Monday, November 3, 2014

The Hazards Of Uber

Uber has entered the Las Vegas market to compete with taxis.
There is an upside to Uber- they provide service to residential areas of Las Vegas, something taxis don't do on a regular basis.
However, Uber does have it's downfall:
From the New York Daily News: Halloween night is expected to have its share of horrors — but a $539 bill for an 18-mile ride home?
That's apparently a spooky reality that's proving especially frightful for one Uber customer who fell victim to the transportation company’s little known “surge pricing.”
"Me and my bank account got taken for a ride last night," Elliott Asbury told KDVR of the astounding bill he encumbered Friday night.
No matter how many times Asbury squints and blinks while looking at his receipt, Uber stands by the charge while admitting to hiking costs by more than seven times during peak, holiday hours.
"Surge pricing allows us to remain reliable, even on one of the busiest nights of the year," they state on their website of their prices, which they explain as affected by an area's supply and demand.
For Asbury, who said it was his first time using the company, he was expecting something between $40 and $100....
The company, which is accessed by a mobile app, reportedly defended that Asbury was warned of the price hike before he agreed to the ride.
They also note his claimed error of choosing a more expensive vehicle to pick him up, rather than one of their more economical options.
That option, as well as the one to get an estimate on his ride before booking, went unnoticed by Asbury, he said...
As for going forward, Asbury said the car service has offered him a 25% discount for getting swept up in the price surge while a first-time customer.
That discount would knock $134.75 off Asbury's fee — bringing it to $404.25.
Despite that small relief, Asbury said he won't be using the car company again.
"Don't bother man, rent a helicopter!" he laughed.  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/uber-customer-outraged-billed-539-18-mile-ride-article-1.1997960
Umm, buyer beware when you are using Uber or any other business.

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