I had three party bus companies lined up, with 1st Class Limousine being one of them. I chose to…read morepay $150 more compared to the other two companies because I trusted they wouldn't let me down. I didn't mind paying extra out of pocket for my birthday because I wanted everything to go smoothly. I knew that if I went with the cheaper options, I might regret it.
Yolanda was great and clearly knows how to make sales. She followed up regularly to ensure my reservation was locked in. I booked a party bus for 25 people for $900 for five hours. Initially, she quoted $750 for four hours, but I added an additional hour because we were traveling far. I even took the time to visit and inspect the bus to ensure it was what I wanted, as it was the last available bus for Saturday, 9/21. I booked with 1st Class Limousine because, as mentioned, I didn't want to be let down. I specifically requested for the party bus to arrive at 6 p.m. at the pickup location.
However, Yolanda called me at 5:47 p.m. to inform me that the party bus I had reserved was experiencing mechanical issues. She then offered me either a Sprinter van or a limousine, neither of which matched what I had originally booked.
I chose the limousine, since I had to decide quick and had reservations at 7pm in Clermont . When the limousine arrived, it was noticeably older, with worn leather seats. The limited amount of drinks and ice provided was far from sufficient for my party, which was very unprofessional. We couldn't even chill our drinks properly due to the lack of ice, despite being told that ice, water, and soda would be provided.
We ended up waiting at our destination for four hours, as we had to wait longer than planned for the replacement bus I had originally reserved. They offered another bus, but it wasn't what I requested, further impacting our experience.
While I understand that mechanical issues are out of the company's control and that safety comes first, I was disappointed that no additional free hour or discount was offered to compensate for the inconvenience. I later found out that the Escalade limousine was $175 per hour, not $187.50, which is what I paid for the party bus. While we did eventually get the bus I reserved, we had already waited four hours, and by that time, my guests were fed up. To make matters worse, I had purchased large 40-inch number balloons to decorate the bus, which went unused since the bus wasn't there to pick us up. The time and money I spent on those balloons, as well as the overall inconvenience, were frustrating, especially since no discount was offered even though the limo was a lower-priced vehicle & I'm sure the party bus they were offering was small which meant lower price too.
The driver, Juan, was excellent and provided great service, but the last-minute changes and the four-hour wait left my guests frustrated, and the entire experience was incredibly stressful. Unfortunately, Yolanda did nothing to improve the situation. Yes, I was given 1hr free because I demanded the hour.
I chose this company based on its strong reviews, but my experience did not live up to those expectations. I will not be recommending this business to anyone.
I hope this was a learning experience for the company to check their buses daily and to offer some type of compensation when delivering bad news.
