First Charter Bus Rental

e schedule. Would recommend!

river Yvonne was on time and did a great job. I'd seen other reviews and was nervous about booking this but the price was the best I could find so I gambled, and it paid off! They did a great job and I would recommend them to others needing a school bus for a wedding.

ng themselves and carpooling to my venue after waiting over twenty minutes for the shuttle to show up. I had been trying to get a hold of the company all day, when they finally returned my call 15 minutes before I had to walk down the aisle they told me they were 10 mins away from the hotel to pick up guests (an hour after they were supposed to be there). They said they had tried to call but the number they had on file (the wrong number) was disconnected. They did not think to get in touch with me despite my email and phone number being all over the file as I was the one who booked the shuttles. I told them that all my guests left without them as they were over an hour late to pick up my guests. How can a shuttle company be AN HOUR LATE for a wedding. The level of disrespect is beyond words. I told them at the very least they had to drive all my guests home from the wedding and pick them up in the morning so they could get their cars but they refused to return in the morning. When I told them to speak to my planner as I was about to walk down the aisle and they already ruined my wedding day, the manager refused to do so. I was able to get a full refund, but this doesn’t even begin to cover the damage they have caused. Not only were they not there to pick up my guests at the time I paid for, they refused to undo the damage by picking up my guests in the morning, they were rude, disrespectful, and just completely unprofessional. I could not recommend them less for a wedding. Avoid at all cost. 

h of rowdy wedding guests, were extremely kind to all of us and they transported us safely and efficiently! I of course have to mention how affordable this option is for wedding transport! I cant forget to mention how great the customer service was! I was a bit clueless about booking wedding transportation but luckily someone very kind and patient was able to help me come up with a solid plan!! I wish I could remember her name, she was fantastic! Can’t recommend First Charter enough!!

ely loved going on a yellow school bus, so it was a win win!

th lots of extra food and paid open bar. The bride and I had to close out our own party alone. They offered me a small refund of 1 hour's time but that doesnt really equate to the fact that this was one of the most important hours of the contract.

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had my booking and would provide shuttles, 2) they still had my day-of contact person’s name and cell number, and 3) they had the correct payment information. They confirmed yes for all 3, but the only thing they did correctly was take my money. On the day of the wedding, my family informed me 10 minutes after the shuttle was supposed to have dropped everybody off at the venue that no buses ever came to the hotel. Our ceremony was delayed by 30 minutes as our guests ordered Ubers and drove their own cars to the venue. They never called the contact person I provided for them (MOH) and when we called the number for headquarters, nobody answered. They also did not do the first return trip after the reception. The only trip they provided (of the 3 we paid for) was the final trip of the evening. However, at this point almost all of our guests had either driven themselves or ordered Ubers because they (rightfully so!) did not think our shuttles were reliable. So of our 111 guests, only 7 were able to take advantage of the $1200 service we contracted. The company didn’t even call us during business hours to apologize or offer a refund - I had to call them the Tuesday after! They confirmed that they knew the driver only made 1 trip and they offered me a $200 refund. I said “absolutely not” and they offered me a 50% refund. In the interest of compromise, I settled for a 66% refund, because even though I would have paid less than $50 to transport 7 people via ride share services, First Charter’s driver did technically show up for the final trip. I wouldn’t recommend them, unless you were hoping to stress on your wedding day and have a ton of money you’re dying to throw away.

. I (the bride) had to get the envelope with the tip. But the driver demanded his tip from guests and family members while I was getting my bag. I had a nice tip for him, but he was given $20 by my uncle so he would stop yelling in the lobby of the hotel at the end of the night. He shook his head and stormed off. By the time I got there, the bus had gone and I was told about the driver's insane behavior. This was unacceptable. He definitely didn't deserve the dollar amount I had for him. So I am glad he didn't get it. For context, this bus was for the guests and not the bride and groom. So the tip was to be given when the guests arrived to the hotel after the reception. He couldn't wait another 3 minutes for me to get downstairs with his tip. I have 6 friends/family planning weddings that said they would NEVER use this company after witnessing this behavior.

ad several changes to the orders throughout the process. I booked with ample time before the date. The call center customer service agents were always pleasant, helpful, and kind, they seemed to really care about the fact I was getting married and was celebratory of this event. However, come the day of and unbeknownst to me (my guests definitely didn't want to stress me out on my wedding day) the shuttle at 10PM did not come which left a bunch of guests having to Uber home, which is the opposite to what I paid for... especially since Ubers are not too common from Branford, CT. When I called the call center to rectify the problem-- it was near the 4th weekend. They did inform me it might be a little bit until I was able to get the case resolved. I had to follow up several times and it took nearly 2 weeks to get this issue fixed. They did in full transparency offer me a small refund which seemed fair, but overall for the amount of money I paid for this service, the amount of times I called to confirm make sure it was okay and hope that it would work out. It was disappointing that the service didn't go as planned. I think transportation is one of those things that you REALLY worry about because it is one thing you can't keep your eye on as a bride since it is out of your control. Now, the bus driver did get everyone to the venue on time and picked everyone up (those that were left) at 11PM and he was nice and polite (especially since wedding shuttles I'm sure are never easy/fun), but that additional shuttle being missed when it was on the trip confirmation was disappointing and it's important that others are aware of the issues before booking.

them for guest transport to and from our wedding venue ~40 minutes from downtown Charleston. This was something we invested thousands of dollars on and was extremely important to us as we didn’t want anyone drinking and driving down dark country roads and didn’t want anyone to have to pay for expensive Ubers. Well THEY JUST NEVER SHOWED UP. NEVER CONTACTED ANYONE AND WERE UNREACHABLE ONCE WE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. Our guests were left stranded with no idea what to do. They all ended up having to pay large sums to uber to our venue. I have never been so appalled by a company. Disgusted that they can get away with this. I AM BEGGING YOU TO BOYCOTT THIS COMPANY. Once we finally got a hold of them days later they refunded us but refused to pay for the alternate transportation we (thank god) were able to secure last minute to transport everyone back downtown.

teed that they can get a bus, but they will try. I then get an email the next day that they charged my card over $2,000. Apparently they were able to get the bus and took that as an okay to charge my card without contacting me. When I called in a new panic, they said I had to pay $300 to cancel the bus (that I never okayed hiring). They also charge a crazy amount compared to other companies. Save yourself the stress and money and go with someone else!

pleasant.

10-15 min stagger so guests would arrive in two waves and there would be a first and second bus). So they refused to do that and just waited for everyone to get on. They all got on one bus. The second bus… not sure where he went all that time but he decided to show up at the venue DURING THE CEREMONY (imagine a big bus backing up BEEP, beep, BEEP, engines, brakes… complete nightmare). I was humiliated and crushed… almost cried at the altar in front of everyone. WHY didn’t the guy follow the timeline??? To add insult to injury, at the conclusion of the wedding, they decided to park the busses in a way that blocked the exit for everyone else (wasn’t necessary —- they had an entire lot they could have picked up the guests in). So, the dozens of guests who weren’t staying at the hotel were stuck in the lot for more than a half hour after the wedding. Real nice! I filed a complaint, and they did call…. SEVERAL TIMES while we were on our honeymoon. No tact. Totally out of touch. No business taking part in someone’s wedding day. PAY UP for better ladies!

y to set up and confirm our arrangements. The drivers were also friendly. The buses did arrive a little later than expected to the hotel to pick up our guests before the wedding. Ultimately, there was not a significant delay, but it did leave some guests wondering if they had missed the bus. The buses arrived promptly at the end of the night to return us and our guests back to the hotel.

he third bus didn't show up to the hotel to pick up guests until our wedding ceremony time, and no one called us to notify us of the issue. It caused a delay for our ceremony, stress for us, and confusion for our guests. We were able to work with First Charter for a small refund, but the day would have been less stressful if this hadn't happened.

y were so much cheaper than any other option. This was a wonderful experience and everything went flawlessly! We confirmed with the local branch the week of the wedding that everything was all set. They showed up on time and guests had a great experience, the driver even made sure at the end of the night that everyone who needed the shuttle was on it and waited for a couple lagging guests!

y of, the driver was great and our guests definitely were pleased.

keep our day running smoothly. Not only was she professional, but she also added a fun and lively atmosphere, making the ride enjoyable for everyone. Using this service was a fantastic addition to our wedding, and we highly recommend them for any special event. Thank you for helping make our day unforgettable!

r ceremony time at time of booking.

vendor, & on my most important day -- my wedding day. Leading up to the day, I called First Charter on several occasions to get clarity on the trip details, as their explanation of trip rotations was unclear. Additionally, I requested the day of driver several months, weeks, & 3 days in advance of the event and the driver contact was never provided. On my wedding day, the shuttle missed a stop entirely & left my guests stranded for 45 minutes. We called the emergency number on our contract (because the driver details was never provided) & it went to voicemail. After several calls to First Charter trying to locate the bus & transport the remaining guests, First Charter never returned our call. I would NOT recommend First Charter due to their unresponsiveness & unreliability.

NYONE from the company on the day of the wedding. We needed to clarify and confirm the drop off location. I finally just had to have a friend that was riding the bus to the wedding give them my information. After the ceremony, most of the wedding party was left at the church until we could get word to come back for us. This messed up timing of entire reception. At the end of the evening, we had paid for buses to shuttle back and forth to the hotel starting 2 hours before reception was over. All buses showed up at 11 pm( ending time). Some guests had to Uber back to hotel earlier because buses were all parked off site. I would not use them again.

ybody!

they never showed up - never answered their phones and left us completely ghosted and stranded on my wedding day! My entire wedding was delayed and we had to spend a lot of money to last minute book another transportation service for my guests.. I lost out on time for my photographer to take pictures becuase we were so late to our venue waiting on a bus that would never come. Customer service refunded our money but won't take responsibility for anything else because "they're system doesn't allow for it" I hate this company for the black stain they put on my wedding day.

the phone and create a detailed transportation guide leading up to the day. When their wedding came up I reached out the the driver to confirm details the day of and it went straight to voicemail- every single number provided was useless and either continued to ring or go straight to voicemail. The two school busses meant to bring guests to a ceremony 20 mins away never showed- their booking meant to be from 3-9 was never fulfilled and we were never able to get ahold of anyone. We were ghosted! BEWARE!!!! This is a vendor that should absolutely NOT be trusted- bring your business elsewhere to a vendor that is reliable and will not leave you in a horrible spot on one of the most important days of your life. DO NOT BOOK THIS VENDOR!!! IT IS A SCAM!!

d it was easy to schedule a school bus to suit our needs at a more affordable price than the average party bus. Our local Elk Grove, IL office assigned a driver, and we were able to get their contact info the week of the wedding in case anything came up. Our driver Xavier was great: on time, a safe driver, and very agreeable as we led him on a somewhat winding path through the park to where we wanted to take our photos. And the bus itself was also a great backdrop for a few pictures! We highly recommend them.

blem making sure they took full payment a week before the wedding. Ruined my entire wedding timeline! Disgusted to see several other reviews just like mine, not sure how they run a business like this and ruin someone’s wedding day. Will be taking legal action!

ur guests for our wedding day, my husbands cousin had to call them to which they responded they did not have any trips booked that day (despite a written contract and itinerary) They must’ve then realized they messed up and sent a bus to which 80% of our guests ended up driving themselves due to it being AN HOUR late. So our ceremony was an hour late because of these Aholes. They then sent a bus the second day on our day after party “to make up for it” which we never asked for? Wasn't in our contract. That said bus driver was then drinking beer and taking shots with our guests… who then drove our family back to their hotels AFTER DRINKING. Which he denied of course stating he was “drinking water because it was hot”. It was 60 degrees, raining and windy that day on a mountaintop. We had the heat on. We have multiple witnesses who saw him drinking. It is nearly impossible to get ahold of them via telephone, and we were told we would get a call back. It has now been over a month and they refuse to contact us back or give us any sort of refund so we will now be proceeding with legal action. DO. NOT. BOOK THEY ARE A NIGHTMARE.

heck to make sure that we have availability a couple weeks before your wedding, but that parts a formality. By 9/11 I hadn't received a call so I called them again. They still made it seem like no problem they'll get them reserved today. Just now (9/12) I get a call that all busses in the area are booked so I'm just without transportation for my guests. They clearly did nothing between July and 9/11 when I called again, and now there are no busses left. Just a horrible way to run a business and if I could give them less than 1 star I would.

lso get our bus drivers information. Both of our busses showed up promptly at the end of the night and were easy to work with. We had no issues working with First Charter!

meone/ receive a cal back. Bus did not show for the event due to a claimed scheduling system error. We spoke with both booking agency and local bus contact multiple times prior to event to make sure all was set. On the day of (Saturday) when bus did not show, there was no way to get ahold of anyone via phone. We received a full refund, but the complete lack of communication options day-of and resulting stress on us and confusion of our expecting riders was not worth it.

bridesmaids and bride, which wasn’t a big deal. But the driver left the hotel 10 minutes early with the guests to go to the reception and there were over 30 guests waiting for her to come back and get them. Because of this, we had to start the wedding 45 minutes late, which impacted the entire timeline. We ended up paying $2,000 to extend the reception because our guests were just beginning to enjoy the music and dancing at 10 pm, instead of 8:30. After planning the wedding for a year, this was the only thing that went wrong.

ed detailed documentation, and was flexible for changes to our schedule. The drivers were timely and friendly and the buses were clean and in good condition. Our guests were grateful for the transportation and we were excited to have our guests enjoy the night without worrying about driving home safely. Definitely recommend!

tel drop offs a few days before the event. Whatever, that's on us, I guess. That being said, our actual drivers were affable, flexible, and our guests safely transported. Cheers!

ing for recommendations on a company that would, they said that they don’t know anyone that would do “late night/alcohol related” trips.

r timing. When it came time to book this vendor they would not even respond to emails or pick up the phone to book a reservation and take my money. I cannot even fathom what the support is after booking if they will not even answer the phone to book new reservations.

all of our requests and helped with all of our questions. they arrived on time and everyone had a great experience.

ofessional! Everyone loved the school bus throwback :)

weren't on top of each other to get there.

nd then two more runs at the end of the night. The later runs also included a second hotel that the wedding party stayed at. The booking process was a breeze, and they helped me pick shuttle times to get everyone in and out of the venue when they needed to be. I love that I didn't have to have a guest act as a shuttle coordinator on the wedding day and be on the bus most of the time (someone had to do that at my sister's wedding with a different company). They were so on time that my husband and I actually were not able to use the shuttle at the end of the night because we still had a few things to wrap up, but I didn't mind at all, it got all of the guests out on time!