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Report: #825806

Complaint Review: Universal Taxi/Yuri Shapiro/Gordon Simic - Addison Illinois

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  • Reported By: Karma — Peoria Illinois United States of America
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  • Universal Taxi/Yuri Shapiro/Gordon Simic 1740 W Armitage Ct Addison, Illinois United States of America

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I drove a Taxi for Universal for like 2 1/2 weeks. My car leaked ever fluid imagineable,the tires were going bald, my spare in the trunk was completely bald and had wires poking through the rubber, and it had over 275,000 miles on it and was a gas guzzler to boot. I let them know when I hired in that I would be signing out of my lease so I could go back to Michigan to visit with my family/brother who was just getting back from Afghanistan after serving with the U.S. Marines. I'm also a military veteran of the United States Air Force. During my time there I was required to pay them $78 per day every day 6 days a week, which I did and was never late. I was given 4 different school kid accounts that I was responsible for taking to and from school which I did for them, and we are paid or credited rather the following week for these rides so that money we make goes towards our $78/day $468/week.

While I was enroute to pick up some kids who weren't my normally scheduled kids to take to school my power steering went out in my cab. This posed a dangerous driving situation as I could barely turn the wheel making right hand turns having to veer into the left lane just to make the turn. I told the dispatcher that I needed to get my car fixed by one of our mechanics back at the garage, he yelled at me and said I have to pick these kids up because I'm the only one who's in the area and they're already late for school and he hung up, my C.B. radio didn't work properly either which was also posed a major dilemna as I had to resort to use my cell phone to talk to them instead which made it dangerous to drive especially with my power steering out. I ended up picking the kids up anyways since my food and gas depended on it, but told the kids about my power steering being out and that they need to let their mother know that they are riding in an unsafe cab, unfit for providing safe and reliable service which is the cab companies motto.

I signed out of my lease after giving them my 7-day notice, and the office manager Rick Delgado gave me a copy of my reciept for the money that covered my lease for 3 days that week, and with the remaining balance owed to me on it. The only problem with that was he wrote down the wrong dates and had me paying for one day extra 11-24-11 which I didn't work because I turned my cab in on 11-23-11 the day before Thanksgiving. I also made another $44 on top of that for those 3 days I drove kids to school my last 3 days of work. So basically there has been a problem ever since I left with the money owed to me.

I've left numerous messages with a girl named Melissa who told me she has nothing to do with cutting the checks, she can just tell me what I should have coming back to me...well I was never told what I should have coming back to me due to bad reception, I had to call her back. I haven't heard from any of them, I've left numerous messages for Yuri Shapiro and he hasn't returned a single phone call back to me. I went in to their office on Monday 01-16-12 and ran into the owner Gordon Simic and explained to him what was going on, and he told me just like everyone else has that he doesn't handle that and that Yuri Shapiro does, so they took down all of my information for the 3'rd or 4'th time and told me they would talk to Yuri and have him call me the next day to come in and pick up my check. I never recieved a phone call the next day from them. I just went back in there today and told Tanjaa the girl who works behind the glass in the office that I need to speak with Melissa and make sure I'm getting the right amount of money that is owed to me, since the last time I talked to her she told me she could tell me that as long as I provided my old ID#3617 for the cab I drove cab #109 and she changed her tune and told Tanjaa to tell me she already told me that she has nothing to do with the checks, and I need to speak with Yuri.

I told them fine I'll wait here for Yuri, and Tanjaa told me I can't wait there on the premicise because it is private property and to go out and wait in my car, and if I had a problem with that then I can call the police or get a lawyer or do whatever I think I need to do. I waited(for an hour) until after 10:30 in my car for Yuri to show up, it never happened. The whole time while waiting across the street I witnessed multiple luxury sedan's part of the limo service pull up the driver's would get out put a black bag or a briefcase in the back seat, or they would get a black case out of the trunk and bring it into the office and Tanjaa would come outside and crawl into the backseat on her hands and knees and get out putting things in her pockets...it just seemed very shady...I believe this company is a front for a much bigger operation...I'm just trying to get money owed to me trying to make an honest living, I really could've used that money for Christmas gifts for my family, thanks to them I didn't have much of one.

I've witnessed too many people that work for this company talked down to, threatened, basically downright bullied and they use scare tactics to get money from their employees on a daily basis and have court hearings daily for people that owe them money for various reasons according to them. It's funny how when the shoe's on the other foot and they owe someone else money I don't see them in court paying people off.

I also had my military dog tags taken from this vehicle after I turned it back in to them as they were hanging from my rear view mirror...I realized this once I got home and called them back to get them, and they told me that they already replaced me with another driver and he has the car now, and said there was nothing in there. So it was either Rick Delgado or one of the mechanics who took them, and those are irreplaceable and priceless as it was one of my few personnal belongings left from my military service, and now they're also gone along with the money owed to me as well as any kind of explanation or answer to any of this unprofessionalism that I've had the displeasure to associate myself with.



This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/20/2012 12:50 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/universal-taxiyuri-shapirogordon-simic/addison-illinois-60101/universal-taxiyuri-shapirogordon-simic-put-my-life-and-school-kids-lives-in-danger-on-825806. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
2Author
3Consumer
1Employee/Owner

#6 UPDATE EX-employee responds

universal taxi, Addison IL

AUTHOR: Rob - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Hi Paul,  I am taking these scumbags to small claims court to get back the money they owe me.  Gorndon and Yuri are both Despicable LowLifes. These turds could care less what people think about them because their laughing all the way to the bank for now.



Any advice would be appreciated.



Thanks,



Rob







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#5 UPDATE EX-employee responds

One Pissed off Person

AUTHOR: Paul D Rambert - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, June 12, 2012

My name is Paul Rambert and my email is paul_rambert@ymail.com I just beat a theft case filed on me by universal or unique or whatever name Gordan comes up with this week (There are 20 of them)   I need people to contact me that have information.  Lets take these scumbag thiefs down.  Anyone who sends me info will get a copy of a police report on Yuriy Shapiro ripping off Elmhurst's Senior Ride Program complete with mugshot.

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#4 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Lies from behind the glass..

AUTHOR: DrP - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Every complaint i read on this website regarding this company are completely true. In fact i have been gathering ex employees ( who all quit, didnt recieve pay , checks bouced , treated poorly, ect..) And things are being done.. Do not accept rides from universal taxi or morton taxi!! The BBB gave them a negative rating also! Gordon will get what is coming to him.. And his wife christina.. Both who make up false names when people call to complain or ask for money owed.

None of the "positive comments " from the employees or staff ect are accurate or have proof to back them up . Show documentation gordon and christina!!

Yuri is told by gordon not to return calls. I was a dispatcher , i have seen and heard it all.

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#3 REBUTTAL Individual responds

UNIVERSAL TAXI - PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMPANY

AUTHOR: Universal Taxi Dispatch Management - (United States of America)

POSTED: Friday, March 02, 2012

Universal Taxi offers reliable transportation 24 hours a day.  Not only reliable, but quality transportation.  The management at Universal Taxi strives every day to reach consistancy of customer satisfaction.  With the latest in Equippment and the Best Technology in our Industry..... Universal Taxi appreciates our clients.  We provide safe, pleasant transportation.  This site is not monitored or beneficial for consumers as a whole because it allows slander and untruthful statements towards our company and others who are working hard to provide the best service for our clients.   Unfortunately, we stumble upon drivers that are not on the same path of providing safe, professional transportation and we will not tolerate anything less than superior service.   Universal Taxi will say that we work as a team and we have drivers that have been with our company for several years.  Good people that respect the customers and provide the best of service.  Those that begin with our company and quickly leave usually have a different outlook on what Customer service is about.  Still Universal Taxi is proud to provide good paying jobs to those wanting to work and provide for their families and will continue to work as a team with our staff and drivers because we do care about the Service we Provide.

Thank you.

Universal Taxi Management

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#2 Author of original report

Money owed to me by Universal Taxi dispatch inc...is more than I thought it was

AUTHOR: Karma - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I just went back and double checked my records of money owed to me by Universal Taxi dispatch inc, and the original amount I had posted was 303.08....add $80 to that due to reimbursing me for my lease that was already paid by me on 11-21-11 for $80, and my school kids credit which carried over for that week was enough to cover my last 3 days of work and then some. That brings the grand total of money owed to me by Universal Taxi dispatch inc to $383.08.

No messages have been returned by Yuri Shapiro who knows about this situation, but has failed miserably in getting back to me....everyone there just keeps blowing me off in hopes that I just go away and leave them alone. You were paid daily and on time by me for my lease, and you were paid weekly by the school kids parents for me driving them to and from school, and I expect the same payment from them. I wasn't putting my life and school kids lives on the line for free driving their poor excuse for a well maintained taxi cab.

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#1 Author of original report

Money owed to me by Universal Taxi/specific problems with my taxi cab

AUTHOR: Karma - (United States of America)

POSTED: Sunday, January 22, 2012

The cab I drove for Universal Taxi leaked oil, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid, it stalled out at lights and ran really rough on a daily basis. I was told when I hired in that any time I needed to get any fluids topped off due to being low then I could just simply drive the cab back to the garage and they would top them off for me. Here's the catch nobody works in the garage after normal working hours and that's when I drove the cab for the most part in order to make the $78 per day that I owed them for leasing the cab.

I had to put my own money into buying power steering fluid and oil...mostly oil since it burned it at such a rapid rate, I had to put a quart of oil in at least every 3 days. I told the mechanic about needing washer fluid as it was also bone dry along with my gas tank the first day they gave me the vehicle (my gas light was on) he told me that I can just buy some fluid at the gas station, which contradicted what I was told to begin with by Rick Delgado.

I had to replace my spare tire in the back which was bald with wires poking through after I told the mechanic how bad it was, and pricked holes in my fingers due to the bare metal bands in the tires. The one I got as a replacement was also bald and lopsided due to tread wear.

I made $58 per day driving my scheduled kids to school, which totalled $348 out of the $468 that I was supposed to pay them. I payed them my $78 per day every day on time leading up to my final week there, so my last week I worked there I only had to pay my $78 for 3 days that last week since I was off on Sunday. My school credits carried over and obviously was more than enough for me to pay for my last 3 days of work, and also had more money on top of that that was supposed to be coming back to me from driving these kids to school. All of the school kid accounts are paid weekly to the cab company, so they got there money for it, I didn't...other than the credited 3 days for my last week there.

I was charged an extra $78 for 11/24 Thanksgiving day, due to neglegence on their part Rick Delgado wrote the wrong dates down for my days worked and I turned my cab in on 11/23 and was already signed out of my lease. I have records of the money owed to me $181.08 + $78 + $44 = $303.08 which is the total amount owed to me.

They take their drivers to court on a daily basis for money owed to them, and they're also charged a late fee dollar amount per every day they are late. I've done nothing wrong here I was up front with them from day one about needing to sign out of my lease and they were cool with that, and I've paid them everything on time, and should be paid what I'm owed for getting kids to and from school safely despite driving in an unsafe vehicle on a daily basis. I've also filed a report with the Illinois department of Labor about this situation.

If there is a class action lawsuit filed against this company, I'm all for it sign me up...this is a shady business with shady people working in the back for them and something must be done to put a stop to this before somebody seriously gets hurt driving for them, if it hasn't happened already...and just been covered up.

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