GoCar Tours — Local services in San Francisco

My family rented three of the standard Go Cars in San Francisco this past November, and had a really great time. Until we didn’t. We booked the three hour tour, with the assumption that if we followed the GPS directions, it would ensure that we got back to the origin point within three hours. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! To make matters even more confusing, the one and two hour tours definitely have this feature. The voice tells you exactly when to head back and where to go at the one hour and two hour points. However, as we approached hour three, we realized with dread that we were nowhere near the origin point. We had three cars, and one in our group had gotten separated from the rest of us. The driver isn’t exactly able to answer the phone while driving these things, so we had no idea where he was.

At one point, I pulled over and called customer service, who told me I would definitely be charged more if I didn’t get back in time. She did not care one bit about our situation. At this point I’m panicking. I didn’t know how to get back–the GPS was sending us in circles. My passenger finally mapped it on her phone, but the cars don’t go up certain hills, so we were terrified we were going to get stuck. We decided to risk the phone GPS, and fortunately made it back, albeit a little later than our return time.

When I pulled in, I let them know what happened, and the employees shrugged, said it was a known issue, and they wouldn’t charge us for the extra time. Their only suggestion was to write a review, because it’s “the only way corporate will listen to us,” so that’s what I’m doing.

My husband finally pulled over and called me in a panic when he realized the GPS wasn’t guiding him back, but because I was already back and told him they weren’t going to charge us, he was able to relax a little and try to finish the tour. As other people came in, they were all also freaking out about the same issue. So it’s a thing.

Other things you should know:

This is essentially a motorcycle. There are no foot pedals-it’s all controlled by your hands.

You’re driving on the road with all the rest of the city traffic. They will not like you. They will honk at you. They will zoom around you. So if you’re thinking about letting your 17 year old drive, maybe think again. This should be for experienced drivers only. Lots of dicey situations.

The neighborhoods hate these things. There are signs all along the route about how awful the cars are for the environment, etc.

They don’t go in reverse. It took us 15 minutes to get out of Golden Gate park because we couldn’t catch a break in traffic or get the right angle to get out. You have to push the car backward, make sure your helmet is on, get your seat belt on, all with people angrily gesturing. It’s not pleasant.

The positives:

They were very accommodating with our tour time–we actually decided to do this a day early due to weather conditions and they didn’t mind at all.

We saw A LOT of things we would have never been able to see all in one day.

It’s super fun driving a tiny yellow car. The locals hate you, but the other tourists are enchanted.

All that to say… after the first two hours pass, when the car asks you if you want to go look at something else, or if you want to stop and explore, the answer is NO. After two hours, you need to be hard focused on getting back, and realize that the car is not your friend.

I wish I could recommend this wholeheartedly, but for an experience that cost us almost $600, I...

I'm giving this location 2 stars due to the post experience handling of how they chose to not honor the $80 refund. My wife and I are always in the Bay/Napa area for jazz and business. So this one time we took our cousins and friends. We planned out an array of activities that started in Napa. As we we're at the later part of our getaway. I suggested GoCar Tours. I've seen them every time I was in town. Everyone agreed. So we picked the twilight hours. 3 hours from 2 pm - 5 pm. We arrive, sign in, and look at instructional and safety videos. Then, we proceed to pick our adventure. We chose to do the Golden Gate Bridge Sausalito tour in the faster 2 seater scooter bike vehicle. This vehicle takes on all SF hills. We're told that the GPS will start when you get to the corner. So we're off enjoying the streets and sights of San Francisco scooter style. We get to the picture taking point at the Golden Gate Bridge. Take our pictures and feel excited to cross the bridge scooter style. This is where the problem starts. We proceed while noticing the gps isn't taking over the bridge. So I pull over and call GoCar to confirm which line am I supposed to follow. Okay, confirmed, follow red lines. So we're following red lines, we're going through the park, up a hill with gorgeous homes, cruising the cold coastline, back through the crowded park, and into a neighborhood. We pull over and make the call to GoCar because our time is dwindling. While awaiting information from GoCar. My cousin informs me that his gps is blank. He has no lines. His gps stopped displaying lines after we left Golden Gate Bridge picture stop. So he's just following me. We find out that my gps is on a different route. We're on the city tour. GoCar says my cousin gps was the Sausalito route. We had to do a FaceTime call so GoCar could see the screen. I guess to see if we we're being truthful. So after 25 minutes of trying to get a signal of the new route to just finish with Lombard Street, which was an awesome short experience. I always thought it was longer. So we're back at GoCar. The asian gentleman at the desk said he would give us $40 each credit because our friends did not participate. Plus, he will not charge the $19 each insurance. Cool accountability received, and we're pleased. This was Sunday, April 28. On Friday, I called GoCar because I noticed I had not received my refund . On Friday, May 3rd, I speak to a gentleman, and he takes my number because he's going to get to the bottom of what was promised. He said an outside agency handles refunds, so they would have to send them a message to refund. But, first, allow him to communicate with the person who promised me. He took my number because he's supposed to call me back with information. Now it's Thursday, May 9th. No call from GoCar. My next step is to call again while also reaching out to the BBB for being unprofessional after an admitted error and a suggested...

While I had a lot of fun on the GoCar tour, there are a few things that keep me from giving the whole experience a 5 out of 5.

The people checking you in and the person telling you about the route were not the friendliest. I understand they were probably a little overwhelmed with a lot of people checking in and what not, but good customer service is crucial especially during busy times.

As you're checking in you are informed of a $500 deposit hold that’s placed on your card if you do not wish to purchase insurance. I realized this deposit was not mentioned until after I booked and got my email confirmation… it was in the fine print that I am sure no one reads. This deposit is not mentioned anywhere on the website, but there is mention of an insurance sale for $26. As a consumer, this is a little deceiving. FYI: The card you use for the deposit, is also the card they will charge if you go over on time. ($1 per minute you go over your tour time.)

Once you’re checked in, you watch a video to tell you how to use the carts and go over the rules and safety precautions, and when you're done you step outside where an instructor shows you again how to use the cart. The carts are like motorcycles, so you don't have to step on the brakes with your feet.

The carts have a full tank of gas and are equipped with a little navigation system that shows and tells you where you are going. Once you start the tour, it's all at your own pace. The navigation system tells you stories as you get to specific points on the tour and it's actually a nice little entertaining as you drive around.

The con of the navigation system: It will have ALL routes on it, not just your specific route. Personally, I would have liked the navigation system to have the specific tour we paid for, because it’s easy to get lost with so many routes. Especially if you're assigned a specific car when you check in. I also noticed that if you end up on a street that’s not on the designated routes, the system will stop talking, so be aware of this little issue that may arise.

The tour itself is a fun little experience. You get to drive through various places you normally wouldn’t, and you get to park and walk around if you want to spend a little time in a specific area or take pictures if you’d like. I did a 3 hour tour, and I ended up needing more time! =)

I would recommend this tour, if you are looking for something fun to do for the day. Just be aware of the deposit, the price you pay if you go over your time, and the fact that the GPS system can get a little confusing since it has all the...