What's your Uber experience?

[moa999]

Most drivers have accounts with both Lyft and Uber I've found... And generally when Uber goes into surge they turn off Lyft so can be hard to get cars on Lyft during those hours

 

[Danger]

Drivers get kicked off the platform when their ratings hit 4.6. Rate them four stars, you might as well spit in their face.

Rate down the drivers that drive poorly, but an average experience deserves five stars.

As a driver, I've given five stars to all my passengers except one who jerked me around and was rude.

Uber's rating system is flawed, in my opinion. A five star rating should be exceptional, not the norm. There should be nothing wrong with four stars and even the occasional 3.5. If my boss pulled me into her office and said 'We're noticed you're only performing at 92% efficiency [4.6/5]. A fraction lower and we'll be showing you the door', I'd give her the finger.

As has been pointed, if you give the average driver five stars you're doing a disservice to those drivers who are exceptional.

 

[moa999]

Agree with the above.
I also wonder whether it's somewhat cultural.

I would generally regard 4 as Good and 5 as Exceptional and would think anyone with a 3.5+ is pretty decent.

At one point had a merger with a very US cultured firm and it was explained that high rankings were the norm.

Sort of like the signs in some of the Australian Hilton's - if it's not a 9 or a 10 it doesn't count.

 

[N860CR]

That sort of seems to be the new norm, as annoying as it is. Have a look at trip advisor. If it doesn't have 5 stars (or circles... or whatever they are) it doesn't even register on most people's radar. How a 2 star hostel should receive the same "circle" rating as a Conrad is beyond me. Airbnb is the same. Even last time I bought a car the dealer kept stressing "anything less than 10 in the survey is as good as 0".

It's pretty stupid.

 

[k_sheep]

In the app -

Help/Accounts and Payment/Account Settings and Ratings/I'd like to know my rating

Thanks, I never knew that. Woo 5.0 here

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Then I realised the driver had dropped me at LAX, then turned around without terminating the trip and retraced the route precisely in reverse, all the way back to my hotel. That way it was not evident on the map because the return trip simply went over the top of the original.

Good on you for detecting the scam. One can only wonder how often it is perpetrated and gotten away with.

I contacted Uber who spoke with the driver and told me he claimed I had left a bag at the hotel and had to go back to fetch it. I said that was not true and they refunded me.

Uber collects your location data "from the time you request a trip until when the trip is ended or cancelled by the driver, even if the Uber app is running in the background and not visible to you." (And additionally "Up to five minutes after the driver ends a trip, even if the Uber app is in the background", causing some controversy.)

Presumably Uber could check passengers' location data against the route to easily determine when this sort of scam has occurred. It shouldn't be necessary to take one person's word against another's when there is location data.

A person claiming to be an Uber employee wrote:- "We were told the reason to track up to 5 mins after the trip is for fraud, ex if a driver doesn’t end the trip when she is supposed to."

 

[Danger]

A week or so ago in New York I ordered an UberPool from the Andaz on 5th and 41st to DUMBO. The quote was a little over $11. Fine. The problem was the driver picked up another three rides along the way and dropped them all off before me. Yes, they were all going in the same direction but that seemed excessive. I also arrived 18 minutes later than the latest estimated arrival time. I queried it and got a $5 credit. I pushed some more and got the full ride refunded.

 

[blackcat20]

A week or so ago in New York I ordered an UberPool from the Andaz on 5th and 41st to DUMBO. The quote was a little over $11. Fine. The problem was the driver picked up another three rides along the way and dropped them all off before me. Yes, they were all going in the same direction but that seemed excessive. I also arrived 18 minutes later than the latest estimated arrival time. I queried it and got a $5 credit. I pushed some more and got the full ride refunded.

Isnt that the point of UberPool?

 

[Welsh-Kiwi]

On the way back from Xmas in the U.K. We stopped off in Kuala Lumpur for 3 nights. We used Uber 3 times and all were excellent. 2 Uber Blacks and 1 UberX. All cars were clean and followed the specified route. We were in the UberX car for nearly 25 minutes and the charge on my credit card was $3! Similar journey's in the Uber Blacks were approx $8 each.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Isnt that the point of UberPool?

That's what I would have thought

 

[Himeno]

Isnt that the point of UberPool?

I've used UberPool once. The first time I used Uber. I was in LA looking for a ride back to LAX. I had checked the fare estimate the day before, but when I needed the ride, it was in surge and I wasn't going to pay $50+ when it had quoted ~$24 for the same trip the day before.
I figured large event just finished, other people will be trying to get to LAX, just do the share option.

Ended up with 3 people in the car. Me, someone else at the same pick up point and the last about 10 minutes drive away, all heading for the airport.

 

[moa999]

New Uber App just hit Android.
Looks like flat fares everywhere.

Although the initial estimate when you flip windows is still a range

 

[psychowei]

Used it a few times in New Zealand, My trips were less than half an hour. Overall pretty good. The drivers that I had were very nice.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

New Uber App just hit Android.
Looks like flat fares everywhere.

Although the initial estimate when you flip windows is still a range

Looks the same as the ios app now which I'm still getting used to. I dislike the fact that they removed the "notify me when surge drops function" as it never took long to drop. Since legalisation in QLD (and presumably more users/drivers on the road) surge in peak times has been particularly erratic. I watched it go from 1.0>2.5>1.3>2>1.0 in the space of 20 minutes one night before Christmas.

 

[Danger]

Isnt that the point of UberPool?

That's what I would have thought

UberPool is not supposed to include more than two additional pick-ups. That, coupled with the significantly delayed arrival time and I think I was in the right to query the fare.

 

[Justinf]

Anyone tried Lyft?

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Logged in to Uber app today and noticed that they are not showing the amount of surge pricing. Just that it's a higher rate. The estimate includes surge pricing BUT it doesn't show how much more it is. Is there a way to see? I installed an app called SURGE to tell me but is there a way to see it via the Uber app?

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Logged in to Uber app today and noticed that they are not showing the amount of surge pricing. Just that it's a higher rate. The estimate includes surge pricing BUT it doesn't show how much more it is. Is there a way to see? I installed an app called SURGE to tell me but is there a way to see it via the Uber app?

Welcome to the new Uber app!

You will only see what the surge pricing was AFTER you complete the trip - great service huh? Also many countries are now showing flat rate (more expensive) fares from/to airports that never existed before.

Imagine what updates the app will get after all Taxi companies have been wiped off the planet? I'm not pro-taxi but the latest update has really p****ed me off.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Welcome to the new Uber app!

You will only see what the surge pricing was AFTER you complete the trip - great service huh? Also many countries are now showing flat rate (more expensive) fares from/to airports that never existed before.

Imagine what updates the app will get after all Taxi companies have been wiped off the planet? I'm not pro-taxi but the latest update has really p****ed me off.

Agree with you there Maxwell. Take over the market and turn fat and lazy. It's an old trick.We need Uber competitors to keep them in check.

 

[Pleb Status]

Welcome to the new Uber app!

You will only see what the surge pricing was AFTER you complete the trip - great service huh? Also many countries are now showing flat rate (more expensive) fares from/to airports that never existed before.

Imagine what updates the app will get after all Taxi companies have been wiped off the planet? I'm not pro-taxi but the latest update has really p****ed me off.

I noticed this change when I was looking to book an Uber on Thursday. However, with the unknown surge raising the estimate to a level similar to a taxi, I just hailed a taxi on the street instead.

Uber should always specify what the surge is if the estimated fare is variable. How can you determine the fare otherwise? This could also be a sign that Uber will be rolling out fixed fares in Australia in the very near future.