out of the car for fear of vomiting (he wasn't vomiting, but Richard was really worried about it). We demanded that Richard take us home immediately and he wouldn't. He threatened us with calling the police (for what?!) then told us "No eating in the limo," "It's against the law to be drunk in the back of the limo," and "My dad's a cop so I know the law." Gimme-a-break (BTW, I'm a retired cop).
Finally our tipsy guest was escorted out of the limo and we headed home. Everyone was recouping from hours of dancing and they were hot. Many guests asked that the fans be turned down because it was blowing directly on them causing them to be really cold (imagine being sweaty and having fans blowing an inch from your neck, on your neck) so we lowered the fan speed a few times to accommodate the guests. THIS IS WHEN OUR DRIVER SHUT DOWN ALL POWER! NOW WE WERE DRIVING IN A DARK COCOON WITH NO AIR, MUSIC OR LIGHTS! Many guests got claustrophobic and we BEGGED him to turn it back on. He said "Then stop messing with the AC!" DAMN! I thought this was OUR RIDE THAT WE PAID FOR, NOT HIS COMFORT WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT. We should be able to set the AC to OUR LIKING. WE PAID FOR THIS!!!
UPDATE: Excel told us after complaining "... Richard has been an employee for over 5 years with a great service..." and offered us a $25 coupon. Right! LIKE WE'RE COMING BACK!?
AVOID AVOID!!!! read more