Now that Uber & Lyft destroyed taxis, they’re coming for their profits, and lowering their service…

[JHZR2]

But the same happened with taxis. Their rates went up and the service got progressively worse. I even remember taxis taking me the "long way", not knowing i had knowledge of the route. Let's not mention the condition of the interiors as well. He who doesn't evolve, doesn't grow.

Their rates went up, but they don’t have a 3-4:1 surge pricing that can be invoked at will. And the drivers are obligated to take a fare. As I mentioned earlier, I have been denied a fare once or twice at BWI. Never otherwise.

But waiting minutes for an Uber driver to be en route, just for them to drop and the clock to reset is very unsatisfactory. Particularly since if I did the same, I’d have a few from Uber.

 

[Brons2]

Something new will have to come along to break Uber at this point. Driverless cars or regulation or something.

For Uber and Lyft, driverless cars have always been the end game. It just hasn't come around as fast as they thought it originally would. Taking humans out the picture will make them more profitable, even with owning the cars in-house being a thing. They will just buy enough insurance to cover damages.

I've done over 1,500 rides on Uber as a driver, back 8-9 years ago when it was new. I needed to make some extra money at that time, and I was able to do so. Used a 2007 Kia Rondo 5 passenger to drive with. The driver rates were much better back in the day, one of the reasons I never went back for more driving, my final big event was SXSW 2016. Used to be there were lots of guarantees that weren't that hard to achieve and it wasn't that hard to make $25-$30 an hour doing it. And the fees were only about 20%. Those guarantees have fallen off now due to the companies wanting to make profits, as noted in the thread title, and the Uber fees are higher from what I understand.

Nowadays, we don't use Uber that much in the US, but when we are in Brazil, it is our primary mode of transportation. It's much cheaper down there and rental cars are expensive, plus hard to park at times as we are usually in Sao Paulo.

Just got back from 10 days in Brazil and this time we rented a car because my parents were with us and there is no Uber XL in Brazil, so transporting 5 people in a single Uber is not an option. I ended up driving most of the time and it's a pain in the rear, MUCH more chaotic than driving in the US. I much preferred using Uber to driving ourselves. The only good part about it is that I liked our rental car, a Chevrolet Spin.

 

[Dave Hess]

I’ve had Uber drivers change the radio channel from Spanish music to Country music when they see me get into their vehicle.

I’m not wearing jeans, boots, or have a cowboy hat on.

 

[wemay]

Their rates went up, but they don’t have a 3-4:1 surge pricing that can be invoked at will. And the drivers are obligated to take a fare. As I mentioned earlier, I have been denied a fare once or twice at BWI. Never otherwise.

But waiting minutes for an Uber driver to be en route, just for them to drop and the clock to reset is very unsatisfactory. Particularly since if I did the same, I’d have a few from Uber.

I got it now.

 

[Owen Lucas]

I've never used Uber or Lyft, don't have the app but I'm sure I'm in their system somehow. Usually rent wherever I travel to and take yellow cabs in NYC. Looking forward to when Waymo is mature enough and hopefully countrywide.

 

[Joe1]

What we have done is higher our Uber driver directly for trips to/from the airport. He lives in the same town we do, about 40 miles from the airport. I pay him what Uber was charging me non-surge. I pay him in advance via Venmo.

I would make sure that your driver is properly insured and approved to do commercial driving outside of Uber.

Things could get dicey in the event of an accident coupled with your driver not having proper commercial insurance.

Your history of using the driver with Uber and Venmo payments will likely be discovered.

 

[PandaBear]

The way I see it is that a lot of the gig economy are trying to use gig work to get people to do business near minimum wage, and circumference the medallion monopoly.

Taxi Medallion owners who paid an arm and a leg to get the right to work for a certain pay, vs a barely making it uber driver (you're self employed instead of being an employee), are just puppet in the competition of money between big tech vs big cartel of medallion sellers.

 

[GON]

Follow up from an Uber experience earlier this morning.

Wanted (not needed) a ride for eight miles at 6am this morning. Booked an Uber, six minutes away for $18. Not a bad price.

Three minutes after booking, Uber comes back and states the ride is an additional five dollars because of demand. This is after Uber charged my Venmo account for the ride. I declined the after the fact upcharge and cancelled the ride.

I find this funny, as I am sure Uber makes more than five dollars gross profit on the ride. They used technology to charge more after the fact, where Uber should have absorbed the additional five dollars if that is what it needed to pay the driver, after the deal was made between Uber and me.

This is why I am not a fan of software/ application professionals on a MACRO basis. They come up with these methods to exploit their monopolies/ oligopolies. If twenty rideshare apps were competition for this very needed service, rideshare costs paid to the application company would be significantly less, and games like this would not be played. Uber did this simply because they are an oligopoly.

 

[John105]

on the phone with NJ E-ZPass asking for info on my acct

Me: 215-xxx-xxxx
Lady: Doesn’t match, what’s your favorite movie?
Me: “Taxi Driver”

As a general statement, customer service isn’t a thing today. Not really was in the late 80’s early 90’s. Seriously, with many things including transportation.

I’ve come to not expect it, and an “wow’d” when I see it.

 

[JHZR2]

Follow up from an Uber experience earlier this morning.

Wanted (not needed) a ride for eight miles at 6am this morning. Booked an Uber, six minutes away for $18. Not a bad price.

Three minutes after booking, Uber comes back and states the ride is an additional five dollars because of demand. This is after Uber charged my Venmo account for the ride. I declined the after the fact upcharge and cancelled the ride.

I find this funny, as I am sure Uber makes more than five dollars gross profit on the ride. They used technology to charge more after the fact, where Uber should have absorbed the additional five dollars if that is what it needed to pay the driver, after the deal was made between Uber and me.

This is why I am not a fan of software/ application professionals on a MACRO basis. They come up with these methods to exploit their monopolies/ oligopolies. If twenty rideshare apps were competition for this very needed service, rideshare costs paid to the application company would be significantly less, and games like this would not be played. Uber did this simply because they are an oligopoly.

That’s a new one to me - auction the ride to the highest bidder after accepting a fare?!?

I recently didn’t like the Uber or Lyft pricing coming back from the airport. Hopped in a taxi. Not the horrid old crown victorias anymore, and was far less than the Uber fare. There are lots less taxis, but they can be worth a look.

 

[GON]

That’s a new one to me - auction the ride to the highest bidder after accepting a fare?!?

I recently didn’t like the Uber or Lyft pricing coming back from the airport. Hopped in a taxi. Not the horrid old crown victorias anymore, and was far less than the Uber fare. There are lots less taxis, but they can be worth a look.

Actually my guess was the driver cancelled, and Uber's process was to extract more money from the customer, rather than solve the problem internally at their expense.

 

[fdcg27]

Follow up from an Uber experience earlier this morning.

Wanted (not needed) a ride for eight miles at 6am this morning. Booked an Uber, six minutes away for $18. Not a bad price.

Three minutes after booking, Uber comes back and states the ride is an additional five dollars because of demand. This is after Uber charged my Venmo account for the ride. I declined the after the fact upcharge and cancelled the ride.

I find this funny, as I am sure Uber makes more than five dollars gross profit on the ride. They used technology to charge more after the fact, where Uber should have absorbed the additional five dollars if that is what it needed to pay the driver, after the deal was made between Uber and me.

This is why I am not a fan of software/ application professionals on a MACRO basis. They come up with these methods to exploit their monopolies/ oligopolies. If twenty rideshare apps were competition for this very needed service, rideshare costs paid to the application company would be significantly less, and games like this would not be played. Uber did this simply because they are an oligopoly.

Isn't that breach of contract?
You solicited an offer, they made one, you accepted it and paid for it. So, we have offer and acceptance with consideration given from both sides. IIRC from old business law classes, these are the essential elements of a contract.
I'm not a lawyer, but would like to hear from one who's here.
Anyway, sleazy practice any way you look at it.

 

[GON]

Isn't that breach of contract?
You solicited an offer, they made one, you accepted it and paid for it. So, we have offer and acceptance with consideration given from both sides. IIRC from old business law classes, these are the essential elements of a contract.
I'm not a lawyer, but would like to hear from one who's here.
Anyway, sleazy practice any way you look at it.

Yes it is a breach in contract. But the exemptions and other laws passed by Congress that provide protection to the software industry, that is not afforded any other industry.

None of us read the terms and conditions of Uber, because there simply are not other options to Uber/Lyft on a MACRO basis. I am sure Uber T&C protect them from every scenario except some personal injury exposure. The trial lawyers would not allow personal injury exemption.

 

[GMBoy]

And when you land in a city, where you don’t have that number of aunts and uncles, how do you get around?

Rent a car

 

[SC Maintenance]

Yes it is a breach in contract. But the exemptions and other laws passed by Congress that provide protection to the software industry, that is not afforded any other industry.

None of us read the terms and conditions of Uber, because there simply are not other options to Uber/Lyft on a MACRO basis. I am sure Uber T&C protect them from every scenario except some personal injury exposure. The trial lawyers would not allow personal injury exemption.

I am sure you agreed in the T&C with Uber that you or they could cancel the ride without penalty.

You did not need the ride urgently, so it was just inconvenient. Someone heading to an appointment would not have this luxury. Its not just Uber, the whole world is now trying to profit from different nickel and dime and deception schemes.

 

[Dave Hess]

Rent a car

With GPS.

 

[Dave Hess]

My last Uber ride I gave the driver a $20 bill for tip.
The guy said he couldn’t take it.

I said you work hard and deserve the tip.
He took the money and thanked me.

Many riders are cheap and don’t want to tip.

 

[SC Maintenance]

My last Uber ride I gave the driver a $20 bill for tip.
The guy said he couldn’t take it.

I said you work hard and deserve the tip.
He took the money and thanked me.

Many riders are cheap and don’t want to tip.

I always tip uber drivers, but in the app. Maybe I should switch to cash?

 

[Speedbird001]

You might call "luxury limousine" companies. They're a different classification by the PUC but not always more expensive.

They're not allowed to be hailed, so you have to call or set up an appt. Sometimes if drivers are hailed they can tell you to just call dispatch and they'll drive around the block. Sounds ridiculous but there are sometimes enforcement "stings" that will bust drivers for accepting hails -- and taxis hate it, too.

Note "limousine" usually just means a nicer 4-door sedan. A few years ago even Chrysler 300s qualified. Vans like Transits are also acceptable.

Seriously, call around for rates. You might be surprised (vs taxis)

Agreed. Before I really had to use Uber for work (Easy approval), I would ask the desk clerk / bell hop if they could call me a "Car". They always had a "Guy" it was always a nicer Lincoln and cost less / faster than a much lower grade taxi. The only risk is you don't really know the price up front, but 8/10 were cheaper than a taxi.

 

[Speedbird001]

I’m growing increasingly frustrated using Uber and Lyft.

...Only a few times at BWI airport...

Agreed OP. Washington Flyer (IAD and DCA) have the monopoly lock on all fares from those 2 airports... Annnnd they suck. Rates are insane now. I looked at DCA > IAD one evening recently, it was flat-rate $79 (Plus tip). Uber was $40 something.