Car Service from Hell in London

Unsuspecting travelers are warned away from Keen Quality Car Service of London, who rip you off and do not value repeat business enough to reconcile a valid complaint.

Last November I booked a car to take me from the Battersea area to Waterloo Station. A black cab would have been approx £7 (around $14), but I chose to have a reliable vehicle and no waiting, prepared to spend double that amount for the convenience. Car arrived and driver took the long way across the north side of the Thames (on a Sunday morning), subjected me to an anti-American diatribe, and then insisted on a fare of £35. When I protested that a car to Luton Airport cost that much he said “OK, £30.” Scheduling was tight, I needed to get to my train. I paid the guy unwillingly, and as he left he said, “Give my regards to Bush.”

I complained directly several times to a number of people at Keen, and three months later a belligerent letter from Keen arrived refusing my claim, and standing by the conduct of the driver, who of course denied everything. This is not a car service to do business with, and clearly people who cannot fathom that the $30 overcharge is hardly the issue. It’s the driver’s conduct, the service aspect, the slow response, and a cheap price that could have been paid to exchange graciousness for loyalty. In this case, Keen has lost my confidence and friendship and I advise all my readers to avoid patronizing this company.