Uber Riders Complain About Rate Surge on New Year's Eve
A number of Uber riders fume over the price surge during New Year's Eve. For instance, one substitute taxi service user received a bill worth more than $1,000.
According to Global News, Matthew Lindsay from Edmonton, Canada paid a total of $1,114 for his Uber ride on New Year's Eve. The rider explained that he, together with his four friends, chose to use the ride-sharing app after leaving a wedding.
There were three stops made, but Lindsay shared that he was only notified about the surge pricing and the ballpark price per kilometer for their first stop. No notice was made for the second and third stops, which, according to the publication, were 60 kilometers out of Edmonton City.
Lindsay also said that he received an estimate for the cost of the first stop but not for the entire ride. Uber, according to the publication, is currently not legal and regulated in Edmonton.
"I was shocked, physically shocked. I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Lindsay said when he got his Uber bill. "I felt it was beyond unreasonable. You could go anywhere in the world for that price."
Lindsay demanded a refund for his Uber bill via an email and got a response, noting that the ride-sharing company had done nothing wrong about the pricing. According to the report, the reply from Uber also noted that the system "always pushes a notification screen on the app before it can fulfil a trip request" as it is the company's way to make sure that passengers have agreed to the so-called surge pricing.
Later on, Lindsay received a partial refund offered by Uber, which was worth $500.
Surge pricing, as explained by Time, is normal to users of Uber. It usually happens during rush hour or when there's a huge sporting event. Basically, surge pricing can occur "when the demand for drivers is greater than the number of vehicles on the road," the report noted.
The ride-sharing service provides notifications when customers will be paying a more expensive rate. A warning was also made by Uber before New Year, telling users that the price will be remarkable during the holiday.
"Surge Pricing shouldn't be a surprise. Let's toast to you running a Fare Estimate in the app before you ride," Uber said, as cited by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Meanwhile, other Uber users vented on Twitter their complaints about the significantly high price surge on New Year's Eve. Below are some of the tweets as cited on Time.
Seriously, @uber?! pic.twitter.com/tJTE6nwqsU
— Justin H (@JHoule88) January 1, 2016
I never condone drinking & driving, but when your Uber bill is THIS much, some risks just might be worth taking. pic.twitter.com/9zPQou0KzR — Walt (@WaltD336) January 1, 2016
Learn more about Uber by watching Mashable's video below.
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