Uber let-downs

[dajop]

But, I'm glad to have read this. I was just looking at Uber for SIN, and thought "hmmm, maybe we give that a shot". I was going to use it from Orchard, to the airport but I'll monitor and decide closer how the uber situation is in SIN.

At Changi, there seems to be particular problems with T1 pickups - I've subsequently heard of others commenting on long wait times for uber to turn up at T1. I use them regularly from T2 & T3 (being predominantly an SQ flyer ), and usually when there are a few drivers around that are showing as say 4-5 mins away, one will accept that is at most 6-7 mins away, and never had a problem with them taking longer than originally estimated or cancelling - to the point that when HLO I press request just before passing through immigration machines and often reach the pick up at the same time as the driver.

At SIN in multi building condo's, you need to enter the condo closest to the security gate otherwise drivers will look for you on the street closest to your particular address (I discovered that the hard way). Also they need a text field to identify location like taxi's do as sometimes people want to be picked up in basement car park vs guardhouse. But hotel and street use is OK.

I woudnt think of using one in SIN because Ive always found taxis plentiful.

Except when it's raining, it's Friday night at Changi Airport, or a combination of the two (as it was last Friday), or at the end of a long weekend at Changi!

It's important with Uber that the appropriate feedback is given. That will strengthen the service and make it better for all of us.

I'm not convinced some of the fundamental flaws are actually dealt with through the feedback channel. I think the main action taken is to eliminate complained about drivers. I provided feedback re above condo situation, stressing that it wasn't the drivers fault and they need to use better maps and have text field like taxis do in SG, and I got a standard monkey response that they were going to re-educate driver in using the GPS mapping system. Which rather missed the whole point of my email.

Nevertheless, I will probably give them another shot, and continue to use them, just not from T1. They are cheaper vs pre-booked taxis and peak hour taxis, but off-peak taxi hired on street/at rank is cheaper than Uber. Difference between peak hour pickup, paid by CC from airport to home is $18 (uber) vs $26 (taxi).

 

[Tazza_0712]

I should most definitely have pursued a refund and did intend to, however the task kept falling by the wayside as I enjoyed my travels. Quite a minor expense in the scheme of things but nonetheless irritating to have paid good money for absolutely zero result from my end. Oh well. Live and learn.

 

[Boris spatsky]

I used Uber on Saturday and it charged correctly in the app. Now i see an extra $6 fee on my credit card that says 'help.uber'. I did cAncel the trip initially as the guy drove past us and didn't stop, but i re-activated and he turned around and picked us up. The app says the initial cancellation was not charged a cancellation fee.

Any ideas about the extra $6 fee on my CC?

 

[nodabs]

I used Uber on Saturday and it charged correctly in the app. Now i see an extra $6 fee on my credit card that says 'help.uber'. I did cAncel the trip initially as the guy drove past us and didn't stop, but i re-activated and he turned around and picked us up. The app says the initial cancellation was not charged a cancellation fee.

Any ideas about the extra $6 fee on my CC?

I would contact customer support through the app and list the amounts and dates with a question mark. In my experience they go out of their way to get a customer friendly resolution. The bias has consistently been to refund, so I think you would likely get an explanation and credit.

 

[yohy?!]

airport pickups are typically a bit dicey for uberx no matter where you are, except for EWR when they first started doing flat fee transfers into NYC - that was awesome!

 

[dajop]

airport pickups are typically a bit dicey for uberx no matter where you are, except for EWR when they first started doing flat fee transfers into NYC - that was awesome!

At SIN, when ordering a pickup from the airport, the app asks you select the terminal and pick up door number. In theory it should work well, and does, at least for T2 & T3. Driver's seem unable to find the way into the T1 pickup area (which is a little complicated, due to construction). However if they don't know how to find the pickup point they shouldn't be picking up there ....

 

[MrHyde]

My CC also shows items where an authorisation has been requested and money put on hold with an expiry date of when the hold will be removed. It consistently always shows $1 from help.uber - but the money is never charged. I think that is a way they use to ensure your card is valid when you start the app or make a request.

I used Uber on Saturday and it charged correctly in the app. Now i see an extra $6 fee on my credit card that says 'help.uber'. I did cAncel the trip initially as the guy drove past us and didn't stop, but i re-activated and he turned around and picked us up. The app says the initial cancellation was not charged a cancellation fee.

Any ideas about the extra $6 fee on my CC?

 

[Boris spatsky]

My CC also shows items where an authorisation has been requested and money put on hold with an expiry date of when the hold will be removed. It consistently always shows $1 from help.uber - but the money is never charged. I think that is a way they use to ensure your card is valid when you start the app or make a request.

Oh, i did get a new amex recently and this was it's first use. You might be onto something!

 

[Conrad_S]

Oh, i did get a new amex recently and this was it's first use. You might be onto something!

It seems to authorise $1 everytime I use uber and charging to Amex now. Not sure if it did this previously.

Here in Australia I find uberx drivers very good during the daytime. Of a night-time and especially weekends the quality deteriorates badly and I now only use black at those times

 

[Quickstatus]

An issue with using UBER overseas.

UBER is an app that can be used around the world where UBER has a presence.

It's achilles heel is that it requires a smartphone with internet access and a mobile phone number. When travelling overseas it is a common practice to use a local prepaid sim card.

Its also well known that prepaid phone numbers are often recycled after a few months of being deactivated.

UBER keeps records of all the phone numbers that have been used in UBER accounts and sometimes the new prepaid mobile number has been previously used in an UBER account - these numbers cannot be used in another UBER account. When this prepaid sim is then swopped into the phone, it is then impossible to change the mobile number in UBER app making the UBER app useless unless you revert back to your usual sim card.

I dont know if UBER deletes mobile phone numbers from its list sometime after an account deletion.

 

[v1nce007]

Attempted to book Uber Black from South Yarra for very early morning trip to MEL. Only one car available, about 5 mins away. Driver accepted the booking, then I watched his progress on the map as he got onto the Monash Freeway and headed south

Cancelled booking after it became apparent that he wasn't going to turn around. I'm guessing he was heading home and didn't want to do an airport run, but why accept the job?
No other cars available at that time of the morning so got a cab.

 

[straitman]

Had a bad Uber experience in KL two nights ago.

Driver could not read his GPS and got lost 5 times and I'm not sure if he had actually driven a manual car before the trip. Not all bad though as in our wanderings we saw so new places though we did hit a few speed bumps at speed. The fare was within the the 6-9 MYR quote range so Uber were not interested. His 4.3 rating took a hit though as we gave him a 1. (Apparently a 4.3 rating in KL is low)

EDIT: I should add that we used Uber Black and Uber Black XL multiple times in KL and it was great except for that once. Other than from about 6pm to 8pm when the loading is up about 2X (still cheap)

 

[Quickstatus]

Hi Straitman,

Did you get a local phone number for your Uber account while in KL?

If you maintained a foreign phone number were there any issues with using Uber?

 

[blackcat20]

Hi Straitman,

Did you get a local phone number for your Uber account while in KL?

If you maintained a foreign phone number were there any issues with using Uber?

I've used the app with my Aussie number in NZ without any issues...

 

[Quickstatus]

Attempted to book Uber Black from South Yarra for very early morning trip to MEL. Only one car available, about 5 mins away. Driver accepted the booking, then I watched his progress on the map as he got onto the Monash Freeway and headed south

Cancelled booking after it became apparent that he wasn't going to turn around. I'm guessing he was heading home and didn't want to do an airport run, but why accept the job?
No other cars available at that time of the morning so got a cab.

Speculating:

I think Uber drivers get brownie points for accepting requests. Looks better on them to accept and then get cancelled rather than not accept a request.

I've used the app with my Aussie number in NZ without any issues...

You would have to be internet roaming on as well to use the app, unless you are on the vodaphone deal the cost of internet roaming would be high. An when they call you to say they are approaching they call you but they pay for the call to OZ and you pay for the call to reroute back to you in NZ?

 

[straitman]

Hi Straitman,

Did you get a local phone number for your Uber account while in KL?

If you maintained a foreign phone number were there any issues with using Uber?

I've used the app with my Aussie number in NZ without any issues...

We each got a Maxis Sim at the airport. 53 MYR (I think) for 4GB data and ???? calls. It also gave an extra 1GB per weekend day.

I didn't want to play the expensive International Data game.

 

[Quickstatus]

We each got a Maxis Sim at the airport. 53 MYR (I think) for 4GB data and ???? calls. It also gave an extra 1GB per weekend day.

I didn't want to play the expensive International Data game.

I got a maxis hotlink sim but found out later the phone number on the prepaid sim has been previously used for an uber account (according to uber). So after parting cash for the card I could not use it in Uber. Luckliy my wife had a phone number that was OK.

Obviously these prepaid phone numbers are recycled. Im not sure how long uber keeps the phone numbers linked to an account.

As the phone numbers are clearly visible on the pack before purchase, next time I travel I will input that number into uber to see it it will accept it before buying the sim.

 

[straitman]

I got a maxis hotlink sim but found out later the phone number on the prepaid sim has been previously used for an uber account (according to uber). So after parting cash for the card I could not use it in Uber. Luckliy my wife had a phone number that was OK.

Obviously these prepaid phone numbers are recycled. Im not sure how long uber keeps the phone numbers linked to an account.

As the phone numbers are clearly visible on the pack before purchase, next time I travel I will input that number into uber to see it it will accept it before buying the sim.

Something I had not thought of. I guess we were both just lucky.

Where were staying was a gated community so having access to being able to text or talk to the driver was often necessary. We did put where we were staying as our home address and where our daughter was staying as out work address. That saved a lot of stuffing around.

 

[Quickstatus]

Something I had not thought of. I guess we were both just lucky.

Where were staying was a gated community so having access to being able to text or talk to the driver was often necessary. We did put where we were staying as our home address and where our daughter was staying as out work address. That saved a lot of stuffing around.

Apart from that, the exchange rate of 3:1 made it ridiculously cheap to Uber everywhere. The afternoon monsoon showers often activates surge pricing and sometimes the Black is cheaper than the X during X surge pricing. ]

Will never haveto catch Kl taxi again.

As its not yet "legal" I always tell the doorman at our hotel and other people interested in our transportion that "our friend has organised someone to pick us up"

 

[TomVexille]

Speculating:

I think Uber drivers get brownie points for accepting requests. Looks better on them to accept and then get cancelled rather than not accept a request.





You would have to be internet roaming on as well to use the app, unless you are on the vodaphone deal the cost of internet roaming would be high. An when they call you to say they are approaching they call you but they pay for the call to OZ and you pay for the call to reroute back to you in NZ?

IIRC some of the early ads for drivers noted that you had to have a 80% accept rate for a specific bonus.

And Wi-Fi works well overseas IME