Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/24/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Complaint: 23108454
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  On March 6, 2025 no one reached out to me (**** ******) stating there would be a delay for service. Attached is proof that I call a few minutes after 9 pm to get an update on where the driver is to get me to my destination. On March 6, 2025 I told the owner I am going to miss my event because he was irresponsible. If the phone calls are recorded he is simply stating on the call on March 6, 2025 that it wasn't booked correctly on their end. Being that the owner was liable, he stated he would upgrade the vehicle and credit the account an extra 3 hours for his negligence.  I also have a witness who accompanied me and can attest to the owner stating I would be credited an additional 3 hours. The owner I spoke to on March 6, 2025 a few minutes after 9 pm central time never  followed through with his verbal agreement made over the phone. I want a full refund for not receiving the full service that was stated to me verbally. Again, if I didn't reach out to the company I would've missed my event. The owner agreed to give me 3 hours additional for a later date. I never received my 3 additional hours- the owner is in breach of contract.  On March 22, 2025 a few hours before I had to be at another event the owner asked for payment in full and pulled a $100 credit out of thin air that was never agreed upon.

  I want my full refund.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

  The owner said ok and didnt say anything about paying a fee. A few hours before the event I wanted to go to on March 22, 2025 the owner texted me asking for payment. I immediately called him and reminded him he told me the account was credited for 3 hours. The owner said no he cant credit the whole trip. I told him he was very unprofessional and was about to cause me to miss yet another event. After I got frustrated with the owner because he is very unprofessional, he cancelled my trip and said he wont be servicing me. I honestly think he told me he would credit the account just so I can let it go and not file a complaint. I want all my money back because I ended up missing my event because of his last minute unprofessionalism and terrible communication.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2025

  
  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  
  I am responding to the complaint filed against Chi Town Black Cars by **** ******. The claims made in this complaint are false and misleading, and I would like to provide a detailed clarification of what actually transpired.
  
  
  March 6, 2025 Initial Reservation and Service Provided
  1.The Reservation Was Properly Booked:
  The customer booked their trip through our online reservation system, which automatically sends a confirmation email and text notification once a trip is booked. It is inaccurate for the customer to claim that I forgot to book their trip.
  Additionally, our system sends alerts to customers before their scheduled ride, and the complainant received an alert one hour before pickup, confirming that their trip was scheduled.
  2.Driver Substitution Caused a Minor Delay:
  On the day of service, there was an unexpected issue with the assigned driver, requiring a last-minute substitution.
  Due to this, the new driver was approximately 20-25 minutes late. However, at no point was the trip forgotten.
  3.Customer Was Offered Alternative Solutions:
  When the customer contacted us about the delay, we offered to cancel the trip at no charge so they could use an alternative service (such as Uber).
  The customer declined this offer, stating they were willing to wait for our replacement driver.
  4.Additional Courtesies Provided to the Customer:
  As a gesture of goodwill, we upgraded their service from a Full-Size SUV (Suburban or equivalent) to a Cadillac Escalade at no extra charge.
  The Escalade upgrade is normally $40 extra per hour, meaning we provided a $120 value for free.
  The customer also exceeded the standard **************** limit for hourly chauffeur service. Despite this, we did not charge them extra for the additional mileage.
  The replacement driver arrived at 9:25 PM, and the customer was promptly picked up and transported to their event.
  5.Extended Service Time Provided for Free:
  The customers reservation was from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM, and because of the slight delay, we extended the service time accordingly until 12:30 AM at no extra charge.
  Despite this, the customer requested an additional stop, which further exceeded the booked time and mileage limits.
  Instead of charging for the extra hour, we waived the fee as a courtesy.
  6.$100 Credit Toward Future Ride Was Provided:
  At the end of the ride, as an additional goodwill gesture, we offered a $100 credit toward a future booking, which the customer happily accepted.
  We have the receipt for this trip as proof that service was provided.
  
  
  March 22, 2025 Second Booking Request and Customers Misconduct
  ********** Requested Another Booking for March 22, 2025:
  On March 21, the customer contacted me directly to book a new 4-hour trip for the following evening.
  During our conversation, the customer asked me to apply the $100 credit from the March 6 trip, which I agreed to.
  2.Payment Was Requested, but Customer Ignored It:
  After applying the $100 credit, I sent an email confirmation for the booking, along with a payment link via text and email for the remaining balance.
  I followed up with another text message to notify the customer that the payment link had been sent.
  3.Customer Became Aggressive and Used Inappropriate Language:
  The customer ignored the payment request and never completed the transaction.
  Three hours before the scheduled trip, we reached out again to request payment.
  Instead of paying, the customer responded aggressively, asking What payment? and cursing through text messages.
  The customer then called and continued using foul language, demanding the ride for free and refusing to acknowledge that a full 4-hour service could not be covered by a $100 credit.
  The customer also made threats, stating that if we did not give them a completely free ride, they would file a complaint and try to shut down our business.
  All our calls are recorded, and we have the phone conversations documented, including the customers threats and abusive language.
  We also have the text message conversation where the customer demanded a free ride and made threats.
  4.Cancellation Due to Customers Behavior:
  Given the customers unprofessional and aggressive behavior, I made the decision to cancel the reservation and refuse further service.
  The cancellation notification was immediately sent to the customer, but they continued to argue and demand a free ride.
  We have the official cancellation receipt for this trip.
  
  
  Supporting Evidence Available
  We have driver communication records from March 6, confirming that the customer was transported to their event and did not miss it, as falsely claimed. These records can be provided if needed.
  We have the text message conversation where the customer demanded a free ride and made threats against our business.
  We have the receipt for the March 6 trip, proving that service was provided as agreed.
  We have the official cancellation receipt for March 22, confirming that the trip was never charged to the customer.
  
  
  No Refund Owed
  
  
  We do not owe a refund to the customer for the March 6 trip because the service was provided as agreed. Despite a slight delay, we made several accommodations at no additional charge, including the vehicle upgrade, additional service time, and additional mileage. The customer was successfully transported to their event and accepted a $100 credit for future services.
  
  
  Additionally, no charges were made for the March 22 trip, and therefore, the customers demand for a refund is baseless. The refusal to provide a free ride is justified due to the customers aggressive, inappropriate behavior and threats made against the business.
  
  
  Conclusion
  
  
  This complaint is a deliberate attempt to obtain free services under false pretenses. The customer:
  ********** full service on March 6 and was even provided with a free vehicle upgrade and additional courtesy time.
  2.Accepted a $100 credit toward a future ride but later refused to pay for the March 22 booking.
  3.Used aggressive and inappropriate language when reminded about payment, then threatened to file a complaint when we refused to provide a free ride.
  4.Was never charged for the March 22 triptherefore, their refund demand is baseless.
  
  
  I kindly request that the BBB dismiss this complaint as unjustified, given the false claims and misleading accusations made by the customer. Thank you for your time and consideration.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  ******** ******
  Owner, Chi Town Black Cars