What's your Uber experience?

[MsRJ]

Having used and advocated for Uber for many years they've done their dash with me at Sydney airport over the last fortnight. Three uberx bookings with the following result 1. Driver called as soon as I booked asking where I was going, unsatisfied with my response of 'over the bridge' he cancelled. 2. Picked up and instead of turning out of carpark at boomgate he turned right and proceeded into multistory carpark, taking ticket for carpark and then winding his way up to the second level, all whilst I was trying to explain this was not the way to the city. He argued with me that was how google was telling him to go, I was mighty annoyed by the time we got out of the carpark and even more annoyed when he added the carpark charge of $4 onto my uber fare. And the final nail in the 'Uber at the airport' coffin 3. Uber driver rang and asked where I was going, seemed ok with my 'over the bridge' comment, rang again whilst I was waiting and watching the little car icon approach and asked me to go back towards T2 and he would pick me up at the crossing. When I said I wasnt going to do that he called me some choice names, hung up and cancelled. By this point my phone had 1% battery and I headed to the taxi stand where no one was waiting. For now and until I forget these experiences its taxis from the airport for me.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Those are shocking stories. Perhaps email Uber themselves with specific times and dates for a follow up, as that kind of carry on can sink a business and Uber probably would like to know about it. Uber say they will disbar wilfully errant drivers, but I guess they need to know of them first. Who knows, maybe it's a concerted push from taxi drivers to scuttle Uber. Taxi driver sitting in his car at the airport with his Uber status as available and then accepting and cancelling Uber rides??

 

[odysseus]

Those are shocking stories. Perhaps email Uber themselves with specific times and dates for a follow up, as that kind of carry on can sink a business and Uber probably would like to know about it. Uber say they will disbar wilfully errant drivers, but I guess they need to know of them first. Who knows, maybe it's a concerted push from taxi drivers to scuttle Uber. Taxi driver sitting in his car at the airport with his Uber status as available and then accepting and cancelling Uber rides??

Driver cancellation stats are monitored, including reported to the driver, and if they were to do the above, they would very soon not get any business to cancel.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Driver cancellation stats are monitored, including reported to the driver, and if they were to do the above, they would very soon not get any business to cancel.

Good to know, but why then are we getting these seemingly innocuous reports? (BNE and SYD)

 

[Justinf]

Caught an Uber from the Ibis Budget Hotel at Mascot to Central Station.
Fare estimate said $23.
I didn't realise at the time but the driver took a very long route.
Final fare was $58.
I reported it on the app and immediately was given a $30 reimbursement as it was agree by Uber that the driver took a poor route.

 

[Justinf]

Used the app to book an Uber from the Avenue Hotel to Canberra Airport.
Estimated price was $56.
I waited a few minutes and it was back down to $19.

 

[VPS]

Have many people used Ola. I used an Uber in Brisbane and he had both signs on his car. Uber apparently takes 27% and Ola takes 15%. I tried to do a search on here because I'm sure someone mentioned it before but Ola is too small a word to search on

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Have many people used Ola. I used an Uber in Brisbane and he had both signs on his car. Uber apparently takes 27% and Ola takes 15%. I tried to do a search on here because I'm sure someone mentioned it before but Ola is too small a word to search on

Uber / Ola / Taxify and now Didi - many drivers accepting fares from all Apps - DiDi slaughters all of them - and plenty special offers floating around right now.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Used the app to book an Uber from the Avenue Hotel to Canberra Airport.
Estimated price was $56.
I waited a few minutes and it was back down to $19.

I've done the same trip a lot of times and the $19 rate is very typical. Great hotel by the way, I enjoy staying the the avenue hotel.

 

[Justinf]

I've done the same trip a lot of times and the $19 rate is very typical. Great hotel by the way, I enjoy staying the the avenue hotel.

Just a quick stroll to the Bent Spoke.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Interesting stuff considering know one has had an offical price increase. (I certianly haven't in 3 years) Maybe Cairns is an exception....

I was speaking with an Uber driver and he told me when Uber kicked off in CNS, they were charging 17% (of the fare?) then they jumped it to 26% and the drivers kicked back. The wash up was the drivers got a bit more and Uber got a lot more … so I guess that means the pax pays more!

He also told me Muve has kicked off in CNS, so next trip, I will certainly be trying that one. Muve does not surge and are cheaper than Uber, yet the drivers get more than Uber as Muve only charges 10% or if the weeks take is $100 or less, they only charge $5. Seems worth a try at least.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Has another unusual Uber ride last night in CNS. Driver could hardly speak English (Indian man), so conversation was short, but he loved his horn (the car horn I mean). Then, to really smear the icing on the cake, a guy did a U-turn through the centre parking bays without looking and damn near wiped us out. It was not the Uber drivers fault, but then, to my amusement, he pulls up beside this guy and then winds MY window down as if he expected me to give the (Asian) driver a bit of verbal abuse for him!! He said nothing. I said nothing. The Asian said nothing. It was a spaghetti western standoff. If I was chewing some 'bacci, I could have twitched my eye and spat on the road!
Then my driver looked at me as if I had failed him, he wound up the window and drove on!

Who needs movies!

 

[Happy Dude]

Having used and advocated for Uber for many years they've done their dash with me at Sydney airport over the last fortnight. Three uberx bookings with the following result 1. Driver called as soon as I booked asking where I was going, unsatisfied with my response of 'over the bridge' he cancelled. 2. Picked up and instead of turning out of carpark at boomgate he turned right and proceeded into multistory carpark, taking ticket for carpark and then winding his way up to the second level, all whilst I was trying to explain this was not the way to the city. He argued with me that was how google was telling him to go, I was mighty annoyed by the time we got out of the carpark and even more annoyed when he added the carpark charge of $4 onto my uber fare. And the final nail in the 'Uber at the airport' coffin 3. Uber driver rang and asked where I was going, seemed ok with my 'over the bridge' comment, rang again whilst I was waiting and watching the little car icon approach and asked me to go back towards T2 and he would pick me up at the crossing. When I said I wasnt going to do that he called me some choice names, hung up and cancelled. By this point my phone had 1% battery and I headed to the taxi stand where no one was waiting. For now and until I forget these experiences its taxis from the airport for me.

Strewth those are all poor form. I never answer a call after booking until I'm sitting in the Uber, unless I recognise the number.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Lots of info on this thread about ride share co's so I've started a thread here specifically to compare the different ride share platforms (as let's face it, most of the drivers seem to be on multiple platforms). I see this as a good thing, as the competition will hopefully keep Uber in line.

 

[Astroboi82]

I have used it in many different countries, as well as several states in Aus without any real problems.

 

[Forg]

Mate of mine has tried a number of alternatives in inner Sydney & none of them worked out (most I hadn’t heard of but I have heard of Taxify & Ola). He’s also gone sour on Uber since, 2 weekends ago, being estimated between $10 & $12 then being charged ~$25 (no surge) and then the return being ~$12. When he called to see what was going on they told him the price on the screen was the price (it wasn’t) and that he should use the information on the screen (he did) and case closed nothing they would do about it.

Taxi would’ve cost about the same $12.

Dunno what he’s going to use if the alternatives suck & he’s boycotting Uber ... maybe taxis?

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Mate of mine has tried a number of alternatives in inner Sydney & none of them worked out (most I hadn’t heard of but I have heard of Taxify & Ola). He’s also gone sour on Uber since, 2 weekends ago, being estimated between $10 & $12 then being charged ~$25 (no surge) and then the return being ~$12. When he called to see what was going on they told him the price on the screen was the price (it wasn’t) and that he should use the information on the screen (he did) and case closed nothing they would do about it.

Taxi would’ve cost about the same $12.

Dunno what he’s going to use if the alternatives suck & he’s boycotting Uber ... maybe taxis?

I had the thing just recently. Took Uber on exactly the same route - thursday one week apart - same time 6.30am and was charged $22 first time and $14 the second. When I questioned it with Uber they said it was surge pricing and I accepted the rate. However it never said surge pricing. Not happy.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Dunno what he’s going to use if the alternatives suck & he’s boycotting Uber ... maybe taxis?

The only alternative I've tried (Muve) doesn't suck. I think time will sort out all these ride share co's. Those that participate in shonky business or not offer any advantage will disappear IMO.

I had the thing just recently. Took Uber on exactly the same route - thursday one week apart - same time 6.30am and was charged $22 first time and $14 the second. When I questioned it with Uber they said it was surge pricing and I accepted the rate. However it never said surge pricing. Not happy.

I've occasionally wondered if there is a mechanism in place within the drivers app to not allow them to hit the start button until they actually pick you up and similarly, not allow them to hit the stop after you get dropped off. BNE airport is a classic example. I wonder if they can start the trip as soon as they accept the job, which would add maybe 5 minutes onto the trip and then at the other end, drive a few blocks before hitting the finish button?

 

[Bolthead]

The only alternative I've tried (Muve) doesn't suck. I think time will sort out all these ride share co's. Those that participate in shonky business or not offer any advantage will disappear IMO.



I've occasionally wondered if there is a mechanism in place within the drivers app to not allow them to hit the start button until they actually pick you up and similarly, not allow them to hit the stop after you get dropped off. BNE airport is a classic example. I wonder if they can start the trip as soon as they accept the job, which would add maybe 5 minutes onto the trip and then at the other end, drive a few blocks before hitting the finish button?

With Uber (can't talk about the others) the process is purely manual. Driver starts the job and finishes the job. It has to be like this because the pax may change their mind and ask to be dropped off at a different location. If the driver starts the job before picking up the pax then the pax is notified. You can then 1. complain to the driver and 2. complain to Uber. If the driver forget to start the job then the app will calculate to fare. This has happened to me when I first started driving. The pax got in the car and mentions the destination. I know how to get there and I forgot to start the app. I realised thet I forgot to start the app and a message pops up stating.... "Did you forget to start the app? We will calulate the fare for you" (something like that....) What does happen now is the countdown timer will start automatically when you get close to the address. The problem with that is that sometimes on a large busy road oming from the opposite direction the countdown timer starts and then it takes the driver another 5 minutes to actually do a U turn andf get to the passenger. It means that the passenger will pay $0.40 per minute after the countdown timer starts (after the first 2 minutes). The driver has no control over this.

 

[Justinf]

Prices have definitely gone up for me.
I go to the footy in Melbourne most weeks and my Uber trip home from the train station after having more than a few beers cost $25 last year but is costing a consistent $31 this year. Still cheaper than a cab.