My Horrible, Fraudulent Uber Driver — WHAT WAS HE THINKING?!

My Horrible, Fraudulent Uber Driver — WHAT WAS HE THINKING?!

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It’s no secret that I love Uber. They’re innovating an industry that didn’t innovate for decades, where horrible customer service became the norm.

The average Uber experience is exactly the opposite. There’s an instant feedback loop where you rate the driver and the driver rates you, so that means everyone is usually on their best behavior.

Uber drivers get kicked out of the system if their rating falls below a certain number, which is why service is typically so good. I tend to take a pretty easy approach to Uber ratings, and in my hundreds and hundreds of rides only ever remember rating five stars. Unless someone is actively bad, I don’t want to do anything that threatens the person’s livelihood.

Well, for the first time ever I gave an Uber driver one star, and sent an email, because he was an a@$hole and a fraud.

Ford and I were going to LAX to catch a flight at 5AM, and decided to take UberBLACK. I take a mix of UberX and UberBLACK, though in this case we decided to do an UberBLACK. I knew the ride would cost me $70 after a $20 promotion code, which is about the same I’d pay for a taxi.

We got in the car, and the driver wasn’t especially friendly to begin with. We wanted to take a specific route to the airport. Uber has a policy that the passenger can specify a route.

We wanted to take the route that was a distance of eight miles shorter, but takes two minutes longer, according to Google Maps. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would pay an extra ~$30 to save two minutes.

Ford: “Hi, could you please take _____ to the ____ to the _____.”
Driver: “Why?”
Ford: “That’s the way I like to go.”
Driver: “Why?”
Ford: “That’s just our preferred route.”
Driver: “Why? That’s so stupid.”
Me: “Well, it’s eight miles shorter and takes about the same amount of time.”
Driver: “Hah, well then you people should take UberX.”

We were both floored, since this guy was such a condescending idiot. I’ve never had an issue specifying a route, or been questioned about my preferred route. Most drivers even proactively ask if I have a preferred route.

Throughout the whole ride he’d make snide comments.

“This is going to take forever.”

“I can’t believe we’re going the long way.”

“You realize there’s going to be a lot of traffic at LAX?”

We were just polite in response, and in a non-passive aggressive way I tried to say “I think it’ll be fine, Google Maps says it’ll be just 40 minutes, which is the same amount of time it said the other route would take.” And that’s true, because I’ve taken a similar route many times before.

We didn’t really say much else throughout the ride, and then I got the bill upon arriving at the airport, which was as expected.

Uber-Fare-1

However, a minute later I got a fare correction for an extra $56, as it indicated that we had to pay the vehicle upcharge for having five passengers!!! It was only Ford and me, so that was a complete fabrication.

Uber-Fare-2

For the first time ever I gave the driver one star, and relayed my experience in the comments section. Within 10 minutes I received a refund of the full amount, which seemed generous.

Uber-Fare-3

But I just can’t get over this. What was the driver thinking?! On so many levels I can’t figure this out:

  • Did he really think we would still give him five stars, or did he not care? You might not like all your customers, but sometimes just suck it up.
  • The ride took about 40 minutes and was a $91 fare — that’s hardly anything to feel bad about
  • If the driver thought we were being “cheap,” did he really not think we’d protest if he outright lied and claimed that there were five people in our car, when there weren’t?

This was by far my worst ever Uber experience!

Has anyone experienced similar fraud with an Uber driver?

Conversations (155)
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  1. An Uber driver Guest

    Uber is a fraudulent and lier company it lies about millage for drivers so drivers are not making more than 3$ per hour after expenses . Riders don’t know that and they bring pressure on drivers.

  2. Driver Guest

    Uber pays only 10% of the fare for drivers so it doesn’t worth for drivers to go by longer road .

  3. devlin Guest

    I have been driving Uber for almost 7 years, the first thing I tell people is never to become a driver for Uber or drive for Uber, because Uber is so fraudulent from the fare per ride to the rides. going through EZ Pass tolled routes, the number of trips that the driver completed the trip also did not pay the driver, ... generally Uber cheated to the core of the driver. I Devlin Huynh accept full responsibility for his words. Thank you for watching and watching.

  4. Aaron Guest

    I side with the driver since about 2015 uber has done upfront pricing which means that extra 8 miles didn't cost you anything, however it significantly affects the drivers pay out as we are paid a rate based off our distance. Also you are assuming the driver gets the whole fair and in general uber keeps between 30 and 50 percent of that fare

  5. Dara Guest

    Waiting a minute what's the screenshot of chat btw you and the driver ? Btw uber guidelines let uber drivers decide what's the best route. You paid to pickup u point A to drop point B.
    I agreed with driver you should get a X.

  6. Sammy Holaso Guest

    I was deactivated by Uber, because of low ratings. I had complaints in my ride, from my passengers, complaining about the air conditioning and the automatic sliding doors and automatic windows. When I brought up the complaints to Uber. Uber said that the passengers has no grounds to file complaints against me about those problems. I tried to tell Uber that those complaints are targeting on false reporting about the driver. I have submitted dash...

    I was deactivated by Uber, because of low ratings. I had complaints in my ride, from my passengers, complaining about the air conditioning and the automatic sliding doors and automatic windows. When I brought up the complaints to Uber. Uber said that the passengers has no grounds to file complaints against me about those problems. I tried to tell Uber that those complaints are targeting on false reporting about the driver. I have submitted dash camera recording’s with messages to Uber. Unfortunately, Uber responded that those recording’s are insufficient evidences, and need additional evidences. I’m sure that the Uber passengers don’t need video recording’s to proof what actually happened. Which is discriminatory practices by Uber. I have reported my Uber passengers for unwanted behaviors, with videos. I’ve also check You Tube about deactivation is about 78% turn over with Uber and Lfty driver’s. I just want to add that Uber company gives the passengers ultimate opportunity and power, and while the Uber and Lfty driver’s gets deactivated when they are doing there jobs. I’ve been there so many times when I tried everything ti pickup my passengers up. Unfortunately, some passengers do not know where they are in Ala Moana Shopping Center. I also here from the passengers that they are at 3rd level of Ala Moana Shopping Center. And when I report it to Uber that, there’s only one are that is 3rd level of Ala Moana Center. Uber failed to response to this passengers complaints and giving the driver a low rating.

  7. Cristine Guest

    In responding to the above post. I do agree with you 100 percent. The man was a rude thief and he new it, im sure. He just didn't care ! I agree with you.
    Im commenting back just to add to "one star" ratings.
    This past two weeks I have been a Uber Eats driver. To make a few extra bucks and get out of the house. My kids now raised and trying...

    In responding to the above post. I do agree with you 100 percent. The man was a rude thief and he new it, im sure. He just didn't care ! I agree with you.
    Im commenting back just to add to "one star" ratings.
    This past two weeks I have been a Uber Eats driver. To make a few extra bucks and get out of the house. My kids now raised and trying to find something constructive to do with my days. I haven't worked in 25 years. So Uber Eats was perfect !! Making my own hours and all !! My 16th notification came in and I went to the restaurant and picked up the order. While there, I got a second order from the same restaurant. So, I picked it up and started my route. Still learning the app, I began following the directions. Both orders were about 15 miles out. Going by the experience I had from my other food pick ups, I followed directions and dropped off my first order. Then headed to the second drop off. I was now in the middle of know were, late, and the roads had now become dirt roads. I was parked on an hill and I could see a couple of houses threw the trees but it was so dark I could not see much, let alone an address. I text the customer and asked which place was theirs. About that time my service and GPS lost connection. A minute later tje customer pulled up in a truck. Thank Goodness !! I tried my phone to check off the delivery, service was still down but the last page was still readable. My heart jumped a beat ! OH, Crap !! I think I got the orders mixed up !! This wasn't his order ! I was right. He stopped me and asked if there was another order. At this time I was nervous ! I had no service, im in the woods with a stranger, and I just gave him an order, half the amount that he ordered. I politely said that that's what the restaurant gave me. He asked me a couple more questions and just said okay. He was a very nice man and very polite ! As I drove away, I was feeling, well, like SHIT and a complete idiot. I just went straight home. I was going to call in but it was so late. Maybe nothing will happen. I mean, I just started and im sure it happens quite offen.
    NOPE NOPE NOPE !!!!!!!! TJE NEXT DAY I RAN ONE MIRE RUN. I DELIVERED BAG TO THE DOOR AND ON MY WAY BACK I GOT A NOTIFICATION IN MY UBER APP. I HAVE NOW BEEN FIRED DUE TO FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY. WHAT A LOSER I AM ! I CANT BELIEVE I CANT EVEN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A COUPLE OF CARRY OUT MEALS !! BUT, AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, I FEEL FIRING ME WAS A LITTLE HARSH. MAYBE SUSPENDED AND PAY BACK THE CUSTOMER FOR THE MEAL, THEY DIDNT RECEIVE. ALSO, PAY BACK THE OTHER CUSTOMER ! ( EVEN THOUGH THEIR ORDER WAS HUG COMPARED TO WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ORDERED . ) ANYWAYS, I tried appearing the discussion but haven't heard back. Has anyone or know someone that maid a similar mistake ? And does anyone have a comment ? Did I deserve to be fired ? If that is expected in todays world, then okay ! I did mess up !! I NEVER DID IT DELIBERATELY OR ON PURPOSE !! I AM EMBARRASSED AND WISH I COULD FIX IT !! IM JUST SO SADDENED BY BEING FIRED. I WAS REALLY ENJOYING TRYING TO " HELP OTHER STAY HEALTHY TOGETHER BY BEING APART" ! PLS, ANY COMMENTS. I. CAN DEAL WITH THE TRUTH !! MAYBE SOMETHING GOOD WILL BOUNCE OUT OF THIS !!!! RIGHT ???????

    THANKS FOR READING !!!!!

    A.K.A & SIGNED
    "THAT'S NOT MY ORDER"

  8. GIO Guest

    i got dropped by Uber as a driver because they said i had to many complaints it was actually only one. my gps sent me to an entrace of a gated community that was for reisdents only. i asked how to get to the other gate and the man said he was tired of uber drivers going to the wrong gate.. i told him the gate I was at was where the GPS sent me....

    i got dropped by Uber as a driver because they said i had to many complaints it was actually only one. my gps sent me to an entrace of a gated community that was for reisdents only. i asked how to get to the other gate and the man said he was tired of uber drivers going to the wrong gate.. i told him the gate I was at was where the GPS sent me. he canceled. the next day uber dropped me as a driver because they said the had "too many complaints" at the time my rating from customers was 4.9 out of 5. thanks for nothing uber!!! I guess that last customer knew someone at Uber ???!!

  9. Adrian Guest

    Wow there are a lot of uber drivers in the comments which is shocking because I didn’t think they could read or write lol

    1. Ryan B Roberts Guest

      Are you being serious? I see we have a bitch in the comment section which doesn't surprise me because she's a uber customer.

    2. Hunter Guest

      Odd, I figured most Uber passengers were scumbags who have no credit, little cash, no vehicle, live mediocre lives within “restrictions” forced upon them from their workplaces and/or are alcoholics. Surprised you’ve figured out such a crafty response to attempt to belittle the Uber drivers who you’ve never tipped. Most Uber drivers enjoy talking to people after class or work all while making some extra money you nasty mindless sheep

  10. Uber Driver Guest

    Hey Am Reading all the Comments, Because Mh uber Driving account is suspended for 6 Hours due to a fake complaint done by a Lady oh No 45 Years old aunty From My community.
    I got Her Trip Request From 13 KM But That was the First Ride For a Day So I went to 13 KM for picked up. When she Came in I came to know she is going to Walmart which...

    Hey Am Reading all the Comments, Because Mh uber Driving account is suspended for 6 Hours due to a fake complaint done by a Lady oh No 45 Years old aunty From My community.
    I got Her Trip Request From 13 KM But That was the First Ride For a Day So I went to 13 KM for picked up. When she Came in I came to know she is going to Walmart which was just 4 KM away okey Than I saw she doesn’t Sanitize Her hands and she was touching My car door, So i offer her sanitizer and wet wipes.
    because after all I am Educated, I know How to be healthy and the Main Thing I am Human I know how to live like a human l.
    Okey Anyways We was just 900 Meters away From her stop and i was at the left turn lights And I saw their was Truck at the lights in the left lane and that truck was that the one we can see on the highways when any road or lane is blocked so they used a truck which has a flsher lights at the back Right
    That truck was standing and his lights was flashing like it was cleared the lane was blocked so stop my car 200 Meters before because their was a alley their and I was checking can i go through their ?
    Is this Will be the same distance and time because i teally do not want that aunty to be charged anything extra
    that all I was thinking in my mind
    But after hardly it was 50 Seconds I saw the truck was about to move little bit and after some seconds Truck finally start moving so i start moving my Car too And I was just at the stop sign before Walmart Suddenly i got a Text from uber support They said my account was suspended because they received a claim from Rider that is against uber,s guide lines l.
    They said Rider Complain I was sleeping while driving even I putt my head down on the streering wheel and i slept .
    I know it was her because Uber just Introduced that safety button yesterday 12AM midnight here in Toronto,Ontario CANADA. and that’s the Only 1 Trip i did since that came.
    so I direct Ask her without any time waist
    I ask very politely Mam do you complain against me ??
    she was like trying to look away from Me Than I explain very polite why i was stopped there and what was that and again I asked
    she said no no than I told her This is My way of surviving
    thats the Only way which allow me to Eat and live and I will be at the Corner where i can became jobless, Homeless because of their that stupid action.
    anyways I stopped in front of walmart and she ran off than i called to Uber.
    i explain everything To the uber support team member. That was also a girl and also from India.
    I ask her To check my account my Rating and see how much people love to Ride with me.
    that Girl was so Good and Also she was good human being. She Talked with me very good way she make me feel comfortable and said my account will not goona deactivate its just a 6 hours temporary suspension but dont worry i will try to get your account back as soon as possible. she said she know am good and it was nothing like that that all a misunderstanding. than 1 Ask her 1 Question am sorry to say but after that what i realize make me cry
    I ask her mam Uber was going to deactivate my account for that reason which was fake, Lie , and fraud But Now when they know they ho was lying who was trying fraud than what they will going to do with that Rider account ???
    and She does not speak anything instead of apology’s. I realize That was only me who was working for uber That was me who was trying to provide better than better service so people can trust on uber But that was just me Who was working for Uber. Uber was never ever working not even thinking about me.
    Than that was a spechless Movement
    I disconnected the Call.
    and am Still waiting In front of that walmart parking lot for Reactive my account so i can earn and arrange my next months house Rent.
    This is How Some Uber Driver,s Facing and some people said Driver was Rude …
    Think about your self
    your 1 Mint or 5 Dollers Greedy intension can ruined someone,s Life.

    1. Mike Guest

      You are not educated. If I was your English teacher, I would slap your momma!

  11. Miami Uber Guest

    "We got in the car, and the driver wasn’t especially friendly to begin with. ...We wanted to take the route that was a distance of eight miles shorter, but takes two minutes longer, according to Google Maps. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would pay an extra ~$30 to save two minutes."

    OK. I / we/ all Uber drivers immediately see what you did there. All things being equal and if there is...

    "We got in the car, and the driver wasn’t especially friendly to begin with. ...We wanted to take the route that was a distance of eight miles shorter, but takes two minutes longer, according to Google Maps. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would pay an extra ~$30 to save two minutes."

    OK. I / we/ all Uber drivers immediately see what you did there. All things being equal and if there is a conventional wisdom approach in your town to getting to the airport that everyone uses because it's less traffic / faster and more reliable so it's what everyone does but it looks like YOU came up with a 'hack' to get a cheaper ride and that's fine.

    Just so you know: Uber drivers no longer get a revenue split, it's just "we pay you X dollars and cents per mile" and you just mind your own business what we made on the ride."

    Ubers "take" is now routinely 50% of the fare or more. I know riders are seeing higher rates and are irritated about it and wrongly presume the driver is getting the large percentage of that fare but that is no longer true.

    MY POINT: From the Uber driver's POV who gets the majority of their compensation based on MILEAGE, it probably looked like you were going out of your way to F-him on the fare. You were essentially docking him those miles AND Making it a longer ride which is not only counter intuitive, it cost him money two different ways.

    And if the ride took 15 minutes longer, he's really seething over losing those miles. After he drops you off, he gets to sit in a lot with 200 other drivers for up to 90 minutes waiting for their turn in the que to pick up another rider while you fly off into the sunset enjoying that warm rosy glow because you're such a smart shopper.

    That being said, I've never refused a passenger who wants to tell me they 'know a shortcut' that is obviously not going to yield the result they hoped. I just point out the current trip estimate is X minutes and if we deviate from that, their results may vary so if they are in a rush, this may not be the time.

    Jacking your fare up in retaliation is a real prick move, and a fools move. He should have known you would catch it and get it reversed. He may have been deactivated over it. Uber does not tolerate that level of garbage.

    That being said, I have had not so subtle accusations from pax that Uber's GPS tends to favor longer distances in a somewhat deliberate manner and in a way that suggests they are doing it to increase revenue. There have been times I felt the same way, but I also get trip updates on the route frequently and these updates tend to reduce the trip distance and/or duration and it's transparent to you so it goes both ways.

    For a driver, 4.8 is not a good rating. My read is not a noob driver but someone that's been in the biz too long, is bitter and needs to find something else to occupy their time.

    BOTTOM LINE: People will push your buttons all the time and it can really grate on you.

    For every group of college girls who wants to put 5 passengers in your compact car (we'll sit on each others laps its OKAY!") so they don't have to pay for an XL because they have a 10 buck free ride promo that just barely covers the short ride to the airport but it's only good on a standard car and you burst a disk throwing + 50 pound overstuffed suitcases into your car and having to reload it 3 times because it doesn't fit and NO TIP even though they got a free ride.

    All that gets balanced out by the little old lady that relies on Uber to take her to the grocery store and throws a $10 tip and says "THANK YOU I APPRECIATE YOU" because she KNOWS that you drove 5 miles for her to take a 10 block ride home that pays you $2.50 and she needs you to help load/unload and walk it to her door where she can get it all inside.

    To your driver, who can see what you paid for your ride once it's over, you're the guy who takes black but only when he can get a promo, screws around with he route and driver to shave the fare down - and probably doesn't tip because you think giving 5 star ratings is payment enough.

    Sure, that's probably an unfair assessment. Welcome to the mind of an Uber driver who is used to being treated as little better than a quasi slave.

    1. Kris Guest

      This was insightfully written through the lens of someone (a driver of course) that knows how it all works. I couldn’t agree with what you have written more. In fact this is just a sort of thing I would love conversing about with another driver or a customer (that isn’t mine).

      Additionally, the original comment seems contrived… I can’t imagine a scenario where a driver with any experience repeatedly questions the passenger in so...

      This was insightfully written through the lens of someone (a driver of course) that knows how it all works. I couldn’t agree with what you have written more. In fact this is just a sort of thing I would love conversing about with another driver or a customer (that isn’t mine).

      Additionally, the original comment seems contrived… I can’t imagine a scenario where a driver with any experience repeatedly questions the passenger in so Recklessly impertinent a fashion. Red flag.

      Wish we were chatting about this you and I lol
      -charleston, sc

  12. ECfromDC Guest

    Some of ya'll are doing a whole lot of defending frauds/scammer drivers....because you probably do it too. Take up your issue of pay with uber/lyft not with the passengers.

  13. M Guest

    Most of you have no idea what it's like to work all day everyday to just make the money for car, gas and food. It's extremely frustrating when you're in the car 12-14 hours a day and idiots like you guys come in and tell drivers how to get somewhere. I mean wtf!! When I go to a restaurant I don't tell the cook when to turn the meat! Or more specific what if I...

    Most of you have no idea what it's like to work all day everyday to just make the money for car, gas and food. It's extremely frustrating when you're in the car 12-14 hours a day and idiots like you guys come in and tell drivers how to get somewhere. I mean wtf!! When I go to a restaurant I don't tell the cook when to turn the meat! Or more specific what if I went to your job and told you how to do your f*king job. I hate you people. You think everyone is here to do as you say. I'm waiting for that day when life forces you all to go through what you complain about. If an uber driver takes a longer route it could be cause his f*king calves hurt from pressing the break all day every day and he would like to use cruise control on the highway. Not to have to stop at every light. At least he told you to get an uberX sh*t I woulda told you to get a f*king taxi. Go get on a taxi with no gps and try telling a taxi driver how to get somewhere. Yeah right! All you f*king ppl surprise me everyday. And never for good. But no worries. Times are changing. And when money becomes just paper only sweat and blood will pay for your actions.

  14. Michael Guest

    Fraud is always wrong and you did the right thing. I’m glad you reported him and I hope he was removed from the platform. What I say below is in response to comments and is in no way a justification for your fraudulent drivers crimes.

    I noticed in the comments that some have noticed a drop in customer service when Uber cut rates. It’s important for riders to understand that the rideshare industry is...

    Fraud is always wrong and you did the right thing. I’m glad you reported him and I hope he was removed from the platform. What I say below is in response to comments and is in no way a justification for your fraudulent drivers crimes.

    I noticed in the comments that some have noticed a drop in customer service when Uber cut rates. It’s important for riders to understand that the rideshare industry is built upon exploitation. The average driver, after expenses and depreciation on their car makes $3.17/hour (according to a recent MIT study) That’s it. In some areas it takes an entire day’s work just to fill your tank. Riders contribute to this exploitation by not tipping. A study of 40 million rides revealed only 16% were tipped. People tip the person who makes their drinks yet they do not tip the person who gets them home safely.

    So while it may have gotten cheaper for the rider, it’s at your drivers expense.

  15. Les Guest

    As an Uber driver I was deactivated I had to go to an apartment complex that had a gate the gentleman send me the gate code it would not work the keypad was saying server busy I finally got in by remote control from the driver behind me I went picked him up and apologize for what happened and he said that's okay you Uber drivers are f****** idiots and you're just happened to be...

    As an Uber driver I was deactivated I had to go to an apartment complex that had a gate the gentleman send me the gate code it would not work the keypad was saying server busy I finally got in by remote control from the driver behind me I went picked him up and apologize for what happened and he said that's okay you Uber drivers are f****** idiots and you're just happened to be a f****** idiot take me to the gate pad I'll show you how to do it so I took him to the gate pad I showed him what I did comes up server busy so he tells me then I'm f****** doing it wrong #1 2 3 4 comes up server busy so he tells me take the f****** $10 and take me to work you f****** idiot right then I told him the ride has ended please exit my car he beats on the back of my seat and tells me he's not getting out of my car so I proceeded to help him out of my car he takes off running all that and I get deactivated oh well maybe it's because my profile says I love America go figure have a nice day

  16. LuaOle Guest

    Good for you! You're a privileged passive-aggressive crybaby. If you're going to be a backseat driver, you might as well drive your damn self. Rideshare drivers are providing a service however that doesn't mean you own the service. It's their vehicle. I've been a passenger for several years and use different rideshare services 3 to 5 times a week. I've never had issues. Now don't get me wrong, if the driver ever starts going in...

    Good for you! You're a privileged passive-aggressive crybaby. If you're going to be a backseat driver, you might as well drive your damn self. Rideshare drivers are providing a service however that doesn't mean you own the service. It's their vehicle. I've been a passenger for several years and use different rideshare services 3 to 5 times a week. I've never had issues. Now don't get me wrong, if the driver ever starts going in the opposite direction, you can bet I'd say something. So in closing, get in *their* car and shut up unless you're going to be pleasant. If you can't manage that then be controlling elsewhere, like your own vehicle and just drive your damn self.

  17. Chris Guest

    Some Uber drivers out there can be very unprofessional. I work for Uber myself in Salt Lake City and while I keep things professional when driving passengers, one of my passengers told me of an experience where a previous Uber driver in Ogden (just north of SLC) was driving him home and kept taking these long detours up complete side roads that wasn’t getting the passenger any closer to his house. The driver was also...

    Some Uber drivers out there can be very unprofessional. I work for Uber myself in Salt Lake City and while I keep things professional when driving passengers, one of my passengers told me of an experience where a previous Uber driver in Ogden (just north of SLC) was driving him home and kept taking these long detours up complete side roads that wasn’t getting the passenger any closer to his house. The driver was also changing his speed between fast and slow like a drunk driver. After the passenger asked him several times “Can you please get on the main road and go this way?”, the weird driver was like “Okay” and continued driving his strange route. Eventually, the passenger asked the Uber driver to just pull over and let him out and this led to a 1-star rating which after the passenger told me this story as I was driving him, I was thinking there should be a 0-star rating specifically for this other driver.

    Even in Utah, I’ve heard crazy Uber stories from passengers who have been extremely grateful drivers like me exist to provide the best quality service possible.

  18. Sam Guest

    You should have given back the extra money which was refunded to you or give it to a person who needs it. What you did was also cheap, fake and not cool too man. Be grown up and good person

  19. Natalie Guest

    You are f* cheap guy. It seems that it is your personality to whine to get refund. You screwed Uber. You were not entitled to the whole refund. You should have returned the extra , but you didn’t. So you are f* fraud too and f* cheap person AND people who are like you are the same cheap fraud. Shame on you to do these kinds of shit to get money back. Cheap cheap cheap...

    You are f* cheap guy. It seems that it is your personality to whine to get refund. You screwed Uber. You were not entitled to the whole refund. You should have returned the extra , but you didn’t. So you are f* fraud too and f* cheap person AND people who are like you are the same cheap fraud. Shame on you to do these kinds of shit to get money back. Cheap cheap cheap and fraud. (But remember, those people who whine and exaggerate to get money back and refunds, they never enjoy life because subconsciously they know how they screwed the system and they can’t stop themselves from constantly obsessing about how to get refunds and they forget about life. But you think you are the happiest and luckiest. Don’t be a shit and whine. Be a fucking adult and a true HUMAN BEING.

  20. Carl Guest

    Hi, just wanted to chime in. I’m an ex limo driver currently driving an Infiniti luxury SUV for Uber X and XL. We’ve all had terrible transportation experiences but I’m going to go out on a limb here and drive home the fact that most of your Uber rides have probably been great.

    I personally go out of my way to make sure my passengers are happy. Occasionally, I’ll have a bad day and...

    Hi, just wanted to chime in. I’m an ex limo driver currently driving an Infiniti luxury SUV for Uber X and XL. We’ve all had terrible transportation experiences but I’m going to go out on a limb here and drive home the fact that most of your Uber rides have probably been great.

    I personally go out of my way to make sure my passengers are happy. Occasionally, I’ll have a bad day and do my best to just keep my spirits up even when passengers make bad decisions or unreasonable requests.

    For the most part my fares all treat me like a human because I treat them as such, but let me tell you, it really sucks when you get a jerk or group of jerks in your car.

    I’ve had 7 people pile in my car on an X ride and lie to me when I asked if they booked it as an XL and then down rated me.

    I’ve had drunks promise me they would take care of me with a great tip while I waited over 30 min (I didn’t start the ride till they were all in the car) for one of their group to get in the car after purging all over the sidewalk. Drove them home the 30+ miles and got tipped $2.

    I could ramble on about bad experiences but I choose to remember the best, please try to do the same and we’ll all have a great life.

    My advice when a driver does what this guy did, tell him to pull over as quickly and as safely as possible Cancel the ride and nip the experience in the bud before it gets worse. You’ll be happier and so will the driver.

  21. Mark Guest

    Scott, " And plus the customer truly is always right." Wrong. I was given 1 star, and a warning because the pax stated I was "playing on their phone the entire ride". I have video proof. Customer is not truly always right. Whats a stupid comment.

    1. Ryan B Roberts Guest

      Getting upset and making an issue out of bad riders only impacts you the driver,most of those people are just unhappy and they get joy out of seeing people's angry reaction,I just smile at bad riders like they are crazy,I don't give them any satisfaction as if they are invisible and in no way have power over my emotions.

  22. JoeSchmoe Guest

    I call BS after the conversation of him asking why over and over.

  23. Limo JOE Guest

    Even if you get a full refund, the driver still gets paid. I hate to burst your bubble on this because it probably feels good to think that a rude driver lost his or her pay for bad service, but that's not the case. What makes people think that a driver didn't get paid? Did you get an email specifically saying the driver will not get paid? Or did you get an email saying you...

    Even if you get a full refund, the driver still gets paid. I hate to burst your bubble on this because it probably feels good to think that a rude driver lost his or her pay for bad service, but that's not the case. What makes people think that a driver didn't get paid? Did you get an email specifically saying the driver will not get paid? Or did you get an email saying you will receive a full refund? I doubt Uber or Lyft would send anything saying a driver didn't get paid for a ride. Too many legal issues to deal with. Telling you that you got a full refund doesn't mean they didn't okay pay the driver. They may even say they have addressed the issue with the driver or that you will never be paired with that driver ever again. They may make you think the driver didn't get paid, but they will not say a driver didn't get paid.
    A driver may get a fare adjustment if there's a discrepancy for distance and in the case of the adjustment more than 4 passengers. I've given over 12,000(11000 Lyft, 1400 uber) rides and my rating for both Lyft and Uber are over 4.9, usually at 5(drivers ratings are usually based on last 100 or 500 rides). I drive in a metro area of over 6 million people. However, there are far more customers who make fake complaints than actual drivers making fake claims or adjustments. I've been paid for every single completed ride I've ever given. I know there are riders who have reported things to get refunds because Uber and Lyft sends emails to drivers inquiring about the situation when a rider makes a specific claims about a ride. Almost all these rides have been from certain neighborhoods or communities. Many are young college age and without a lot of disposable income. If you want to know what kind of things riders have reported, let me know. This response has already got too long. Uber and Lyft are afraid to not give complaining customers refunds. But the customers who complain a lot should raise flags when they report highly rated driver for the same issues they have report poorly rated drivers. There are customers who make legitimate claims but there are customers that are clearly abusing the system.

  24. Nicole Guest

    I need an uber driver to answer this please?
    I came to this post because I had a question about fake uber drivers. I have never used uber but my daughters do. One day I came out of a local grocery store and I found a business card that stated I was being gifted with a free round trip ride and no mileage limit and handwritten on the card was "because sometimes you just...

    I need an uber driver to answer this please?
    I came to this post because I had a question about fake uber drivers. I have never used uber but my daughters do. One day I came out of a local grocery store and I found a business card that stated I was being gifted with a free round trip ride and no mileage limit and handwritten on the card was "because sometimes you just need to get away " and only a phone number to call to schedule this " free round trip ride, any time and and where. No mileage restrictions ". I looked around at the 9 or so other vehicles and not one single car had the "uber ride card" period.
    And it was definitely a " made on my printer at home" flimsy "business card ".
    I brought it home and I asked my daughter if she knew anyone who could use it and she immediately gasped at my lack of uber experience and she told me that you can't just call a number, you have to go through the app and book it for several reasons but security being top.
    I immediately snatched it back and I have been upset with myself for almost handing it off to my daughter or her friends.
    So I show my stepfather and he immediately jumped to "human trafficking happens when someone is unaware of the rules and you have your own vehicle so you probably don't use uber alot "
    However I don't know if it was someone who wanted to be an uber driver and thought that just because he printed out cards he was qualified, or if he might have been up to some shady stuff.
    I know that this post is old but I see plenty of drivers on here who can say " this is totally normal " or " you better be careful that is not right "
    Please Don't chastise me please for my lack of experience since I am typically the one who is dd, or running someone somewhere. Lol. I respect your job as I am a server and I deal with the public and the backlash that you get because sometimes you have a customer who thinks that you are in charge of company policy and so on )
    I just wonder if I should be more concerned and bring it to the attention of my area and to others like myself who have yet to use an uber (,or Lyft lol)
    . I have considered the homemade business card and false claims of being an uber driver, as a way for someone who is struggling to make money on the side /sly. However I don't think if he was desperate for money that he would offer a free round trip ride with no mileage restrictions......
    Thanks in advance .

  25. Scott Guest

    I know this is an old post but I just read it and I couldn't refrain from at least saying something. Being an Uber driver I could never imagine treating anybody like that. When people enter my car they're my guests. And it's my job to look after them as best I can and make sure that they're comfortable. And plus the customer truly is always right. Especially in the service industry. I was lucky...

    I know this is an old post but I just read it and I couldn't refrain from at least saying something. Being an Uber driver I could never imagine treating anybody like that. When people enter my car they're my guests. And it's my job to look after them as best I can and make sure that they're comfortable. And plus the customer truly is always right. Especially in the service industry. I was lucky to have mentors in customer service early on in my working career that instilled in me Rock Solid values when it comes to making sure the customer is satisfied. And also it's not that difficult to know that it's good to treat people the way you would want to be treated. There's no excuse for that guy and it should be booted off hopefully he has been. I'm not talking about the app I'm talking about the planet. Every Uber driver apologizes to you on behalf the jackass.

  26. Ted Guest

    Your fare is always going to be what was quoted to you when you booked the ride, it doesnt matter if the driver goes 20 miles out of the way and takes an extra hour. You are not saving any money by taking "your route", all your doing is wasting the drivers time by taking a longer one. Uber Black drivers have significantly higher operating costs than the average Uber X driver, so honestly leave...

    Your fare is always going to be what was quoted to you when you booked the ride, it doesnt matter if the driver goes 20 miles out of the way and takes an extra hour. You are not saving any money by taking "your route", all your doing is wasting the drivers time by taking a longer one. Uber Black drivers have significantly higher operating costs than the average Uber X driver, so honestly leave the black cars to riders who can afford them and use your coupon on something else

  27. deek Guest

    How about THIS story: I was an Uber passenger on my boss' ride. On a work trip in Plainfield, IN. I sat directly behind and up close to the driver, in his dirty, crappy, beat-up old Honda Odyssey. Few hours later I was hit with 6 fraudulent Uber charges on my bankcard. Never happened in my life before. Two of them got through for about $80 total, and I had to file disputes with bank....

    How about THIS story: I was an Uber passenger on my boss' ride. On a work trip in Plainfield, IN. I sat directly behind and up close to the driver, in his dirty, crappy, beat-up old Honda Odyssey. Few hours later I was hit with 6 fraudulent Uber charges on my bankcard. Never happened in my life before. Two of them got through for about $80 total, and I had to file disputes with bank. I have never been connected to Uber in any way. My bankcard's chip had been read (hacked) by a chip-reader, quite obviously (but still "allegedly") the driver's. Had to cancel my Visa card on a work trip. Driver's name: "Johnson." I have the License Number too, want that? It's ARR164. Ride was at 8:25 am on Sept. 17, 2019, from the Embassy Suites. Driver is still getting away with it, "allegedly," because it wasn't technically my ride. No way to follow up through Uber. Nice company guys. Always knew there was a good reason I avoided it all these years. Uber really needs to get its shit together.

  28. uber driver Guest

    Most riders are too cheap for a taxi and to egocentric for a bus ride.

    The uber driver cares to bring you safe at the destination, based, often, on the Uber provided GPS.

    The uber driver has no clue where you are going, doesn't have access to the destination.
    If you change the route, you're out of the game.
    This is how the system is working.
    If you type your address in...

    Most riders are too cheap for a taxi and to egocentric for a bus ride.

    The uber driver cares to bring you safe at the destination, based, often, on the Uber provided GPS.

    The uber driver has no clue where you are going, doesn't have access to the destination.
    If you change the route, you're out of the game.
    This is how the system is working.
    If you type your address in his gps(google maps, waze, whatever) than, yes, it's a different story.
    But, like I said. The driver has no clue where are you heading.
    Please remember that.

    If you have a life and are not frustrated, than, you'll pick another game instead of the ratings one.

  29. Dale Guest

    I love the Uber rating system! It defines the driver and the passenger!! Now if you are a driver or a passenger Just check your overall rating!

  30. Eric Guest

    I only want to point out one thing: if you pay $91, the driver may only receive $50 or even less (based on "The ride took about 40 minutes and was a $91 fare — that’s hardly anything to feel bad about"). Uber takes good portion of what riders pay.

  31. Blarg Guest

    What that driver did to you is trash.

    I was reading through the comments and a lot of the people in here seem like entitled trash. You do know you are riding in someone’s personal car? Their property? They are doing you a favor, and you are paying for their gas?

    You also know that Uber drivers have to rate you as soon as the ride is over? They cannot continue driving until they rate...

    What that driver did to you is trash.

    I was reading through the comments and a lot of the people in here seem like entitled trash. You do know you are riding in someone’s personal car? Their property? They are doing you a favor, and you are paying for their gas?

    You also know that Uber drivers have to rate you as soon as the ride is over? They cannot continue driving until they rate the rider as soon as the ride is over. So they can’t wait to see if you tip them or not. Especially when sometimes, tips come in 24 hours after a ride. And one starring people is a way to ensure they never step foot in your car again. Like I’d do to a ton of the commentators here, especially the wacko who has a system to keep track of her ratings. Keep one starring drivers, soon enough you won’t have anyone to accept your rides.

    For the person who’s all for “brutal punishment,” those full refunds are at Uber’s expense. The driver loses nothing. ;)

    For the guy who got charged tolls 24 hr after the ride, Uber charges the riders a certain amount for tolls, which is included in the fare. Usually, tolls are more than what Uber charges you, so when the driver gives them the final toll amount, they will charge you for it.

    To the guy who thinks Uber is a personal driver, what dimension do you live in? Uber drivers are NOT personal drivers. If they were, they would be getting paid A LOT more than they do.

    If you want to be treated like Beyoncé being driven to the Grammys, hire a fucking limo.

  32. Mitagat Guest

    I have been driving for Uber for a year and a half and have reached uberpro status, diamond level. It’s a very simple process. You pick up a rider. You treat them with the utmost respect and listen to their thoughts on route direction or preferences. I have carried groceries. I have walked people to and from car under my umbrella in torrential rainstorms. I do all this because I provide a service someone paid...

    I have been driving for Uber for a year and a half and have reached uberpro status, diamond level. It’s a very simple process. You pick up a rider. You treat them with the utmost respect and listen to their thoughts on route direction or preferences. I have carried groceries. I have walked people to and from car under my umbrella in torrential rainstorms. I do all this because I provide a service someone paid for and they deserve to feel at ease and confident with their Uber driver. However regardless of how hard you try and how much effort you put in, some people will literally one star you for absolutely nothing. Everybody complains about the drivers but a lot of passengers have the exact same negative impact. I’ve NEVER given anything less then 5 stars because there’s no reason and I’ve had people that deserved it but I don’t feel I have the right to “rank” anyone. I’ve had almost 2000 fares and I love driving for Uber. I meet amazing people. But I am a human being as well as an Uber driver and I don’t think in a lot of situations people realize that we deal with dozens of passengers a day and try as hard as we can to please all of them only to be one starred because of the radio station or we drove by the sewage plant next to the airport in Philadelphia, so the foul smell becomes our fault. It’s a slippery slope, but just be respectful and courteous to one another and DONT CHEAT OR LIE OR SCAM your riders and for the most part, Uber continues on as a beautiful thing!!

  33. David d Guest

    At least 1 out of a100 people give me a one star, usually for no reason that I can fathom . As far as you guys knocking on this guy saying he should get fired? No he should not. You guy don’t know his side of the story and even if so, do you deserve to be fired for being rude one time or having a bad day? Also just so you non drivers know.......

    At least 1 out of a100 people give me a one star, usually for no reason that I can fathom . As far as you guys knocking on this guy saying he should get fired? No he should not. You guy don’t know his side of the story and even if so, do you deserve to be fired for being rude one time or having a bad day? Also just so you non drivers know.... unless you work buku hours for Uber and in a big busy city , you don’t make much money at all. Sometimes after taxes and all the bill we make minimum or less than minimum wage.. the fares you guys are getting for what we are doing are disgustingly cheap . Anyone that complains about price better be very very strapped for cash. We do the same thing as servers do but more dangerous and more stressful on average ... like much more... we don’t get tipped on average .. honestly it’s a supsrise Uber has drivers at all but people out there are desperate to survive... Most these people that drive can’t afford to take a driveshare themselves. So it to all you complainers out there yes you are right ..but YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR..

  34. Jay Guest

    Let's not pretend Lucky didnt know exactly what they were doing. You specifically were trying to make the rider cheaper by picking a shorter longer route.

    This is counter productive and condescending considering you picked an uber black driver to do it with.

    Without the driver trying to commit fraud there is very little basis for any sound arguments in favor of your actions.

    You got the luxury of uber experiences only to try...

    Let's not pretend Lucky didnt know exactly what they were doing. You specifically were trying to make the rider cheaper by picking a shorter longer route.

    This is counter productive and condescending considering you picked an uber black driver to do it with.

    Without the driver trying to commit fraud there is very little basis for any sound arguments in favor of your actions.

    You got the luxury of uber experiences only to try and shirt change the very driver that you were hoping would just comply? Who in thier right mind would willing take a pay cut for a customer in any other profession?

  35. Tobey K Miller Guest

    Probably get lost in the fray but my hubby has been chastised, questioned, and financially punished by Uber for not sticking to Uber's mapped route. No reason to be rude, regardless. Some people don't get the "service" part of "customer service".

  36. UberBlackDriver Guest

    I am an Uber Black driver, and a very good one. First, driver updating (lying) that you had 5 passengers rather than 1-4 was unethical and unprofessional. But in that lies the rub.

    Uber gives passengers an Upfront Price, based on medium to longest acceptable route (distance). You actually paid for the route driver probably wanted to take, or longer. But, driver only gets paid for route they complete. In short, Uber charged you for...

    I am an Uber Black driver, and a very good one. First, driver updating (lying) that you had 5 passengers rather than 1-4 was unethical and unprofessional. But in that lies the rub.

    Uber gives passengers an Upfront Price, based on medium to longest acceptable route (distance). You actually paid for the route driver probably wanted to take, or longer. But, driver only gets paid for route they complete. In short, Uber charged you for longer route and paid driver for shorter.

    I won't defend this driver in the least, because they resorted to fraud with the '5 passenger' thing. In my case, I definitely prefer freeway (especially if shorter or same amount of time) simply because freeway is safer than surface streets. If a passenger requests for a specific route, I will take that, but it is not in Uber's TOS that driver must take that. Drivers are Independent Contractors, not employees.

    I have lived in L.A. since 1972 - guessing driver wanted freeway, and you preferred La Cienega or La Brea. Good luck on all future trips.

  37. Pedro Herrera Guest

    i try to request uber 06/28/2019 and never showed up . uber fake took her somewhere i almost od and the next morning i had to run for my life. driving around long beach police dept. like an idiot 20 cops handcuffed me so i got my first DUI IN2? years no need for abuse of power

  38. Tim Guest

    The driver was a prick no doubt about it. You are, however, incorrect when you stated the driver made $91 for 40 minutes of driving. As an Uber driver myself I can tell you that Uber drivers often make as low as 45% of what the passenger pays, and rarely higher than 55 % of what the passenger pays. These numbers are even worse for Airport rides because an airport tax is charged in addition to the Uber fee.

  39. Gor Guest

    X riders should never take Uber black, you are so cheap guys. If you call black, you must shut up and enjoy the ride.

  40. Ryan Guest

    You realize the driver doesn't keep that entire fare that you pay, right? The idiot probably only got about $50 of that, maybe a little more or less.

  41. Renee Bisbee Guest

    @Lucky... as a uber driver i can understand his reluctance to take the shorter route.
    1) the price uber quotes the passenger is the price they pay unless they change the destination.
    2) contrary to popular belief we do not get 80 or even 70% of most trip fares, it's more like 50 to 60% tops.
    3) if we take the shorter route you still pay the the same amount, but UBER...

    @Lucky... as a uber driver i can understand his reluctance to take the shorter route.
    1) the price uber quotes the passenger is the price they pay unless they change the destination.
    2) contrary to popular belief we do not get 80 or even 70% of most trip fares, it's more like 50 to 60% tops.
    3) if we take the shorter route you still pay the the same amount, but UBER now gets a larger portion of the cut because we only get what mileage we drive plus a small amount for time.
    4) your fare might have been $91 but 20 was taken off the top and then UBER fees after that. The driver would have been lucky to make $40 or $45, and that's before gas.

    That being said, he should not have been rude, and he should not have lied.
    We aren't all like that.

  42. PERI Guest

    I think you people probably do not know how Uber works. Most of the times it is a problem with the UBER APP, for instance take the GPS Kilometre reading. Compare it with the reading of your CAR you will find the GPS IS COMPLETELY WRONG, not the driver! That is why when you complain about wrong distance UBER will refund immedietly but they will never fire the driver because they know it has nothing...

    I think you people probably do not know how Uber works. Most of the times it is a problem with the UBER APP, for instance take the GPS Kilometre reading. Compare it with the reading of your CAR you will find the GPS IS COMPLETELY WRONG, not the driver! That is why when you complain about wrong distance UBER will refund immedietly but they will never fire the driver because they know it has nothing to do with the driver but with their APP. Testing it yourself you will see. That is why India is trying to compel UBER to calculate fare based on Car Metre readings not GPS

  43. Jimmy UberPRO Johnson Guest

    Stupid passenger are paying a fixed fare no matter how long the drive.

    Demanding a SHORTER DISTANCE does not save the passenger one thin dime.

    Demanding a SHORTER DISTANCE means Uber gets to STEAL MORE MONEY from the Driver.

    Passenger pays the same ...... driver makes less ...... Uber makes more !!!!!

    If you HATE the working man ..... demand a shorter route !!!

  44. Gary Uberdriver Guest

    As an Uber Driver I always take the passengers preferred route.

    It generally works out better for me financially and when it goes bad the passenger can only blame themselves for the added costs to the trip.

    You see I have the tools to get around problem areas that pop up that a passenger might not know about and in my area with all of the highway construction going on there are more than enough...

    As an Uber Driver I always take the passengers preferred route.

    It generally works out better for me financially and when it goes bad the passenger can only blame themselves for the added costs to the trip.

    You see I have the tools to get around problem areas that pop up that a passenger might not know about and in my area with all of the highway construction going on there are more than enough construction delays.

    Oh and for the record the passenger MAY suggest a route, but the driver is NOT OBLIGATED to follow the passengers route.

  45. Thimas Guest

    "So you saved 8 miles and it cost you 2 min. You saved yourself 8*$3.55 per mile – 2*$0.45 per min=$27.50 total. That is not a nickel and dime amount."

    Youre absolutely correct that isn't a nickel and dime amount. It's also the reason the driver was upset.

    The rider is quoted a guaranteed fare which doesn't change unless the rider insists on taking a longer route. The price quoted to the rider reflects a...

    "So you saved 8 miles and it cost you 2 min. You saved yourself 8*$3.55 per mile – 2*$0.45 per min=$27.50 total. That is not a nickel and dime amount."

    Youre absolutely correct that isn't a nickel and dime amount. It's also the reason the driver was upset.

    The rider is quoted a guaranteed fare which doesn't change unless the rider insists on taking a longer route. The price quoted to the rider reflects a route linger than given to the driver and Uber pockets the difference. The driver gets the milage and time involved in the run based on a set of directions forwarded to him by Uber which are almost 100 percent guaranteed shorty the mileage and time used for the guaranteed rate given to the rider.

    In this case the rider was quoted a rate and wasn't going to pay beyond that rate but by demanding a shorter route the rider essentially screwed that driver out of the estimated 27 dollars you calculated above. And for what, it would have taken the same amount of time.

    Of course that driver was upset right off the bat.

    I'm not saying what that driver did was right far from it, but I understand his initial upset. He should have canceled the ride and let the rider get another driver.

    The moral of this story for riders is to get in the car and stop back seat navigating because in many cases you're costing the driver money when the route Uber pushes him doesn't Impat the rider financially.

    Seriously nothing ticks drivers off more than back seat navigators and for good reason like the 27 this driver lost out on when it wouldn't have made a difference in time or the cost to the rider.

  46. Stiix Guest

    That was very ugly! The sad part is that some passengers are not cordial and they don't have to be. They are pating for a ride not a conversation. So as a deiver if someone gets on and seems like they don't want to talk, I don't force a conversation. I had a gentleman this morning and as a woman, got out, put his suitcase in my trunk, asked if it was something in particular...

    That was very ugly! The sad part is that some passengers are not cordial and they don't have to be. They are pating for a ride not a conversation. So as a deiver if someone gets on and seems like they don't want to talk, I don't force a conversation. I had a gentleman this morning and as a woman, got out, put his suitcase in my trunk, asked if it was something in particular he wanted to listen to and is the temperature ok? He said everyrhing was fine. All of my rides have been enjoyable, not one bad ride. Out of 70 rides my rating was 4.97, this man gave me one star. Mind you when we got to the airport I got out again and took his luggage out for him. Some people just can't stand the fact that you give excellent service and they fraudulently give bad ratings just to see your rating go down. That is a customer I will not put in my car again.

  47. Julie Casey Guest

    Hey Franko,

    Uber driver here, just wanted to give you a heads up: as of May 2017 Uber is using up front pricing, so you pay one rate (which is provided to you before you can even request the trip). It doesn't matter if the trip length is 10 miles or 15 miles, you're always going to pay the original, up-front price you were quoted at the first stage of the ride ordering process.

    So,...

    Hey Franko,

    Uber driver here, just wanted to give you a heads up: as of May 2017 Uber is using up front pricing, so you pay one rate (which is provided to you before you can even request the trip). It doesn't matter if the trip length is 10 miles or 15 miles, you're always going to pay the original, up-front price you were quoted at the first stage of the ride ordering process.

    So, no need to ever worry about a few extra miles or a longer route taken ( which I assume would be done if traffic warrants it and it's beneficial for everyone involved ). You won't pay more and you'll still be able to tip your driver (another new implementation to Uber's app as of May 2017.)

    As for Lucky's atrocious driver, please know most of us would never pull such an a**hole move; I can't even imagine having the gall to attempt anything like that.

    And thank you to everyone who has kindly been tipping in-app, it makes a world of difference since our rates (which are paid by miles + time per trip) have been cut drastically since 2014. I drive in LA and earn .72 cents per mile and .10 cents per minute. So, for a 5- mile, 20 minute trip I'll make $3.60 + $2.00 = $5.60 ........

    At maximum I can do 3 rides like that in an hour (actually because there's always time between ride requests, and then the five or 10 minute drive through traffic to get to the next rider's pick up location, in reality two rides like that per hour are possible- so that's a whopping $11.20 per hour.)

    So even driving non-stop over the course of 6 hours, a driver is making MAYBE $66 before deductions and wear and tear and mileage and that's with 6 hours of consistent driving...

    THAT, my friends, is why tipping your drivers is appreciated. Because without tips, we make $6-$7 per hour when all is said and done.

  48. Marcos Costa Guest

    Well now its different, Uber is doing "Upfront pricing" which basically means that whatever price it shows when you request the trip, that will be the price, there is no more adjustments, so if a trip takes more time and mileage or less time and mileage, passenger still pay the same.

  49. Pablo Guest

    That driver should have been happy with the $70-90 he made. But now he earned nothing. Only has himself to blame.

  50. John Campbell Guest

    I was also overcharged. The difference is that the driver had initially got lost and was late picking me up. When I got to my destination, I received an email saying that I was charged almost double what the original fare was and that it took almost double the time to get me to my destination. Upset, I immediately contacted Uber who confirmed my pick up address and adjusted the fare. It turns out the...

    I was also overcharged. The difference is that the driver had initially got lost and was late picking me up. When I got to my destination, I received an email saying that I was charged almost double what the original fare was and that it took almost double the time to get me to my destination. Upset, I immediately contacted Uber who confirmed my pick up address and adjusted the fare. It turns out the driver started the trip early which Uber Customer care says is unacceptable. He was running late so to compensate for his lateness, he decided to start the trip without me so he could get paid while he was driving around town lost. The nerve of some people. lol. Uber customer Service was great but from here on out you can best believe that I am going to be watching my invoices like a hawk.

  51. Hugo Teixeira Guest

    Frauded:

    I am a happy Uber customer (still am, even after this event), but this happened to me today.
    Last Tuesday i was coming back from Chicago to OC through LAX. When I arrived at the airport i requested an Uber, as always, but there was no drivers found, just a message like "We're sorry, there are no drivers available at this time. Please try again in a few minutes". I tried this some...

    Frauded:

    I am a happy Uber customer (still am, even after this event), but this happened to me today.
    Last Tuesday i was coming back from Chicago to OC through LAX. When I arrived at the airport i requested an Uber, as always, but there was no drivers found, just a message like "We're sorry, there are no drivers available at this time. Please try again in a few minutes". I tried this some three times, always the same result. Odd, i thought, but then, ok, i'll try Lyft this time. After installing the app, i called a Lyft and the driver was there minutes later. He told me he knoew the Uber system was down, as he works for both companies. Normal ride, no compaints. Same quality of service as Uber.
    Today (Friday, 3 days later) i received a call from my bank. They detected suspicious transactions, with several Uber trips within a few minutes only. I went to check it, and the transactions happened when i tried to get a Uber ride with no success! i was charged with $295 divided in 5 different transactions, on 10/24/2017 between 21:56 and 22:04.
    Has anybody heard about similar situations?

  52. franko Guest

    Ohh i got one for you. Got picked up at the DFW airport to go home. Uber driver took a wrong turn, had to guide him back, I was not happy with extra miles. Driver sensed i was not going to give him a good review or a tip (1 star and zero tip was well deserved). So 2 days later check my credit card, this guy must have poured water in back seat took...

    Ohh i got one for you. Got picked up at the DFW airport to go home. Uber driver took a wrong turn, had to guide him back, I was not happy with extra miles. Driver sensed i was not going to give him a good review or a tip (1 star and zero tip was well deserved). So 2 days later check my credit card, this guy must have poured water in back seat took a picture and claimed I urinated in it. What has to happen... we have to start taking picture of seat every time we get out of a bad uber car?

  53. LaJeanne Tarek Guest

    Wouldn't it wonderful if the world was perfect, everyone was an angel, and everybody catered to your specific needs? You got your money back, so stop whining and grow up! Maybe the driver had a medical issue, a personal family crisis or a grave financial problem on his mind.

  54. Scott Guest

    Sorry you had to experience such a bad driver.
    I'm a new driver but I've been putting in a lot of hours in Honolulu and I have over 1200 rides logged in less than 3 months I'm starting to average 500 rides a month. I almost always get 5 stars and I've never yet given less than 5 although there's been a couple of times that I thought about it. I'm a very friendly...

    Sorry you had to experience such a bad driver.
    I'm a new driver but I've been putting in a lot of hours in Honolulu and I have over 1200 rides logged in less than 3 months I'm starting to average 500 rides a month. I almost always get 5 stars and I've never yet given less than 5 although there's been a couple of times that I thought about it. I'm a very friendly people person and I believe that you must treat the customer/Rider with respect and courtesy and make sure they feel appreciated. at the same time I find it very frustrating when some of the riders are either too lazy to put in the exact address or name of the place they are to pick them up at making it difficult at times to find them. I always let Riders know that the best way to do it is to put the name of a nearby well-known restaurant etc, and not use the "dropped pin" option because it often places them in a completely different spot even a different street leaving the driver clueless to their location. What I don't like about this is when I can't find them because the dropped pin is a block away from where they are they get annoyed with me.
    I never show my annoyance and always blame the app and apologize for my not being able to find them.
    the driver in the story dreserved a rating of a one star and should not be allowed to drive for Uber it's a ridiculous example of horrible service Uber driver cares about the reputation of all good drivers I apologize on behalf of all of us.
    With that being said for all of you passengers out there please don't toss bad ratings out willy-nilly because it really affects our livelihood and be careful because I got a one-star rating the other day that brought me from a 4.9 8 to 4 .93 and there's no possible way that I did anything to deserve less than five star in my opinion but if there was something I missed 4 stars at the very least. so I believe it was a mistake because later on I saw somebody touch the star thing and accidentally put a three when he was trying to give me a big tip and 5 stars.
    the driver in the story deserves to get a horrible rating because he offers horrible service and Rider should be warned but for the most part please be generous with your ratings because it really does affect our lives the idiot drivers don't long anyway.
    Thanks for using Uber and I hope to see you in Waikiki next time you visit the islands
    Aloha-Scott

  55. Scott Guest

    I'm a new driver but I've been putting in a lot of hours in Honolulu and I have over 1200 rides logged in less than 3 months I'm starting to average 500 rides a month. I almost always get 5 stars and I've never yet given less than 5 although there's been a couple of times that I thought about it. I'm a very friendly people person and I believe that you must treat the...

    I'm a new driver but I've been putting in a lot of hours in Honolulu and I have over 1200 rides logged in less than 3 months I'm starting to average 500 rides a month. I almost always get 5 stars and I've never yet given less than 5 although there's been a couple of times that I thought about it. I'm a very friendly people person and I believe that you must treat the customer/Rider with respect and courtesy and make sure they feel appreciated. at the same time I find it very frustrating when some of the riders are either too lazy to put in the exact address or name of the place they are to pick them up at making it difficult at times to find them. I always let Riders know that the best way to do it is to put the name of a nearby well-known restaurant etc, and not use the "dropped pin" option because it often places them in a completely different spot even a different street leaving the driver clueless to their location. What I don't like about this is when I can't find them because the dropped pin is a block away from where they are they get annoyed with me.
    I never show my annoyance and always blame the app and apologize for my not being able to find them.
    the driver in the story dreserved a rating of a one star and should not be allowed to drive for Uber it's a ridiculous example of horrible service Uber driver cares about the reputation of all good drivers I apologize on behalf of all of us.
    With that being said for all of you passengers out there please don't toss bad ratings out willy-nilly because it really affects our livelihood and be careful because I got a one-star rating the other day that brought me from a 4.9 8 to 4 .93 and there's no possible way that I did anything to deserve less than five star in my opinion but if there was something I missed 4 stars at the very least. so I believe it was a mistake because later on I saw somebody touch the star thing and accidentally put a three when he was trying to give me a big tip and 5 stars.
    the driver in the story deserves to get a horrible rating because he offers horrible service and Rider should be warned but for the most part please be generous with your ratings because it really does affect our lives the idiot drivers don't long anyway.
    Thanks for using Uber and I hope to see you in Waikiki next time you visit the islands
    Aloha-Scott

  56. John Doe Guest

    Had a terrible experience with Uber this week and quite surprised. Got quoted a ride on Wednesday morning, the driver showed up and took me to my destination, which was not far. Everything seemed fine. But a few minutes after I arrived, I notice the app shows the ride still active and the driver is going somewhere else, not close. Unable to figure out a way in the app myself to indicate the ride has...

    Had a terrible experience with Uber this week and quite surprised. Got quoted a ride on Wednesday morning, the driver showed up and took me to my destination, which was not far. Everything seemed fine. But a few minutes after I arrived, I notice the app shows the ride still active and the driver is going somewhere else, not close. Unable to figure out a way in the app myself to indicate the ride has actually stopped, I message the driver in the app, which sends me to a text message, where I text him that the app still shows the ride ongoing and that he needs to turn it off. A little while later, the app finally registers that the ride has ended, and asks me to rate the driver and tip, still clearly showing the original fare.

    Then, another while later, I get an email receipt, which now shows that I am being charged *triple* the original fare for a ride to the driver's next destination, which was neither where I requested a ride to nor where I went (which was the same place), all of which Uber clearly knows since the app shows my own location as dropped off and present at the originally requested destination.

    I then contact customer service, trying them through the app and then eventually through Twitter, and after several go rounds over the course of the day, they eventually correct the fare back to the originally agreed charge, and leave the five star rating even though I specifically flagged the issue, also leave the tip charge, and mark the issue solved!

    I then ask for help again about this, pointing out that the driver should not be keeping a five star rating or tip after trying to defraud me, and only after the second, separate request after closing the issue, they agree to correct only the star rating, but insist the driver keep the tip! So after attempting to defraud me, the worst that happens is the driver (and Uber) gets the full original fare and the tip?

    It's clear to me that Uber knows this kind of fraud is occurring and is systematically allowing it to happen because it is actively profiting from the fraud. (A driver should not be able to change the destination without the passenger agreeing to a new destination and fare!) And I would never have caught this if I had not read my emailed receipt after the fact and if the difference were not so glaring - how many people are getting ripped off and how much is Uber making on this systematic theft? Crazy.

  57. Jacob Guest

    I had one of these experiences just now, just with a taxi instead. We, me, my brother, mom and dad, got in the taxi and we told the driver our destination, my brothers seatbelt didnt even function properly so that was fishy from the start, he driver was horrible, he was driving insanely fast and he wasnt good at all, but about halfway we noticed the taximeter or whatever its called was at 150 zloty,...

    I had one of these experiences just now, just with a taxi instead. We, me, my brother, mom and dad, got in the taxi and we told the driver our destination, my brothers seatbelt didnt even function properly so that was fishy from the start, he driver was horrible, he was driving insanely fast and he wasnt good at all, but about halfway we noticed the taximeter or whatever its called was at 150 zloty, which is ridiculous as the ride was only 2.9 kilometres, but we didnt say anything, when we got to the hotel he said "150 zloty" and we just laughed and thought he was joking, but then he said "I dont have much time. Pay." And we said "Thats stupid, we took the same ride from here to old town earlier today (with a different driver of course and that only cost us 15 zloty, then the guy said something along the lines of "yes, but this is a different type of taxi, this is supertaxi, so it costs more" again, we said "That's stupid, we're not paying 150 zloty, that's 10x more than the actual amount" my dad got out of the car and said "lower the price or we wont pay" the driver clearly got scared as my dad is 2 metres tall, he didnt say anything, then my dad said, I can pay you 20. The driver opened the storage area where he kept his money, thats when I got out as I was scared that he had a gun or something (I'm 13 and easily scared, so I was scared). I was also scared that he might drive off with us still inside, so I told my mom and brother to get out aswell. My brother got out instantly but my mom sat there for a couple more seconds until I repeated what I said, then she got out too. My dad gave the driver a 50 zloty bill and said "30 back" the driver gave him 20 and said "No change" which is bullshit as he had alot of money (I assume thats from other people he scammed) My dad wanted to keep on arguing and wanted to get his money, but as my mom realized the danger in the situation she took the money and we slammed the door shut. The driver took off and gave us the finger. I was scared shitless for a while afterwards. Its been 1 hour now, so I've calmed down. From now on, we're using uber.

  58. Alan Scott Kempton Guest

    I was a real cabdriver for 20 years. I took my job seriously- it was all about customer service; don't turn the meter on until the car is going in the right direction, take the most direct route at the customer's suggestion etc.. We had a dress code- haircuts, attire and a pleasant demeanour . It wasn't just a job it was my profession. I made it my career and I was proud of what...

    I was a real cabdriver for 20 years. I took my job seriously- it was all about customer service; don't turn the meter on until the car is going in the right direction, take the most direct route at the customer's suggestion etc.. We had a dress code- haircuts, attire and a pleasant demeanour . It wasn't just a job it was my profession. I made it my career and I was proud of what I did. In the quirky place where I worked ( Kitchener-Waterloo twin cities) in southwestern Ontario 60 miles or so west of Toronto. Google it Please see what we had to contend with! I always gave my customers a choice- do you want the fast expensive way or the slow cheap way? Are you in a hurry or on a budget? With no regrets, Sincerely, Scott "Rambo" Kempton # 2950 City Cabs Kitchener

  59. [email protected] Guest

    Just a few days ago, my wife was charged $97.43 for a trip that was supposed to have cost around $25. Uber has no customer service and no appeal process. She was told "dynamic pricing" was in effect. The problem is, Uber stonewalls its customers and there is no recourse. While we are going to try to pursue other means to get resolution to this outrage, Uber should know that if you continue to screw your customers you will eventually not have any.

  60. Jim Guest

    From the cab driver in Old School: "I suggest you stop being such a fa**ot".

    Sounds like you had a bad ride, but did you ever once stop to consider the kind of crap drivers have to put up with because of whiny little bitc**s like you? Uber is making people into paid slaves by taking advantage of the fragile egos of hipsters like yourself. Be a man. What you didn't mention is how...

    From the cab driver in Old School: "I suggest you stop being such a fa**ot".

    Sounds like you had a bad ride, but did you ever once stop to consider the kind of crap drivers have to put up with because of whiny little bitc**s like you? Uber is making people into paid slaves by taking advantage of the fragile egos of hipsters like yourself. Be a man. What you didn't mention is how you could have been giving of a vibe of "I don't care about you our your life" to the driver, or how you could have just engaged in talk that built rapport, instead of wanting to have your ass kissed like you were a God. There's a good chance you were treated the way you were stinky because of this.

    "I take a mix of UberX and UberBLACK, though in this case we decided to do an UberBLACK." Jesus, they've got you programmed like a good consumer. It's a friggin car man. So what if the driver wears a suit?

    Time to grow up.

  61. MissCari Guest

    I am a relatively new UberX driver in the Piedmont Triad area of NC. Most passengers I have found are okay. Many have interesting life stories. I have run into one person who attempted to use a line being down on the optimal route to try and pay less saying that I took a non-optimal route. Upon receiving my explanation, Uber reversed the fare adjustment. That said, if I mess up, I own it. I...

    I am a relatively new UberX driver in the Piedmont Triad area of NC. Most passengers I have found are okay. Many have interesting life stories. I have run into one person who attempted to use a line being down on the optimal route to try and pay less saying that I took a non-optimal route. Upon receiving my explanation, Uber reversed the fare adjustment. That said, if I mess up, I own it. I have actually requested a partial refund on behalf of a passenger because there was some confusion regarding his first destination and as soon as I became aware of the problem, I said I would make it right, and I did. Most people I will rate five stars....the only time I will leave less than a five,it will be a one (has not been necessary yet) because they either put hands on me, are extremely rude, or throw up in the car (there was a close call but the passenger asked me to stop quickly and was VERY appreciative...$$). Also, I tend to like to ask my passenger if they have a preferred route. Many of my passengers are students and/or service industry workers and as such need to budget their funds accordingly. I would rather have repeat business than a one-higher fare. It is all about how we conduct business. So if my passenger prefers to take a specific route, then that is the one I will take.

    Lucky, what you went through is abysmal. I would never operate in that manner and your driver ought to be ashamed of himself.

  62. Lyft/uber driver 987 rides collectively Guest

    Yes and you have never dealt with a 19yr old girl who thinks it's funny to treat a driver old enough to be there dad like complete trash leave sand all over your car play with the radio and turn it up as loud as they like talk to you rude like your sub human and are her dad and have to put up with her then make a whopping 4$ for the ride with...

    Yes and you have never dealt with a 19yr old girl who thinks it's funny to treat a driver old enough to be there dad like complete trash leave sand all over your car play with the radio and turn it up as loud as they like talk to you rude like your sub human and are her dad and have to put up with her then make a whopping 4$ for the ride with no tip and they leave you!!! 1 star when you were polite the whole time and drove perfect....

    Or drove 10 miles to get to a pick up and see a group of people getting in an uber as you pull up and realizing you didn't hear the app cancel 30 sec before the cut off of 5 min for them to cancel or them racing to cancel before you hit arrive so they don't get charged watching you pull up

  63. Lisa Guest

    We took an Uber back to our hotel after a LONG time at the bar for a MSU game. While I agree we were NOT in the state of mind to be telling our driver where to go (or how to get there), I realized instantly that he was not going the way that we had originally came from (We were in Indiana, from MI ), and pleaded with him to pull over so we...

    We took an Uber back to our hotel after a LONG time at the bar for a MSU game. While I agree we were NOT in the state of mind to be telling our driver where to go (or how to get there), I realized instantly that he was not going the way that we had originally came from (We were in Indiana, from MI ), and pleaded with him to pull over so we could figure this out. He refused to pull over. 3 hours and 100 miles later, we finally arrived at our hotel (which should have taken 10 minutes ). Our driver was screaming at us, but our ride only cost $13. Wish I had booked the Uber, because I wouldn't have been nice....

  64. Uberguru Guest

    Asking for a specific route is really obnoxious. Drivers know what routes to take based on current traffic conditions, time of day, etc. You don't like back seat drivers, and professionals wouldn't like it any more than you do. Believe it or not drivers really don't want to spend more time with you, in time or distance. Get over yourself and tip your driver.

  65. Star Guest

    You people complain too much you have no idea what drivers have to go through with some use people it's so sad that you had this all this extra time on your hands honestly if you picked over black and blue grass or whatever it is you could afford it and if you couldn't afford it then you should have just took a taxi that would have been better and taxes are worse than any...

    You people complain too much you have no idea what drivers have to go through with some use people it's so sad that you had this all this extra time on your hands honestly if you picked over black and blue grass or whatever it is you could afford it and if you couldn't afford it then you should have just took a taxi that would have been better and taxes are worse than any other driver there are personal cars some writers are just f****** privilege or think that they are privileged when you're nothing but a mirror Rider who didn't have a ride to get you where you need to go so you get somebody who's going to give you a ride patiently enough and then you want to be a backseat driver shut the f******

  66. Driver 10 Guest

    Lucky,
    Lol - then he tried to screw you, he probably gets away with 1 out of 3. Uber never strikes up a driver, unless by the odd chance the same customer service rep handles more than 1 complaint on that driver in a row. With over 400 CS handlers and ai handling about 10,000 a day. Uber U.S. ride share earns (clears) 60 billion yearly, so giving back some does not matter. Also...

    Lucky,
    Lol - then he tried to screw you, he probably gets away with 1 out of 3. Uber never strikes up a driver, unless by the odd chance the same customer service rep handles more than 1 complaint on that driver in a row. With over 400 CS handlers and ai handling about 10,000 a day. Uber U.S. ride share earns (clears) 60 billion yearly, so giving back some does not matter. Also that driver was attempting to earn Uber extra money. The truth is Uber does not care as long as the money keeps flowing. The data Uber has collected on 150 million Americans is priceless and their data division earns another 100 billion yearly. Its all FREE money - a 1000 employees and 1000 servers, Uber is certainly UBER!!

  67. Driver Ten Guest

    Luggage, when an Uber driver reports excessive luggage, Uber upcharges, it may not have been the driver at all. 1 suitcase and 1 carry-on per rider is all that is allowed.

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Driver Ten -- We just had one carry-on each.

  68. Jessie Newburn Guest

    Five passengers! Oh my! What a scammer. I drive for Uber and would never even consider something like that. Yeesh, I believe most of my fellow Uber drivers wouldn't either. Glad you reported him. Hey, if you ever want to check out stories from an Uber driver, I've published a book full of them. I write about each and every passenger I pick up. LMK if you'd like a comp copy.

  69. Adeola Guest

    I just stepped out of an Uber ride with a crazy driver. I had asked him to take a specific route but he didn't want to take directions from a woman. When he veered towards another route I panicked and insisted he followed my suggested route. I started getting scared when he started yelling and hurling insults. He stated that I may appear smart but he is smarter and well educated and that he was...

    I just stepped out of an Uber ride with a crazy driver. I had asked him to take a specific route but he didn't want to take directions from a woman. When he veered towards another route I panicked and insisted he followed my suggested route. I started getting scared when he started yelling and hurling insults. He stated that I may appear smart but he is smarter and well educated and that he was no ordinary driver who didn't know directions. He even threatened to hit me! He clearly had serious esteem issues and anger issues! In his anger he almost ran over a child and when I screamed in horror he threatened to stop the trip and leave me stranded. This has been a scary experience and now I don't think i'll be taking another Uber ride in the nearest future. #Uber Lagos

  70. Mzuzo Guest

    Hi
    I have been hearing rumours that Uber Durban people have been paying fees to get their vehicles activated without under going a waiting while others are on a waiting list.

    Those who have paid to get vehicles activated have to pay R100 per week to a somebody of some sort . Is that allowed or thats a new way to become a partner

  71. JustinC Guest

    And to clarify: the punk rating clipboard dictator I mentioned was talking about taking a wrong turn or not taking the "right streets" as hes watching you on the app before you arrive. Yea, seriously. I wanted to tell him to f**k off and get out of my car so bad.

  72. JustinC Guest

    Juno: Uber collects the airport fee based on pickup location. Just driving through airport doesn't do it. Your story doesn't check out. It's amazing how many fabrications and assumptions by the rider are on these comments.

  73. JustinC Guest

    Guess what snooty Uber passengers: You're not ever guaranteed a ride with Uber. Ever. If you do get a ride we just happen to be close to you and WE DECIDE if we'll take it. It is the driver's personal car. Yet still later if he doesn't want to do the ride, the ride isn't done. And if the driver decides that this mutual business decision is not equitable or safe to transact, the ride...

    Guess what snooty Uber passengers: You're not ever guaranteed a ride with Uber. Ever. If you do get a ride we just happen to be close to you and WE DECIDE if we'll take it. It is the driver's personal car. Yet still later if he doesn't want to do the ride, the ride isn't done. And if the driver decides that this mutual business decision is not equitable or safe to transact, the ride is cancelled or ends. Even if you're on the side of the road. If it isn't worth doing or safe doing, we're not going to do it. Drivers aren't your bi*ch for $3.75 minimum fare. Sometimes they've never driven to where you are or get a bit turned around. Nobody's perfect. Passengers get so uppity about how long it might take to find you in that sh*t hole dump apartment complex as if we should know where in the hood you are. Then it's the riders grand chance to be a vindictive spiteful dictator and rate bad cause they missed a turn? I acrylic had a passenger tell me he deducts a star if they take the wrong street to his house. Little dictator passenger with his rating clip board paying $5 to get somewhere safe in a new clean car. Fu*k you hard. If you wonder why Uber quality has gone down, consider the fact that rates have been gutted and are now 33% of taxi fares. THEN Uber takes 25%. Then we pay self employment taxes. We pay insurance. We pay for gas. Riders don't give a sh*t about your car and scuff it and slam doors and are rude and dehumanizing. Then with the dirt cheap fares, lesser quality people are taking Uber and expecting a limo ride. Funny. We aren't aren't going to pay Uber to shuttle you around. Or then there's the stuck up riders who complain if they talk too much. Yeah cause sitting in a car with someone you never met in silence isn't awkward or creepy... You'd be surprised how many 5 star charity case riders there are. Often we just suck it up and still rate your obnoxious a$$ a 5 and move on hoping the next rider is civilized. If riders were held to the same standard of rating as drivers were, many of you guys would never get picked up. Rider with a 4.6? Nope. You're not getting in my car. Ain't happening. That's when Uber suspends a driver. 4.6. Drivers are passing you up nowadays. Good luck getting a ride, or you'll wait 3x as long. Uber won't enforce it, but we are.

    And for those who are awesome passengers, it's usually a mutually beneficial transaction, we had a cool chat, you got there safe, and you can disregard this entire post.

  74. Brian Guest

    I found the most expensive way to travel. Uber in Park City. I was charged $ 178 to go 36 miles to SLC airport. We hire a private driver service or $100. I could rent a car for a week for that price . Rider beware, don't be fooled by the claims of cheap fares. Don't take uber.

  75. Dee Guest

    Im so Sorry that you had that bad experience, Most Drivers would not treat you this way!!!! There will be bad people in every business, Im glad Uber made it right! Im a New Driver , its been a little over a month and always strive for best experience for my riders

  76. Uberbs138 Guest

    I'm an uber/left driver from Orange County and have given rides out of LAX mostly with lyft. I have only had one passenger complain about the route I took, to Hollywood. I followed Waze as I always do. He was on the phone for most of the trip and when he found out where we were he said that I should have taken side streets. How was I supposed to know? I explained to him...

    I'm an uber/left driver from Orange County and have given rides out of LAX mostly with lyft. I have only had one passenger complain about the route I took, to Hollywood. I followed Waze as I always do. He was on the phone for most of the trip and when he found out where we were he said that I should have taken side streets. How was I supposed to know? I explained to him why I took that route and he said I was "pissing him off". I could have kicked him out right there, but I was polite and said he could give me directions from that point on. I confirmed with him every turn even when he was on the phone. I brought him to his destination safely and immediately gave him one star. Also, some drivers can wait up to an hour at Lax for a fair, so don't be so judgmenat if they are not happy when they get a $6 fare and you don't tip. Though I'd rather just drive to Santa Monica and get a fare there than what at lax.

  77. Raily Guest

    Ok... lot of complain about drivers... Well what about those passengers that think due the fact they are using Uber they need to be threat like they are using an extraordinary vip service... I use to be a Uber driver...Well in first place drivers are getting paid a miserable fare.... sometimes a ride of 30 minutes and guess what?? You get paid 7 dolars. Uber stays with 20 and 25% of the fare.. Than you...

    Ok... lot of complain about drivers... Well what about those passengers that think due the fact they are using Uber they need to be threat like they are using an extraordinary vip service... I use to be a Uber driver...Well in first place drivers are getting paid a miserable fare.... sometimes a ride of 30 minutes and guess what?? You get paid 7 dolars. Uber stays with 20 and 25% of the fare.. Than you need to deel with arrogant people, bad odors, people slamming your car doors, no tips, they ask you to make in between stops etc etc.... Well let me tell you, Uber doesnt pay gas, car insurance, car maintaince, nothing.... btw the car is a personal vehicle of the driver not from Uber... Uber have nothing ... they are just a thief company.... And if a passanger doesnt like any Uber driver you can go back to a normal taxi, busses or train/ subway and try to make a complain over there....

  78. H and H Guest

    you pay 90 cents a mile and and you wanna a high quality cars worth an $8000 ,$15 000 cars to drive you ,, uber accept cars year 2000+ since they cut the price, you riders , will you accept to drive your nice new car example my car a 2012 toyota camry for 67 cents a mile- tax and tears and wears ?? no way .

  79. H and H Guest

    remember for your good you have to stick stupid driver 5 stars and you have to tip him/her , otherwise after a couple of months he/she will found out and he/she will quit , uber can not fire drivers simple because they are just a few ppl who are stupid and accept to drive for uber 90 cents , a such miserable earning, feeding the ghost ;)

    sooner or later there will be no driver...

    remember for your good you have to stick stupid driver 5 stars and you have to tip him/her , otherwise after a couple of months he/she will found out and he/she will quit , uber can not fire drivers simple because they are just a few ppl who are stupid and accept to drive for uber 90 cents , a such miserable earning, feeding the ghost ;)

    sooner or later there will be no driver , all the ppl i knew they quit ,i used to deliver pizza , 6-7 hours i made $40-120tips plus 8$/h from the owner ,i drove40-70 miles.
    now to make lets say the minimum 88$ i have to drive at least 180-200 miles or more ,im not stupid .

  80. Ivan Guest

    I've had this happen on both Uber and Lyft. I guess drivers in the Bay Area where both companies are based are a bit worse.

    While I'm glad that Taxis have had their Monopoly broken I don't think Uber provides anything close to good service. I've never met a driver that's been on the job for over 6 months and have experienced stinky drivers or cars on ~20% of rides. I've found Lyft to...

    I've had this happen on both Uber and Lyft. I guess drivers in the Bay Area where both companies are based are a bit worse.

    While I'm glad that Taxis have had their Monopoly broken I don't think Uber provides anything close to good service. I've never met a driver that's been on the job for over 6 months and have experienced stinky drivers or cars on ~20% of rides. I've found Lyft to be a little better in terms of cars and drivers. It could be related to where I live as I don't think have had a negative experience outside the Bay Area.

  81. LuckyOz Guest

    Stories like this are why Uber is such a great service. Crappy driver, you complain, and get refund. Compare that to a taxi where you have no recourse. No service will ever be 100%, but I have far fewer complaints in Uber than I ever had in taxis (and I use Uber on average about 4 times a week). Most of my issues are typically newer drivers who are ex taxi drivers. They terrorize Uber passengers for a few weeks before they are ratings'ed out.

  82. james pointer Guest

    I have never used Uber. I appreciated Lucky's comments, and based on these comments and experiences, I'm not going to start using Uber any time soon. I travel a great deal, and I'm just fine without having to rate and be rated like it's a book I read. I mean, really, what's that bad about a taxi? If I don't like what the taxista does, I can stiff him/her and not worry about getting "one...

    I have never used Uber. I appreciated Lucky's comments, and based on these comments and experiences, I'm not going to start using Uber any time soon. I travel a great deal, and I'm just fine without having to rate and be rated like it's a book I read. I mean, really, what's that bad about a taxi? If I don't like what the taxista does, I can stiff him/her and not worry about getting "one star." And ditto the deletion of the mean-spirited anti-Semitic comments- a disgruntled Uber Black driver?

  83. Ever Member

    I am a part time UberX driver in my city. As an UberX driver I do not give out water, gum or anything else - I look at it as unnecessary, it would be different if I was an UberBlack driver.
    In my city practically all destinations are straight forward and the navigation does a good job of picking the shortest/fastest route. However, even if I go a different route or my passengers have...

    I am a part time UberX driver in my city. As an UberX driver I do not give out water, gum or anything else - I look at it as unnecessary, it would be different if I was an UberBlack driver.
    In my city practically all destinations are straight forward and the navigation does a good job of picking the shortest/fastest route. However, even if I go a different route or my passengers have a preferred route (which is rare), the time and/or distance is practically the same.

    Doing all of the above, I consistent get 5 star ratings because what's most important is a safe ride while not annoying my passengers.

  84. Jesse Thomas New Member

    Unfortunately, Uber doesn't exist where I currently live, so have never tried it. There is a company called Maxim that you can either call or use an app to order, so it's similar. There is an option to pay either by cash or card, but I was smart enough to not enter my card number in the app to ensure I am not scammed after the fact. I always pay in cash. What I like...

    Unfortunately, Uber doesn't exist where I currently live, so have never tried it. There is a company called Maxim that you can either call or use an app to order, so it's similar. There is an option to pay either by cash or card, but I was smart enough to not enter my card number in the app to ensure I am not scammed after the fact. I always pay in cash. What I like about Maxim is that they send you a text with the driver's name, car, license plate number AND the exact price. They just use a system that charges based on your start position and final destination, not by the distance of the route, so there are no arguments over that. I have almost never had a driver try to scam me using this system. Since it is in Russia, I prefer Russian drivers, as they tend to be more professional, have nicer cars, and have never bothered me. There are a lot of Uzbeks, Tajiks, Armenians, etc. that drive for this service, but I avoid them, as every bad issue I have had has been with them.They like to demand a tip or simply say that since I am an American, I should pay more because "I obviously have the money." They'll also try to make some BS excuses about adding fees when I know for a fact it's against company policy, and they can be violently aggressive if you refuse. In fact, I will cancel a ride if a non-Russian name is listed in the info text and just order again. Maybe that seems racist, but, better safe than sorry. Moral of the story: Never give your card info, and you won't be scammed or fraudulently charged by a seedy driver.

  85. Onkar Guest

    Half of the uber driver's in Melbourne are on there student visa. They should not be working more than 20 hours anyway in this illegal taxi company called Uber. They are just a another Taxi with different color.

  86. Srini Guest

    Uber in Chennai India is a hit or miss. Many of the drivers are full time and they move to the city from some smaller towns and don't know the city. You have to navigate for them. Quite a few of them do not use the navigation system which is mostly accurate (though there are many one way streets that change direction depending on time of day due to the horrendous metro train project that...

    Uber in Chennai India is a hit or miss. Many of the drivers are full time and they move to the city from some smaller towns and don't know the city. You have to navigate for them. Quite a few of them do not use the navigation system which is mostly accurate (though there are many one way streets that change direction depending on time of day due to the horrendous metro train project that has plagued the city for many years).

    The biggest peeve I have is that Google Maps is not very accurate in Chennai and even when you put in the correct address that Google recognizes it sends the driver just your house number and the locality and not the street name. The driver will call you (you have to make sure that you use a local mobile number or he won't be able to call your USA number) and most often will not speak English and you have to talk to him in Tamil and explain the landmarks to get to your place.

    If you are at a well known landmark then it is quite easy.

    Most people are easy going in their rating because its a different value system since the person usually from a lower income group and their attitude can be less than professional since they are not trained from what I can gather. Indians are used to such attitudes.

    Ola Cabs in India is a bigger competitor and they also operate in a similar manner. You can pay Ola Cabs in Cash.

  87. Allen Guest

    Uber Lift Taxis they all stink . I will drive myself or walk !

  88. Josh Member

    @ Ben - Can you delete the Nazi's comment please. We don't need to read that shit on a travel blog.

    1. Craig Member

      Man I have to say in the 3 years or so of me following this blog this has been some of the roughest comments I have ever seen...

  89. Raju New Member

    I'm so sorry this happened to you.

    It's idiots like these that make it tough for everyone.

    I drive for Uber and always make it a point to ask if there's a preferred route the passenger would like to take. After all, it is their call.

    If asked to take what I think is best, I respect that and let the passenger know I'll use Waze to get the fastest route.

    Idiot idiot idiot. No other words come to mind for this driver (actually, a lot more do but won't say it)

  90. Jerry Guest

    Was in NYC last year and took uber for a 20minute ride to Upper East Side.

    Car was dirty, fine...

    Switched off aircon and rolled down windows in hot NY summer....

    Reached destination as shown on uber app but we can't see our restaurant...

    Started shouting and demanding we get off. Gave him 2 stars and commented.

    Uber still charged full fare...

  91. Hank Guest

    I too am in your boat. After hundreds or perfect rides I am starting to get some dishonest/sleazy drivers. I currently live in L.A., and lived in New York before this but I have a strong southern accent. I know both cities extremely well, so directions are never a problem and I actively use Uber in both. Because of my accent some drivers seem to assume I dont know the cities well/I am a tourist...

    I too am in your boat. After hundreds or perfect rides I am starting to get some dishonest/sleazy drivers. I currently live in L.A., and lived in New York before this but I have a strong southern accent. I know both cities extremely well, so directions are never a problem and I actively use Uber in both. Because of my accent some drivers seem to assume I dont know the cities well/I am a tourist and try to "take me for a ride" in the worst possible sense. I've had serious issues in L.A. and New York.

    Sadly its part of the growth of Uber/Lyft and they will have to find a system to combat it, and do so quickly. They are growing so fast that many of the scamming drivers, one would find driving independently before Uber/Lyft, now work for Uber and Lyft. The thing I liked most about Uber was that I didn't have to deal with the "long route" headache and sleazy drivers, I could sit back and work while I rode. I dont want to have to monitor the turns and routes constantly. If they become like any other Taxi service or gypsy cab, what incentive do I have to use them?

  92. Donna Diamond

    The drive to and from the airports is normally the worst part of the trip for me, especially if the meter is running and in a strange city not having a clue about whether I'm being driven in circles or how far I am from the airport or hotel. If I can get a flat rate that's reasonable I'll take it every time. I've had two bad experiences with Uber and airport transfers both in Europe. Maybe the system is rigged over there....

  93. Joey Guest

    99% of my rides have been great.

    I had one in LA a long time ago when I wasn't too familiar with LA (am now), and right after I got in the vehicle, my phone died, so I couldn't double check the route with google maps like I usually do.

    It was rush hour, but Google said even with traffic the ride from the W Hollywood to the airport should be 50 minutes WITH traffic.

    ...

    99% of my rides have been great.

    I had one in LA a long time ago when I wasn't too familiar with LA (am now), and right after I got in the vehicle, my phone died, so I couldn't double check the route with google maps like I usually do.

    It was rush hour, but Google said even with traffic the ride from the W Hollywood to the airport should be 50 minutes WITH traffic.

    1 hour and 35 minutes later we get to the airport. Almost missed my flight. He DOUBLED BACK over part of the route, so that after 40 minutes of driving, we were 5 blocks from the W Hollywood..... pathetic.

    Uber not only refunded the ride, but also gave me another $20 credit to use. Good on them. Despicable driver.

  94. Sarah Guest

    @Michael, I drive for Uber in Connecticut. I understand the frustration of drivers canceling after accepting, however, sometimes a ride is not worth it. Uber does not tell us the destination, even though most people enter it.

    When I first started, I had driven 20+ minutes..EACH WAY...for a $3.20 fare (the portion CT drivers get of the min fare). The gas and wear and tear on the car is more than that. I do not...

    @Michael, I drive for Uber in Connecticut. I understand the frustration of drivers canceling after accepting, however, sometimes a ride is not worth it. Uber does not tell us the destination, even though most people enter it.

    When I first started, I had driven 20+ minutes..EACH WAY...for a $3.20 fare (the portion CT drivers get of the min fare). The gas and wear and tear on the car is more than that. I do not drive to lose money.

    I just no longer accept rides more than 10 minutes away. Uber harasses me every week for not accepting rides. I tell them why, and they actually recommend I accept it then call the rider to ask their destination. I will not do that to people.

    The Uber app should provide an estimate distance if the riders went through the trouble of entering their destination.

  95. SeaRaptor Guest

    I've only ever had one issue with an Uber driver; a lovely gentleman who picked us up at the Park Hyatt Toronto and dropped us at Pearson forgot to turn off the meter for his next fare. I ended up getting a receipt and bill for a round-trip back into downtown Toronto. Uber's customer service fixed it up quickly, and I was happy to pay for the fare to the airport because our driver was great.

    I've always assumed it was a simple mistake.

  96. Mike New Member

    Lucky - was he part of VIP? I'm sure you have that option.

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Mike -- There is no VIP program in LA.

  97. Ray Guest

    Everyone's personal driver should be willing to drive you the way that you prefer... like a personal driver would.

  98. Juergen Guest

    @ cinti lingus - get lost, Nazi. Your lamentable language has no place on this blog.

  99. Michael Guest

    I'm glad to know I'm the only person who had the phantom five-passenger LA Uber scam happen to them... this must be common practice amongst bitter LAX drivers? I did have a bit more back and forth with customer service before they would reverse the charge, but eventually they relented and refunded the upcharge.

    LA is also the only Uber city I've ever been in where drivers will accept a fare, then call and...

    I'm glad to know I'm the only person who had the phantom five-passenger LA Uber scam happen to them... this must be common practice amongst bitter LAX drivers? I did have a bit more back and forth with customer service before they would reverse the charge, but eventually they relented and refunded the upcharge.

    LA is also the only Uber city I've ever been in where drivers will accept a fare, then call and ask what my destination is and then cancel the ride if they're not in the mood or they don't think it's worth it. Definitely not allowed by Uber, and an incredibly jerky thing to do.

  100. KCM Guest

    I've had similar experiences with Uber Black coming home from LAX. Recently I told the driver I prefer to take La Tijera to La Cienega to Fairfax, settle in to the back of the car, and the next thing I know we're stuck in traffic on the 405, and then on Venice, and it took an hour instead of 30 minutes.

  101. pavel Guest

    The 101 to the 110 to the 105 from Hollywood to LAX is straight retarded early in the morning, esp. when you're being charged by the minute and mile. La Cienega is never that busy then. Surprised the app had him go that way. Or was he just insisting that was his preferred route?

    LA is such a strange taxi driver gamble. I've had beautiful aspiring actresses driving Ubers, morbid, foul-mouthed college kids driving...

    The 101 to the 110 to the 105 from Hollywood to LAX is straight retarded early in the morning, esp. when you're being charged by the minute and mile. La Cienega is never that busy then. Surprised the app had him go that way. Or was he just insisting that was his preferred route?

    LA is such a strange taxi driver gamble. I've had beautiful aspiring actresses driving Ubers, morbid, foul-mouthed college kids driving Lyft and a 60-something, self-proclaimed LA native who didn't know how to get from LAX to Sunset and LaBrea. Quite a town.

  102. TheLostBoyLloyd Guest

    This is what happens when you have former taxi drivers infiltrating the system!

    It happened to us too here in the Philippines. The guy who's middle aged had the gall to ask for a tip (in cash) because the place we went to was too far for his standards!

  103. Tom Guest

    I had an UberX driver "forget" to turn off the meter once we arrived at the airport. One time in Austin, an UberX driver ignored the exit for the airport, which I pointed out to him, and instead relied on the Uber navigation app which took us, basically, to the runway. If there weren't giant barricades, I think the driver would have tried to deliver me right to my plane. In each instance, Uber reviewed my complaint and adjusted the fare appropriately.

  104. Tom Guest

    So you saved 8 miles and it cost you 2 min. You saved yourself 8*$3.55 per mile - 2*$0.45 per min=$27.50 total. That is not a nickel and dime amount. That is real money. I'm a bit surprised the uber app said to go the long way.

  105. Juno Guest

    I had a Boston UBER driver pick me up at a nearby but off-airport, then proceeded to drive through the airport arrival area so it automatically collected the airport pick up fee, then took me downtown. I emailed the map of the route showing that he deliberately entered the airport for no reason, to uber support and they adjusted my fare.

    And one time, I was standing in middle of DC's Pennsylvania avenue, and the...

    I had a Boston UBER driver pick me up at a nearby but off-airport, then proceeded to drive through the airport arrival area so it automatically collected the airport pick up fee, then took me downtown. I emailed the map of the route showing that he deliberately entered the airport for no reason, to uber support and they adjusted my fare.

    And one time, I was standing in middle of DC's Pennsylvania avenue, and the driver went to the wrong side of the 8 lane road. I tried calling.. nothing.. txted.. nothing.. then he drove off going the wrong way. So after 12 minutes, I had to cancel uber and get a DC cab. Uber charged me $5 cancellation fee. I tweet the problem and they refunded my fee.

    There has been problem with every driver past three or 4 times with Uber.. honestly it is getting to be more of a hassle than it's worth...but what other choice we do have?? go back to taxis?? Anyone else have problems like this with Lyft?

    1. Craig Member

      @Juno - there is no excuse for poor service, but unfortunately, the business model that uber uses leaves things like this to occur. In a nation of 330 million people, and the fact that we are all human, stuff with happen. The only way that uber has to mitigate these situations is through the ratings system and manipulating the fare. However, since the drivers are not direct uber employees, there is always some grey area...

      @Juno - there is no excuse for poor service, but unfortunately, the business model that uber uses leaves things like this to occur. In a nation of 330 million people, and the fact that we are all human, stuff with happen. The only way that uber has to mitigate these situations is through the ratings system and manipulating the fare. However, since the drivers are not direct uber employees, there is always some grey area even as thorough as they might be in screening drivers. Unfortunately the US is becoming more decentralized and business models like uber are become more of the norm than the exception and when you have a lot of loose ends the risk of problems rises. My advice is to leave as little to chance as I can. I don't use uber a lot, but I did call a cab once and even told the dispatcher exactly which light pole I was standing next to where to pick me up. I hate taking chances even when I am reasonably confident.

  106. SMHdoifus Guest

    @SMH

    You're a doofus! Do you even read the article or just the title?

  107. eponymous coward Guest

    "There’s nothing more sweet than sticking a driver with a one."

    Wow, you really look forward to being able to "get revenge" for bad experiences?

    I think that says something about you. Reminds me of this guy.

    http://www.forgottothink.com/tipping-in-seattle/

  108. SMH Guest

    ...Honestly I'm so sick of clickbait bullshit like this. You make it seem like this is a systemic issue specific to Uber and not the individual driver and I hate that you felt the need to make a standalone article to bitch and moan about this. Do us all a favor and dispute this in your own time with Uber. I'm sure it would be an immediate fix. No one has time for you to whine. That's not why people visit your site. Seriously-- grow the fuck up.

  109. Mike Guest

    and i could not disagree more with Credit's sentiment. consumer's of "higher end" products have every right to try to trim-down price as anyone else. they're rational humans too. absurd.

  110. Mike Guest

    maybe i'm in the minority, but i no longer take Uber out of airports. 90%+ of my rare bad Uber experiences have come when departing airports. im not sure what it is about those fares that attracts the bad apples (expecting ignorant passengers?), but i just won't do it anymore. it's easier to hail a cab anyway as long as the cab stand isn't packed, and in most cities cabs from the airport are immune...

    maybe i'm in the minority, but i no longer take Uber out of airports. 90%+ of my rare bad Uber experiences have come when departing airports. im not sure what it is about those fares that attracts the bad apples (expecting ignorant passengers?), but i just won't do it anymore. it's easier to hail a cab anyway as long as the cab stand isn't packed, and in most cities cabs from the airport are immune from what bugs me about cabs generally: 1)the cabbies actually know where they're going, at least for the first part of the drive as we leave the airport part of town, 2) it's a mandatory flat rate, which means i don't have to worry about meter run-up attempts, and i can suggest a route without getting the usual flack i get from doing so. in the leaving-an-airport situation, i think cabs have won my business back.

  111. Credit Guest

    I am not sure if a premium venue is where you should be nickle and diming. He was right, you should have taken uberpool.

    But there is no excuse for fraud. Unless he just happened to forget or mix up the fares or whatever. People that MS are dancing around the line of fraud and usually are in unethical territory already. So you should be happy you found a kindred spirit.

    So what he did was wrong but first look in the mirror ;)

  112. John Nguyen Guest

    @RBC - If a driver is eating breakfast, then he/she is not ready to accept fares and should have logged off. Uber's refund was appropriate.

    @Mike - If there's a fare deduction for a CS issue, the driver eats it.

  113. ScottB Guest

    Nothing that extreme, but I feel the average professionalism of both my Uber and Lyft rides has been down-trending in the last year.

  114. lopere Guest

    I'm sort of obsessed about seeing how uber drivers rate me.

    I have a technique where I can see how the driver rated me...not the exact rating, however I can see if it's a five or not.

    If it's anything less than a five I always leave them a one. There's nothing more sweet than sticking a driver with a one.

    A few weeks ago I had a driver give me a one for no...

    I'm sort of obsessed about seeing how uber drivers rate me.

    I have a technique where I can see how the driver rated me...not the exact rating, however I can see if it's a five or not.

    If it's anything less than a five I always leave them a one. There's nothing more sweet than sticking a driver with a one.

    A few weeks ago I had a driver give me a one for no reason at all. It was a short, ten minute ride. I was waiting exactly where I called the driver, I did not give directions but let him choose, no reason at all to get a one. Only thing I could think of was lack of tip.

    But I caught it and stuck him with a one.

  115. Ben Hughes Guest

    Uber needs to do a lot more firing, and customers need to stop giving five stars for anything but an excellent ride. Quality has gone downhill *substantially* since I started taking Uber. The gap between taxis and uber drivers is rapidly narrowing...

  116. Reality Check Guest

    @me - YRU here??????????????

  117. Grant Guest

    @me - Its often a cleaner, nicer, safer vehicle.

    Would he have behaved this way if he reasonably expected a tip?

    Probably not.

    But tipping isn't part of Uber.

  118. Angelina Aucello New Member

    This happened to me exactly in 2015.... and my story is one of my most-read blog posts: http://angelinatravels.boardingarea.com/2015/07/13/i-was-victim-of-an-increasingly-popular-uber-scam/

    What a shame that these crooks exist.

    1. Craig Member

      One would think that if 5 people did indeed get in a car when the original fare only called for 2, then the upcharge should have been handled straight away before the driver departed from the pickup point. This way there would be no surprises. You would think that a driver, if they were only expecting 1 or 2 people, would announce that there would be a surcharge immediately there would be no need for...

      One would think that if 5 people did indeed get in a car when the original fare only called for 2, then the upcharge should have been handled straight away before the driver departed from the pickup point. This way there would be no surprises. You would think that a driver, if they were only expecting 1 or 2 people, would announce that there would be a surcharge immediately there would be no need for after-the-fact charges. That seems like a loophole that uber needs to address.

  119. Santastico Diamond

    @me: Not sure about Lucky and why he chose Uber Black vs Uber X but at least in Minneapolis it is basically impossible to find a Uber X before 7AM. Every time I need a Uber to go to the airport that early the only availability is Uber Black. Since most of these trips are business trips and my company pays I don't really care but I also prefer Uber X when travelling on my pocket.

  120. Josh Member

    @ Lucky - What do you mean by "I don’t think anyone in their right mind would pay an extra ~$30 to save two minutes."

    Admittedly, I never check my Uber fare breakdown, but in taxis, a time-consuming short trip costs about as much as a fast distant trip. Are you saying Uber overcharges for mileage vs time? I always just advise the quickest route.

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Josh -- Uber charges based on a combination of time and distance, though mileage driven is the biggest factor. So that's what contributes most to the fare. Drivers will typically go the fastest route, without consideration for whether a route being a minute longer would cost significantly less. Of course I can't blame them for that, but when someone gives them specific instructions...

  121. Daniel Guest

    @MichaelP You wouldn't be upcharged in a taxi since you pay the driver directly.

  122. me Guest

    Why didn't you just take Uber x.

    What thought process goes behind saying "yes I'll pay more for basically the same ride with an extra bottle of water if the driver is wearing a suit".

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ me -- Getting an UberX in LA early in the morning is very difficult, as was the case this morning.

  123. Bobby J Member

    My absolute worst experience with Uber was last year when my then-boyfriend and I went on a dinner-movie-date across town. The guy arrived in a car that was different than the one claimed in the app, he started the meter half a mile away when he clicked the "arriving now" function, did not greet us, sighed audibly in that very passive-agressive way that people do once we told him where we were going, and then...

    My absolute worst experience with Uber was last year when my then-boyfriend and I went on a dinner-movie-date across town. The guy arrived in a car that was different than the one claimed in the app, he started the meter half a mile away when he clicked the "arriving now" function, did not greet us, sighed audibly in that very passive-agressive way that people do once we told him where we were going, and then missed the entry ramp onto the freeway (for which there were multiple signs) while loudly proclaiming "oh, well, guess we're gonna have to take the long way. gonna be a good day for me!" Oh, and he was gassy. The. Whole. Time.

    We were late for our dinner, which didn't really set us back too long, but, like you, Lucky, I received a full refund. At the very least, at least Uber is quick in rectifying issues. I understand everyone has bad days, but taking it out on customers is never the right way to go about it.

  124. Craig Member

    I have a couple of comments and a question. The comments, 1) The only time that I can see a driver countermanding a passenger is if they are less familiar with the new route (usually not an issue in most places but maybe in LA maybe it is big...) or if they are aware of any local situations that might interfere (traffic, construction, safety, etc.) other wise, I don't see why a driver wouldn't go...

    I have a couple of comments and a question. The comments, 1) The only time that I can see a driver countermanding a passenger is if they are less familiar with the new route (usually not an issue in most places but maybe in LA maybe it is big...) or if they are aware of any local situations that might interfere (traffic, construction, safety, etc.) other wise, I don't see why a driver wouldn't go along with it. Its a paid fare and unless it becomes costly it usually builds extra goodwill; 2) One would think if this driver was this surly on a regular basis he would not have qualified for uberBLACK or at least he wouldn't last long. I realize how many workers in the service industry can be abused by patrons which is why I usually have a high tolerance level for problems unless they get out of hand or materially affect me. That does not mean I don't call a spade a spade but I usually don't delight in f-ing someone over who may be difficult but could ruin them, etc. That was quite generous for uber to refund the entire amount. I do not uber much I don't know what the policy is, but I suspect that the refund may have had more to do with the fraud for having 5 passengers than the attitude.

    Question: I guess this is more from the uber driver perspective, but if a passenger uses a promotion code like the $20 does that get eaten on the uber side or the driver side? i.e. who takes the hit for that?

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Craig -- Uber eats the cost of that, not the driver. They still get paid fully.

  125. Santastico Diamond

    Driver: “Why? That’s so stupid.”. There!!! I would say:"Stop the f....ing car right now and I will be getting another Uber." There would be no way I would continue the ride with a guy like that.

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Santastico -- Yeah, I really should have, but it was early in the morning and didn't want to cause too much confrontation. I figured that was the end of it after the initial interaction, but when it continued...

  126. Mike Guest

    @RBC, I don't know for a fact, but my guess is that in most situations Uber is eating the expense. The driver probably still gets paid and it's Uber's judgment call to give the refund as a courtesy to keep you happy as a customer. I can't imagine driving for Uber and not getting paid because someone complained (whatever the reason, valid or not).

  127. Danielle Guest

    I've had arguments with drivers *multiple times* about taking my specified route because they don't want to take directions from a woman. They will literally state that as the reason.

    So... at least your driver was just a jerkface and not a sexist jerkface.

  128. Ben Read Guest

    I just got charged for additional tolls 24 hours after my ride. Either they were part of the fare or they weren't. If this was a taxi they wouldn't be able to upcharge or change the fare after the fact. Uber needs to get a handle on this. Sorry you had such a bad experience... I'm at least happy my driver was nice.

  129. Justin Horowitz Gold

    @Lucky Where were you leaving from DTLA ? Wow , that driver seemed burnt out or with the Armenian Mafia . Did you want to take surface streets instead of the 110 to the 105 using Fast Track ? Thats not the way to go Lucky ; but the customer is always right and I would have been polite about it . Remember, I'll give you an Uber ride on the house anytime you're in LA. I know all the tricks into LAX .

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Justin -- Nope, not downtown LA. Was in Hollywood, so it was just as fast to take the streets to the 10 to La Cienega as it was to take the 101 to the 110 to the 105 (which is what he wanted to do).

  130. MichaelP Guest

    If this was a taxi driver you would have a difficult time getting a refund and the driver will continue to drive the taxi.

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ MichaelP -- Yes and no agree. Agree I would have had no recourse, though he also couldn't have raised my fare after the fact.

  131. Ryan Guest

    I have been scammed twice by uber (non x) drivers out of LAX and it usually involved them going south only to get on the freeway to go north. It added $20 to the bill and each time uber reversed the extra amount. UberX has generally been good out of LAX but they all expect to be tipped in cash (or your rating goes down).

  132. RCB Gold

    I do love how Uber will brutally punish a driver who does something completely stupid, which is by taking away the ENTIRE fare. I once had a driver who didn't even leave his spot to come get me until 10 minutes after he accepted the fare (I realized that he was at a restaurant eating breakfast and he accepted the ride while eating and continued to finish before leaving to pick me up), so my...

    I do love how Uber will brutally punish a driver who does something completely stupid, which is by taking away the ENTIRE fare. I once had a driver who didn't even leave his spot to come get me until 10 minutes after he accepted the fare (I realized that he was at a restaurant eating breakfast and he accepted the ride while eating and continued to finish before leaving to pick me up), so my 10 minute ride took over 30 minutes and I almost missed my train. I complained to Uber and they refunded the entire ride and when I said I didn't need the entire thing refunded because he still took me where I needed to go but Uber said "No, you are keeping the entire refund for what he did".

    Brutal punitive refunds are the only way to cut out stupid behavior like what Lucky experienced and I applaud Uber for doing it.

  133. James Member

    You are always going to have bad employees at some point. Sadly you got one this time around.
    I'm glad you got refunded.

  134. Anthony Diamond

    Lucky,

    As Uber has cut rates across the country and world, I've noticed declines in customer service from in both uberBlack and uberX. No water/gum anymore, poor routes taken, drivers without knowledge of traffic patterns or how streets are laid out, etc. Drivers seem to be unhappy with certain Uber policies and you are seeing a response in customer service.

  135. John Nguyen Guest

    It sounds like you got an "Uber newbie" (someone who just joined the Uber platform) and thought he could game the system how he probably games his "regular" customers. He probably thought Uber was just an e-dispatch system or something silly like that. What was his rating before he picked you up?

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ John Nguyen -- 4.8, surprisingly. Perhaps he was fairly new and didn't have that many rides under his belt? He seemed unpleasant from the first moment, so...

  136. Benjamin J Travel Guest

    What a prick. No business being an Uber driver. I wouldn't be surprised if he did that to others.

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An Uber driver Guest

Uber is a fraudulent and lier company it lies about millage for drivers so drivers are not making more than 3$ per hour after expenses . Riders don’t know that and they bring pressure on drivers.

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Driver Guest

Uber pays only 10% of the fare for drivers so it doesn’t worth for drivers to go by longer road .

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Kris Guest

This was insightfully written through the lens of someone (a driver of course) that knows how it all works. I couldn’t agree with what you have written more. In fact this is just a sort of thing I would love conversing about with another driver or a customer (that isn’t mine). Additionally, the original comment seems contrived… I can’t imagine a scenario where a driver with any experience repeatedly questions the passenger in so Recklessly impertinent a fashion. Red flag. Wish we were chatting about this you and I lol -charleston, sc

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