Safely Choosing a Limo Service

Whether it’s your wedding day, mom’s birthday, or your teenager’s prom night, you want to make sure you get the best limo service at a fair price. And we all know that online browsing is the number one way consumers seek out reputable vendors nowadays. But just how safe is it to pick a limousine company online without doing any research to make sure that the company actually exists?

This seems like something that should be a given, but many of the major websites do not require verification of a business’s existence in order for them to advertise through that site. A savvy person could even set up a convincing “business website” at very little cost. With few obstacles in the way, there are more and more individuals abusing online advertising, eager to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers.

Because of this influx in non-existent or unlicensed businesses online, we’ve put together a list to help you while deciding on a limousine company for your event!

• Check to make sure that the business is registered in your state. In South Carolina, you can visit the South Carolina Secretary of State website to search for business filings. Simply type in the first few words of the company’s name and you should be able to locate the business. (Just an FYI, the state of South Carolina does not allow a company to use a DBA or Doing Business As name, so the name should always match what they are advertising as.)

• Take into account how long the company has been in business. Although being tenured does not necessarily correlate with better limo service or pricing, it does indicate that they have more than likely been operating legally and following good business practices for some period of time. (Fun fact: AAA A Extreme Limousine Service LLC has been serving the greater Charleston area since 2009!)

• Search the business name and check for reviews. Reviews are like the “proof in the pudding” for any kind of business. You definitely want to find a company that appears to have good, honest reviews, and possibly avoid companies that have no reviews at all. There are almost always a few bad apples (reviews) in the bunch, but even the most successful companies in the world will have complaints so take that into account as well. (We have real customer testimonials posted on the front page of our website, but please feel free to peruse our Google+ reviews as well!)

• Ask to come see the vehicle you will be renting. If you can help it, you should try not to rent a limo sight unseen. Most limousine companies operate with a non-refundable deposit policy, which is pretty standard since they are setting aside the vehicle for your use and your use only in that block of time. So imagine the disappointment if you are not satisfied seeing the vehicle for the first time–at the time of your event! (We welcome all of our customers to come by and view our vehicles before renting, simply contact us to schedule a day and time to meet with us!)

• Always make sure the company is properly licensed and insured. They should be able to furnish their licensing and insurance credentials when you ask, no exceptions!

Be sure to consider the above when choosing a limo service and remember that while price is always a factor in deciding on a limousine company, it should never be the factor. If you found this information helpful or know of something we may have missed, please let us know by leaving a comment below! Thanks for reading!