Unpleasant experience with Mears

[MouseOfCards]

This was our first time booking private transportation with Mears from cruise port to airport for our group of 9.

We received an email about a week before our cruise with a 10:00am pickup time and stating that we would be texted with the driver's name and number the morning of pickup. On the morning of disembarkation, we received a text that our pickup time was confirmed for 9:00am. We called Mears to confirm this new time and waited on hold for 30 minutes, but hung up after no one answered.

We got off the ship and got to the pickup area before 9:00am. We received a text with driver's information and called the driver, who said that he was not nearby and that we should call Mears. So we called Mears and waited on hold while another person called the driver again. We made 4 calls to the driver but he did not answer. During the wait, we also texted Mears a few times with no response. About 9:50am, the driver called us to say he would be there in 10-15 minutes. When he finally arrived, we were still on hold with Mears, but they never answered. Most other cruise passengers had already been picked up by this time.

We showed the driver our text indicating the 9:00am pickup. He said he received a morning message for a pickup at 8:00am. He said he arrived at the cruise terminal at 8:00am and tried to call us, but reached a different person. He said he then left for the airport for another pickup. The driver was professional and assisted with our luggage as expected. Even though our reservation indicated gratuities were included, we tipped the driver anyway for being friendly upon arrival and helpful.

Obviously, not a very pleasant experience. Hopefully, this is not common practice for Mears, but we will definitely be hesitant to book with them in the future. Wondering what others' experience was like.

 

[seashoreCM]

Has Mears finally acknowledged your complaint?

 

[MouseOfCards]

Just checked and they have never responded.

 

[Cheburashka]

This was our first time booking private transportation with Mears from cruise port to airport for our group of 9.

We received an email about a week before our cruise with a 10:00am pickup time and stating that we would be texted with the driver's name and number the morning of pickup. On the morning of disembarkation, we received a text that our pickup time was confirmed for 9:00am. We called Mears to confirm this new time and waited on hold for 30 minutes, but hung up after no one answered.

We got off the ship and got to the pickup area before 9:00am. We received a text with driver's information and called the driver, who said that he was not nearby and that we should call Mears. So we called Mears and waited on hold while another person called the driver again. We made 4 calls to the driver but he did not answer. During the wait, we also texted Mears a few times with no response. About 9:50am, the driver called us to say he would be there in 10-15 minutes. When he finally arrived, we were still on hold with Mears, but they never answered. Most other cruise passengers had already been picked up by this time.

We showed the driver our text indicating the 9:00am pickup. He said he received a morning message for a pickup at 8:00am. He said he arrived at the cruise terminal at 8:00am and tried to call us, but reached a different person. He said he then left for the airport for another pickup. The driver was professional and assisted with our luggage as expected. Even though our reservation indicated gratuities were included, we tipped the driver anyway for being friendly upon arrival and helpful.

Obviously, not a very pleasant experience. Hopefully, this is not common practice for Mears, but we will definitely be hesitant to book with them in the future. Wondering what others' experience was like.

In your shoes I would call Mears to complain, and ask for some compensation due to being picked up an hour late and unable to get through to them when there was a problem.

I've used Mears' town car service in Orlando in the past and everything went well. I've used other town car services in the past in Orlando and had things go well, and had things go not quite so well (driver slightly late, driver significantly late because sent to the wrong building). So it isn't only Mears that can have occasional issues. It was definitely a lapse, though, and I wouldn't use them again unless I was able to talk to someone there and be offered a gesture of compensation (partial refund or a coupon, etc.). They should be sorry and wanting to make it right.

 

[raidermatt]

Obviously, not a very pleasant experience. Hopefully, this is not common practice for Mears, but we will definitely be hesitant to book with them in the future. Wondering what others' experience was like.

Have not used Mears for a cruise transfer, but have been using them between various combinations of MCO, Universal and WDW. 15-20 rides total, no issues at all. Used Florida Towncar in the past. Generally no issues, though they charged us extra once because our plane was late.