To keep your investment in a luxury car rental protected at all costs, it’s important to know what type of company you are hiring. Many customers that use limo rental for a special occasion, like a wedding, graduation, or even funeral, are surprised to find that illegal car services are on the rise, causing a serious risk to rental customers.
As a result, state and city governments are cracking down on unregulated or illegal car rental services. The main reason being is a concern for public safety, including a potential risk for fraudulent payment transactions.
What to Look Out for in an Unregulated Car Rental Service
Based on recent reports, illegal car rental services may market to customers through user-friendly apps found on iPhones and iPads. Although unregulated car rental services may have attractive advertising and rock-bottom deals, they may not be governed by important safety requirements that will protect both passengers and drivers.
Unfortunately, illegal car rental operations put reputable Austin limousine rental companies in a bad light. Illegitimate companies may violate state regulations by:
- Operating without a valid permit number.
- Hiring employees without workers’ compensation insurance.
- Failing to test employees with mandatory drug and alcohol screening.
- Neglecting to enroll drivers in necessary driver training.
- Operating with suspended or unlicensed drivers.
- Driving vehicles that don’t meet minimum public safety standards.
Believe it or not, it can be difficult to separate the good from the bad. Some illegal limo services operate the same way as registered limo companies and advertise on the same websites and newspapers.
In fact, a number of illegal limousine operations with licenses that have been denied, revoked, or suspended were advertised for transportation on San Francisco airport websites! Upon further research, it was discovered that all three airports in the Bay Area provided transportation lists with a large number of limousine operators that were not classified by the CPUC to provide legal limousine services in the state of California.
A whopping 12.3% of limousine services found on the SFO airport website had a permit that was denied, expired, pending, revoked, and/or suspended. An even greater percentage of companies at 28.8% found on the SFO airport website weren’t registered legally with the CPUC.
Customers looking for safe transportation for a special event can take matters into their own hands by choosing a reputable limo provider that meets local and state licensing and regulations. Any limo company worth their salt should be more than happy to provide customers with licensing and insurance information, as well as past customer references to check credentials.