0 stars - Ruined the First Impression of My 50th Birthday Celebration
My husband booked what was advertised as a luxury party bus to transport more than 20 beautifully dressed guests from Long Island to my 50th birthday celebration in Brooklyn. He paid $3,500 upfront with the expectation that we would receive the elegant, high-end vehicle we were shown--complete with luxurious leather limo-style seating, upscale lighting, and an atmosphere worthy of such a milestone occasion.
What arrived at our home was nothing short of shocking.
Instead of a luxury party bus, we were greeted by what looked like a dilapidated, decades-old transit bus. The interior was filthy and visibly worn. The brown vinyl seats were cracked and peeling, with pieces literally sloughing off. The wall panels were also deteriorating, making the entire bus look neglected and poorly maintained.
The worst part was the smell.
The bathroom emitted a disgusting porta-potty odor that permeated the entire bus from the moment we stepped on. It was nauseating. Incredibly, even the chauffeur appeared embarrassed by the condition of the vehicle. He actually asked us if we had a gallon of liquid fabric softener he could pour into the toilet in an attempt to mask the overwhelming stench. That alone should tell you everything about the condition of this bus.
Safety was another serious concern. The entry steps had a sharp piece of exposed metal protruding from them. My husband tripped over it while boarding, and someone could have easily been seriously injured. It looked like a makeshift repair rather than something that belonged on a commercial passenger vehicle.
The lighting inside the bus was equally disappointing. Instead of elegant ambient lighting, it looked like cheap rope lights hastily attached to the ceiling, doing nothing to create the upscale party atmosphere we had paid for.
This was supposed to be the beginning of one of the most memorable nights of my life. Instead, our guests were embarrassed, uncomfortable, and questioning whether this was really the bus we had rented. It completely undermined the excitement of the evening before we even arrived at the venue.
Paying $3,500 for what was represented as a luxury party bus and receiving what looked like an old MTA bus from the 1970s is completely unacceptable. This was not simply a case of an older vehicle--it was a complete misrepresentation of the product we purchased.
I would strongly caution anyone considering this company to insist on seeing the exact vehicle that will be sent and to get those details in writing. Based on our experience, what was promised and what was delivered were worlds apart.
A milestone birthday only happens once. Unfortunately, this company made sure the first part of mine was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
As if the condition of the bus wasn't already unacceptable, the bathroom began LEAKING a foul-smelling substance onto the floor during our trip. The already overwhelming sewage/porta-potty odor became even worse as this liquid spread onto the floor of the passenger area. We had more than 20 guests dressed beautifully for a milestone 50th birthday celebration, and instead of traveling in the clean, luxurious party bus we were promised, we were dealing with a disgusting odor and an unidentified foul-smelling liquid leaking from the bathroom.
This was not merely an issue of the bus being older or less luxurious than advertised. It was unsanitary, potentially unsafe, and completely unacceptable for a vehicle transporting paying passengers. Combined with the deteriorating interior, peeling vinyl, makeshift lighting, and dangerous exposed metal at the entrance, the condition of this bus was appalling.
What makes this even more outrageous is that we were sent a photograph of the beautiful luxury bus we were supposed to expect--with plush diamond-stitched seating, elaborate LED lighting, and a pristine upscale interior. My husband paid $3,500 upfront based on that representation. What showed up at our home bore virtually no resemblance to what was advertised.
For $3,500, we did not expect perfection--we expected the service and vehicle we were sold. What we received was so drastically different that it felt like a complete bait-and-switch, and the leaking bathroom made an already unacceptable situation absolutely disgusting. read more