[Anonymous]

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve used Uber now in cape Town and recently in New York and have had a relatively good experience. What annoys me though is when they say the car will be there in 2 minutes and 5 minutes later it’s still not there. You see on the map car touring around nearby but they don’t seem to come to you!

Staying at the Hilton in New York, I used Uber. the app showed plenty of cars and an arrival time of 2 minutes. Having clicked the button to order the car it immediately stated the car was “arriving”. After almost 20 minutes the status was the same but no sign of the car and traffic was not particularly heavy.

I then cancelled and grabbed a passing yellow cab which also worked out cheaper. However i was rather surprised to be hit with a $10 cancellation charge. I never knew that applied and maybe it’s in the T&C’s but I never saw it.

I immediately complained that I was told the car would arrive in 2 minutes and that after waiting 20 minutes I was justified in cancelling. In fairness they agreed to credit me against another trip which they did but I still feel I should have been informed about a cancellation charge.

Anyone else had any issues with Uber?

[OpenSky]

Same happened to me in Bangkok. The driver past my condo twice, then I canceled, get charged, complained and got a credit.
I was also not aware of a cancellation charge until that point.

[MrMichael]

Hi LP, I too sometimes find Uber frustrating. Similar xperience in London on a couple of occasions where the vehicle says 1 minute and then it seems to have gone past me and way up the road, only to turn round and come back for me ten minutes later. I think the problem is that with the old fashioned mini cab we don’t know when the vehicle is depatched nor on its way, so we don’t know it drove on by. With GPS tracking of the vehicles on our smartphones we do know. On the whole I find Uber pretty good.

[seasonedtraveller]

I have used Uber extensively in the US and Canada for a couple of years and, on the whole, I find them to be excellent. There have issues, which I have complained about, drivers holding the GPS systems in their hands rather than using a windscreen bracket for example.

I also have the issue of the system telling me 2 mins when the reality is 10…..mainly in the big cities where the GPS can often send the car 1 block behind or in front of your true position.

If you’ve ever got into a Yellow Cab somewhere like LA Guardia or PHL then you will know how disgusting those cars can be…. I will keep on with Uber

[SwissExPat]

I have not used uber…. Don’t you need to have roaming data on your phone/iPad for it to work. That beng the case then I won’t be using as roaming data charges are something I avoid.

[seasonedtraveller]

SwissExPat – 15/11/2015 11:45 GMT

You need to have an internet connection – either wi-fi or data.

I have a EU mobile phone and a North American phone so expensive roaming data in close to zero

[theflyingnurse]

Two weeks ago my Uber car didn’t turn up. I was told it would be a 2-3 minute wait. I received a text from Uber saying my car had been cancelled after I had waited 15 minutes. I then took a black cab as I had a train to catch. I was charged a £5 “cancellation fee”, twice I may add. I sent them an e -mail explaining the driver didn’t turn up and they assured me by return e-mail that the charge(s) would be refunded. I’m still waiting for the refund and as this was the first time I had used Uber I’m a bit wary of using them again.

[goldaviator]

I use uber all the time. Mostly in London, often in the US and am currently in Cape Town where it is extremely cheap with exchange rate. 99% of the time it’s very good and only occasionally a less than perfect experience. I hardly ever use black cabs anymore as I find uber much more suited to my needs. I’ve never had an issue with uber no show or charging when trip is cancelled.

[LuganoPirate]

It seems our experiences are much the same and UBER really need to make the cancellation policy more prominent or, even better, eliminate it. After all I can cancel a mini cab or similar without penalty.

SwissExPat, yes, it does need a data feed so in NY I only used them once i got a local SIM, though i suppose I could have used the free WiFi at JFK.

Overall I’m happy with them and like the fact in Cape Town I can call the driver once it’s booked and explain where I am if it’s not immediately obvious.

[SwissExPat]

Thanks for the clarification re data and or wifi… Hence this will be a limiting factor for me… Fine in your own contry or where you visit frequently…. But maybe too much cost etc for the more infrequently visited places..

[nibbler]

@SwissExPat if you are using hotel cars Uber is massively cheaper; the IC Times square charges about $270 for a suv from JFK; my uber back was $105 (same mercedes suv each way… my vodafone roaming costs are £5 a day in the usa.

Its surprising by Sofitel have put an Uber link in their app; almost killing off the need for their hotel cars …

For short trips to those countries vodafone has cheap (£5 a day) roaming costs i use it; otherwise i get a sim on arrival in the rest (bar india who view sim cards as the devil’s candy.)

[LuganoPirate]

Yes Nibbler, and I was ordering Uber also using the free wifi at the NY Hilton where i was staying and Sofitel where my friend was staying.

I think for both SwissExPat and myself, we are both with Swisscom and they have no special deals when roaming to the US. I think we have to pay chf 9 for just 10mb!!!

[nibbler]

@LuganoPirate then grabbing a local PAYG sim on arrival is the way to go. Massively cheaper than roaming for most all countries especially if you want to use data. A lot of countries they are in vending machines or tables on arrival you can grab one relatively cheaply.

[MrMichael]

LP, I think it reasonable that Uber charge a cancellation fee in the normal course of events. After all the driver has been dispatched to you and is now at the back of the rank so to speak. However if it does not arrive within say 10 minutes of the agreed time when you booked it, then absolutely one should not be charged.

[Author]

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