Salar de Uyuni tours - a little advice

My wife and I recently did the Salar de Uyuni tour, starting and finishing at Uyuni. We found it quite confusing beforehand to come by any useful advice, particularly regarding which tour company to use, so perhaps others might benefit from what little we've learned.

It turns out that quite recently all the tour companies in Uyuni have agreed on a standard price for the tour - $100 per person with 6 people in a 4x4, $120 per person for an English speaking guide. Nonetheless, a lot of the companies will offer $85 pp, though persistent questioning will reveal that they are simply leaving out some of the things that the $100pp companies include. Mineral water is one such item, also the national park entrance fees can be included for $100pp.

It seems quite difficult to get an English-speaking guide, although we managed it. I should point out that even at that, the guide was shared between two 4x4 groups. Whenever we arrived at a point of interest, both groups would get out and he would speak to us all at once.

The tour company we used was called 'Sumaj Jallpha'. I can recommend them quite highly; our guide, Fabian, spoke excellent English and was perfectly knowlegable. The driver, John, was competent and friendly, while the Land Cruiser was in very good condition. Food and accomodation doesn't really vary by tour company, as far as I could tell.

So, be prepared to pay around the $100 mark. I found that the most common complaints from other travellers concerned either the driver, if you haven't paid extra for a guide, or the condition of the 4x4. Everything else seems fairly standard.
Ask lots of questions and be a little suspicious. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for owners to promise all sorts, heating for example, then simply disappear when the disgruntled traveller returns after three days.

I hope some of my ramblings are helpful! If anybody has any questions, don't be shy!