Encore Car & Limo Service

No-​show driver. I called to confirm pickup 1 hour prior to appointment. Then 20 minutes prior to pickup, driver says his vehicle can’t pass inspection and not allowed into Manhattan. Not good if the limo can’t even pass inspection.

Was going to write a review explaining how horrible I found their service but everyone has pretty much made it clear that you would be crazy to use this service.

I’ll start like the rest of the reviews here: DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!
Why?
1) It’s impossible to schedule a car with them when you use a Groupon coupon.
2) When I finally scheduled a trip to Newark airport, I had to take an earlier then I wanted option (3pm instead of 4pm) because they didn’t have any cars to service this coupon at 4pm.
3) They DID NOT COME on the date and time I scheduled the pick up!!! When I called them, they told me that they don’t have any reservation under my name!!! And that is on the day of my international flight.
4) The customer service is horrible and they don’t offer any solution!
I have to say that I purchased this Groupon coupon after reading the reviews here, cause I did not believe that a company can perform THAT BAD. Well, Encore Car & Limo Service cannot perform at all.

I agree with the other reviews of one star. HORRIBLE. I bought a Groupon for their service and when I booked a pick up — I got an uneasy feeling based on how difficult it was to book the initial reservation to call and confirm my pick up. It was a good thing I did because they didn’t even schedule it and couldn’t or didn’t want to schedule a pick up because it was a 5AM pick up. If I could give these guys NO stars, I would.
Groupon better refund my $$$ otherwise you’ll see another Unilocal review on that!
Avoid this service at all costs.

Bought the groupon-​made several trips to the airport in the four months that followed. Encore claimed that they never had a driver at any of the various times that I needed to go to the airport. I requested 72 hours in advance a car at 8:15 am. They offered 9am.
I am going to the airport for a flight-​45 minutes later and I’m not getting on the plane. This happened every time I called. Then I read these reviews and thank god they didn’t have space for me.

Do not use this car service. I had purchased 4 journeys to various NYC airports because Groupon was running a deal. The first time I tried to book, 3 days in advance of my trip, I was told they did not have any cars available for my Friday airport trip. Hmm… ok. So I booked for the following Monday, my return from the airport to the city. When I landed on Monday there was no car waiting to greet me. I called dispatch and when they finally picked up they said their system was down and so therefore they decided to not send out any cars to pick up passengers that day. I was irate! I needed to head to work and waiting around for them had made me late. I asked them why they didn’t call me to let me know and they had no good response. The third time I dealt with them, they again told me they would not have any cars available. I canceled my 4^th car with them b/​c at that point I decided I could not trust them and would not use them even though I had prepaid for the service. They said, no problem we have cancelled your car. A couple days later when I land I receive 2 calls, one from a driver and one from dispatch asking where I was because they had a car waiting for me. (rolling eyes)
My experience was so bad that groupon actually gave me ALL of my money back. That should say something.

Do NOT use this
company! Im only giving it a one star because thats the minimum i can give it. Absolutely horrible service!!! My initial phone call for a reservation took 15 minutes because the person making the reservation was completely confused by what I was clearly instructing him on what I needed! Then we get to the airport and I call just to make sure everything is fine and they are «unable to locate the driver». So if I hadn’t of called what would of happen??! Finally after they dispatched another driver we had to wait for another 45 minutes after our reservation time. When the car finally did arrive it was an old beat up car with fading paint and the absolute dirtiest interior… not what I was promised!!!
Who cares if its on groupon! You can get a trip for two on the GO airport shuttle that runs so smoothly for only $ 39!
Do not used this company!!!

The only reason I gave it a 1 is because it it not possible to give it a negative number! This service left me stranded not only once but twice. I had reservations to be picked up at the LaGuardia airport and then at my hotel. There are many other services out there. This one is completely unreliable!!!

Horrible Customer Service!
I emailed them twice through their website for a pickup and never got a response. I have made at least 5 calls to set up a reservation only to be told the systems were still down (thank you sandy) to call back on Sunday. That day arrives and I’m told rudely they’re closed and Im hung up on. I call 3 times today and am told that I am unable to book because it needs to be 48 hours prior.
WELL IVE BEEN TRYING TO DO JUST THAT!
If I hadn’t already purchased two groupons for my trip already I would’ve been so pissed and just found the next sedan service! Now I’m waiting for my refund inquiry to Groupon.
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!

I’ve been trying to contact them for the past couple days. I realize Sandy just passed through, but the customer service is unbelievably poor. Each time I call, someone either 1) hangs up on me, or 2) instructs me to call them back later. When I call back, the process repeats. Not to mention the barely audible way they answer the phone — makes me think I am calling some company a high school drug dealer is running out of his parent’s house — why whisper? Why not say the name of the company?
I am surprised that Groupon would do business with such a company — they must be desperate for deals that aren’t spas and lipo.

Horrible horrible horrible service! 30 minutes late and when I called dispatch they asked me «what do I want THEM to do?» WTF??? Ummm I paid for the service and they DO NOT deliver! Do not use this service! Buyer BEWARE! I should have read the Unilocal reviews first!
Also, the groupon I purchased was for a «town car» then she told me an SUV was coming. Not what I paid for. I cancelled.

Bought the Groupon like most of the other reviewers. I am giving them 2* because they at least got me to and from JFK, but the service was not as advertised, but also not a complete nightmare like some of the reviews.
The Groupon read: «Professional and punctual drivers helm immaculately clean luxury sedans and escort passengers to or from NY-​area airports.
Encore Car & Limo Service dispatches clean town cars and limousines to pick up passengers for local and long-​distance travel.»
Calling to reserve the cars was not an issue. Person took down all my info, but when asked for an email confirmation, they said they would just call to confirm before the pickup dates (they never did call for either pickup). Perhaps this should have set off an alarm about this company.
We were departing from Midtown early Saturday morning for a flight at JFK. I called early to make sure, and the woman said the car was on its way. It arrived 20 minutes later that I had scheduled it for, but we had luckily planned in some extra time just in case. What surprised me most was that we expected a Lincoln Towncar, but instead a minivan showed up. Definitely not was advertised, but okay. The van was clean and really don’t have any complaints. It got us to JFK quickly. We tipped the driver $ 7.
For the return trip, we landed at JFK Monday around 6 PM. After the plane landed, I called Encore to confirm that the car was coming (I probably should have done this earlier, but we rushed to catch our flight back home). I talked to someone, who kept putting me on hold as he went to find out what the details were. In total, I was probably on hold for 20 minutes. While on hold, I get a call from the driver who says he is on the way. We get outside to the passenger waiting area, and after a few attempts at trying to find him, we do, he’s not dressed very professionally in jeans and a baseball cap, and he’s driving an older Nissan Maxima. Again, not what we expected. This car isn’t as clean as the van, but by no means dirty. Just seemed like his personal car, and I don’t even recall seeing TLC plates.
The trunk was pretty cluttered, but we didn’t have that many bags, so it was not a big concern for us, maybe for people carrying bigger luggage it would have been. Upon getting in the car, he said that all the payment was taken care of through the Groupon, but we would have to pay the toll he paid to get to JFK and the toll to get back to Midtown. Seemed pretty odd we would have to pay the toll for him to get to the airport, but we just wanted to get home. He was actually a pretty nice guy, and got us through traffic by going all the way around the perimeter of Brooklyn, we avoided any toll getting back into Manhattan, so we just gave him $ 15 to cover the toll/​tip.
In the end, Encore got us there and back, but not exactly they advertised. Reading these reviews, I became worried, but we only had a few minor delays. Knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn’t spend the $ 39 each way for this company’s service again. It all just seemed a little «ghetto» to me.

DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!
MAY I ALSO COMMENT — I think it is AWFULLY interesting that these five or six «other 4 and 5 star reviews» are 1 time commentators… nice try Encore.
Let me give you a REAL review –I purchased a Groupon and used it as recent as this past Sunday 10÷7÷12 (OR AT LEAST TRIED TO).
After making my reservation the first day by Kimberly, she was unfriendly and rude.
I have received better customer service from the New York City DMV.
Called back the next day to confirm my appointment with Tasia, (a manager she claimed) who was actually VERY nice.
However, she could NOT find my reservation.
Took my info down, confirmed my reservation AGAIN for 5am, Sunday morning. TWICE NOW.
Sunday morning at 5:05 am. My car WAS NOT THERE.
Called, spoke to a man instead who claimed he DIDNT HAVE MY RESERVATIONS AGAIN and told me to take a yellow taxi INSTEAD to JFK.
On Vacation, I called again to have them pick me up from the way home. Spoke to Tasia again, she profusely apologized and guaranteed i would have my pick up at 1am.
Car did not arrive until 1:25 am, and in a VAN. WHERE ARE THE SEDANS LIKE THE ONE ON THE WEBSITE?!
The Van smelled horrible, like windex cleaner that gave my friend and I massive headaches.
He also took a personal phone call from an angry woman screaming at him being like «when you coming home?! where you at?!»
He made last minute driving decisions which made him…
drive up the wrong side of the Brooklyn Bridge and had to back down the ramp (thank God, no one was coming).
He almost hit a police officer.
And drove very slow on the highway, like he couldnt read signs properly.
THE WORST CAR SERVICE I HAVE EVER RECEIVED. I WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY MORITIFIED IF I USED THIS FOR A CLIENT.
Am calling Groupon to get my money back.
I strongly believe this was a practical joke played on me.

Is this a real company?
— No show on the outbound
— No show on the inbound
Left on hold for over 20 minutes. Was told I would get a call back. Office could not contact the driver. Would not pick up my phone calls. Did not account for a change I made the previous day on the outbound. The list goes on and on. After reading some of these reviews, it sounds like this turned out for the best that they didn’t show — although came within minutes from missing my flight (with wife and baby).
Groupon, you should be ashamed!!!

3 strikes and you’re out! 1^st strike — Called to make a reservation. She said they were completely booked at 7 am on Saturday. I called 3 days before the pick-​up date, which was the first available day the Groupon coupon was available. I said I just purchased a round trip Groupon voucher and if she couldn’t accommodate me, I would ask for a refund. She finally agreed. The car service arrived at JFK on time. The car had a dent and scratches on the back bumper. But that didn’t bother me as much as the inside of the car. It was so dirty you didn’t want to touch anything. The light grey fabric interior had black grime on the carpet and doors. The floors had not been vacuumed in months. Since there were 3 people in our party, I sat in the front seat. The seat was broken and would rocking whenever we made a stop. I will say the driver was very nice. I called the Encore office and spoke with a male receptionist about the condition of the car. He assured me they visually inspect all the cars every morning. However, later in the conversation he said they contract with so many cars that they don’t have time to look at them all.
Strike 2 — Two people in our party were departing a day earlier than me and had booked a one way Groupon car service from Manhattan (near the Empire State Building) to LaGuardia. They called the Encore office and rescheduled their pickup time from 5 am to 5:30 am. On the day of pick up, the car did not get the message and arrived at 5 am. The office called our cell phone at 4:45 am and said the car was waiting outside. They insisted we never changed the pick-​up time. Luckily the car waited for the two travelers to frantically brush their teeth and pack the remainder of their suitcases. The travelers said the driver didn’t seem to know how to get to LaGuardia because it took him 45 minutes when it should have taken him 20 minutes at that time of the morning.
Strike 3 — having poor experience with Encore so far, I made sure to call the day before my departure date and confirm the car service to Newark Airport. At 6:30 am, my scheduled pick up time, the car service didn’t show up! I called the office and the woman said she would call the driver. She left me on hold for 10 minutes. I ended up hanging up and calling back. She said the driver was not picking up his cell phone. Now I’m getting nervous because I’m in a corporate housing apartment that doesn’t get much taxi activity, I’ve already lost 15 minutes and I have to go 30 minutes to Newark. Luckily, the apartment front desk person said they use car service that is reliable and could try calling them. Anthony Transportation was available and had a car pull up in 15 minutes. They whisked me away and got me to Newark in 30 minutes. The driver was the owner of the fleet of cars and very nice. If anyone is looking for professional and reasonable car service, call Anthony Transportation at (646) 420‑7912.
I purchased the Groupon coupons only after doing a review search on Encore. I do not know how Encore got good reviews elsewhere. Having read the recent postings from other Unilocalers, I have to agree that Encore is a second-​rate company. I would never use them again. I will ask Groupon for a refund on my return car service.

Warning do not use!
I purchased via Groupon for airport service. Going to airport from Manhattan was interesting. Car was 20 min late with no phone call. Driver blasting rap music the entire time. Going through the tunnel, the driver asked for the toll in cash at the toll booth (no EZ Pass). Seemed a little ghetto.
On the way back, car never showed up, called Encore and said the car broke down and are sorry. No phone call, no warning, no nothing.
I called Groupon and got refunded the entire amount. I’ve learned 2 things from this experience. 1) Do not blindly trust Groupon. 2) NEVER EVER EVER use Encore Car & Limo Service.

What the hell just happened?!
I purchased a Groupon for airport car service for my flight. I called to make a reservation and got put on hold for 15 mins. Then I hear loud music and the lady is trying to talk to me OVER the music. Puts me on hold AGAIN. Then when I tell her I have a Groupon, she puts me on hold again for another 15 mins. (I would’ve hung up by now if I didn’t have this freakin Groupon to use). THEN she comes back on the line and says, «There’s an emergency. I have to cancel. Goodbye.» WHAT?! So I call back, and I get the same woman answering in a chipper tone. BUT when I ask for a manager, she says «SPEAKING.» I tell her I just got hung up on and then she starts YELLING AT ME telling me there was an emergency. THEN WHY ARE YOU PICKING UP THE PHONE AGAIN — AND NICELY!!!
I’m so confused, as I wasn’t even being irate or difficult. I was staying on the phone for goodness sake?!
WORST SERVICE EVER AND CALLING GROUPON NOW TO GET MY MONEY BACK.