Taxi prices in comparison to Uber

Guest2

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Is it a know thing all over UK/world that Taxi drivers will try and rip off their customers, especially if it is the early hours of the morning?

I have been a few places recently

One instance it has cost £15 in an Uber to get someone, but quoted £45-£50 for a Hackney carriage return journey (in Leeds) I showed him the Uber receipt and he said OK, £40 but then changed his mind 3/4 the way home and said £45. I told him he said 40, there was an argument for 5 mins or so then he backed down when I said I would stay in his car all night. (FYI I had to get a standard taxi because my phone died just as I was trying to book an Uber for £12-£17)

Another instance some taxi's were attempting to pick up friends (women) and saying the fare was super cheap and even free! When they realised there was other guys with them they just drove off!

Never had any issues with Uber, it seems like a fantastic system. I was even called by Uber once as used a pooled taxi in London and there was an argument with the driver and the front passenger. Id had a few drinks so couldnt help much but still - It shows they follow up and protect the drivers as well as other passengers
 

Rroff

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Costs approx. £50 for a taxi (IIRC £34-67 range depending on specifics) from where I live to the nearest large town - for an average car that is £2 in fuel and around 30 minutes (each way) IIRC Uber is about £14 but you are much more likely to get a taxi who'll do the run.
 

siezar

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We used uber in Florida instead of hiring a car. It cost us less each day for our uber journeys than the price of the park parking (~$25).
Brilliant service and all the drivers raved about how much money they were making.
 

FBi7

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Used Uber a few times and never had an issue other than some drivers occasionally cancelling the pick up.

Around here (Wolverhampton) the local taxi companies, in my limited experience as I don't use taxis/ubers often, do tend to be a fair bit cheaper than Uber when using those companies' Apps.
 

beh

beh

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Uber are cheap because they're basically subsidising every ride, hence losing $billions. The drivers often aren't making a good living either. What a fantastic system, better make the most of it while it lasts.
 

Werewolf

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Erm Taxi's have their pricing set by the local authority usually.

Uber has it's price set by how desperate you are.

Uber may be cheaper at normal times, but if there is anything going on that makes it more urgent/difficult to get a lift their pricing will often make a taxi look cheap.
 

dowie

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Guest2 said:
One instance it has cost £15 in an Uber to get someone, but quoted £45-£50 for a Hackney carriage return journey (in Leeds) I showed him the Uber receipt and he said OK, £40 but then changed his mind 3/4 the way home and said £45. I told him he said 40, there was an argument for 5 mins or so then he backed down when I said I would stay in his car all night.
Click to expand...

In future don't bother arguing (just on the off chance he does stop and try to kick you out etc.. just smile/nod etc.. until you get to your destination, they tell him to **** off as that isn't what you'd agreed at the start of the journey.

It has been a while since I used a mini cab or licensed taxi that acts like a minicab as some do outside of London - in London they're all running on meters, though generally I've used Addy Lee then Uber for the past few years, only occasionally getting a black cab.

Generally if using a mini-cab in London then you arrange it via some small office at the cab firm if not just booking over the phone and someone there gives you the fare amount. It is mostly outside London or back in the days when you'd have someone with a clipboard outside a club that you'd get arguments because they've basically done what you had done to you in the OP.

The other one is the dodgy Nigerian types outside strip clubs... they basically just want to take you to a brothel, this happened a few years ago, weird looking borderline-midget offered me a lift to find some girls - I told the guy I wasn't interested and just wanted a cab home, he then said he'd accept the fare and offered a decent price like £20 (which is about what an uber cost) I thought fair enough and got in, he then starts driving in the wrong direction (didn't realise at first), and pulls up outside a house I ask where we are and he's like "trust me, just let me show you the girls first then if you don't like it we'll leave", I told him I wasn't interested and I'd just wanted a cab home... he then gave some story about how it wasn't worth his while etc..etc.. it was a waste of his time and he would need £60, I said OK, we can stop off at Tesco at my development, I'll need to get cash out....

So he drives me all the way over to zone 3, after having originally driven in completely the wrong direction to North London to try and get me to go into a brothel, we get to my development, pulls up at the cash machine by Tesco, I get out just start walking off... driver gets out of the car not too happy, runs after me, I owe him money apparently - IMO we're even after he wasted my time with the extra journey/tried to con me etc... then he starts getting aggressive, tries to grab me, I have to push him away a couple of times, security guard at the development comes out to see what the commotion is about, I point at the CCTV and the security guard and tell the driver to back off/calm down. Taxi driver backs down a bit, instead swears at me and says he'll call the police... "no chance you have a minicab licence you numpty, you're not calling the police". I resisted the temptation to question his immigration status too, but essentially, he knew he couldn't do anything at that point, stomped off to his battered old merc after some threats that he'll come back for me etc... slammed the door and sped off.
 

Maundie

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Werewolf said:
Uber may be cheaper at normal times, but if there is anything going on that makes it more urgent/difficult to get a lift their pricing will often make a taxi look cheap.
Click to expand...

Exactly tried to get an Uber from North Greenwich to Heathrow (The tube had been cancelled because of signal failure at Canary Wharf) and none showed up on the app, agreed to pay the x2 subsidy and 4 showed up around North Greenwich station, cost £150 to get to Heathrow, will never use them again and hope they do fold. Robbin currants!!
 

Ahleckz

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Black cabs and private hire in Glasgow are awful in comparison to Uber. Few take card (hacks are meant to, but pretty much everyone says they don’t). Hacks are incredibly expensive and private hire are driven by some very unsavoury characters.
Uber on the other hand are driven by friendly people with generally clean cars. Sure they often haven’t a clue where they are going but I’ll take that for the price. They are just following a satnav after all.
 

Yas786

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Maundie said:
Exactly tried to get an Uber from North Greenwich to Heathrow (The tube had been cancelled because of signal failure at Canary Wharf) and none showed up on the app, agreed to pay the x2 subsidy and 4 showed up around North Greenwich station, cost £150 to get to Heathrow, will never use them again and hope they do fold. Robbin currants!!
Click to expand...
Get a black cab next time and your wallet will bleed profusely.
 
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