I've been in standoffs with Uber/Lyft drivers where the driver calls or texts me saying they don't want to pick me up for whatever reason and demand that I cancel the hail. Drivers don't want to be the ones who cancel because canceling reduces their rating. I don't want to cancel because I both don't want the hit to my rating and I don't want to have to follow up with Uber/Lyft to request a cancellation fee refund.<p>Last year, I filed a complaint with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission against both Lyft and an individual driver after the driver refused to pick me up in the middle of Manhattan but refused to actually cancel the ride. I eventually gave in and canceled the request. Lyft refused to refund the cancellation fee. I ended up getting a chargeback from my credit card company.<p>I submitted the driver's text messages to the T&LC as evidence and eventually got a phone hearing -- Lyft and the driver were required to appear in person. Lyft failed to appear and got a $1,000 fine. The driver showed up but was found not responsible for lack of evidence. It was a complete waste of time.<p>We'll be stuck with this until regulators realize that there's a pattern of abuse and start cracking down.
The comments point out a perfectly reasonable explanation for why this charge might exist:<p>One reason that drivers can specify for a cancellation is that the rider wasn't at the pickup location. Even though it's the driver cancelling in this case, it's reasonable for Uber to charge the rider in my opinion. If this is the case, the poster is still being improperly charged the fee, but it's more about the driver lying about a cancellation reason than some plot on Uber's part.
> "Whats more is that they don't refund the money they took unlawfully - instead they credit it to your Uber account."<p>I think that's the part that seems the most messed up. However, I will say that in the USA (Chicago) I've had this happen before (it's only a $5 charge, not $10) and when I disputed it, I got a credit back to my credit card and not an Uber credit like they mentioned. I wonder if it's different in Australia (assuming this is where it happened because r/australia)?<p>EDIT: As others have mentioned both here and on reddit, I am chalking this up to the drivers trying to scam riders, and not Uber directly doing it out of malice. I've had the same issue before when a driver tries to call me and tell me to cancel the ride for X reason that is their fault, that way they don't get the fee/penalty, but I'm not stupid. I know what they are trying to do. ha As someone else here said, this just bad design that is a lose-lose for either side, driver or rider, depending how it's done. All in all, I think Uber will always make this right if you just dispute it, and contact their support. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I've finally deleted Uber and it's primarily because of the tipping issue. I've had almost universal good service around the world with Uber drivers, but the tipping thing is getting aggressive, and subtle hints are rapidly become overt demands. Uber was great when it started but government corruption and meddling, combined with Uber's greed, and the corrupt taxi industry fighting it, is killing the service. Small improvements could go a long way:<p>Add tipping in the app; ban cash tips. Require drivers to rate passengers BEFORE they get those tips.<p>No cancellation fee for anyone if cancelled within 10 minutes. After ten minutes whomever cancels, pays, period. Uber knows when it's inconvenient for someone to pick someone up due to traffic. The data is there.<p>Require background checks on all drivers. Why is this even an issue? Uber should pay for it.<p>Increase the amount drivers get. Seriously it's ridiculous how little drivers make.
Once I asked for a Uber driver on my corporate account during a business trip and the driver cancelled on me. I asked for the cancellation fee back and got $5 on my account.<p>Wait, what? Weren't my business supposed to get the $5 fee back? I am just an employee there and even if I was the point of contact or the owner, it's not how things should work.<p>I just earned $5 (that was probably charged) for being cancelled on and I most likely used it on a private trip later on.<p>I bet the contracts they have for corporate accounts make it clear (or else companies would be mad at them already) so it's not my problem, but it's weird nonetheless.
There's a lot of reasons to hate Uber these days but I'm not sure this is one of them. The problem with cancellations is real, I have to cancel rides <i>constantly</i> because I live and work in Brooklyn Heights/ DUMBO and the app just can't seem to get the hang of the river, the bridges, and the expressway that runs through our neighborhood.<p>It's pretty much routine to get assigned a car and then watch as it speeds over your head rapidly towards Manhattan, or get assigned a car already on Wall Street, which is about 1000 yards away on the map on the other side of the East River.<p>It's super annoying, but if you get hit with the cancellation fee you can just go into the app and do it and it's always simple and instantaneous. Calling it a scam seems a little extreme.
It's not a scam. Iirc when the driver cancels they have the option of not charging the customer, or charging the customer. It was the driver who decided to charge the customer. But when the driver cancels the ride it affects their metrics so they can't do it all the time. I imagine if they keep charging customers they will get kicked off the platform.
It's just driver being an ass or an idiot. Pretty sure the driver has an option to cancel without charging you and the one that does. I had experienced both. The first driver said his GPS isn't working and told me to cancel, which I refused because then I would be charged (also happened to me before). He cancelled, and I was still charged. I got a refund later (via customer service). The second time the driver was 10 minutes away and he called me and suggested me to cancel and get another ride. I refused because I assumed the app chose the closest driver to me. After a while he cancelled and I wasn't charged.
It's been awhile since I've used either Lyft or Uber since I moved downtown and can walk everywhere but I distinctly remember an incident when I requested a Lyft and it said it was 10minutes out. 15 minutes later it was still 10 minutes out and the driver called and said they were on their way (I assume they were just sitting in their house in "Driving" mode and took that long to get moving) but it was going to take them almost 20 minutes to get to me and if that was unacceptable I should cancel. I canceled the ride and got a different driver. Lyft charged me $5 for the cancel but I was able to dispute the charge successfully. Overall it was a huge PITA and I felt/feel like Lyft should do more to prevent people from taking so long after accepting a rider to actually get moving.
Happens ALL THE TIME in Hong Kong. The worst case so far, I've had a driver call me as soon as I submitted the pick up request, hung up the phone immediately as I mentioned where I was going, then stayed without moving for the next 90 minutes, without cancelling (I took a cab long before that). Similar, though less intense experience happened to me on about 20% of the rides, every time I have to go through the claim process to (automatically) get my money back.<p>Infuriating, I really wish there was viable alternative to Uber in HK, but taxi drivers are a lot worse (disgusting, rude, very frequently refuse a hire...).
What's wrong with taxis? I've taken plenty of cabs, but never an Uber or Lyft. In a city you can easily flag them down, or find a number and phone for one. Many cab companies have had phone apps for years, too. If you prefer Uber, can you explain why? Because there are tons of complaints here about the company.
I think it is one of those cases where this applies: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.<p>I think it may be a loophole or bad system design rather than a willful scam by uber to make some extra money.
I think that decision to withhold the destination of the ride from drivers was a very bad idea they should repeal.<p>They wanted to be sure that drivers don't choose convenient riders and leave less convenient ones unserved, but a) it didn't work, only introduced this "you cancel, no, you" game after destination becomes apparent, and b) opportunistic drivers can no longer give a ride to people who go in the same direction, because they can't tell; limiting driver base to semi-professionals who have nothing else to do.
I've had this happen a number of times but I always go in and report a issue with the ride and click my driver canceled and they credit my account with $5 right away. They don't even look into it they give it to me right away. It's not ideal but I think its their way of dealing with this easily.