There is an old saying ” You get what you pay for”. Unfortunately, sometimes in this industry, you don’t receive what you expect. We wish you well in your shopping experience. Here are some wise rental tips to help you make a decision to rent with trusted companies such as our company.
1. Many of the limousine services advertising on the internet and their individual web sites outright deceive consumers about the ownership status and condition of their vehicles.
It is unfortunate than many limousine companies have chosen to operate illegally and outright deceive consumers regarding their services and vehicles in their advertisements. Many companies misrepresent the ownership status of their vehicles (ie. They don’t own the vehicles pictured but they subcontract their work to other companies without your knowledge) when you call to receive a verbal or simple emailed quote. Ask to visit their facilities to verify ownership. It is important that you GO SEE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO RENT FOR YOUR SPECIAL EVENT.
2. Many companies will quote a rate without including all of their fees to make it appear to be less expensive. Ask for the total price when requesting a quote for your rental.
Many of our competitors’ verbal and emailed quotes sound too good to be true for a reason. They will only quote the basic rate of service, purposely not including their service charges, fuel surcharges, and other miscellaneous fees. This can result in the quote sounding 20% to 30% less than the actual total cost of the rental. Ask for all of the charges in a written quote by email along with the exact vehicle (YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL) that you choose to rent. If you are only looking for a “deal”, you are guaranteed to wind up with a old high mileage limousine for your event.
3. Many companies are not legally licensed to do business in MD or to travel outside of the State of Maryland.
A Platinum Plus Limousines Inc. is a Licensed Maryland Intrastate (within the State) Carrier (PSC#3077). We are also an USDOT licensed interstate (outside of the State) carrier. Our United States Department Of Transportation (USDOT) number is 1454353. Our Motor Carrier # is 644924.
Ask the company for their Maryland PSC# to ensure the company you are renting for your special event is licensed to do business in the State of Maryland. If they do not have a valid Maryland PSC# listed on the Maryland Public Service Commission web site, they are operating illegally or they are a broker who will resell your rental to a company you cannot verify is licensed to do business in the State of Maryland.
Here is the link to verify licensing for all companies performing transportation services in Maryland (point to point).
http://www.psc.state.md.us/transportation/driver-and-vehicle-search
If you receive a quote for a stretched limousine rated to carry 8 passengers plus the chauffeur (100″ stretch or more) from a company without a USDOT# and valid MC# or for transportation that travels outside the State of Maryland (that includes Washington DC), they are violating federal interstate carrier laws as regulated by the US Department of Transportation. Avoid these companies at all costs. Your evening can be ruined by a routine traffic stop which could result in your party being unable to be returned to your destination with that unlicensed company.
4. A Platinum Plus Limousines invites you to verify our licensing and qualifications on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Website for interstate travel (travel outside of Maryland)
Many limo companies do not have an operating authority (MC#) even though they are identified with a USDOT identification number. The MC# is what gives you authority to perform for hire work across state lines. For verification of companies claiming they can legally transport you out of the state of Maryland (that includes Washington DC), ask the company for their USDOT# and MC#.
Go to this US Department of Transportation link to verify the company’s operating status.
http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx
Check their Licensing and Insurance by clicking on the link located on the right side of the web page in the blue box titled “Other information for this carrier”.
View the motor carrier details by clicking on the “HTML” button. They must have an authority status of “Active” in the common carrier authority status section. If it is not active, they do not have the right to transport you out of state. You can click on the “Authority History” at the bottom of the web page to view when their authority was dismissed or revoked.
Many companies have revoked authorities and are classified as “out of service”. Many have applications pending but they have not filed the insurance necessary to operate. And several companies have “dismissed” authorities. If they are caught out of state without a valid operating authority, your night or event will be ruined as you are forced to find a legal carrier in that state to bring you back to Maryland. There is heavy enforcement of these laws for MD limousine companies that travel to New Jersey, De;aware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York.
5. Many companies offer no proof of commercial insurance that is necessary to operate.
A Platinum Plus Limousines carries $1,500,000 in insurance with Lancer Insurance for our entire fleet.
Companies operating vehicles that are rated to carry 16 passengers (including the chauffeur) or more must have a minimum of 5,000,000 dollars of insurance in order to be USDOT compliant.
Companies operating vehicles that are rated to carry 15 passengers (including the chauffeur) or less must have at least 1,500,000 dollars of insurance in order to be USDOT compliant.
6. Many companies will not guarantee the vehicle you are renting in writing. They reserve the right to switch your rented vehicle with any vehicle they choose to cover the rental. And it is done intentionally because they will only give the vehicle you want to the highest bidder. We call it “The Bait and Switch”
A Platinum Plus Limousines guarantees the vehicle you are renting in writing. All pictures on this web site are exact pictures of the vehicles owned solely by Platinum Plus Limousines.
Many companies will bait you with one vehicle pictured on their web site or during your verbal conversation and send an entirely different vehicle on your rental day, leaving you disappointed. But if you read the fine print of their contracts, they state they don’t guarantee the vehicles, while they will verbally tell you what you want to hear over the phone.
7. Beware of companies that won’t allow you to physically view the vehicle you are renting prior to rental.
We will be glad to personally meet with you, by appointment only, to show you our fleet of current bodystyle vehicles. Simply call our office at 410 796 7433 and arrange your appointment. Arranging an appointment does not mean we will reserve the vehicle while you wait to come view it. So make your reservations promptly to ensure it available for your event.
Several local services book limousine rentals and then subcontract those jobs to other unlicensed companies. If there is a problem with the vehicle you rented, you have no recourse since you chose a “broker” to handle your special event.
If they won’t physically show you the vehicle or provide a copy of the registration with their company name and the VIN number, they don’t own the vehicle. Verify the ownership of the vehicle and the status of the Limousine Company at the Maryland Public Service Commission web site link provided below.
http://www.psc.state.md.us/transportation/driver-and-vehicle-search
Simply ask the company for the License Plate Number (Tag Number) of the vehicles they are advertising. If the vehicle is not listed on this web site, it is not licensed by the State of Maryland as a FOR HIRE Vehicle.
You can search for the vehicles by the carrier name (Limousine Company Name), VIN number, or Tag Number of the vehicle on the web link indicated above.
8. If a company is running illegally, you can be sure their drivers are not licensed by the Public Service Commission.
A Platinum Plus Limousines will only allow licensed FOR HIRE chauffeurs to operate our luxury limousines, sedans, and Sport Utility Vehicles.
Ask for the name of your chauffeur and the chauffeur’s Passenger-For-Hire Drivers License Number. All for- hire chauffeurs are required to carry a chauffeurs license in their possession. They are also listed on the MD Public Service Web Site. If they are not licensed by the MD Public Service Commission, you can be assured they have not received a required criminal background check by the Maryland State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as all of our employees have done prior to driving for our company.
9. Most companies do not require their chauffeurs receive physical examination from a certified physician to ensure the person driving is healthy and does not suffer any medical ailments that could jeopardize your life.
A Platinum Plus Limousines requires our chauffeurs to receive a complete physical examination from a certified medical physician to ensure they are healthy enough to perform their chauffeuring duties safely.
Remember, you are not only entrusting a service to perform your event in a professional fashion, you are entrusting your life and the lives of your loved ones with the person behind the wheel. If the company says they do require a physical, then the chauffeur should have a copy of their medical card on their person. It is not required under MD law for intrastate travel, but is required if you are operating a vehicle rated to carry more than 9 passengers across state lines.
In the end, all things being equal, our experienced chauffeurs enjoy the privilege to serve our customers. They are well-trained, service-oriented customer service specialists. They know where they are going, open the door upon entry and exit, and treat you with the level of service expected from a luxury limousine service. And that level of service is worth every penny. We render Ritz Carlton service to our customers because this is what you expect.
You have heard the horror stories of a limousine DRIVER who doesn’t show up on time, has a bad attitude, and doesn’t know where he is going. We don’t have any drivers employed at this company. Drivers deliver pizza Door Dash, and furniture. Our chauffeurs are trained to serve our clients professionally with exceptional service for your rental.
We hope this helps you shop wisely for a limousine rental on your special day. And we hope you now see why you should choose us for your special event,
All pictures on this web site are exact pictures of the vehicles in the fleet of A Platinum Plus Limousines Inc. We don’t subcontract our work to other companies without your knowledge because we prefer to direct you to legal companies within our network if our vehicles are not available.