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Post New Topic Forum    Angry Riders

How does Uber/Lyft scam passengers? Ideas on their tactics to set higher fares and surges. Share your suspicions, angry riders!

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TonyAlmeida
1149 Rider
 Posted 5 years, 5 months ago
Posted In
Angry Riders

Driver from hell? Complaints or suggestions for Uber and Lyft? Glaring problem with the industry? Do you have stories of your horrible experiences with rideshare services? Leave your comments here and share your stories.


Posted By
Tony Almeida (TonyAlmeida)
1149 Rider
Ride Apprentice from Los Angeles, CA

Work for cyber security company

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Uber has a reputation for hiding how they calculate their exact fares and determining how the surges are determined. While their rates are technically posted on their websites (as legally bound in many jurisdiction), they seem to not follow these rates at all.

Can you share your suspicion, confirmed or unconfirmed, on how Uber sets its prices?  How it uses data and how it takes advantage of people's situations?  I will respond to myself to start it off.

This is of course besides the distance, duration, demand (for surges), etc. 

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momof4
8198 Rider Driver

Uber and Lyft base fares on the longest route to riders destination (time & miles). Most Drivers take the shortest route. Driver is paid for the miles they drove & the amt. of time it took. I arrive at riders destination switch off GPS & go back to Uber or Lyft app. It will say 5 to 15 min until destination. I do the speed limit, I use WAZE app, my car doesn't fly, and its not an amphibious car. Passenger got charged for that 5 to 15 min even though it didnt take that long and they get charged for the miles I didnt travel. This is why drivers are complaining. Uber and Lyft are making a few dollars less than us or the same amount. Nothing we can do as we agreed to be pd per mile and time. Upfront pricing scam. What sucks is riders think we are getting 75%/80% of the fare so they may not be tipping for that reason. Especially on long trips that are 50.00 to 150.00. I am driving for Uber as I text this. When I have some free time later today I will post some screen shots so passengers can see whats going on. O will also screen shot my next trip that says we have X amt of time until destination when we are all ready there. 

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    GilbertoMasterson
    16
     5 years ago

    Lyft quotes you a higher fare when you have free ride credits, like those you get when you refer another rider.  

    Shown here are two identical rides from two separate phones, one with Lyft credit one without. 

    Post image

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      SSandler75
      85
       5 years ago

      The jokes on you. When you apply your $5 credit, you do indeed make $0.84

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    momof4
    8198 Rider Driver
     5 years ago

    Uber and Lyft base fares on the longest route to riders destination (time & miles). Most Drivers take the shortest route. Driver is paid for the miles they drove & the amt. of time it took. I arrive at riders destination switch off GPS & go back to Uber or Lyft app. It will say 5 to 15 min until destination. I do the speed limit, I use WAZE app, my car doesn't fly, and its not an amphibious car. Passenger got charged for that 5 to 15 min even though it didnt take that long and they get charged for the miles I didnt travel. This is why drivers are complaining. Uber and Lyft are making a few dollars less than us or the same amount. Nothing we can do as we agreed to be pd per mile and time. Upfront pricing scam. What sucks is riders think we are getting 75%/80% of the fare so they may not be tipping for that reason. Especially on long trips that are 50.00 to 150.00. I am driving for Uber as I text this. When I have some free time later today I will post some screen shots …

    Read more...

    Uber and Lyft base fares on the longest route to riders destination (time & miles). Most Drivers take the shortest route. Driver is paid for the miles they drove & the amt. of time it took. I arrive at riders destination switch off GPS & go back to Uber or Lyft app. It will say 5 to 15 min until destination. I do the speed limit, I use WAZE app, my car doesn't fly, and its not an amphibious car. Passenger got charged for that 5 to 15 min even though it didnt take that long and they get charged for the miles I didnt travel. This is why drivers are complaining. Uber and Lyft are making a few dollars less than us or the same amount. Nothing we can do as we agreed to be pd per mile and time. Upfront pricing scam. What sucks is riders think we are getting 75%/80% of the fare so they may not be tipping for that reason. Especially on long trips that are 50.00 to 150.00. I am driving for Uber as I text this. When I have some free time later today I will post some screen shots so passengers can see whats going on. O will also screen shot my next trip that says we have X amt of time until destination when we are all ready there. 

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      JosephGould76
      17
       5 years ago

      This is the upfront pricing thing by Uber, right?  Giving us the price quote in the app *before* we book it.

      This is why Uber doesn't publish its rates anymore per hour per mile thing.  Now, the big question is whether this matches their calculator.

      I am actually not sure if I think this is necessarily unethical.  Limos do this all the time.  Even airplanes and public transportation.  Pre-determined price regardless of how long it takes. Maybe we are too stuck on the taxi model?

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      GilbertoMasterson
      16
       5 years ago

      THIS IS AN OUTRAGE.  How do people not know about this?

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        momof4
        8198 Rider Driver
         5 years ago

        Riders have become dependent on Uber/Lyft. It's convenient and more reasonable then a taxi. Many riders now check both Uber and Lyft to see which one has the cheaper fare instead of being loyal to just one. Smart thing to do. Uber and Lyft both tend to care more about riders than drivers. However riders need to know that Uber and Lyft are both shady. Upfront pricing and surges are where they overcharge the rider. There is proof that Uber charged riders surge pricing but driver didnt get a dime or showed driver $10 surge but charged rider $60 for the surge. These companies do whatever they want and get away with it. Riders like the convenience so they just pay the fare. Also talk they are stealing tips from drivers. One you tuber got proof on one of the drivers fares. I cannot say if its true or not. Although many riders say "I'll tip you in the app". Maybe 2 out of 10 will actually follow through. Is the tio being taken by Uber & Lyft or are riders just saying th…

        Read more...

        Riders have become dependent on Uber/Lyft. It's convenient and more reasonable then a taxi. Many riders now check both Uber and Lyft to see which one has the cheaper fare instead of being loyal to just one. Smart thing to do. Uber and Lyft both tend to care more about riders than drivers. However riders need to know that Uber and Lyft are both shady. Upfront pricing and surges are where they overcharge the rider. There is proof that Uber charged riders surge pricing but driver didnt get a dime or showed driver $10 surge but charged rider $60 for the surge. These companies do whatever they want and get away with it. Riders like the convenience so they just pay the fare. Also talk they are stealing tips from drivers. One you tuber got proof on one of the drivers fares. I cannot say if its true or not. Although many riders say "I'll tip you in the app". Maybe 2 out of 10 will actually follow through. Is the tio being taken by Uber & Lyft or are riders just saying that? Drivers know when we here a rider say "I'll tip you in the app" we are not getting a tip, it's BS. What I dont understand is why say it? What makes someone feel they have to say that and then not do it? If you are not going to tip no need to say you are. Drivers are more annoyed when riders do that then they are by not getting a tip. That could be a reason why passengers are rated lower also by saying you will tip & not following through . Maybe drivers and riders need to start discussing the fares, tips, who received what. Catch Uber & Lyft in their lies. 

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    Bigfrank
    447 Rider Driver Driver
     5 years ago

    WHAT about ride share apps scamming the drivers and tightwad passengers not tipping the drivers ????  

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      Uberserge
      1300 Rider Driver
       5 years ago

      Pax don't know how they're getting ripped off. Actually to win the battle, as driver groups, we need to educate the pax. 

      Tipping? What's that, they wouldn't tip you but throw a 5 to the bartender who pops their beer.

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        PhilDorfman
        46 Driver
         5 years ago

        Isn't tipping a part of the education of the pax. i mean, it's all about the expectation.  They don't know that the drivers are getting screwed by their company, i.e. Uber.

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    drollfan
    36 Rider
     5 years ago

    Sometimes I think Uber charges more to people who they think will pay more for longer rides. Once both my friend and I were requesting rides at the same time to the same place (we had a large group) and mine was more expensive, maybe because I take Uber more? Who knows.

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    TonyAlmeida
    OP 1149 Rider
     5 years ago

    Uber jacks up the price when your phone is low on battery (and desperate)

    https://ride.guru/lounge/p/riders-are-more-likely-to-take-an-uber-when-its-surging-21-times-than-20


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      Bigfrank
      447 Rider Driver Driver
       5 years ago

      Lol you tightwads deserve it LoL

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      GilbertoMasterson
      16
       5 years ago

      LOL.  I think Uber has plenty of other ways to cheat us. That'd be minor. Pretty funny.

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    DFosterG11
    187
     5 years ago

    If you schedule your ride, they know you want it and absolutely need it, so the price will naturally be higher. 

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      momof4
      8198 Rider Driver
       5 years ago

      I've scheduled rides for my daughter in law and at most some days price was .50 more but it was also during rush hour. 

      I needed to test something on my driver app so I used my sons phone to put info in like I was taking a long trip on Lyft. I put info in 2X  one after another gave me same price. The 3rd time I tried it right after 2nd time price went down 35.00. That was sketchy. He never requested a car on Lyft. I think they were trying to see if he would go for higher price since he never took it before.

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    AKalligon
    52
     5 years ago

    Well, hell, what about the fact they outright ignore the posted rates of per mile per minute fees? Aren’t those required by law to publish? 

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      Uberserge
      1300 Rider Driver
       5 years ago

      Cabs have to since they're regulated. U/L call themselves a technology company. Hence, they have been able to skirt/break every local, state and federal transportation law. We know what they are, cabs with an app. Next time you order an uber or Lyft ask your driver how much he/she is making, are you in for a surprise.

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        TheMcTavish
        11
         5 years ago

        It’s nice to be completely unregulated. 

        Disappointed in the law makers that they didn’t do anything in front of these disrupters. Completely failed to protect the existing industry. 

        The sad thing is that the regulation will eventually apply again and everything will be back to what it was before. THe only difference is that Uber founders and investors will be rich, and folks from taxi industry will be cast aside 

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    Bigfrank
    447 Rider Driver Driver
     5 years ago

    If you think the fare is too high take mass transit and stop crying with two loaves of bread under your arm.

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    momof4
    8198 Rider Driver
     5 years ago
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    KWalkins
    88
     5 years ago

    This was Lyft, but I heard if you buy those frequent commuter programs, you will always get the max price for the route.  Kinda obvious.

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    CharlieLazie
    110
     5 years ago

    If you live in an expensive neighborhood, it'll cost more.

    Though, I heard it's the people in crappier towns who've been get screwed on this.

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    CrazyCrayons
    146
     5 years ago

    Income group. Don't let Uber know how much you make.

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    TonyAlmeida
    OP 1149 Rider
     5 years ago  (edited 5 years ago)

    Uber makes the surge multipliers with decimals for the sole reason that people are more willing to accept it.  Riders are more likely to take an Uber when it's surging 2.1 times than 2.0.


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    EllaOfCinder
    206 Rider
     5 years ago

    Order TWO Uber rides at once and the second one costs more.

    This topic has been covered before. Uber fare different for same location, same route, same time, and no surge.


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