- Why shouldn't I just book the cheapest limo I can find?
- What to look for in a limousine company?
- Why do you need my credit card information if I will pay in cash?
- Why do I have to pay for the limo while we are not in it
- Can I just rent a limo for an hour?
- Can we drink alcohol in a limo?
A limousine rental is a luxury experience for most people and as with most things in life the old saying holds true for luxury goods - you get what you pay for. Selecting a nice restaurant for the anniversary dinner or a luxury hotel for that special occasion based on price alone usually results in serious disappointment and the ruined event. If your priority is to find the "best deal and the cheapest limo in town", you best bet is not to hire a limo at all and find alternative transportation to your event. Every week we hear very similar stories from our customers:
- The limo company called and cancelled an hour before our wedding - (they found somebody who was willing to pay $25 more at the last minute).
- The car was really old and smelled like it - (1989 limousine obviously cost less than 2005 limousine, hence cheaper hourly price).
- The driver didn't look or act professional - (professional drivers usually don't work for the cheapest limo company in town).
- A/C didn't work. (About 3 years ago certified limousine builders started adding second A/C compressors to handle those hot Ontario days. Prior to 2003 build year A/C problems with the limousines were very common).
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Limousines:
What type of limousine do you require? Stretch limousines come in many different styles and
colors. If you want a specific vehicle and the latest design make sure the limousine operator
can provide it. Also, watch out for older vehicles. Many older limousines are likely to have a
higher mileage which will show wear both in interior and exterior.
Also, many older limousines don't have the amenities that modern coach builders provide (i.e. flat screen TVs, MP3 players, dual A/C units and more).
The Limousine manufacturer:
If you are planning to rent a limousine, the National Limousine Association (NLA), the QVM-CMC
Vehicle Manufacturers Association and Ford Motor Company/GMC strongly recommend that you only ride in
limousines that are built by manufacturer certified Coach Builders. Ford Motor Company's certification
program is called, "QVM" which stands for Qualified Vehicle Modifier. The rules governing the QVM
program are stringent and are designed with the vehicle capabilities in mind. All Diamond Limousine
Service vehicles are certified QVM cars and have a long list of safety and comfort features present
not available on the cars that were not built professionally. Some of the features are: upgraded
suspension, brakes and transmission, heavy duty springs and steering, wider opening door hinges and
much more. Also, don't forget that we have seat belts installed for every passenger in our car.
The Insurance:
Insurance is an expensive overhead for any limousine business and therefore some companies may
cut corners when insuring their vehicles and occupants. All limousine hire companies are required by
law to have proper private hire insurance. It is advisable to enquire about a company’s insurance policy
before you book a limo and, if you are in doubt, the company should provide you with a print out of
their insurance details on request.
The Permits:
Please make sure your limousine company has valid City of Mississauga permits.
All of our vehicles are inspected and permitted to operate in Mississauga and Toronto Airport by the
City Transportation Administration. Don't risk being pulled over by Toronto Transportation Enforcement
and having the limousine impounded in the middle of your bachelor party.
The Drivers:
The driver of your limousine is not necessarily something you would
immediately consider when hiring a limousine. Drivers are however an important factor to
consider: a professional driver, dressed in suit attire, who will open your doors, take your
luggage and ensure you have everything you require throughout your journey can greatly enhance
your limousine experience. Make sure that your limousine company employs experienced drivers who are
very familiar with the areas to and from which they transport their customers. Responsible limousine
company and professional drivers will always require their customers to provide addresses for all of the
destinations clients are planning to go to in order to make sure that driver is ready for the trip.
The Contract:
Always make sure to ask for a limousine contract. Your contract should state
all of the charges and will also serve as guarantee that the exact vehicle you've ordered will show up
for your event. Some limousine operators overbook their vehicles (just like the airlines do) and end up
canceling customers with the lowest quoted rate at the last minute or farming the job out to other
companies. A signed contract will protect you from this to happen.
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Valid Credit Card is required for all the limousine reservations. Just like the airlines
and hotels do, we collect credit card information ahead of time to eliminate customer no shows and make
sure we are not holding a vehicle for somebody who doesn't actually intend to rent a limousine. A credit
card is only used to hold a reservation; payment is always collected at the time of the trip.
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Even though, you may not be in the car physically at all times (such as while
attending Raptors games, dinners or concerts), you will still have to pay for it. Also, since the limo
is not being used anywhere else during this time, we enforce a minimum rental limit of 3 to 4 hours.
When Diamond Limousine Service rents a limo for 3 hours for example, the 3 hours belong to you and
nobody else. The car will not leave the immediate area and the driver will be on standby to pick you up
as soon as you need your car. Some limousine operators will drop-off passengers and leave to do another
job, but you are risking your car being late to pick you up or not coming back at all (stuck in traffic,
broken or busy with people who are paying $10 more per hour). At all major sporting events in Toronto,
limousines are not even allowed to come back to pick up their passengers until an hour after the game
is over if the car left the stadium parking after the drop-off.
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According to the latest research 95% of the limousine industry doesn't offer 1 hour
rentals. To maintain a high quality of service, we spent 2 to 3 hours on average preparing the car both
before and after the rental. Preparations include a thorough detail job both on the inside and the
outside of the vehicle, wet bar refills with ice and water, mechanical check up, destination planning
and much more. It is simply not efficient for us to rent a limousine for short periods of time.
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As a limousine company we are not allowed to provide alcohol to our customer
under any circumstances, however we do allow passengers to bring their own beverages (champagne and
wine).
- There is no underage drinking in the vehicle.
- All of the damage to the vehicle (i.e. spills, sickness, broken pieces of interior, etc.)
will be charged for in full according to our policies.
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