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General Advice on Picking a Limousine Service and the Three Mistakes not to make. |
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When booking a limousine, always make sure you know exactly what you are getting. In any competitive market, varying prices between providers usually means a significant difference in either the product, a company's overhead, service levels, insurance coverage, or any combination. In essence, you usually "get what you pay and ask for." Simply being told an "10-passenger limousine" is not enough. Many small companies utilize earlier model limousines. This may work for you and generally can land you a better price, however, we suggest that you ask many questions like mileage, condition, color, company policies, insurance, etc. If in doubt, ask for current pictures or better yet, see the car in person. There are currently numerous Lincoln Limousine body styles on the market in many colors! Make sure you know what you are getting! If you are looking for a wedding limousine for only 1 hour, you will have to do some searching. Many successful companies simply will not do it because of high cost considerations, vehicle prep time, and driver salaries. Keep other considerations in mind such as a late ceremony ending, pictures with the vehicle, etc. that will lead to costly overtime ! Many companies will also require a cash deposit or credit card guarantee to hold your reservation. This deposit is usually lost if you cancel your reservation in an untimely manner. Ask your service what their cancellation policy is for your booking and get it in writing! Lastly, it is important to ask your provider questions about how they do business to make sure that you are dealing with a professional and legitimate organization. Here are some queries that we may suggest: 1) What is the chauffeur uniform policy for your event? 2) What are the company's office hours and how can they be reached after hours in the event of a last minute change, etc.? 3) Can they provide references relevant to your event? 4) What type of organization are you dealing with? The limousine industry is lightly or NOT regulated in some states, and in some cases, your "limousine company" is simply an individual with a vehicle. Are they un-incorporated or an established corporation? Do they have a vendor's license? Commercial Insurance? Business Sense? 5) Make sure you ask your service provider questions about the car that are relevant to the event. For instance in an August wedding you may want to verify that the limousine’s air conditioning is properly working or that you will get a white car. and finally................. DO NOT MAKE THESE MISTAKES! Make absolutely sure to verify that the service provider is properly LICENSED and INSURED COMMERCIALLY. Here are the three things to verify to assure that your operator is a legitimate commercial limousine operator in Ohio and that your charter will go smoothly and safely. 1) A limousine must be properly registered as a livery or commercial vehicle in Ohio to carry passengers for charter. To verify this, the license plate will have a "livery" sticker on it or will indicate a commercial vehicle for larger limousines. If it does not, the vehicle is probably not properly registered and regulated as it should be and could indicate a "gypsy" operator that is conducting business illegally. 2) By law, any limousine in Ohio must have MINIMUM commercial insurance coverage of $300,000.00. Without this, an operator cannot get proper livery or commercial licensing in Ohio. Insurance that is not designed for commercial vehicles or Heaven forbid no commercial insurance at all could leave you and your guests in deep trouble in the event of an accident. Do not be afraid to ask your limousine service to fax you proof of commercial insurance coverage or present it upon pickup and do not be afraid to ask HOW MUCH liability coverage is provided for your charter. If your operator cannot provide proof of COMMERCIAL insurance, DO NOT RENT! 3) Make sure your operator uses a charter contract or charter agreement. A legitimate limousine operator must keep records and collect and submit sales tax in the state of Ohio. This tax must be listed separately on your charter agreement and cannot be "included" in the price. If you are not presented with a charter agreement upon pickup, you are not dealing with a legitimate operator. That's everything! Start shopping around and have fun! Limousines are no longer considered only for the rich and famous! They are a safe and economical way for groups to celebrate any event or enjoy a night out with a guaranteed safe return home for you and your guests!
Call Emerald Limousine of Dayton today
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