Uber: Customers complain about price surging and poor service as party season heats up

MELBOURNE Uber users have unleashed a flood of complaints as prices surge and service gets poorer during the festive season.

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UBER users have unleashed a flood of complaints as prices surge during the party season.

Darryl Peterson posted on Bayside Facebook that he used the app up to 10 times a week, and was “cranky” about escalating Uber prices.

He said prices had been surging since the beginning of December.

“I use Uber to go to my local pub and it’s normally $7.20,” he said.

“On 7 December I did the same journey and there was a 3.4 surge on. Consequently my fare was $22.10.”

He said feedback from Uber drivers was that patrons responded to surge-pricing by looking elsewhere for rides.

“Uber drivers (tell me): ‘When there’s a big surge on, we sit on the side of the road and do nothing’.”

Users also complain they are waiting 20 minutes for rides.

Nick Mazzella posted that he had returned to using taxis for a “while now”.

“They have consistent pricing and I’ve found even with no surge sometimes a taxi fare is cheaper than an Uber,” he said.

Q Magazine Australia’s publisher and editor Brett Hayhoe also reported bad experiences.

“The company needs to stop this ridiculous surge charging or they will, as they have with me, lose business,” Mr Hayhoe said.

Uber users are unhappy with prices going up at Christmas. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Craig Sargent said Uber had floundered in Singapore for the same reasons.

“The rival company (Grab) is doing leaps and bounds,” he said.

“With Grab, you actually get a total cost before you get in the car, so if the journey takes 10 minutes or 30, you still pay the one quoted price issued on their app.”

Bayside Leader staff can also report recently experiencing longer wait times, confusion around pick-up points, and cancellation fees charged when they try to book alternative Uber drivers.

Last week, the Leader revealed partying teenagers were risking life and limb to save a buck, travelling home in the boots of ride-share cars.

One Bayside mother, who did not want to be named, said she was horrified when she arrived to pick her daughter up from a party and saw a group of girls piling their friend into the boot of a packed Uber car.

“The Uber driver was totally unaware (the girl) was hopping in the boot,” she said. “I asked my daughter about it and she said ‘she’s getting in the boot because it saves them getting a second Uber’ (because there are too many of them to fit in one car).”

Uber spokesman Matthew Wing said the company would next week release tips for effectively dealing with the ride-sharing business during the busy festive season.