Where exactly do I begin? I booked a van from Kosmo whilst waiting for a flight out of SEATAC- I waited to book until I and my four coworkers had made it to the gate. I was told by the receptionist that we could hire a van to drive us from the Oakland airport to our workplace, 40 miles north, for 195 dollars. Seems a bit much, but reasonable. I booked the van and caught the flight.
I was greeted at the Oakland baggage claim by our driver (well dressed, prompt) and after we got all 16 of our checked bags we headed off. Most commercial transportation services get curb-side privileges at the airport- not Kosmo, we had to drag our 16 checked bags and 13 carry-ons with us into the parking lot, where our van awaited.
The driver did not know how to get to our destination- after watching him get onto an interstate going the WRONG DIRECTION we began verbally prompting him on how to get where we were headed. As I watched the driver text while heading up the 680 in Monday afternoon holiday traffic, I wondered if perhaps he was an ex-con. The driver also reminded me of a 16 year old, because the entire time we were either accelerating or decelerating- no constant speed. Once at our office, the driver asked if we had a restroom, and then helped himself to a 10 minute potty-break. Call me old-fashioned, but I avoid pooping in my client's office.
Once the van left and things calmed down, I checked my email and found the receipt for my $300 van ride. I've been on some expensive-ass van rides before, and they had little in common with this experience. After trying to clear the matter up via both phone and email, I was emailed by the manager who lied to me about what I was told the service would cost, and told me to politely f%^& off.
Unfortunately for this manager/owner, my company (as do most companies with 300,000+ employees) has "in-house counsel." Is a defrauding a government agency charge really worth $105? Looks like Kosmo is going to find out...
Bottom line: ex-con/ex-lax drivers, very dishonest business. Steer clear. read more
