Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer

http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=131824

Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer

stkee
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:34 am
Post subject: Horrifying experience as a Premier Taxi (Silvercab) Hirer

Hi All Silvercab and potential Silvercab Hirers beware of Ah Beng/Mafia Tactics used by the company.

1) Please keep and check your rental payments and double check with their accounts every 2 weeks. Because they are famous for saying hirers owe them money.

2) After you return taxi back to them, please check and double check with them with regards to the final statement of account and balances. The following happen to me:

I was the 1st batach to drive their Kia Taxi last year, it was a 1 year contract with a $500 panalty. I took the cab in Jan 20 something 2007. The first issue happens one month after driving, they refused to give me the promised free sunday because they claimed that I still owe them rental, after checking on my side and going down to check with them, they admit that it was a shortfall on their accounting side, infact I even have a 1 day credit with them.

This problem goes on for the following month, until I gave up, every second and forth friday, I will go down to their office and present my own accounting statements and receipts and spend a few hours going thru with them the accounts. (wondering am I their auditor?)

After driving for 7 months, I gave up. It is too much of a trouble and all the time spend don't really make sense to stay with them any longer. The operation cost, (eg high diesel cost, walkie talkie cost, etc.) is way too high and it is not worth to continue. Thus, I decided to return the cab in Sept.

On the day I return the cab, I ask them for a final statement and weather there is any outstanding amount, but was told to wait for the statement to be mailed to me.

Since I returned till mid feb this year, I didn't recieved any call nor statements from them. I only recieved the final statement somewhere in mid-feb. As it was the chinese new Year period, I have problem contacting them and was also busy.

Suddenly on the 4th March, 2 gangster looking guys comes to my house and started banging the door and demanding that I make payment. At that time I wasn't home and my old mom was in. She told them that I wasn't in and need to try and contact me, but they refused to listen and started to shout and bang the door. My mom was horrified.

When I came home, they are not around and left a note saying that premier has tried contacting me many time regarding the outstanding amount and demand for the payment.

I went down to silvercab, and when I confront their managements, he told me to ignore the 2 fellows and not to pay them, and whatever their behaviour, is not his problem. And started to make lots of excuses saying it could be some misunderstanding, etc.

From this incident, it reminds me of silvercab boss behaviour as a road rage when the company was first started, it seems that he passed down this type of Ah Beng/Mafia behaviour into how the company was run.

I will never ever hire any cab from them nor take their cab, even if their the last company around. This is the year 2008, not in the 60s or 70s where gangster rules the country. It is really a scary experience for me and I can't believe that a company providing public transport and customer services uses such low down gangster tactics.