Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a question to reveal the answer. If your question is still not answered below please feel free to email webmaster@farebid.co.uk
Why can't I order a taxi for today?
Fare Bids purpose is to get the best price for your journey. In order to do this we need to give companies chance to reply. Bearing in mind that Fare Bid is a 24 hour service and not all transport companies are it was decided that the best practice would be to force a quote have at least 24 hours notice.
How much do the text messages to Fare Bid cost?
All SMS messages to Fare Bid will be charged at your standard network rate.
How many requests will be sent out to a company if no replies are received?
Currently Fare Bid will only ever have 2 outstanding quotes to any given company. Any requests received while 2 requests are outstanding will be queued and sent out once a response is received. This number may increase in the future.
Is there any other way Fare Bid can contact a company?
At the moment Fare Bid only uses a text message service. There are plans to develop an API to allow quotes to be received over the internet and an automated telephone system.
Why when I register do I need to give a telephone number?
Fare Bid will pass this information on to the company that you choose to book with. This would be the same if you had booked with the company over the phone. Fare Bid will not pass you details on to any other company, only the company you wish to book with.
What happens if the taxi I book though Fare Bid does not turn up?
Fare Bid cannot be held responsible for the service provided by any company. However you can report the company to us, if a company continues to get bad reports they will be removed from our system.
What can I do if a company I book with charges me more than they quoted?
In this situation you should report the company to Fare Bid. If a company continues to do this they will be removed from our system.
How can I get my company registered with Fare Bid?
You can complete the online form
here. Once approved we will send you details on how to activate your company on Fare Bid.
You can also use our SMS Sign Up service, simply text START followed by your company name to 07545 921515. We will then ask you a short series of questions via text.
How much will Fare Bid charge me to book a taxi?
Nothing. Fare Bid is a free service to the end user. We recover our costs from the company you choose to book with.
How much do Fare Bid charge the companies?
Fare Bid uses a 'No Fare No Fee' policy. Fare Bid only charges the company that a booking is made with. This is also not charged until after the journey has taken place. Fare Bid will usually change 7% of the agreed fare.
What is my company is unavailable for a quote request?
If your company is not available just reply to the quote request with the word UNAVAILABLE. You should not just ignore the quote request as this will effect your FareBid rating.
What is a quote request is not suitable for my company?
If the quote request is not suitable for your company, for example the destination point is too far away, just reply to the quote request with the word UNSUITABLE. You should not just ignore the quote request as this will effect your FareBid rating.