Confusion over a similar named company has led to airports, angry passengers confusing Prestige Chauffeurs Limited with the collapsed firm. Chauffeurs working for the family have been approached at airports by anger customers complaining that they had been left stranded after paying for trips home.
Airport staff had attempted to contact the debunked taxi firm on behalf of vulnerable passengers, but contacted the wrong company instead. The situation was also made worse, as customers of Prestige Travel disappointment spread, customers of Prestige Chauffeurs Limited, a family business based in Bury, started to think they had gone bust.
In a statement, Bill Hargreaves, Marketing Director said: “We would like to reassure our clients that we are still in business, providing a professional chauffeur service to our clients across the UK. Whilst it is an unfortunate situation for Prestige Travel clients, wherever possible we have tried to assist them with their travel needs.”
“Prestige Chauffeurs has no connection with the other firm and appreciate that their clients may be angry and left feeling let-down, but should be aware the the two companies are not connected.”
Mr Hargreaves concluded, “Such is the confusion, we have asked The Bury Times to help us highlight this situation to their readers.”
We’re still in business!
THE closure of a Radcliffe-based taxi operator is driving a Ramsbottom private hire firm round the bend.
Prestige Travel, which operated from premises on Seddons Farm, closed its business a few weeks ago.
But since then similarly-named Prestige Chauffeurs Ltd based on Bolton Street, Ramsbottom, have been receiving calls from stranded customers who pre-booked a taxi with the Radcliffe firm before it closed.
Mr Chris Hargreaves, managing director at the Ramsbottom firm, explained: “We have been inundated with phone calls from angry customers who have got our firm confused with the one that has closed because the names of both firms are so similar and have become shortened to just Prestige.” The family-run Prestige Chauffeurs Ltd, which operates chauffeur-driven luxury vehicles, even received a phone call from officials at Manchester Airport demanding to know the whereabouts of a pre-booked cab for a waiting customer.
“I had to explain that it was nothing to do with us, and we have had other similar phone calls,” said Mr Hargreaves.
He is also worried that people who have got the two companies confused might think that it is his business which has closed.
“We opened the business in 1996 and today we have a well-established customer base not just in this country, but also worldwide. We cannot afford our clients to think that it is us who have gone out of business. We are still operating as usual and would quite happily provide a service for customers of the shutdown Prestige Travel,” he added.
A spokesman for Bury’s licensing department confirmed that Prestige Travel, described as a “one-man band”, had closed and the operator’s licence had been handed back.
Bury Times Link: We’re Still In Business!
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