Not every journey will be perfect. Vehicles occasionally arrive late. Drivers occasionally make a wrong turn. A vehicle that was booked as Executive might, in an edge case, have been dispatched incorrectly. When something goes wrong, there is a defined process for raising it and getting a response.
This article covers that process honestly.
What to do first
Contact us within 24 hours if possible. The sooner a complaint is raised, the more effectively we can investigate it. Journey data, driver communications, and vehicle logs are all available immediately after a trip and for a defined period after. Waiting several days reduces the quality of the investigation.
Use the support channel at book.fare1.co.uk. This is the right channel. Emailing a generic address or leaving a comment on a third-party platform does not enter the complaint into our tracking system and may delay the response.
Have your booking reference ready. The booking reference ties your complaint to the journey record, which includes the driver, vehicle, route, timing, communications, and payment. Without it, investigation takes longer.
What we can investigate
Every Fare 1 journey generates a detailed record. When a complaint is raised, we can review:
- Driver behaviour. The in-app chat record, any communications before or during the journey, and the driver's historical performance record.
- Punctuality. The driver's tracked arrival time against the booked pickup time.
- Route. The GPS route taken against the expected route. If a driver took a longer route than necessary, we can see this.
- Vehicle. Whether the vehicle dispatched matched the category booked.
- Fare. The fare charged against the fare quoted at booking. These should always match.
What counts as a valid complaint
We take all complaints seriously, but being clear about what we can resolve is more useful than a blanket assurance.
Complaints we act on:
- Driver arrived late without prior notification and the delay caused a documented problem (a missed flight, a late arrival at an event)
- Driver behaviour that was rude, inappropriate, or unsafe
- Vehicle did not match the category booked (e.g., a standard saloon dispatched for an executive saloon booking)
- Fare charged was different from the fare quoted at booking
- Route was unnecessarily long without a legitimate reason (road closure, diversion)
Complaints where we investigate but outcomes are limited:
- Journey took longer than expected due to traffic conditions outside the driver's control
- A specific vehicle model was expected and a different model within the same category was dispatched (all vehicles within a category meet the specification, though the specific make may vary)
- Driver was not conversational or was quieter than expected (our drivers follow the passenger's lead; a quiet driver is often responding to the passenger's own signals)
Response timelines
We aim to acknowledge every complaint within 24 hours and provide a substantive response within 72 hours.
For complex complaints — particularly those involving refund requests or driver conduct — a full response may take up to 5 working days. We will keep you informed of the timeline.
Refunds
Refunds are considered on the merits of the complaint. Our general approach:
- Late driver causing a documented missed event or flight. We review the case, and where the delay was our fault and caused a direct financial loss, we discuss appropriate compensation. This is assessed case by case.
- Incorrect vehicle category dispatched. The difference in fare between the booked and dispatched category is refunded automatically where applicable.
- Journey not completed. If a journey was not completed (the driver did not arrive, the passenger was not taken to the destination), the full fare is refunded.
- Partial journey. If a journey was cut short for reasons within our control, a proportional refund is calculated.
We do not offer refunds for:
- Journey time longer than estimated due to traffic
- Passenger preference for a different driver style
- Changes in conditions outside our control (weather, road closures, airport delays)
Escalation
If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can request escalation to a senior member of the operations team. We will acknowledge the escalation request and provide a further response within 5 working days.
If the matter remains unresolved after escalation, you retain the right to raise a dispute through your payment provider (Stripe or PayPal, depending on how you paid) or through the relevant consumer protection channel.
Driver misconduct
If a complaint involves a serious driver conduct issue — behaviour that felt unsafe, inappropriate language, physical intimidation — please say so explicitly when you contact us. These complaints are treated differently from service complaints and are prioritised accordingly. The driver is not informed of the complainant's personal details during the investigation.
The broader picture
We log and track every complaint. Patterns across the driver pool — recurring punctuality issues, a cluster of complaints about a specific vehicle, feedback about a common booking flow — inform how we run the operation. A complaint that is resolved fairly has value beyond the individual booking; it improves the service for the next passenger.
Raise complaints at book.fare1.co.uk using the support channel, with your booking reference.