There are, what, fifty damn cabs in Bucktown at any given moment. But if don't want to walk to North Ave and try to flag one, find another company to call. I've called "Flash" many times, and it is always at least 40 minutes before they arrive. FORTY MINUTES! They must dispatch a cab from Woodfield Mall or something. Seriously, if you call them you'll end up waiting and waiting and waiting. read more

After this weekend I'm done with Flash Cab. When booking my first taxi that day, I inadvertently booked the taxi for immediate pickup (5:30pm) instead of 6:10pm. I immediatelly cancelled online (and received a cancellation notice), but it would not let me rebook without calling in, as it said that a reservation already existed. The gentleman I talked to on the phone asked me if I wanted the taxi for immediate pickup, I stated no, 6:10pm. Despite this a taxi showed up immediately. I called and had that taxi cancelled, and a new one sent to my house for 6:10pm. Problem solved. That evening, I booked another taxi for immediate pickup (10:00pm). Flash Cab called me around 10:15pm to let me know that the taxi was en route, no more than 5 minutes. At 10:30pm, no taxi, I called in and they said "Oh, it looks like your taxi picked up someone else instead". What do you mean they picked up someone else? And were you ever going to tell me this? They indicated they would get me another taxi. At 10:50pm they call to inform me that it would be 30-40 minutes before they found me another taxi. There have been other incidents as well. For example, when I book online for pickup at the Jefferson Park Metra, I plainly indicate I'm taking the train in, state the time the train is arrving, etc. A number of times this has happened the taxi driver has arrived 10 minutes (!!!) early, and once I've even had the taxi driver drive off. This doesn't even get into the number of times that they do not show up at the stated time, no taxi is available at all, etc. No more, I'm done. Switching to Uber. read more

Terrible, rude drivers! Always cutting people off in traffic. Had one of their drivers in cab #5294 throw something at my car this morning! Will NEVER use them again! unreal! read more

Left my phone in your of their cabs on 05/05. it is now 05/14 and their lost and found department still has not responded to my 7+ voicemail, I have sent numerous emails and tweets simply asking for someone to acknowledge my existence. I am getting close to having to buy a new phone. And they wonder why people prefer ubers or lyft. If my phone had not died, i would have never been in their cab read more

The cabs are great, just last night I left my Nikon D60 Gold Edition with lots of valuable pictures. I was going home from Lincoln park to Norridge about 3:30am on January the 1st. Please help if you found my camera. I really need it back! My phone is 312-823-3264 read more

DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE!!!!! THIS COMPANY DOES NOT EVEN DESERVE A HALF OF STAR This past weekend I arranged for Flash cab to take me only a few block s to Midway. The driver told me at the airport that it was a flat rate of $40.00 for this far. I did not want to argue with the man because I had my 7 month old daughter with me, so, I paid the fare and figured I would call the corporate office to have my money refunded. I have called their complaints department 4x's and have NOT RECEIVED A RETURN CALL. This company does not care about the customers that use the service. read more

Instead of following my first mind and calling Uber or Lyft....my boyfriends mom decides to call a flash cab..my boyfriend left his phone in the car and realized he left it as the driver was pulling off...we contacted the company and they couldn't even get in touch with the cab driver which happens to be cab #1973...so about an hour later they called us back and said he has a passenger he can't check for the phone...so you mean to tell me you couldn't get in contact with your driver until an hour later and once you did contact him you didn't make it a priority that he gets his phone...anyway the driver in cab #1973 called my phone the next morning from my boyfriends iPhone by the way and said if I give him 15 dollars he will bring my boyfriends phone..the nerve of this mf...we instantly call the cab company and they kept us on hold for 40 mins... we hung up tried calling again no answer...so I encourage anybody that needs a ride not to call this company...Uber or lyft would of had the phone back to you within the hour it took flash cab to contact the driver and I'm speaking from experience because my son left his phone in the back of a Uber vehicle and it was returned promptly free of charge...fuck you flash cab and that's y ur company is going to shit..no stars from me very poor customer service...had to press one to post review...smh read more

i used to like this company but i've gotten really shotty service as of late. i called a day in advance to reserve a cab as i knew it'd be hectic this morning and they a. called to tell me they hadn't dispatched anyone yet b. didn't dispatch anyone. c. hung up on me after i waited on their stupid automated service d. said they "might" send someone out within 20 minutes e. did not send/call/jack shit thereafter. the last time their driver waited 2 blocks away after we gave him a specific corner to meet us on and the time before that they "lost" our online reservation. i'm not sure what cab company is the best, but this isn't it anymore. they should be seriously repremanded--you can't call someone minutes before they need to leave to make a flight/work etc to tell them you're bailing. read more

Sucks used to used them all the time but now there's no answer and the mobile site and regular sites don't work.

Too bad I could not give less than a one star! Everything people say about Dispatch is correct!!! AND they LIE! Ordered a cab for the next morning to take me to the airport and they NEVER showed up. When I called they said they did call (funny, nothing on my cell phone) and now they don't have cars left...REALLY!?!?! Rude, liars and poor service...hope karma kicks them in the $#!. Go Uber !! read more

This was the most terrible experience! My cab didn't show up for a half hour! I got a text after ten or so minutes saying the cab had not been dispatched and to call the number, When I called, they couldn't tell me how long it would be. Six minutes after that I called again and the operator said two minutes. Another ten minutes went by and I called again and spoke to a man named Angel. He was so rude. Honestly, I have never been treated so poorly. He literally mocked what I was saying in an incredibly nasty tone. Then he wouldn't put me through to a manager, telling me it wasn't necessary! I've never been treated so disgustingly in my life!! read more

I've used flash cab for as long as I can remember, but this last incident with them has proven that this company hires unreliable, irresponsible, and rude can drivers. Tonight is one of the coldest nights so far, and I've waited for a cab downstairs for over 30 minutes. The operators have told me that a cab was coming not once, not twice, not 3 times... Over 4 times was I told my cab driver had picked up the wrong person. I am still waiting for a cab. They have lost my business, and I recommend you don't use them either! read more

Don't bother booking online with these guys. Their web app is good but it is a crap shoot as to whether they show up. I've only had about a 50% success rate. Worst part, they don't even call you to say they're not coming. Avoid avoid avoid. read more

Apparently I am a glutten for punishment. On the rare occasion that I need a cab, I call Flash because they are a mile away. Every time I call, no matter what time of day, there is no one in the area. If they show up at all, it's typically 3 hours later. The operators keep calling saying, "Try again in a half hour..." Do not waste your time! read more

Flash Cab is the absolute WORST taxi service I have ever encountered. On multiple occasions they have said that I am "next in line" and then they do not call back with any updates, and can lead you on for HOURS waiting for a cab. Working at a hospital it is imperative that I am able to get to work - had to walk 2 miles in snow and sleet one time after waiting over an hour outside for a taxi that was "on the way". More recently I had guests in town and reservations at a restaurant that had to be made a month in advance. I booked the cab 45 minutes earlier than we really needed it and still no one showed up, no call to say that they did not have a cab available - and yet they still said I was "next in line". We missed the reservation and had to completely alter plans. I have also been involved in an accident as a passenger in a flash cab. The driver harassed me for the fare - we were not even close to the destination AND he had threatened my life. Unbelievable. They are completely unprofessional, reliably unreliable, lie, and are insafe. If you use this company, you are doing so at your own risk. I will NEVER use this company again. read more

Flash cab has, on several occasions, been late to pick me up, even when I have made a reservation far ahead of time (using their online system AND their telephone system). They are often rude and dismissive when I then call and request to know where my cab is. Yesterday morning, I scheduled a pick-up at 4:55 am. When the cab had not yet arrived past 5 am, I called because at that time of the morning, if I needed a different way to get to my destination, I'd need to think fast. The first operator told me the cab driver "should" be arriving in 10 minutes, and when I asked him to confirm this, he asked to put me on hold. Then he disconnected me. The cab was 15 minutes late, no apologies. He then had no idea how to get where I was going. This is not the first time--I've had a cab driver go 15 minutes out of the way of where I was going and then ask me how to get there, claiming he never knew. He then blamed me, saying, "I thought you knew how to get where you were going," despite the fact that I gave him the address, a large hotel in Evanston. He ran the meter the whole time. I've had the reservations system tell me their "computer system is down" and that therefore, though I ordered a cab the day before, there was no way to know whether one was coming. Or when one would be. They are rude, unreliable, and I do not at all recommend their services. read more

Terrible customer service. What's the point of reserving a cab the night before only to have them not show. I waited 15 minutes and when I called I was told there were no cabs available and I would have to wait. No thanks. Won't be using Flash Cab again. read more

I'm a receptionist at a salon and we use Flash for our clients. They are always timely, polite and our clients rave about their service. Thanks so much for the web booking service its a huge time saver not to have to call in when our phone is ringing off the hook. read more

If I could rate this company at zero stars I most certainly would. Any morning I go out and attempt to hail a cab, these drivers, with vacant light on, pass me up, wave their hand no at me, or, in one instance, roll the window down to yell resulting in a verbal confrontation. Honestly drivers, do you want the fare and an awesome tip, or no? read more

I've used Flash, with mixed results. I ordered cab on phone to make sure that the driver would know that I would have a small, very clean, under 20 pounds, dog,with me. I also said, "I will be giving a large tip to driver for taking my dog." When driver arrived, he said, no dogs. I then said, can you call Flash to send another car? He said, NO and drove off. Luckily a Globe cab stopped right away and I was able to get to vet appointment on time. read more

Driver pulled up outside the United Center after the Thursday nite Big 10 Tournament games. Only can left without riders and said he could take us to Crowne Plaza on Halsted but for flat rate of $30. When I asked why different than $8 I paid earlier he said "game is over." Meter not on entire ride. Called 311 for complaint immediately after arriving back at hotel. Fraud. Scam. Preys on people from out of town attending big event. Cab 6049. Avoid this company and driver. read more

I completely hope that one driver doesn't reflect the actions of an entire company... Cap # 4*1* - this guy made a 4 mile cab ride into a 12 mike cab ride then because I only gave him what the meter totaled he add an additional $3.00 total bs... read more

Too many times have I booked a cab to get to work or a flight and they just never show up. I suppose they are as good as any other cab if you catch them randomly on the street but DO NOT BOOK IN ADVANCE WITH THEM. There's a better than 50% chance (at least in my experience) that they will cancel. read more

Do Not Call This Company if you would like to arrive at your destination on time. The drivers are not the problem, most of them are hardworking, in the grind just like all others, however Flash Cab's dispatch is never dependable and rude. Twice I ordered a cab, for which I needed to arrive at a work meeting on time. The first cab was 10 min late, the second, 25 minutes with the company unapologetically calling 10 minutes after cab was due to say they had no cabs available at the moment. ?? Especially unacceptable as I had ordered the cab the evening prior. Needless to say, I was late for work twice, and will never order another Flash Cab again. In a city of cabs, there are many far better options. read more

Took forever to get a cab. Ordered one three hours should of taken 1 hour max took 5 hours

I needed to get downtown right after teaching a class in Uptown so I got the new Curb app. Of the various Chicago cabs, only Flash took advance orders. Everything worked great - Curb lets you know the cab is on the way with a map and estimated time. Flash arrived exactly on time and got me to my destination faster and cheaper than the estimate. Don't know why the other companies only take "now" orders on Curb, so Flash is way ahead of them read more

Needed a van taxi to take my elderly Mom to Walgreen's for a vaccination. Despite telling the dispatcher that I needed a van (to accommodate a wheelchair) a regular taxi arrived on time. Called to get a van taxi but the driver was late having gone to wrong address. He arrived in a 5 - 6 minutes, not too bad. Since we were late for the appointment, the booking for the return trip was cancelled. When I called for another van taxi the dispatcher told me they didn't have any! Not that there were none available -- but that they had none! Waited 5 minutes for a supervisor, but no one came to the phone. read more

Took Flash from Union Station to Hilton Chicago last week. The driver was courteous and drove safely and efficiently.

Avoid Flash cab. Or at least Flash Cab number 5418. He not only insisted that we stop at an ATM because he didn`t want to take my card (which I told he about ahead of time) but then when we stopped at an ATM he parked in the bike lane. I asked him to pull over since there were plenty of spots and he said no. His excuse was that bikers were assholes. I told him that I was a bike commuter and he still said that we are assholes. I told him that I would be getting out and getting a new cab. At that point he chased me yelling and called the cops over the $3 fare that I was not willing to pay him. Never take Flash Cab 5418. read more

Called for a cab at 5:00 to pick us up at 6:15. At about 6:30, we called to ask WTF, and why they weren't there yet. The central office says that they called us at 6:08, and since we didn't answer, they left, and it would take another 45 minutes to send another cab. Ended up walking 3 blocks in the snow to get a cab on our own. Flash Cab is the worst. read more

Have always had good experiences with flash cab, but yesterday at noon I ordered a taxi online to pick me up at 4:40 pm. At 4:40 pm I got a text that the taxi was no longer coming. I only live about 3/4 mile from a busy cab area, so this was very frustrating! Don't try to "order" a cab to pick you up during peak hours on a thursday/friday evening, but during off-peak hours (5 a.m. rides to the airport, mid-afternoon rides downtown) they are reliable. read more

Once upon a time Flash Cab was really good: you'd call, someone would pick up the phone, and then a taxi would show up a few minutes later. The drivers were always fine -- I have no specific great memories, but neither do I recall any evil urine-stained axe-wielding psychopaths. But some time ago things began to change at Flash Cab. The phone would ring and ring, and this was just to get in touch with the automated dispatching system. Once you achieved this Herculean task, however, the taxi would quickly show up. But, no longer: even after you confirm your taxi, you might wait up to half an hour or more for one to arrive. Sometimes you won't. Sometimes you will. The fluctuations are maddening, and make depending on Flash Cab impossible. For a short time their online reservation system proved to be a nice way to circumvent the delays -- with a few keystrokes and clicks of a mouse one could order a cab, and they'd arrive quickly -- but after last night's 45 minute wait (and my taxi never showed up -- I finally got a call from Flash Cab while sitting in another cab I'd hailed on the street) I've decided to cut bait. I'm not sure what changed with this formerly fine company, but they're not worth using anymore. read more

Wish I could give 0 stars seriously. Every time I call they say we'll have one there shortly. Only for me having to call back 30 mins later to say they are still looking for a cab. It's crap service and unreal that in a city as big as Chicago they can't find a single cab in half an hour. Not to mention if you tell them you need a cab at a certain time they never show up on time for that either. Have almost missed multiple flights because of this joke of a service. read more

Took a cab back to my hotel after a meeting in Chicago. Asked for a receipt so I could expense it. About 15 minutes after I got out of the cab I realized in horror that I'd left my briefcase in the cab, with my laptop and tablet inside. I called the number on the receipt. Even though it was after 11pm, their lost & found department was still open. The gentleman politely asked me to describe the briefcase, the origin and destination of my ride, and the approximate time. Then he gave me a Lost Item claims number. Less than an hour later, my phone rang... the cab had returned to the hotel with my briefcase. All of my valuables were still inside, and the case itself was untouched. Say what you want to about cab companies. We treat taxi's like appliances that only exist for our convenience. But this particular company displayed honesty, integrity, and excellent service in returning my lost items. They have my recognition and appreciation. Thank you, Flash Cab. read more

I've used flash taxi for years and their semi-new phone system sucks! In the past, you call and within a few seconds you have to hit 1 for 2 for English and go through the motions. Process did not take more than 20 seconds when booking a taxi as it recognizes your number. Now, the system takes up to a minute before you can even order a taxi. I wonder why they would spend money changing to a very irritating system. read more

I booked a cab this morning for the first time ever. I had heard good things about Flash, so I wasn't worried about being let-down. I got a call from the company AFTER my cab was supposed to arrive saying they had none to send and it'd be at least 5-15 minutes. At least 20 minutes go by before I get another phone call. The finally had dispatched one for me, but it was still 10 minutes away. I did not get picked up for over 30 minutes after my requested time. The customer service tried to help, but they didn't seem to think this was urgent. I was disappointed. The driver was nice and did a good job getting me to my destination quickly, but booking a cab with them is very unreliable. It's a good thing I didn't need to be anywhere on time, because I could have never counted on that. read more

Worst cab company!! I called a day in advance and reserved a cab. The next day when the cab arrival was past due by 10 mins, I called the dispatch to inquire about my cab. She informed me that they were working on the request - 10 mins after the cab was supposed to pick me up !!! And she had the audacity to lie and tell me she had tried calling me to inform me of the delay. I had full coverage on my cell phone and there was no voice message. Don't ever use this company. Terrible? flaky service. read more

What a good-for-nothing cab company. I can't even tell you how many times we have called for a pickup without having anyone show up. It seems that they actually go out of their way to be unreliable. I guess it is my fault, because I keep calling them, and I keep being left with no ride. What's the saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 8639 times... You get the picture. read more

Very disappointed. Booked a minivan over the phone 24 hours ahead of time but it never showed up. Called when it was 15 minutes past the arrival time and was told the minivan would arrive in 5 minutes but I ended up calling 10 minutes later to cancel because we had to leave or we'd miss our flight. Our neighbor ended up driving us to the airport and we don't plan to try this company again. read more

I have yet to have a good experience with flash cab! For example....I ordered a cab at 5:45pm to pick me up at 6:30pm one would think 45 minutes in advance that they would be on time but nooooo instead they call me at 6:30pm telling me they have none available. Then when they finally do show up I get a driver that is a million years old and has to lean forward to see the stop lights and of course he drives as slow as can possibly be when I'm trying to be at my bff's first stand up show by 7pm! Thanks a lot flash cab I was 10 minutes late! Oh and the weather is great out so thats no excuse! read more