Is it normal to be charged in advance

[DIScruisers4]

Is is normal for a limo company to charge you in advance of your trip? We're seriously considering A1 Luxury Limousine for our upcoming Disney cruise trip. They have the best prices, especially for the stretch SUV limo that we want. However, this company charges your credit card in advance. The reservation is treated like an airplane reservation. In fact, there is no real cancel policy. They said they would just give us a credit/voucher for future use (which we would likely never have another opportunity use)

While I can see why a company would use this type of reservation/advance payment system, I am a bit concerned about prepaying for a limo especially if I don't have a contract or ticket like on an airplane. All of the other companies I checked did not require advance payment, but they either did not have the vehicle we wanted or were more expensive.

Any thoughts on prepaying with a credit card? Thanks.

 

[HappyLawyer]

hmm, thats a tough call i know some places take the card and will hold it, if you dont cancel they might charge a fee, i would not be comfortable with prepay because anything, i meananything could happen,
perhaps you could post a thread to see if anyone else has used this company before and see if you can check with the local BBB if you are sure your going and everything works out, great- just remember anything can happen

 

[goofy4tink]

We have used Tiffany Towncar 3 times and FL Tours 2 times so far. They have both taken full payment up front. We have had no problems with it. I think that if you stick with the familier companies that you have heard about on these boards, you'll be fine. There are some companies out there that are not so great.

 

[DebbieB]

Most companies do charge in advance for the larger vehicles. Do they also charge in advance for towncars?