Uber users being charged £6 a mile during 'surge' fare times One customer charged £42 for minicab from Northern Quarter to Withington Passengers are facing £7-a-mile fares in Uber minicabs around Greater Manchester at ‘surge’ times.
Customers of the app-based minicab service say they have been left shocked by the amounts they are charged through their phones at the end of a journey.
One passenger was charged £42 to go from the Northern Quarter to Mauldeth Road West in Withington.
Another faced a £34 charge from Didsbury Village to Handforth in Cheadle.
Some of those who complained to Uber have received partial refunds, which the MEN understands are given at the company’s discretion.
Fares for Uber minicabs go up during ‘surge’ times - when a high number of people are using the app to request minicabs in certain areas.
It means the original fare can be four times higher while a surge is on - which customers say they have found confusing.
Uber, launched in Manchester last April, says they strive to make the fare process transparent and the surge encourages more drivers to work.
Elizabeth Denniss, 28, was faced with the £34 fare after a night out with her boyfriend in Didsbury Village last Saturday [Jan 31] - around £5.20 a mile.
She was given an £8 refund after complaining to Uber, but said: “I feel like I’ve been taken advantage of.
“I hadn’t used the app before so I didn’t know exactly how it works.
“I asked the driver how much it would be and he didn’t know.
“When we got out the car and it said £34 I hit the roof.”
Kerry Burk, 36, who lives in Middleton, was charged £36 for a six mile journey home from Castlefield, around £6 per mile. She said: “It said the minimum fare was £8 and there was a 2.9 times surge on but that was still nowhere near what we paid.
“The system is not clear enough.”
The highest fare the MEN has found - £42 from the Northern Quarter to Didsbury - was made last Friday night when there was a 2.8 times surge and worked out at around £7 a mile.
The woman charged the fare, who did not want to give her name, said: “I understand you’re signing up to their terms and conditions when you click the app but we never expected it to be that much.
“I will never use Uber again.”
A spokesman for Uber Manchester said: “Dynamic pricing is first and foremost about getting more cars on the road.
“During ties of peak demand - where there are not enough drivers on the Uber system - fares increase to incentivise more drivers on to the platform.
“Dynamic pricing is also fully transparent.
“During a period of dynamic pricing, riders are fully notified of the increase in price with multiple confirmation screens.
“Firstly, on the home screen there is a dynamic pricing symbol to notify riders that dynamic pricing is in effect.
“Secondly, when you select your location you are then informed of the exact multiplier and you are asked to click a button to accept the higher fare or you can choose to click the button that says ‘notify me if surge ends’.
“Thirdly, if the multiplier is above 2x you have to physically type in the price multiplier before proceeding and then fourthly you can use the ‘fare estimate’ button to work out how much your total fare is likely to be at the dynamic price multiplier.
“So, by the time you request your Uber you have been clearly notified of the implications of dynamic pricing.”
source:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ed-8597140
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