Mid-Ride Cancellation Scam - Now on Bridges and Tunnels

Are we all aware by now of the mid-ride cancellation scams?  What happens if a passenger cancels an Uber ride in the middle of a trip?

If you are an experienced driver, you face this from time to time. For me, it happens at least once a month.  Uber is definitely aware of the scam and is pretty good at refunding me now.  It seems to be fairly automated.  I guess it isn't difficult to see when there is a cancellation mid-trip.  Not difficult to check.

I also try to use Uber App's navigation now, so I can make sure I see the cancellation notification.  If anyone cancels on me, I would know immediately.

Here's a new one I experienced last weekend.  Going from Weehawken, NJ to Chelsea.  It isn't a long trip but it requires me to take the Lincoln Tunnel, which has a $15 toll.  As I was pulling out of the tunnel (and Chelsea isn't far from there.  It's pretty much right there.)  I was notified that the trip was cancelled.  I thought to myself "here we go again", but I kept my cool and said, "Hey, you cancelled the ride.  Are you getting off here?"

To which, she said, "yes, i am good here."  So I pull over and then she took off. It was business as usual from there.

The next morning, while I was checking the earnings, I noticed that I never got compensated for the bridge toll.  I wrote Uber and they immediately wrote back, "This is to inform you that the cancelled trip and toll charges on a cancelled trip are not paid. Tolls are paid only on completed trips."

WHAT?  

First of all, I thought "cancelled" trips are treated as "completed" trips just with a different destination or at least…

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Are we all aware by now of the mid-ride cancellation scams?  What happens if a passenger cancels an Uber ride in the middle of a trip?

If you are an experienced driver, you face this from time to time. For me, it happens at least once a month.  Uber is definitely aware of the scam and is pretty good at refunding me now.  It seems to be fairly automated.  I guess it isn't difficult to see when there is a cancellation mid-trip.  Not difficult to check.

I also try to use Uber App's navigation now, so I can make sure I see the cancellation notification.  If anyone cancels on me, I would know immediately.

Here's a new one I experienced last weekend.  Going from Weehawken, NJ to Chelsea.  It isn't a long trip but it requires me to take the Lincoln Tunnel, which has a $15 toll.  As I was pulling out of the tunnel (and Chelsea isn't far from there.  It's pretty much right there.)  I was notified that the trip was cancelled.  I thought to myself "here we go again", but I kept my cool and said, "Hey, you cancelled the ride.  Are you getting off here?"

To which, she said, "yes, i am good here."  So I pull over and then she took off. It was business as usual from there.

The next morning, while I was checking the earnings, I noticed that I never got compensated for the bridge toll.  I wrote Uber and they immediately wrote back, "This is to inform you that the cancelled trip and toll charges on a cancelled trip are not paid. Tolls are paid only on completed trips."

WHAT?  

First of all, I thought "cancelled" trips are treated as "completed" trips just with a different destination or at least charged as such.  I drove through the tunnel, and I should have been paid tolls. 

So there was something amiss.  I checked to see if she had cancelled the trip before I got to the tunnel, but I saw that she didn't.  The trip ended before the location I physically dropped her off, so it must have been a glitch in the system?

Uber did reimburse me, but didn't answer any of my questions as to why it happened.  Was it because she had cancelled "before" the toll was assessed?  Do you not reimburse tolls for any trip that was cancelled?  Typical Uber.  Complete silence, except for a bunch of automated messages.

Two lessons:

- The mid-ride scam is very scary for trips with big tolls.

- Uber's toll calculation may not be exact.  

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