Advice would be very much appreciated.......

johnyjay · 22-12-2012 6:53am #1

Hi guys!,

I realise that this is my 1st post.... I'm a long time lurker first time poster.

I am just concerned about the situation that happened to me tonight in the city.

It was absolutely lashing rain all night, I ordered a cab from the city center to my home. (very well known company by the way).

We arrived at my home and I couldn't find the 20 that i'm sure I had on me... When we arrived, I asked the driver to drive me to an ATM. He refused, and insisted that I pay by my Laser card, he then proceeded to call "Mill Street Garda Station" and a nice woman, from the station, took my Laser card details.

My questions are:

1. Is it legal (or even allowable) for the Gardaí to take payments on behalf of taxi drivers? (or to facilitate them)

2. Can a taxi driver legally refuse to bring you to an ATM in favor of him forcing a payment via the above method?

3. Am I in any position to do anything about this? Because in fairness I feel violated and bullied by the way I was treated.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks

Or did I just get robbed?

Tweedle Dumb · 22-12-2012 7:57am

That sounds as dodgy as can be. If you have the licence number id report him for refusing to bring you to where you asked, the atm. Id also check with mill street to see if they would partake in such a call (taking a laser number for a taxi payment) and if not, cancel your card. Keep an eye on the account either way

beardybrewer · 22-12-2012 11:02am

Maybe start here?

http://www.transportforireland.ie/taxi

Keedowah · 22-12-2012 11:05am

Tweedle Dumb wrote: »

That sounds as dodgy as can be. If you have the licence number id report him for refusing to bring you to where you asked, the atm. Id also check with mill street to see if they would partake in such a call (taking a laser number for a taxi payment) and if not, cancel your card. Keep an eye on the account either way

That sounds dodgy to me too - I would call Mill Street Garda station straight away.

biko · 22-12-2012 11:13am

I'll bump this over to consumer issues, they'll know what to do.

Dingle_berry · 22-12-2012 11:20am

How can you be sure it was Millstreet Garda station that he rang? He could have told his missus to answer saying that if he rang from the taxi phone.
Ring the Garda station ASAP, if they don't do that kinda thing, cancel the card immediately as the taxi driver now has the card details and your billing address (where he dropped you) to go on an online shopping spraoi!

Cabaal · 22-12-2012 11:50am

johnyjay wrote: »

My questions are:

1. Is it legal (or even allowable) for the Gardaí to take payments on behalf of taxi drivers? (or to facilitate them)

Can't see the Gardai either wasting time doing such a thing and they certainly wouldn't have a system in place to take payment and then transfer it to Taxi drivers. This in my book sounds like a scam.

2. Can a taxi driver legally refuse to bring you to an ATM in favor of him forcing a payment via the above method?

If you've told him before getting into the Taxi that you had no money they can refuse to take you anywhere.

If you are already in the taxi and they have taken you to the initial destination then it is in THEIR interest to bring you to a ATM, as you are not refusing payment you simply require access to the funds.

Can they charge you extra for having to drive you to the ATM, yes of course they can as you just wasted their time.

3. Am I in any position to do anything about this? Because in fairness I feel violated and bullied by the way I was treated.

Nobody forced you to give your card details to a unknown person at a unknown number...you could have refused.

An alternative is you could have said to the driver that you'll get the number for mill street gardai station and ring yourself from your own phone.....

Procrastastudy · 22-12-2012 11:59am

johnyjay wrote: »

2. Can a taxi driver legally refuse to bring you to an ATM in favor of him forcing a payment via the above method?

3. Am I in any position to do anything about this? Because in fairness I feel violated and bullied by the way I was treated.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks

Or did I just get robbed?

Ignoring the first point for a moment as I don't know how it works in regard to payments between the Gardai and Taxi-drivers. I do know there are strong links but what you've described sounds a bit odd but given the circumstances doesn't seem likely that its fraud. I'd check it though.

You got in and made a contract (for want of a better term) with the Taxi driver to take you to A. When you got to A you changed your mind. Not only did you change your mind to told him you didn't have a way of paying him until he complied. Now 95% of taxi drivers would do it - you might have got one who was just robbed last night or the larger number of them that are just in a bad mood. While manners cost nothing you need to see it from both sides.

On you final point. Cop on. Rape victims are violated paying for a taxi ride in this manner is at best rude on behalf of the driver and at worst fraud. Bear in mind you were the first one to not do the right thing, as unintentional as it may be.

wyndham · 22-12-2012 1:45pm

Call the taxi company and ask what happened and who is processing payment or if they would like you to drop in cash to their office instead.

Pixied · 22-12-2012 3:11pm

The gardai wont take a payment for a taxi. A taxi driver will usually drive a person to a garda station to make a complaint in this situation with the passenger in tow. Complain the driver. Check with your bank that your account is ok. This was not on, you sound like you felt intimadated

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 22-12-2012 6:46pm

I hope your account was emptied. Seriously, would you not have had a quick search for the money just as you hopped into the car?
Then if you couldn't find it ask the driver to stop at a convenient atm.

Waiting until you're at the door then expecting him to go back to an bank machine then back to your house is just wasting his time and makes you sound like a <SNIP> IMO.

Procrastastudy · 22-12-2012 6:49pm

Johnny Electricity wrote: »

I hope your account was emptied. Seriously, would you not have had a quick search for the money just as you hopped into the car?
Then if you couldn't find it ask the driver to stop at a convenient atm.

Waiting until you're at the door then expecting him to go back to an bank machine then back to your house is just wasting his time and makes you sound like a <SNIP> IMO.

Bit harsh - I don't think the OP has suggested he wasn't going to pay the driver for going to the cash machine and back.

flyingsnail · 22-12-2012 6:59pm

Call mill street garda station and ask them what the story is. Personally I have never heard of anything like that before. Is it possible you were on to the taxi company and they took your payment details?

Anything you do will be based on the conversation you have with the garda. If you think your card may have been compromised as part of some scam you should contact your bank.

dudara · 22-12-2012 7:28pm

OP - I've never heard before of a taxi driver ringing a Garda station to record a card number. It would make more sense if he rang his base station to capture the payment details.

Definitely get in touch with the Garda station (it would help if you had a rough idea of the time it happened) and see if they have any record of the event.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 22-12-2012 7:46pm

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Bit harsh - I don't think the OP has suggested he wasn't going to pay the driver for going to the cash machine and back.

True but I meant more along the lines of wasting the drivers time and creating unnecessary hassle.

Spook_ie · 22-12-2012 8:16pm

Wasn't Twomey Taxis by any chance?

Reason I ask is they are based in Millstreet and I would say that it was the cab company not the Garda he rang, there's a good chance that you misunderstood the conversation and he said along the lines "It's the card number over the phone or the Garda"

Get lots of misunderstandings when people have had a drink or two, even when they think they are sober because they hear what they want to hear not what's being said

But whichever for your own peace of mind you do need to find out if the card number was taken by the cab company or some scam, my money would be on a taxi company

Yamanoto · 22-12-2012 10:17pm

Johnny Electricity wrote: »

True but I meant more along the lines of wasting the drivers time and creating unnecessary hassle.

Still doesn't justify your comment imo.

A wee bit careless on the OP's part perhaps, but clarity of thought and attention to detail are hardly traits synonymous with the behaviour of late-night revellers at Christmas.

CaliforniaDream · 22-12-2012 10:18pm

Definitely contact the company and your bank to see what happened.
It could be a simple misunderstanding.

I dont get the people who are saying you're wasting the taxi drivers time. It's not like he was going to drive for free to the atm and back. What do people think the job description of a taxi driver consists of?

Nonoperational · 23-12-2012 4:05pm

Any update?

Advice would be very much appreciated.......

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