Free Now customer service — an expert guide

Contents

1 Free Now customer service — an expert guide

Overview and context

Free Now (formerly mytaxi) launched in 2009 and was rebranded as FREE NOW in 2019. The service operates as a mobility platform across Europe and, as of 2024, focuses on licensed taxis and private-hire vehicles in major urban markets. For general corporate information and market-specific help pages use the official portal: https://www.free-now.com.

From a customer-service perspective, Free Now combines in-app self‑service with human support. That hybrid model is designed to handle high volumes — millions of trips per year — and to scale responses across dozens of cities. Understanding the workflows and the exact data to supply when you contact them will materially shorten resolution times.

Primary contact channels and expected response times

Primary support is delivered through the Free Now app (Help > Trips > select trip > “I had a problem” or “Lost item”). The in-app route routes your request into their ticketing system and commonly provides an auto-reply with a reference number immediately. Typical SLA benchmarks experienced across mobility platforms are: initial acknowledgment within 0–24 hours and a full resolution within 24–72 hours for standard billing or lost-item queries; more complex safety or legal escalations can take 7–21 days.

Free Now also maintains an online Help Center (linked from the main site) with FAQs, fare policies and regional pages. Where telephone support exists it varies by market and is usually offered during peak hours; phone availability, exact numbers and opening times should be checked on the app or the local country page on free-now.com because phone lines are region-specific.

Lost & found procedure — practical steps that work

Lost-item incidents are the single most common operational issue. The fastest, most reliable way to recover an item is to file a loss report inside the app within 24 hours of the trip. When you submit a report, include the trip date/time, pick-up and drop-off addresses, vehicle registration (if you noted it) and a clear description of the item. This gives the support team and the driver the exact identifiers they need to check the vehicle and hand the item back.

Driver cooperation varies by local regulation and individual driver preference. In many markets drivers will attempt to contact riders directly through the in-app anonymized call feature. Some drivers may offer to return items for a small fee; typical return fees in European markets range from €5–€15 depending on distance and driver policy. For high-value items (passports, laptops, wallets) if the driver cannot be reached or the item is not recovered within 48–72 hours, contact Free Now support and consider notifying local police.

Step-by-step lost item submission: open app → Trips → Select trip → “I lost an item” → add photo/description, address and phone → submit. Keep the ticket/reference number.

If driver contact is established, arrange a meeting point in a public, safe location. If the driver requests money for delivery, ask for a written confirmation in the app chat and keep a receipt.

If item is valuable and unrecovered after 72 hours, escalate to Free Now via the app and, if necessary, local police. For travel documents, always report to your embassy as well.

Billing, fare disputes and refund timelines

Fares on Free Now are typically computed from a base fare + distance rate + time rate + any booking or service fee; dynamic pricing (priority/express or demand peaks) applies in certain cities. Example: in many mid-sized European cities a short 3 km taxi trip can cost roughly €6–€12 depending on time-of-day and traffic; in major capitals (London, Paris, Berlin) equivalent trips often start at €10–€15 and rise with congestion and tolls.

For billing disputes, the essential evidence is the trip receipt (available inside the app) and a clear description of the discrepancy (overcharge, wrong route, duplicated charge). Submit the dispute via the trip-specific help flow and attach screenshots. Standard refund timelines: if a refund is approved, funds are usually returned to the original payment method within 3–10 business days; card issuer processing can extend that by another 3–7 days. Keep the ticket/reference number and note the date you submitted the dispute.

Safety incidents, serious complaints and escalation

For safety incidents (harassment, dangerous driving, assault), immediately report inside the app using the safety center or the trip-specific complaint option and include the trip ID, driver name, vehicle registration, timestamp and GPS snapshot if available. Free Now’s internal safety processes typically classify these as high priority; many mobility platforms target 24-hour response windows for safety tickets and retain trip and driver data for investigation for at least 6–12 months.

If you are dissatisfied with the resolution or require legal escalation, gather all evidence (trip ID, screenshots of chat, timestamps, witness names). Next steps commonly include contacting the local regulator (city taxi licensing office) and, for privacy/data issues, the national data protection authority (e.g., in EU countries the relevant DPA). If you paid by card and believe a charge is fraudulent, contact your bank with the ticket number and file a dispute. For cross-border or unresolved claims, consumer arbitration bodies or ombudsmen can be engaged — keep records of all correspondence and dates.

Information to include when escalating: trip ID, date/time, driver name/plate (if known), exact GPS points or addresses, screenshots, and the ticket/reference number from Free Now.

If urgent (crime or immediate danger) always call local emergency services first and then raise the incident in the app.

Final practical tips

Save trip receipts automatically (turn on email receipts in settings), take screenshots of the driver/vehicle details before exiting, and use the in-app communication channel so the conversation is logged. These small steps reduce resolution time for every class of problem: lost items, billing, safety, or legal queries.

When contacting Free Now, be concise and attach the trip receipt and any photos. That gives the human agent everything they need to act and typically reduces a multi-day cycle to 24–72 hours for ordinary problems. Visit https://www.free-now.com for regional support links and the app stores to ensure you are using the latest app version when you submit a ticket.