Lost property in Sydney Taxi

mponderosa on 21/07/2015 - 20:32

Hi

I would like to share and also have some opinion from the OzBargainers regarding the incident that just happened to me yesterday.

I am a Melburnian and we went to Sydney with my family in a big group of 9 people.

We ordered an 11-seater maxi cab via 133 300 to drop us off in Terminal 2 Sydney airport.

I sat in the front seat as I bring my parent's messenger bag which contains monies in foreign denominations approximately $200 AUD, overseas driver license, ATM card, and Google Nexus 7.

We've been dropped off on the terminal but we were in a rush with our luggages and I was in rush to get a wheelchair before I realised that the messenger bag was still on the front seat. It was too late as the taxi was far away so I called 133 300. I had to call them several times but the operator always said they can not contact the driver as he did not pick up.

No hope at all as they can not promise anything. They said I have to report to ccnetwork.com.au in written form. One of the operator also asked if the object was found, and the taxi driver deliver it to the airport, I will have to cover the fare, I was OK with that.

An hour later after trying to contact them continuously, they just forward my call to "lost property section" which the machine only informed me to create a written report. Finally I spoke to an operator that can connect me to the driver so I spoke to the driver. However the driver was quite angry as being contacted and bombardize with calls and texts several times. He said he did not see the bag. He insisted that he did not see it and reluctant to help cooperatively. He offered me if I want to check by myself, he can return to the airport and I have to cover the cost of the fare, he said he is still with another passenger and will call me later (which he did not call me at the end).

We are absolutely sure that the messenger bag was still there and left in the taxi. However since our boarding time was so close then I can not afford him to return back to the airport and we also have to cover the cost. I don't want to accuse him for not returning our belongings. From the value itself maybe it's not much but it was my parent's belonging and lots of complexity to get another driver license. I do appreciate the honesty.

Do you have any similar experiences as mine? What did you do? I am not satisfied with the way taxi operator is managing my incident. How come they can not contact the driver in a 1 hour blank spot. Also do they have an attitude review or performance review of their cab drivers?

In this kind of incident, do they only believe their driver or they should facilitate an intermediation between the customer and their driver? How can I contact the taxi management and letting them know if this incident?

Thanks in advance if you have any solution or advise.

Travel

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Comments

  • toristo on 21/07/2015 - 21:19
    +5

    You could file a formal complaint with the taxi company and ask them to review the video footage. They may not be able to see anything, and arguably even if they do, the only real option for you then is to take the matter up with police.

    Do you have travel insurance?

  • zappy32 on 22/07/2015 - 02:21

    Good luck! I'd definitely try again with the taxi company, they'll have a record of which taxi took the booking and the taxi should have video, as will the airport. It's just going to be a pain the arse… Hopefully there will be a maxi uber service soon and they'll be no need for the appalling taxi service!

  • ukmark on 22/07/2015 - 02:42
    +6

    To add balance, my mother-in-law lost her phone in a Sydney taxi on the way to the airport. When I called it, the taxi driver answered and said he had been waiting for my call. I asked him how I went about getting it back for her, and he said he can either take it back to the taxi head office or he could post it himself.

    This taxi driver went out of his way to post the phone back to my mother-in-law and he paid the postage! Despite me offering to pay him for the postage and his trouble, he refused and said my good wishes were enough.

    Not all taxi drivers are bad people, in fact some at the salt of the earth.

  • DealzEddy123 on 22/07/2015 - 17:51
    -3

    how can you be absolutely sure the bag was still there in the taxi.

    this is obviously untrue.

    AND it IS fair for you to pay for the fare for him to drive back if you dont take his word for it.

    I left my phone once and I had to pay the driver to drive back. I dont see why it would be considered unfair. Maybe not pleasant, but he is on work time and you forgot your bag, not his fault.

  • MITM on 22/07/2015 - 17:53

    Partner left laptop in a taxi at night. Fortunately the driver returned to the drop off point AFTER his next fare, where the receptionist called my partner to come to the front desk to collect it. Many happy tears.

    The only course of action is to contact lost property during business hours, but my partner was due to fly early next morning and wouldn't have had time to get to lost property.

    It's a very underwhelming process to reclaim lost property from a taxi company, where as Uber…well, say no more.

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