Addison Lee

I wish I could give Addison Lee 0 stars. I made a booking for an airport transfer through their app. After booking and the journey was taken I was advised that I would be charged nearly £30 more than my initial booking because the driver had to wait. It’s an airport transfer, which I explicitly booked yet apparently this just means they’ll pick you up at the airport which is in no way clear on their app as it is a very short process to book. I contacted customer service who said if I was confused about the process then I should have called, there was nothing to be confused about their app was just extremely misleading. So they charged me for extra wait time and parking. PARKING!!! Customer service was unbelievably rude telling me that it «wasn’t their problem,» and I should have called them to book instead of using the app?! Then don’t have an app. Further to this on January 21^st I got an email saying that they were unable to charge me (I checked and they did charge me and it went through) on a date which I did not make a booking and that they would be trying to charge me £1.30 at some point in the next 10 days. Very vague and a very odd amount. I wrote back saying they did not have permission and to call me should they have any issues with account discrepancies. My bank contacted me today to let me know that they suspected odd activity on my account and that they declined a £75 charge from Addison Lee on my debit card. At least my bank knows Addison Lee scams its customers out of money. Use Über, a black cab, anything but Addison Lee. They’ll just try and tack on charges and they apparently don’t care about charging you for fun after the fact.

Terrible service. Ordered 2 delivery men– got one old man who was both unprofessional and was not capable of carrying a very light piece of furniture. He tore the corner of the sofa, and when I showed him he said it was probably torn at the store (it wasn’t) and then he tried to blame me! Then he shouted at me and demanded I pay him more for his efforts!
I called Addison Lee to complain– gave my statement– and the girl did not apologize, said she would review the original phone call recording to verify If we did indeed order 2 people, then call me back. She never did.
Avoid at all costs! They are amateurs, rude and unprofessional!

Great for international tourists. This was super easy. We use Über in the States, but Über in London required a UK phone number. Addison Lee didn’t require a UK phone number (we used our US number) and we were able to pre book our car and prepay. They texted us a link to track our driver, who was early, the car was clean, and the wifi and chargers worked well. There were water bottles if we wanted them. He helped us with our luggage and even chased us down afterward when we forgot an item. This was a great experience and we would recommend them to others.

I had been using ‘Addy Lee’ for over 4 years since arriving in London and, apart from the odd billing snafu, had been a proponent of their service. Until recently. I booked Addison Lee on back to back days for airport pickups at Gatwick for out of town guests. The charges for both pickups (a Monday and Tuesday) were modified after the fact with identical £10 upcharges, despite the fact that my guests arrived on time and sailed through customs. Although AL customer service attempted to help, when it became obvious that I had been gouged they went silent and have not responded to refund requests. Never again. Be very careful of after-​the-​fact upcharges if you book with a CC. So disappointed. Addison Lee includes 30 minutes of wait time with airport bookings and charge around £3−4 per additional 30 minutes of wait time. This means that both drivers on subsequent days would have spent around 2 hours apiece at the airport waiting on my guests, who were both on time. I call BS.

I was considering UBER but used Addison Lee today based on Unilocal and had a pleasant experience. We decided not to use UBER because we wanted to arrange for a large enough car for our luggage. We called AL to book a car to take us from our hotel in South Kensington to St. Pancras International. The dispatcher arranged for a Ford Galaxy since we had 4 people + luggage and quoted 18 pounds. We were promptly picked up in 15 mins. The system automatically texted us when the driver was on his way as well as when he arrived. The driver was courtous and professional. He drove smoothly and did not break any rules. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would highly recommend.

They are prompt considering traffic in London.
They are easy to contact — bookable by phone or online.
The pricing is also good, compared to most companies.
And honestly, I have so many stories in cabs, especially theirs, that I could write a whole book.
Most drivers are friendly, social and good listeners. Once a guy named Gregor gave me an advice that helped me make an important decision. I never got to see him again and thank him. I hope he is doing fine.

On time, reliable, professional and clean cars.
What else do you want?
PS: You can book them on the phone or online, very easy and effective!

UPDATE on June 27, 2014. I received a short e-​mail and refund from Addison Lee. It was pretty much a «canned response». I give them the 4 stars for performing good service and doing the right thing. They don’t get the 5er because it was a form letter type response and took 10 days. But their app was great and there service overall was good… I started out as a believer! Loved the app and found the fixed price option to be extremely helpful with the traffic in London. I became soured by Addison Lee when a large, unannounced «waiting fee» showed up in my in-​box 2 days after our last ride. I have sent two e-​mails registering a complaint and neither has been answered. My greatest frustration was not in the fee or even in the amount, but that it was completely unwarranted. We waited for the damn driver, not vice versa. When we called him, he finally, said you need to walk an extra block to come meet me due to traffic. Poor service and poor follow-​up. That’s really too bad, because I thought the app was brilliant. As an aside, we used Über on our next trip and also in Paris and found it to be excellent.

I’m happy with the car hire services Addison Lee provide — the process of hire and return is quite fast and the staff is kind. Highly recommend them.

Have been using them for a few years now and their service is really top notch. Driver is always on time and app works perfectly. You can really rely on them. Prices are definetly reasonable and makes it worth it when crossing london. Its also nice to know that its a fixed fee and the driver isnt going to take you on a ride.
Cars are clean and drivers presentable and generally don’t talk too much.

Hmmm, I’m of very mixed frame of mind when reviewing this company. I’ve used them for corporate transport purposes in the past, and they were a good, friendly, efficient car service (especially when on account and you didn’t have to think about the price).
Now that they seem to be encroaching on the minicab/​black-​cab market, I have some thoughts:
— I’m glad there’s an alternative to black cabs, because I’ve found in my last few rides that the price is lower, with no upfront fee. And they quote you a price on the phone, so you’ll know ahead of time what you’ll pay, instead of worrying as you watch the meter click. (Also, you don’t need to question the route the driver is taking, and whether he might be running up the fare).
–Unlike some mini cab companies, they aren’t regionally focused, they’ll pick up and take you anywhere.
— Apparently people have had good luck booking through the phone app. I haven’t tried this, nor have I pre-​paid. I’ve always chosen the cash option when calling in. (I feel this will give me the option of cancelling if they get lost or don’t show up within a reasonable time. And I won’t be charged a retroactive wait fee on my card, as others have experienced).
–I personally don’t care too much about their driving style — once I’m in the vehicle, I’m thinking «just get me there.» It’s a big-​city, I expect a little chaos.
— I don’t think it will last. The last two times the drivers had an attitude. The first time the driver was a bit late, so I called him, and he was somewhat indignant, implying that I was hounding him. He showed up about 10 – 15 minutes late, and we didn’t speak at all on the way. The second time I was on crutches, so I was a bit slow in getting downstairs to the car, although I told the dispatcher ahead of time, as well as the driver when he informed me that he’d arrived (early). That driver didn’t help with the car door, wouldn’t look at me at all, even, as I struggled to get in ;-). I glean perhaps in going after new business the drivers aren’t all on board. Just a hunch. Take advantage while you can!

A lottery as to the experience that you will receive. I have had as many good experiences with Addison Lee as I have had bad experiences.
Many times, I have had a great experience of having a polite, almost chauffeur-​like driver arrive early to collect me, and has waited patiently outside, and taken me courteously to my destination. Many times, I have felt like I got a great deal in comparison to having a black cab for the same journey.
However, just as many times, I have had bad experiences, with overpriced bills, drivers with a poor grasp of English getting lost even though they have been relying on their satellite navigation, and then being rude and driving erratically. My last journey cost £22 for a 15 minute trip.
Do your homework, and make sure you know how much a black cab journey will cost, with a driver who has trained on London streets for many many years before he was allowed his license versus the lottery that you play with an Addison Lee cab driver.
It really does depend on the journey, but I do believe the Addison Lee has a minimum journey price so many times you can be much better off financially with a black cab, not least the convenience of just being able to hail it on the street.
Be careful of stealth charges being added to your bill if you are an account payer. This is a difficult decision for me, regarding how many stars to give this company. I truly have had five star service from them for a very reasonable price. However just as many times, I have had one star service that has left me questioning whether I ever want to use them again.
Use at your own risk and decide whether they fit into your life.

When getting into a dodgy minivan seems a safer bet than a much vaunted «registered» mini-​cab, you know something is wrong… oh so very wrong.
My first (and most definitely last) experience with this hellhole of a cab company was when we booked one to ferry me, my housemate, and a couple of boxes across Tower Bridge. I literally mean across the bridge as we lived on Bermondsey Square and our destination was next to Tower Gateway. Price? £15.
Okay, so maybe that’s a fee for the boxes or perhaps traffic is bad. It seems steep but if you don’t have anything to compare it to, how can you tell? Well, if you do the exact same trip in reverse in a Black Cab, you’d expect to have to pay more, yes? We flagged one down for the return tip and the fare was an astounding £8. WTF Addison Lee? How can you justify being almost twice the cost of a Black Cab?
My second run-​in (and I mean that literally) was when I was cycling up a hill and an Addison Lee van decide to overtake another car on the left side where I was. The sideview mirror of said van sent me spinning into the grass, luckily unhurt, but slightly in shock. And from reading the reviews, it seems I’m not the only one who has had a close call. Epic fail Addison Lee.
Oh and finally, tell your CEO to get his facts straight. There is no road tax anymore… it’s an emissions tax. Which cycles are charged since they have ZERO EMISSIONS. I understand it may be a foreign concept to a man who claims he’d never get on a bike but surely that’s common sense?

I agree with the previous reviewer.
I used to be a very regular customer, but have in the last year phased them out almost completely. They give priority to business customers regardless if the business account is large or small, and treat regular account holders poorly. Cash customers are considered a burden by drivers (they have to pay in more to AL) so don’t even bother.
I have probably called them a few hundred times to my flat in the last few years, and recently, they can never find the address (despite it being in central London and off a busy road).
Extremely late at times with zero apologies — my last (and possibly final) experience with them was about 45 minutes worth of lies from the driver. The driver is supposed to send off a message to the dispatcher when he arrives at the door so the customer receives an email/​sms. I received the SMS, went outside, and alas, no driver. I waited and waited, called and called, and he just kept bullshitting me. Anyhow, I obviously took a taxi after waiting for more than half an hour and didn’t make my usual cancellation call. This lying scoundrel had the audacity to blame it on me, like he was waiting outside the whole time (despite us having had about 4 conversations on the phone where he promised he was 4 streets away or whatever).
According to a Caucasian driver I spoke with they business is racist and favours white drivers over non-​whites. After hearing this I was hesitant to use them again, but I couldn’t just go by what one person said — I confirmed it with another non-​white driver who felt management preferred the whiteys.
On a plus note, they do have clean cars and most of the drivers are very nice. It’s not their fault management are inept.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.
This is the first time I’ve bumped a business from a 5 star to a 1 star and I’m not doing it lightly. I’ve had a spate of really bad service from them which has prompted this review and I won’t be using them again.
Firstly — ‘wait charges’. They add these onto your bill without any warning so if you’re paying by card for Gawd sake check your statement thoroughly for these not-​so-​little add ons. At one point they charged JB a wait fee when the box was delivered to my house and I personally walked out to the car to collect it from the boot. There was no wait whatsoever only JB wasn’t there to witness that so they stuck on a fee. FAIL!
Second — the aggressive drivers. I’ve had a driver not give way on a single-​lane road to an oncoming car and instead of reverse, as he should have done, he drove up the pavement. I’ve had a driver actually shout and swear at other drivers — when it was HIS fault — repeatedly during one journey (always apologising afterwards but then picking another fight within minutes). It was the most frightening and intimidating journey ever. The same driver ignored me when I told him to take a left, got annoyed with me and spun a u-​turn into oncoming traffic on a really busy road and then had the cheek to tell the driver who beeped him to f-​off. Seriously. FAIL!
Lastly — get some frickin’ drivers who KNOW LONDON! Half of them are relying far too heavily on sat navs for the simplest of journeys — I don’t expect you to know every road in London but I do expect a basic knowledge from someone who is paid to drive them every day. And please hire some drivers who understand the rules of the road — throwing a u-​turn on a busy road into fast oncoming traffic is not ok. Swearing at other drivers is not ok. FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!
Addison Lee — SORT. IT. OUT!

Now, I am a lover, not a hater but Addison Lee makes my blood boil. Their drivers appear to believe that they are above the law, paying little or no regard to pedestrians, cyclists and other road users in their desperate attempt to get to their next job on time. Indicating, stopping at zebra crossings and driving with common courtesy are all irrelevant to the Addison Lee driver. It is not as if they are cheap — far from it — in my experience almost every other minicab will do the same journey for less.
Consequently their ongoing popularity mystifies me. I can only assume that if you advertise enough (their Ford MPVs are everywhere) the people will come. However, for me, the sooner Addison Lee disappears the better. Hopefully this review is a step in that direction.

An Addison Lee driver once hit me at a cross walk, and sped off.
‘Nuff said.

I actually witnessed an Addison Lee driver purposefully bump a cyclist who was minding his own business, waiting for the light to change. The driver incorrectly thought if he wasn’t at the front of the queue that the light wouldn’t change and therefore thought he could just bully the cyclist out of the way. The driver got out of his car aggressively. Much yelling ensued*. It was abhorrent.
Addison Lee drivers are some of the worst I encounter on London streets. Rude, inconsiderate, slightly unhinged, intolerant of other road users and — above all — dangerous.
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*This was partially my fault, since I called him a fucking cuntbag.

You know the saying ‘you get what you pay for’?
I think it was coined after an experience with Addison Lee.
They’re prompt. They’re professional. And furthermore, any car service that is savvy enough to have a mobile landing page that is simply devised of two large links — one to their phone number and another to ‘book online’, is truly as good as it gets.

«Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.»
— Yogi Bhajan
I now define «light» as being able to move the entirety of your possessions in one or two trips via Addison Lee minicab. This weekend I moved from Kensington to Clerkenwell in two trips but looking back, I think I could’ve done it in one.
Addison Lee is right on, let me count the ways:
— They’ve got my information stored in their system so I simply recite my mobile and they know me.
— You can prepay your journey so there are no surprises when you arrive at your destination.
— They arrive earlier than they say they will. They quote you seven minutes, they arrive in three.
— When the driver arrives, you get a text.
— The drivers are always professional and nice.
Last night, I somehow got locked INSIDE my flat (you have to live in the UK to understand how such a thing could occur) and I hollered to the driver. Nice guy that he was, he caught the keys I tossed him from the window and came and unlocked my front door so I could escape.
I think that pretty much sums up why Addison Lee is my transporter of choice!