What's your Uber experience?

[TheRealTMA]

I'm really really P***ED that Uber in Brisbane are now pre-authorising a maximum excessive charge on my PayPal/CC account BEFORE the trip starts. Then they charge the real amount at the end but it takes them some time top remove the pre-authorisation. They should not be allowed to do this. It means you end up with a double charge on the PayPal/CC for some hours.


I note that Uber does not do this in Sydney? Because it's against the law?

 

[Bolthead]

Up front pricing and UberPool are on the way.... Don't be mistaken, up front pricing will go the way of pricing in the USA and riders and drivers will be both ripped off. There are plenty of examples of riders paying up to 80% more for a fare and the drivers not getting 1 cent more for the ride. As for UberPool if you don't know what it is, you basically share the car for the trip with other random riders. There are plenty of examples where the riders end up arguing with the drivers (and other riders) because they want to be dropped off first etc...If you are in a hurry or on a dead line don't order UberPool. As an example if you order UberPool from Sutherland (in the south of Sydney) to Sydney airport the trip will normally take you 35-60 minutes. With UberPool it could take 60-90 minutes. Most drivers are against UberPool in the USA. There are a lot of riders out there that want to pay the lower UberPool rates but still expect UberX service.

Follow the link: Introducing upfront fares and uberPOOL | Uber Blog

 

[Daver6]

Up front pricing and UberPool are on the way.... Don't be mistaken, up front pricing will go the way of pricing in the USA and riders and drivers will be both ripped off. There are plenty of examples of riders paying up to 80% more for a fare and the drivers not getting 1 cent more for the ride. As for UberPool if you don't know what it is, you basically share the car for the trip with other random riders. There are plenty of examples where the riders end up arguing with the drivers (and other riders) because they want to be dropped off first etc...If you are in a hurry or on a dead line don't order UberPool. As an example if you order UberPool from Sutherland (in the south of Sydney) to Sydney airport the trip will normally take you 35-60 minutes. With UberPool it could take 60-90 minutes. Most drivers are against UberPool in the USA. There are a lot of riders out there that want to pay the lower UberPool rates but still expect UberX service.

Follow the link: Introducing upfront fares and uberPOOL | Uber Blog

When I was in San Jose I though UberPool was great. As you say, if you aren't on a tight schedule then its a great way to save. I was talking to the drivers about it and they actually loved it. They said they land up earning more. I also found that I always arrived prior to the higher end of the estimated arrival time, so good outcome in my books.

 

[dajop]

... Don't be mistaken, up front pricing will go the way of pricing in the USA and riders and drivers will be both ripped off.

Drivers, yes sure they can be ripped off, but how can riders be "ripped" off with upfront pricing? By definition you know exactly what you pay for in advance of the trip and make a purchasing decision based on what you have to pay (not what you might pay). Irrespective of whether the trip that normally costs $20 is now $35 , at least you know that upfront, and you are making an informed decision (and go and book a taxi instead if the price is unacceptable). If you get ripped off, then your bad luck, and really no different to surge pricing anyway.

We've had it in Singapore for ages, and I much prefer it to the time/distance model - you certainly don't have to worry that the driver will take a circuitous route - and also the driver has an incentive to get you by the fastest possible route so they can quickly get on to the next passenger.

 

[Bolthead]

Drivers, yes sure they can be ripped off, but how can riders be "ripped" off with upfront pricing? By definition you know exactly what you pay for in advance of the trip and make a purchasing decision based on what you have to pay (not what you might pay). Irrespective of whether the trip that normally costs $20 is now $35 , at least you know that upfront, and you are making an informed decision (and go and book a taxi instead if the price is unacceptable). If you get ripped off, then your bad luck, and really no different to surge pricing anyway.

Agree absolutely however you are still getting ripped off . I am also not saying that it will happen all the time either however there are many examples on YouTube and forums that show large price discrepancies. The reason why Uber is doing this is because they are trying to improve their profitability before they release their IPO in the near future. (at the expense of riders and drivers)

We've had it in Singapore for ages, and I much prefer it to the time/distance model - you certainly don't have to worry that the driver will take a circuitous route - and also the driver has an incentive to get you by the fastest possible route so they can quickly get on to the next passenger.

Interesting, as a driver I know that I always will try and take the fastest/shortage/cheapest route for the customer. Hence that is why I always ask which route they prefer. It's the customers perception that often has to be addressed. Because I have only taken about 20 Uber rides myself I would prefer the time/distance model as I know I won't be ripped off by the driver.

 

[Bolthead]

When I was in San Jose I though UberPool was great. As you say, if you aren't on a tight schedule then its a great way to save. I was talking to the drivers about it and they actually loved it. They said they land up earning more. I also found that I always arrived prior to the higher end of the estimated arrival time, so good outcome in my books.

Well the forums and YouTube posts don't support that however I guess time will tell. UberPool doesn't bother me as much as upfront pricing does. As a driver I don't have to accept UberPool requests however Upfront pricing on the other hand scares me. PS: is that San Jose CA or San Jose Costa Rica?

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

I arrived in Melbourne and ordered an Uber. The driver called me straight away asking for my location. All good... Then wanted to know my destination. I said that I can't hear him and it was a bad line, the next thing I see is that the driver canceled the booking and a new Uber driver popped up.

Have others had this happening?

 

[Cynicor]

Heard it a lot form others at airports. Report the driver.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I just did a little experiment. Checked Uber app in the terminal at CNS DOM and to Hilton was giving $31-$40. Bugger that I thought. Grabbed a taxi and in the cab at the cab rank, Checked Uber again and it had dropped to $18-$23. Checked again just at the roundabout leaving the airport and it dropped to $12-$17.

I wonder if that indicates surge pricing is a little false. The taxi was the usual $26 or so.

So the moral of the story is, if you want a cheap rate, walk a couple of hundred metres to the other side of the car park and then call the Uber.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Now Uber is doing fixed pricing in Sydney. Just got an email.

Wanting to see feedback I found this blogger with an interesting take on things.
Uber Upfront Pricing - Not Helping Drivers - Or Riders

Basically riders get paid actual km and time at 80% but the passenger can get charged a higher fixed price. The diff goes to Uber and not the driver. So now drivers will take the long way to bump up their rate.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Having read that, I note comments at the bottom that the drivers rates have dropped. That's not true though, is it? The rate the driver gets is still the same, it's just that Uber is fixing the rate for the pax at a higher estimate (I think that's what they're doing). In doing that, they theoretically not only take the profit when the fare turns out to be lower, but they also take the loss if the estimate was low (although that's unlikely to happen). From what I'm reading, the driver should notice no difference except the higher tax.

I think they only crook thing is charging the driver the amount of tax of the full billed fare rather then the lower actual fare, but I also think the GST is a scam way of doing it anyway. Uber should pay GST and then deduct the amount of GST the driver bills them from what they owe the tax dept. just like everyone else has to. The driver should only pay the GST on what they charge.

The pax on the other hand, seems to be the one losing. I'm guessing Uber won't lose out very often, so in effect this is a price rise. Of course there is always competition. Taxi's are still around and other ride shares are coming into the market. Uber may end up shooting themselves in the foot as their drivers can jump ship whenever they like.

 

[dajop]

Basically riders get paid actual km and time at 80% but the passenger can get charged a higher fixed price. The diff goes to Uber and not the driver. So now drivers will take the long way to bump up their rate.

I think here in Singapore, driver is paid 80% of fixed fare, by the different platforms (Grab, Uber), an not the actual km and time. Hence it would seem this is not a ripoff. It is what it is. But the approach you outline does seem ripe for exploitation by Uber, and let's face it Uber isn't exactly the most ethical of companies is it? Is there any decent ride-sharing competition in AU? Sounds like Uber need a strong competitor to keep them (less dis)honest.

 

[dajop]

And in other news, rumours are now official that Uber will be disappearing from SE Asia, having been bought out by the far more successful Grab.

Those who wish to use rideshare in SE Asia, will need to download Grab App, as Uber will no longer be operational from 8 April.

Can only see this going one way though ... fares will rise.

For years now, our two companies have pushed each other to outdo ourselves. To be more inclusive and accessible. To better understand our customers. And to innovate products that anticipate each and every one of your needs.

And now, we’re coming together to serve you better. As one, we will be able to combine our strengths into a unified platform that serves the daily commuting, delivery and payment needs of millions of people across nearly 200 cities in Southeast Asia.

We’d like to thank you for making this happen. Not just for the support and trust you’ve shown us over the years, but for being the driving force behind the both of us. We look forward to sharing even more milestones with you in the months ahead - things like the new GrabFood service.


We’re in the midst of combining our operations and will transition all Uber services over to the Grab app by 8 April 2018. So you’ll be able to continue using the Grab app as you normally do.

We understand you’ll have a few questions. So we’ve prepared some answers herefor you. As always, if there’s anything you’d like to know, feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
All of us at Grab

 

[Quickstatus]

Grab to buy Uber's southeast Asia business: Report | ZDNet

 

[Daver6]

Received an email from Uber today about fixed fares being rolled out in Perth.

 

[Quickstatus]

Received an email from Uber today about fixed fares being rolled out in Perth.

What does that mean practically?

 

[VPS]

Received an email from Uber today about fixed fares being rolled out in Perth.

and in Adelaide

 

[Forg]

What does that mean practically?

I don’t think you’ll know ‘til you use it.
The theory is that they have to build themselves some leeway (pay for or avoid the risk) when fixing prices, so most trips will go up.
Apart from the cost of going to the airport, Ubers have been between 25% and 75% of an equivalent (but generally scarier) cab ride ... so they’ll have to go up by a factor of between 1.3x and 3x to even equal the cost of said (scarier) cab ride. At least, for me.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

The way I see it is that Uber will have access to all the data. If they make more or less on a fixed fare. With all their data I'm sure that their losses will be minimized and eliminated quickly and as a result we, the passengers will pay more.

 

[Happy Dude]

I arrived in Melbourne and ordered an Uber. The driver called me straight away asking for my location. All good... Then wanted to know my destination. I said that I can't hear him and it was a bad line, the next thing I see is that the driver canceled the booking and a new Uber driver popped up.

Have others had this happening?

Gee this is a worry. Should have said you were going to Portsea.