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

[JHZR2]

I’m growing increasingly frustrated using Uber and Lyft.

I get the business model, and the demand based pricing. And historically it worked out. But lately, it has just gotten worse and worse.

I’m a 4.92 rated rider. I must have a few hundred trips on Uber. That’s not to say I know it all, but I have some trips in many markets under my belt. And it has just gotten progressively worse more or less everywhere. Things like:

- most every place I go has higher than normal demand. I’ve seen $10 trips turn into $30, $30 trips turn into almost $100. I’ll wait and they will drop, but it’s insane.
- revolving doors of drivers. Doesn’t matter if it’s the in (major) city $10 fare, or the longer $30-40 trip from an airport or train station. Too often it will take a LONG time to get a driver (didn’t used to be the case), and then it can change drivers a few times. Oh, and when the driver changes, the time changes, so you may have waited a number of minutes, driver changes, resets to 8-10-12 minute wait again. No recourse.
- way wrong time estimates…. You make the driver wait more than 2 mins and there is a fee. But if the app screws up, changes drivers, makes you wait… too bad.
- wrong fees. This is especially the case on trips where there is a toll.

I’ve been tempted to try to use taxis again. I have been rejected a ride on taxis back when. Only a few times at BWI airport, because the ride I needed wasn’t long enough. But the pricing isn’t that much worse in some cases, and as much as taxis are dirty and lousy, putting up with Uber is getting annoying.

Do any other frequent travelers have issues with Uber, and notice it getting worse???

 

[GON]

I’m growing increasingly frustrated using Uber and Lyft.

I get the business model, and the demand based pricing. And historically it worked out. But lately, it has just gotten worse and worse.

I’m a 4.92 rated rider. I must have a few hundred trips on Uber. And it has just gotten progressively worse. Things like:

- most every place I go has higher than normal demand. I’ve seen $10 trips turn into $30, $30 trips turn into almost $100. I’ll wait and they will drop, but it’s insane.
- revolving doors of drivers. Doesn’t matter if it’s the in (major) city $10 fare, or the longer $30-40 trip from an airport or train station. Too often it will take a LONG time to get a driver (didn’t used to be the case), and then it can change drivers a few times. Oh, and when the driver changes, the time changes, so you may have waited a number of minutes, driver changes, resets to 8-10-12 minute wait again. No recourse.
- way wrong time estimates…. You make the driver wait more than 2 mins and there is a fee. But if the app screws up, changes drivers, makes you wait… too bad.
- wrong fees. This is especially the case on trips where there is a toll.

I’ve been tempted to try to use taxis again. I have been rejected a ride on taxis back when. Only a few times at BWI airport, because the ride I needed wasn’t long enough. But the pricing isn’t that much worse in some cases, and as much as taxis are dirty and lousy, putting up with Uber is getting annoying.

Do any other frequent travelers have issues with Uber, and notice it getting worse???

You are spot on @JHZR2. Uber is now the only option, and nobody (MACRO basis) is pushing back on this.

Often there is a fix, a solution. In this case- I can't really find one. The answer is two have dozens of apps provide rideshares, and drivers subscribe to all the rideshare apps. Right now, a significant amount of people will simply pay.

It is important to note that what Uber does extremely well is lobby governments, and next thing Uber does well is generate revenue from an application.

 

[JHZR2]

You are spot on @JHZR2. Uber is now the only option, and nobody (MACRO basis) is pushing back on this.

Often there is a fix, a solution. In this case- I can't really find one. The answer is two have dozens of apps provide rideshares, and drivers subscribe to all the rideshare apps. Right now, a significant amount of people will simply pay.

It is important to note that what Uber does extremely well is lobby governments, and next thing Uber does well is generate revenue from an application.

The different ride share apps is an interesting idea, but the apps, and the driver commissions need to be competed too from the app owners, I’d think. And then it’s a pain to track and choose on which one. There is only but so large a body of drivers.

I think I heard that Uber and Lyft merged. If that the case, they created effectively a monopoly. Lyft seems to have better prices but you do wait longer to get them.

 

[D60]

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)

 

[JHZR2]

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)

I have a great driver for when I need him. He is about 2x the cost to the airport of Uber on a good day…

 

[GON]

I have a great driver for when I need him. He is about 2x the cost to the airport of Uber on a good day…

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. Works well for early morning pickups from our home, actually really well. He gets $100 USD for his first ride, and then grabs people departing the airport for his next fare. The issue is, I hate calling him late in the night for airport to home. I often arrive OOA midnight, so I just grab a Uber. But as you identified, Uber has been playing games with surge pricing, what was costing $100 USD is now often costing $175 USD, and then after waiting, the Uber driver cancels....... and my latest issue was a Uber driver in a TSLA that told me he didn't have enough battery to do the transport- after waiting over 30 minutes for the driver.....

And of note, I have heard Uber gross cut of the fare can be as much as 40-50% of the fare paid by the customer. That is a huge fee, for providing essentially a Backoffice computer transaction service.

 

[D60]

I have a great driver for when I need him. He is about 2x the cost to the airport of Uber on a good day…

A good "limo" driver?

You're saying you're going to consider taxis again, so I'm saying a limo may not be much different than a taxi.

Trying to compare either to Uber is likely apples and oranges

 

[Pew]

I'm fine with that. Here they pretty much cost the same as taxis without the nasty smell, dirty interior, and hoping your taxi shows up when it's scheduled.

 

[JHZR2]

A good "limo" driver?

You're saying you're going to consider taxis again, so I'm saying a limo may not be much different than a taxi.

Trying to compare either to Uber is likely apples and oranges

Yeah I understand. Thing is, the taxi service by me is gone. Out of business.

And the costs and relatability issue isn’t usually going to my house. For pickup at the airport, i agree.

 

[JHZR2]

I'm fine with that. Here they pretty much cost the same as taxis without the nasty smell, dirty interior, and hoping your taxi shows up when it's scheduled.

The Ubers have been getting worse in that department too. Was in one in FL I about couldn’t stay in.

I’ve never had a taxi not come. I’ve been left waiting 20-30 minutes because of Uber games more than once now.

 

[Pew]

The Ubers have been getting worse in that department too. Was in one in FL I about couldn’t stay in.

I’ve never had a taxi not come. I’ve been left waiting 20-30 minutes because of Uber games more than once now.

I feel like in Chicago, Uber/Lyft made the taxi companies step up their game. The prices now are pretty similar between the two so there's really no money savings like when Uber started but it forced the taxis here to upgrade their fleet of aging and smelly crown Vics to something modern now.

 

[dlundblad]

My wife and I used a taxi/ shuttle service the last couple times we went to Florida. I turned my phone on once the plane landed and I received a text from the driver a few minutes later. Wanted us to text him when we had our luggage and wanted to know what loading gate we were at. B10 or whatever. A few minutes later, there he was. Very seamless.

His biggest gripe with Uber and what not was that it wasn’t a level playing field. He had to buy permits to get into certain areas whereas somehow they were exempt. They would also wait outside areas for potential customers where it wasn’t allowed and get into fights over customers. He didn’t like the way it made the industry look.

 

[Lubener]

I have a friend who owned a popular taxi cab company in the Cleveland area. He was driven out of business by these fly by night drivers using their own cars.. He had to abide by all local licenses, permits, regulations, insurance etc. which was a great expenses which these by nighters do not have to abide by. I bet most are not even sufficiently insured.

 

[4WD]

The business model of Korean companies too …

 

[andrew_j]

I will just ask the question. If you are not paying and they(company) reimburse why worry about it.

My company did complain so I had them arrange rides for me. That lasted a while then back to your situation they gladly approve.

 

[atikovi]

I think I've only used an Uber 2 or 3 times in my life after dropping off a car and the buyer arraigned for one when they didn't have the time to take me to the airport or bus station. I'm registered at Uber but the prices are ridiculous. When I bought a car at an auction I don't normally go to and was going to come back a week later by bus to pick up, I checked the rate for an Uber from the bus stop to the auction 3 miles away and it was almost $30 No way. I ended up walking. I thought Uber was supposed to be a cheaper alternative to taxi service which would have been under $10.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Uber has become what taxis were - dirty , expensive and unreliable. Not surprising.

Taxis were only ever good in the largest of cities so at least the coverage is a little better.

 

[97prizm]

I’m growing increasingly frustrated using Uber and Lyft.

I get the business model, and the demand based pricing. And historically it worked out. But lately, it has just gotten worse and worse.

I’m a 4.92 rated rider. I must have a few hundred trips on Uber. That’s not to say I know it all, but I have some trips in many markets under my belt. And it has just gotten progressively worse more or less everywhere. Things like:

- most every place I go has higher than normal demand. I’ve seen $10 trips turn into $30, $30 trips turn into almost $100. I’ll wait and they will drop, but it’s insane.
- revolving doors of drivers. Doesn’t matter if it’s the in (major) city $10 fare, or the longer $30-40 trip from an airport or train station. Too often it will take a LONG time to get a driver (didn’t used to be the case), and then it can change drivers a few times. Oh, and when the driver changes, the time changes, so you may have waited a number of minutes, driver changes, resets to 8-10-12 minute wait again. No recourse.
- way wrong time estimates…. You make the driver wait more than 2 mins and there is a fee. But if the app screws up, changes drivers, makes you wait… too bad.
- wrong fees. This is especially the case on trips where there is a toll.

I’ve been tempted to try to use taxis again. I have been rejected a ride on taxis back when. Only a few times at BWI airport, because the ride I needed wasn’t long enough. But the pricing isn’t that much worse in some cases, and as much as taxis are dirty and lousy, putting up with Uber is getting annoying.

Do any other frequent travelers have issues with Uber, and notice it getting worse???

I has an uber eats driver steal my breakfast order and not deliver it. I quit using their food delivery service.

 

[atikovi]

I has an uber eats driver steal my breakfast order and not deliver it. I quit using their food delivery service.

Maybe he was driving hangry?

 

[GSCJR]

My recent ride in an Uber went up 40% in less than 24hrs!