Terms & Conditions

Health and Safety Policy

The safety of our clients and staff are our highest priority.

Click here to read how we will keep you safe during the ongoing global pandemic with our Covid-Secure Strategy.

Limitations 

Passengers: A maximum of three passengers can travel in one of our cars at any one time.

Age: Children do not need to be accompanied by an adult in order to travel as all of our drivers have advanced criminal records checks. We have standard backless booster seats available for children weighing over 22kg (3st 7lbs) who are also over 125cm (4ft 1ins) tall. It is the responsibility of the customer or booking agent that the adequate child seating is available. We have one rear facing baby seat that is avaliable upon request. It is the responsiblity of the driver to ensure that passengers under 14 years of age wear a seatbelt. Passengers over 14 years of age are responsible for their own seatbelt.

Height: There is no formal legal height limit to travelin our cars, however, we enforce our own limitations of 190cm (6ft 3”).

Weight: The max weight we can carry in our cars is 425kg (66st / 937lbs) total, including all passengers and luggage. This works out as a max average of 106kg per person (16.7st / 233lbs).

We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone wishing to travel in our vehicles. Reasons for refusal can include but are not limited to: not holding a valid booking, exceeding the above vechile limitations, drunk or abusive behaviour, material damage to the vehcile.

In Car Safety

  • Exercise caution when getting in and out of the car, especially when entering the rear of the vehicle – the cars are small! Ensure passengers exit the rear one leg at a time and offer a helping hand if needed.
  • Keep hands and feet away from the doors and windows at all times.
  • Please ensure that seatbelts are worn at all times and secured before the vehicle starts moving.
  • Stow mobile device in the phone holder provided. Setting satellite navigation for guidance, sending, or receiving calls or messages and any other interaction with the mobile device must be done when safely pulled over to the side of the road with the engine switched off. The same rule applies when setting the radio station or stereo, this must be done before the vehicle is moving.

 External Safety

  • Keep yourself and your clients safe at all times. London is busy! When crossing the road, it is imperative to remain vigilant for pedestrians, cyclists, motor bikes, buses, cars, vans and lorries and any other hazards.
  • When jump suits / overalls are being warn, advise all parties to roll up any excessive material to avoid trip hazards.

Driving Style

  • I understand that the vehicles being used are classic vehicle and I will endeavour to be mechanically sympathetic in my driving style to increase the longevity of the vehicle.

Driving Time

  • Maximum driving time 10 hrs per day with a total shift time of 11hrs.
  • Never exceed more than 5hrs of continuous driving without stopping for a break.

Driver Requirements

  • Minimum of 21 years old at the point of applying and have held a full UK manual driving licence for at least 3 years with no more than 3 penalty point.
  • Hold a Private Hire Driving License (PHDL) which is issued by Transport for London (TFL). This consists of a medical examination, DBS ‘enhanced’ criminal records check and 3 tests: topographic / speaking / SERU.
  • Pass our driver training program which consists of a suggested reading list, x6 in car training sessions and an online 120-question quiz that the driver will need to achieve >80%
  • Consent to ad-hoc drugs and alcohol testing. We have a zero-tolerance policy for both. Should any driver test positive to either test they will be instantly dismissed and banned from working in the business again.
  • Provide DVLA Share codes, claims and driving history when required.

Punctures

To save space, reduce fuel consumption and reduce the risk of injury, we do not carry spare tyres or the tools required to change a wheel in the vehicle. Instead, we carry Tyre Weld. This is a product that you can spray into the wheel to re-inflate the tyre and seal the puncture temporarily to finish the tour. Instructions for implementation can be found on the side of the canister.

Breakdowns

In the unlikely event of a breakdown the driver will suspend the tour when it is safe to do so. The driver will call the office and arrange for another car to continue the tour (subject to availability); the turnaround time for this is usually 30 minutes. Passengers will be escorted from the side of the road to a safe area to wait. Should we not be able to provide a replacement car for the client within 30 minutes, the remainder of the tour will be rescheduled. All our cars have fleet breakdown cover. Their average callout time is 45 minutes.  Should no replacement be available, we will refund the outstanding percentage of the tour without question.

Fire Safety Procedure

Although we have never experienced a fire, it is important to know what to do should one occur:

  1. Exit the vehicle and help others to exit the vehicle.
  2. When everyone is safely out of the car and away from the vehicle, call the emergency services on 999.
  3. A fire extinguisher can be found in the boot of all cars should you require it.

First Aid

A small / basic First Aid kit can be found in the boot of each car should the need arise. We have a comprehensive First Aid Kit at our depot. Our drivers are not trained to administer First Aid so any help the client seeks from the driver directly is done so at their own risk.

Our Cars

Our cars range from 1970s-2000s. We take great pride in maintaining our fleet of classic cars to the highest possible standards. The cars undergo daily, weekly, monthly, bi-annual and annual checks and services.

Every time the car is taken out the driver must check the tyre tread level, brake lights, head lights, indicators, hazard warning lights, horn and seat belts to make sure all are in perfect working order.

Every week the following items are checked and maintained accordingly: Oil level, brake fluid level, clutch fluid level, tyre tread level, indicators, head lights, hazard warning lights, brake lights, reversing light, and horn.

Every six month all cars undergo a full service. Typically, we change the air filters, oil, oil filter, spark plugs, radiator hoses, ball joints and a full MOT. The cars need to have a MOT every six month to comply with our licensing regulations. Parts are lifed well below their capability and pre-emptively replaced before failure to reduce the possibility of breakdowns. This means we have some of the most well maintained and safest classic cars on the road today.

Terms and Conditions of Services

We require the following information from all customers, agents, resellers, third-party bookers and intermediaries in order to carry out our service successfully:

Booking agent name (if applicable), Booking agent number (if applicable), Booking agent email (if applicable), Client name, Client email, Client number, Client Hotel, Pick up date, Pick up time, Pick up location (within Zone 1), Service booked.

Any issues/ refunds arising as a direct result of a lack of the above information shall be the responsibility of the agent, customer or booker, not smallcarBIGCITY.

Once a booking is made, any amendments to that booking must be clearly identified and conveyed in writing via email at least three days prior to the service date. We will send written confirmation of this change back in writing.

Departure times can vary by up to 20 minutes. If we are running late because of an unforeseen circumstance, we will call the customer to make them aware so please ensure that a valid mobile telephone number is supplied when booking.

If a client is late to arrive at the arranged pick-up point, the driver will wait up to 30 minutes before the appointment is automatically cancelled. Please note no refund will be given in these circumstances.

All services require a credit/debit card or paid invoice to secure the booking. See Terms and Conditions of Cancellation for details on how to amend or cancel your booking. Confirmation of a booking marks a contractual agreement between smallcarBIGCITY ltd and the customer that smallcarBIGCITY ltd will deliver the service at the time and date specified or give reasonable notice of cancellation along with the return of any outstanding fees paid.

smallcarBIGCITY cannot be held responsible for traffic jams, delays, irregularities in scheduling, bad weather or the loss or theft of personal objects. If a tour is interrupted at the request of the client, the client will not be entitled to any reimbursement.

  • Bookings of 3 cars or more are exclusive of VAT (Bookings of 1-2 cars are priced inclusive of VAT)
  • All booking must be pre-booked in advance. For booking within the next 48hrs – please call for availability
  • Maximum 3 passengers per car. Parties of 4+ will travel in multiple cars (30 pax. maximum in a 10 car convoy or 120 pax. combining multiple activities, please ask for details)
  • Not wheelchair accessible if 3 pax per car, wheelchair accessible only when 2 pax per car
  • Tours operational daily 9am – 8pm. (Bookings between 22nd Dec – 2nd Jan are subject to additional charges)

Films, Photo Shoots, Props and Corporate Hire: Should a member of the hiring crew need to drive the vehicle, it is the responsibility of the hiree to provide adequate insurance. smallcarBIGCITY cannot be held responsible for damages. Any damages incurred during the time of hiring will be invoiced retrospectively.

Self Drive Hire

We will need the following information to hire a car from us:

A  full driving license held for at least 3 years

Proof of address (bank statement, utility bill, council tax, no mobile phone)

Credit or debit card to secure the deposit

Additional drivers can be added for £50 each

Refundable Damage Deposit: £1500 per car

Props such as the blue overalls, tweed flat caps and gold bars will be counted before and after the event. Any lost items will be chargeable at the following rate – £20 per flat cap / bar of gold, £50 per boiler suit.

Invoices must be paid in full by the due date. Outstanding invoices that are more than 28 days overdue are subject to interest charges of the Bank Of England’s Base Rate +8% applied on a weekly basis.

Wedding Chauffeur Service

The service consists of one journey from a chosen location to the chosen venue, and one further journey from the venue to a secondary chosen location. We will deliver the cars to any venue within Zone 1, free of charge. Venues outside of this parameter will be quotable on a job by job basis.

Terms and Conditions of Cancellation

  • 1-2 cars: Cancellations made within 3 days (72hrs) or less are non-refundable*
  • 3+ cars: Cancellations made within 14 days or less are non-refundable*
  • Bookings are non-transferable to another date or time with less than 3 days (72hrs) notice.

*Refunds within 3 days (72hrs) of the scheduled event time are sometimes possible in extenuating circumstances such as COVID, severe weather or delayed flights and are down the discretion of the management at the time, we are reasonable people!

Complaints

In the unlikely event that you are unhappy with any of the services smallcarBIGCITY provides, claims must be made in writing to the address below, no more than 30 days after the date of your tour.

smallcarBIGCITY Ltd.
8 Northumberland Avenue
Trafalgar Square
London
WC2N 5BY

Legal Disclaimer

smallcarBIGCITY Ltd. was registered in England in 2008 at 8 Northumberland Avenue, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5BY, Company Registration Number 6765767. VAT No. GB 228-6045-09. We hold the intellectual property rights to all text and images on the website. Copyright © 2008-2024 smallcarBIGCITY Ltd. All rights reserved. smallcarBIGCITY is a registered Trade Mark UK00003179199. Anyone found operating under this name without written permission from smallcarBIGCITY Ltd. with the relevant director’s signature, will be prosecuted for Copyright Infringement.

We are licenced and regulated by the Public Carriage Office. Operator Licence Number 06258. All our cars are maintained to the highest standard and we are required to have a new MOT every six months. Despite this, they are still classic cars and can on occasion break down. If this is the case the client will be entitled to a full refund, but will not be entitled to any compensation for loss of time.

The text ‘The Italian Job’ featured in our services such as ‘The Italian Job Tour belong to Paramount Pictures Corporation. Copyright © 1968. All rights reserved.

Elements to this website act as homage to the original movie ‘The Italian Job’ and are referred to for educational and communication purposes only. The text is placed here for the enjoyment of the movie’s fans. Elements from this site cannot be placed on sites-for-charge or misused in any way. Please contact Paramount for more information.

Contributing to a Robust Local Economy

We are not Uber. We do not have off shore accounts that we use as tax havens. SME’s are the life blood of the economy. The more we grow the more tax we pay. VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax, Employee Contributions, Employer Contributions and many many more all contribute into topping up the chancellor’s pot. Your money allows us to pay our staff above minimum wage, run a business within the UK and buy goods and services locally. This all helps reduce government spending and keeps us in a strong position within the world’s economy, so thanks!

Sustainability Promise

Our journeys are not just carbon neutral, they are carbon negative. This means we plant twice as many trees as we use. We work with the Woodland Trust to create 250m2 of new native woodland each year. The Woodland Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (No. 294344) and in Scotland (No. SC038885). In time this will absorb at least 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide, helping with our strategy to reduce our business carbon footprint.  The Woodland Carbon project is certified under the Woodland Carbon Code which is the UK’s first ever government approved carbon certification scheme. We also use a waterless car valeting company called Dropless to clean the fleet, so we have reduced the amount of water we use as a company by 90%. You can enjoy your Mini tour even more, safe in the knowledge that by buying our product, you are not contributing to global warming in any way, shape or form. Our full sustainability promise car be read here. 

Charity Work

We are incredibly passionate about our product and feel that people from all walks of life should be able to experience it. That is why every week we choose a local school, charity, shelter, or not for profit organisation to offer our services free of charge to less fortunate/disabled children from all over London. If you would like to be added to our list then please contact us here. We are proud to announce our main charity partner is Centre Point, who have been giving young homeless people in London a future since 1969! Centrepoint is a registered charity in England & Wales, No. 292411

Mentoring

When we first launched, we did not have a clue what we were doing, had never written a business plan before and generally made quite a few fundamental errors! Making the decision to set up shop on your own is a scary and lonely business. We have set up a mentoring program so that we can hopefully steer future entrepreneurs away from some of the mistakes that we made in the early days and experience growth/profitability as fast as possible. 80% of new businesses fail in their first year so we want to try and contribute to reducing that statistic. If you are interested in our mentoring program, please contact us here.

Anti Slavery Policy

smallcarBIGCITY will not tolerate the use of child labor. Our suppliers and partners must engage workers whose age is greater than the minimum age to work in the country where work is performed. Furthermore, workers under the age of 18 must not perform hazardous work. 

Our Partners must be committed to ensuring that there is no modern-day slavery or human trafficking of any kind in their business or supply chains. Their anti-slavery policy must reflect their commitment to act ethically and with integrity in all of their business relationships and ensure they implement and enforce effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any part of their supply chain. 

Environmental Policy

smallcarBIGCITY are committed to running our company ethically, as sustainably as possible, resulting in as little detrimental impact on the planet as possible. Please read our full Sustainability Promise here.

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