Uber rider’s $120 fare leaves ‘really bad taste’

An Auckland woman who paid close to $120 for an Uber ride from the city to New Lynn on a Wednesday night is warning others to beware of surging prices around the busy holiday period.

Mt Albert local Alison, who didn’t want her last named used for privacy reasons, said she used Uber to get home from last week’s Cat Stevens concert.

“I live in Sandringham, my friend lives in New Lynn, we went to the train station but the next one was 45 minutes away so I said, ‘don’t worry, I’ll get an Uber’.”

She was aware of the company’s use of “surging” prices, which occurred in response to fluctuations in demand. However, she said she tended to use the service in spite of this.

“Every now and then if you get a bit of a surge you don’t really mind, but I’ve never had a surge that big. I didn’t even know it went that high.”

Alison got out at Sandringham. Her friend went on to New Lynn, but Alison footed the bill.

She was shocked to see the total in an email the next morning.

“It said ‘ Your charge was $119.80’. The base fare was $33 and then the surge was 3.7, so it had almost quadrupled.”

Convinced something had gone wrong, Alison contacted Uber. The response said the company could not provide a refund, and advised her to review the fare estimate in the future before confirming the ride.

The 46-year-old said she felt the company was capitalising on the fact a lot of people were in town trying to get home.

An Uber spokesperson said “surges” or “dynamic pricing” ensured passengers who wanted a ride could always get one.

They said the pricing was fully transparent. If the price was too high, riders could ask to be notified when the price dropped again.

“The fare calculation method should always be available to the rider, as well as an estimated price.

“We have taken . . . steps to remind drivers of the earnings opportunities available in December and on NYE [New Year’s Eve], as well as where and when demand will be high.”

Alison acknowledged she had accepted the fare fluctuation when she requested the ride, but said the surge notification on the app wasn’t all that obvious.

“Obviously they can do that, [I just] need to let others know it’s pretty dire at the moment. Just read what’s on your app before you press confirm.”

She hadn’t used Uber since the trip — which she said cost nearly the same as a Cat Stevens concert ticket — and said it had left a “really bad taste”.