DO NOT USE RIDES FOR BRIDES LIMOS!

**The above picture is NOT a Rides for Brides limosine.  It is just a random image I found on Google!"

I recently used RIDES FOR BRIDES Limo service in Whitby, Ontario.  The owner was VERY kind, and explained how everything would work.  We wanted an SUV limo, and I saw the inside of one he had, and it was gorgeous. Touch screens, DVD player, Lighting all over the place, just amazing.  I booked in, but unfortunately someone had rebooked that limo (they had originally cancelled), which was fine, not anyone's fault.  The other people had it booked first, they have dibs! :) 
So I was offered a deal, for $850 (instead of $1100) I was offered the following:  a beautiful black limo with a TV, champagne, water, A/C, etc...  And also, my bride and her mother would get a separate ride in a BMW 7 series, with champagne and water as well. We were also told that once the limo picked up the men, they would drive back to the head office and replace champagne and water bottles.  When the limo arrived, it was very nice looking.  The windows were down by the way, and then we got in...  An old CRT TV, A/C did not work ,though the owner claims it does, and there was loss of cold air when the door opened (odd, why were the windows open if they want the car nice and cold for the customers?) - and if it actually did work, as he claimed, it was TERRIBLE, because we felt ZERO cold air coming out.  We were accused of not knowing how to operate Air Conditioning...  Half of us being extreme car fanatics, 2 of us being Electronics Engineering Technicians...
The transmission was grinding heavily, and it sounded like it was about to fall apart...  There were 2 bottles of champagne, but we were not allowed to drink before
the wedding anyways, so we took one (one of my friends wasn't in the bridal party, so he drank some).  Since the A/C did not work, we all drank some water that was
piss warm and in a little cooler looking box, that no one bothered to fill with ice.  When we arrived at our venue, we left some of the bottles of water in the limo, expecting
it should be cleaned before the women got in.

When the women got picked up, the same bottles of water remained in the cup holders, the bottle of champagne was not replaced, and the AC still was not working...
The brides maids were obviously displeased.

When my wife got into the BMW, it was beautiful.  Her and her mother got in, and thought it was amazing (not seeing the interior of the Limo, by the way).  They were a bit displeased that there was no champagne, but it did not matter, since they weren't allowed to drink anyways.  But they also were thirsty, and were told, BY THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY, that there was cold water in the fridge.  As they opened the fridge, there was ONE bottle of water, that was half empty...  Very displeasing, considering we paid nearly a grand for the services.

When I called the owner, and complained about the service, I was told that the water in the BMW was a mistake, and that the bottles were checked before they left but they didn't see that they were empty (there was only one, but he said "they" as if there were more)... When I stated that when running a business such as this, and when we are paying a large sum of money as we did, maybe they should check the fridge a little harder and make sure the bottles are FULL.  Then I was told that $850 isn't a lot of money, and that I was being "Unrealistic".  He also went on to say "Do you expect me to stop and get them some water or something?"  I said "ABSOLUTELY!  We paid $850 and there isn't even a $1 bottle of water!".  He went on to say how unrealistic and ridiculous I was being...  Not once did he say "I apologize, I will refund some money" or anything of the sort.  He made up sad excuses for all of the problems, like "How are we going to have time to refill the limo with water and champagne?" when I said a week prior that "You can pick us up a half hour early, so you have time to go refill champagne and water for the women, I don't care how early I get to the venue".   Or how about "The A/C was just recharged, you just don't know how to work it!" (well why didn't the limo driver say anything when we asked about the A/C?  And why would he have the windows down instead of the A/C blasting in a black limo, black interior, on a 27 degree Celcius day?)  Just small things, like water, a cheap bottle of champagne, taking 3 minutes to tidy up the empty water bottles and champagne glass make a world of difference when running a business such as this.  I am a plumber and I am sure I could run it better, it isn't hard to please a customer in this sort of business.  Show up in a clean, limo and drive to the destination... 

Now I am not the kind of person to try to rip anyone off, nor would I want to shut down the reputation of a company doing a fair job.  I am all about customer service.  I feel this is just TERRIBLE service.  Everything I was told was a lie, and mostly, my wife was upset on HER wedding day.  I couldn't care less about what me and the guys saw, I have a dirty job and it doesn't bother me at all.  But when my bride on HER big day is upset, that ROYALLY pisses me off.  I would have rather paid $2000 for a single limo, no crappy BMW for a decent service, or even drove myself in my beat up old neon.  ALL of the bridal party said that the limo was junk, and we should have taken a mini van.  I told the owner that I was VERY displeased, and I dont even want any money back, and to use the money to learn to be a better business owner.

So I am just here to warn you that this limo company may not be all what you think!  I hope I have helped! :)