FORUM

We have new neighbours here in Collioure - a Dr and Mrs Sami. Dr Sami came for coffee this afternoon despite being booked on Ryanair out of Gerona this morning. In his hand he clutched a copy of his booking on Perpicat for pick up from Collioure Post Office bearing today's date. He waited for an hour but the bus never turned up and when he phoned they denied any knowledge of the booking and said it was "impossible" that Dr Sami could have a copy of the ticket to hand.

Dr Sami has had to rebook and we all know what fly-tomorrow prices are at Ryanair!! So he has lost his first ticket, had to pay a premium for a second flight, had to spend extra getting back to Wales because the flight is to Luton and rely on Perpicat again. The shameful part of this is they offered him 5 Euros off his fare to Gerona in compensation.

Picking him up off our floor as they made this offer, he told us they said "if he didn't like it to write in with a formal complaint and they would consider it" - at least the woman on the phone today had the honesty to admit it was her mistake!

You will be advised of the outcome.

John

I promised to update you on this bad experience with Perpicat.

The previous post, by the way, prompted an angry and bad tempered phone call from a 'gentleman' at Perpicat!!

Dr Sami has now accepted an offer of several free journeys from them. I have to say it wasn't many bearing in mind his financial losses and, speaking personally, I would not have accepted their, still frugal, recompense.

So the matter is now closed. But I have dropped recommending Perpicat to the considerable numbers of our Customers we have previously been sending them.

John

Have never used Perpicat so can't comment on the above, we always use Frogbus from Le Boulou to Girona and vice versa and I can't praise them highly enough. The coaches arrive on time,they are clean and the drivers always courteous and helpful.
I appreciate that they don't call at Collioure at the moment but maybe an email to them might prompt them into adding more departure/arrival points in the future if there is enough demand.

John & Elaine wrote:I promised to update you on this bad experience with Perpicat.

The previous post, by the way, prompted an angry and bad tempered phone call from a 'gentleman' at Perpicat!!

Dr Sami has now accepted an offer of several free journeys from them. I have to say it wasn't many bearing in mind his financial losses and, speaking personally, I would not have accepted their, still frugal, recompense.

So the matter is now closed. But I have dropped recommending Perpicat to the considerable numbers of our Customers we have previously been sending them.
John

John
What method of transportation do you reccomend for those Customers now? It's a long ways to get the Frogbus from Collioure. Black Taxiis maybe????????

Blackduff

Continuing the bad press for Perpicat. I booked several weeks in advance a 3.20 a.m. pick-up at Plage Nord, Argeles for Barcelona airport. I was going to S. America. 3.30 no car. I rang. He said tough in Canet now to pick up 6.00 Gerona flight clients. No phone call to me. Before he had always collected me from one side of my house and the other side is opposite his parking spot. So 3.20 in the morning I thought he would pick me up on my side. Suitcases were in centre of the road. He told me I should not have gone to bed and to stay awake. After 2 calls to him his answer 'TOUGH, no way was he back tracking from Canet to Argeles'. I made it to Barcelona by taxi, Frogbus, local bus and taxi. I reckon he did not have my No. with him but also perhaps he just did not turn up for me like his clients from Coullioure Never ever again with Perpicat and never ever again recommend them absolutely the opposite. I would have lost loads of money with no redress exccept to sue him.

Just wondering if the clients picked up for a 6.00 flight departing Gerona on the Tuesday the 9th November by Perpicat and thus heard the 2 phone conversations are members of this site. I would be interested if they are to send me a personnel email so I could maybe check up on the whereabouts of Perpicat on that early morning.

We have used Perpicat several times and were always extremely pleased with them : we were always picked up at home and brought back at any time of the day or night.
Once Helen's plane was late at Girona and Mr "Perpicat" waited for several hours at the airport, again in the middle of the night. On another occasion a friend of ours didn't appear at the appointed meeting place, and Mr. "Perpicat" spent over an hour looking for her, eventually finding her enjoying a meal at the cafeteria!
The unfortunate mishap with Dr Sami must have been an accident which it took them some time to realise and acknowledge (and try to repair), but is it necessary to give firms a bad name as soon as something goes wrong? It may do them a lot of harm, not always justified, eg when someone criticised Malcom Cooper (Cooper's Epicerie in Argelès) something for which he was very hurt.
As best this is extremely unkind; at worst : libel.
RF.

I suppose it is only fair that if the forum is to be used for positive comments and recommendations, it should also be used for for negative, otherwise it is false measure. Maybe others who have used Perpicat can weigh the balance?

May I disagree profoundly with Mr Ferrieux.

The old "Near enough is good enough" approach is dead. We live in the era of Total Quality. No rejects, no mistakes, right first time - every time. I learned this the hard way. I worked in manufacturing. We did OK until the Japanese appeared on the scene. Then it was adapt or die. The same maxims apply to the provision of services.

If this had happened to me I too would be hopping mad. For myself I rely on friends and family for those crucial taxi trips to the station or airport.

Noel

Why should it be "unkind" to report the facts where a firm has let down a customer? Perhaps on the contrary it would be unkind to other potential users of that firm not to advise them of a bad experience. All that John & Elaine have done is to report factually on a situation. I for one value being able to make an informed decision based on both negative and positive experiences - both kinds of which we see reported here.

As for libel, there is nothing remotely libellous about what has been said.

For the record, I am just as 'quick' to report those who get it right. Like Frogbus!!

John

I too am quick to critisise but by the same token I give praise where it is due.

We have only used frogbus once, it was a nailbiting experience waiting at le Boulou , but releif all round when it did arrive a few minutes behind 'schedule' but if you read the timetable it does say allow waiting time for traffic. Great service, good music and even one of those smellies that whafts away other people B.O evey 15 mins

I do know someone who would not use perpicat again as they got to the airport by the skin of their teeth due to a pick up time later than requested.

To be honest I do prefer to rely on myself to get to the airport, even hubby has been known to get it wrong and the last person to pick me up at a UK airport had me sweating wondering if I should jump on the local bus or stand in the freezing wind hoping they would answer my text .........then they fool me by turning up in a new posh car

I object to a person suggesting that my scenario was either libelous or slightly better. I have been a total advocate of Perpicate and have passed on my recommendations to clients of mine and others. The main point being that they were prepared to pick up at as near to one's home as possible. I have travelled with Perpicat on several occasions both collection Argeles / home and collection / Girona. But this is where the whole scenario fell apart. I personally would have been so out of pocket from Argeles to Lisbon / cruise / San Juan and return journey by airline. Would Perpicat have been prepared to reemburse me to the extent I paid out had I not kept a cool head and got myself to Barcelona with 2 hours to spare for a flight at 12.30/ collection was at 3.20 a.m. I don't think so. Collection at Girona/Barcelona is only slightly different to Departure from Girona/Barcelona!!! I am not trying to malign a firm, I am stating fact as it happened. Good luck to those who have other partners / friends to transport them to Frogbus or whereever lucky you, not jealous though.

It (taxi) was 77.00 from Argeles to Perignan station alone. The whole point was I was paying for what I booked but did not get it.

However I would like to end my saga on a high note which is. If requiring a taxi in Argeles because of being stranded or otherwise phone Taxi Capeille 26 r. Répolublique 04.68.81.30.32 which were the 3rd Co. I phoned at 4.00 a.m. for Perpignan station and on the return from Argeles station. Well done Capeille Argeles.

Anyone planning on flying today or tomorrow should check the airline website, unlike Rachel who is sitting on the Frogbus with her mobile switched off blissfully unaware that Gatwick is closed for the day and there are no other Ryanair flights to the UK available today.

Mike got off to Leeds/Bradford this morning with Ryanair.Haven't heard if he landed yet.

good luck to him if he does land in Leeds/bradford. i have just spoken with a relative in Pickering, 14 inches of snow overnight!

monsans wrote:I do not follow the last 2 observations. However I would like to end my saga on a high note which is. If requiring a taxi in Argeles because of being stranded or otherwise phone Taxi Capeille 26 r. Répolublique 04.68.81.30.32 which were the 3rd Co. I phoned at 4.00 a.m. for Perpignan station and on the return from Argeles station. Well done Capeille Argeles.

don't worry about us, we are just diverting the thread, sorry should have done it by pm.

opas wrote:don't worry about us, we are just diverting the thread, sorry should have done it by pm.

You started it!

I am now ending it

If Mike flew from Carcassonne the flight has been diverted to land in Liverpool.

Thanks for the info.He has now got to get back to Bradford my sister in law says they have blizzard conditions. I somehow feel I am better off here

At the moment the main roads are clear so he should be OK. However they are closing all the schools as it is blizzard conditions.

monsans wrote:I do not follow the last 2 observations.

If it is any consolation you are not alone. On this forum it happens all the time. From what little I have seen it is a game played by just a few members. Why they do it I have not the foggiest idea. The long term effect may well be to deter serious input. Maybe that is what they really wanted all along.

Noel

If you are refering to the banter between serge and myself then I have already appologised for disrupting everyone from their discussion on perpicat.

On this forum it happens all the time

I think Noel you will find that it happens on most forums - maybe a little more often on this one as it is so local, and many people know each other so it's only natural that a bit of banter goes on. No harm done though eh?
I will prune the thread down to the bones after I've had a cup of PG Tips and a ginger biscuit or two.

after I've had a cup of PG Tips and a ginger biscuit or two.

...that time already...

Negative reviews are neither cruel or unkind. Indeed, as a consumer, I often find a negative review more useful than a positive one! So thank you, John and Monsans for highlighting this!

Kate is right, Noel. There is perhaps more banter on this forum than on others - that is what sets it apart from the rest.

There are plenty of fora around where there is none at all and they are, whilst informative, quite dry and boring places too, I think!

Kate wrote:

On this forum it happens all the time

I think Noel you will find that it happens on most forums - maybe a little more often on this one as it is so local, and many people know each other so it's only natural that a bit of banter goes on. No harm done though eh?
I will prune the thread down to the bones after I've had a cup of PG Tips and a ginger biscuit or two.

Kate
This forum has a charm with the banter. Being too formal would lose a lot of the posters. More PG Tips and less Moaning!!!!

While I'm posting, I still haven't heard anybody give an option if they do not want to use Perpicat anymore. Moaning doesn't help.

One thing should happen, if they want a service to work. Everybody will have to use a working mobile. No UK numbers but a correct mobile with a French number. Then the customer can call the service a few minutes before your pick-up time. Let the service guy know you're waiting for the pick-up. This will reduce the disastrous "misses".

Blackduff