What’s more, when you point this out, they continue to ignore you — whether that means they stop responding (if you’re on Twitter) or just close your case so you can’t reply (if you’re on email).
No wonder many people are dumping Uber for friendler fare like Lyft.
Here’s a representative exchange via Twitter:
1. Me, October 3
I want to shoot a time-lapse video of the estimated arrival time for a long @Uber_Support trip. Every single time, it’s longer than promised. And not by a few minutes, but by at least 10.
I’ve submitted complaints — not about price but time — and always get a reply about price.
2. Uber, October 3
Hi Jonathan! ETA times are estimates and not guaranteed. Please check this page https://help.uber.com/riders/article/how-do-etas-work?nodeId=6a4dbe13-0a86-4d11-a0ab-cc88f8171fb8 for additional information.
3. Me, October 3
Thank you. Yes, I know that. So, how far off does an estimate have to be for you to consider it a problem? 15 minutes late? 20? 30? It’d be great if you could provide general guidance. Also, I don’t have this problem with Lyft. Thank you.
4. Me, October 5
Dear @Uber_Support, I sent you a tweet two days ago, but haven’t heard back. No one likes to be ignored. Thank you.
5. Uber, October 5
Here to help. In order for us to further assist kindly send us more details below.
Date and time:
Driver's name:
Pickup or drop-off location:
Fare you were charged:
6. Me, October 5
Why do you need any of this info? I’m asking a general question about your policy. Again, this is not about a specific ride. And please don’t repeat the lines about no guarantees; that’s not the issue. If you read my question, I think it’s clear what I’m asking. Thanks.
7. Me, October 7
Two more days and *still* no response, huh? Wow.
8. Uber, October 7
Hi, Jonathan. We’re working to improve ETA accuracy. A variety of external factors like heavy traffic or road construction can impact travel time. If your driver is running more than 5 minutes behind, you'll be able to cancel your request without a cancellation fee.
9. Me, October 8
I’m not talking about the time I get picked up; I’m talking about the time I arrive. This is now my fourth message asking a very simple question. Please don’t make me follow-up again. Thank you.
And here’s a representative exchange, on a different issue, via email:
1. Me, October 17
The upfront price for the ride I took tonight was $25.38. You billed me $45.63. Please refund me the difference of $20.25. Thank you.
2. Uber, October 17
Hi Jonathan,
Sorry to hear the trip route was longer than expected.
Due to this experience, we’ve adjusted your payment to reflect the upfront price of $28.38 you were shown when you requested the trip. You’ll be able to see this adjustment on your payment method within 3-5 business days. You’ll also receive an updated receipt by email.
We appreciate your understanding.
Sent by MM on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 4:49:51 AM
3. Me, October 17
The upfront price was $25.38. You owe me $3 more.
4. Uber, October 17
Thanks for reaching out, Jonathan.
It sounds like you would like to understand why there is a difference in the upfront fare you were shown and the amount you paid. We are happy to help.
We are glad to see that our colleague has already provided an appropriate adjustment. We understand your experience has been frustrating, but we will be unable to provide additional credits or refunds for this concern.
We appreciate you letting us know about this. This type of feedback helps us improve the Uber experience.
Thank you.
Sent by VungkhawlchingV on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 11:55:33 AM
5. Me, October 17
[The message I tried to send bounced back. Apparently, VungkhawlchingV closed the ticket, thus making it impossible for me to reply.]
And here’s another representative exchange, on a different issue, via email:
This is unfair. The driver seemed to be stalling for a higher price. Initial pickup was $25 and the app said he was one minute away. Then he was two minutes. Then three. I waited for as long as I could, but this seems like fraud and I was going to be late, so I cancelled. The new driver picked me up within two minutes. Please therefore do things: (1) Refund the late fee, and (2) and credit me the difference between my first trip ($25) and the second one ($31). Thank you.
2. Uber, October 23
Hi Jonathan,
We're sorry to hear your wait for pickup was longer than the ETA predicted.
We appreciate your patience as we work to improve ETA accuracy. If your driver is running more than 5 minutes behind, you'll be able to cancel your request without a cancellation fee.
The cancellation fee price of $5.00, compensates your driver, Berhane, for the time they spent traveling to your pickup location.
Since the cancellation fee was applied in accordance with our standards, we are unable to provide a credit for this fee. You can read our full cancellation standards here.
Your feedback is invaluable to us. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us - happy to help.
Thank you.
Sent by Nenio M. on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 3:36:51 AM
3. Me, October 24
Thank you. But the driver was more than 5 minutes late. By your own logic, spelled out below, I should have been able to cancel without a fee. How many minutes late do you show the driver to be? This is a very specific question. Please don’t ignore it; I’m looking for an actual number. Again: You say the driver must be more than 5 minutes late if I want to avoid a fee — so how many minutes late was he? (By my count, he was 6.5 minutes late — all in an effort to make me cancel, so he could get a higher fee; he kept moving father and farther away, instead of coming closer.) Please do not close this case until you’ve provided a number of minutes. Thank you.
4. Uber, October 24
Thanks for letting us know, Jonathan.
Difficulty connecting with your driver can be frustrating because of the delay caused when getting you to your destination.
Drivers are usually available for calls and texts to coordinate pickups. In some cases, a driver may be unable to answer because they are occupied with driving.
We’ve gone ahead and added Uber credit to your account in the amount of the cancellation fee.
Select Uber Cash or Credit as your payment method for it to apply to your next trip.
You can learn how to select Uber Cash or Credit as your trip's payment method here - http://t.uber.com/HelpUC.
You can read more about cancellation fees at help.uber.com.
Thank you.
Sent by Varsha on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 12:56:52 PM
And here’s another exchange, via email:
1. Me, October 30
I requested a ride at 5:07. The app said the driver was 3 minutes away, and that I’d arrive at 6:05.
At 5:10, the driver was 4 minutes away.
At 5:12, the driver was 3 minutes away.
The driver finally arrived at 5:13 — which is 3 minutes after Uber said he would.
That’s the first problem. Here’s the second: Instead of my arriving at 6:05, I arrived at 6:21 — which is 16 minutes after Uber said I would.
I understand these are estimates, not guarantees. But when both estimates are so inaccurate, fairness demands that you refund me the difference.
Please don’t give me the copy-and-pasted line that the “length of the trip falls within your estimates.” I’m showing you screenshots that prove they don’t. Put simply, if your estimates are inaccurate, then fairness demands that you make things right.
Thank you.
2. Uber, October 30
Hi Jonathan,
We know your time is valuable and that external circumstances may, unfortunately, cause delays.
We're sorry to hear about the long wait for your driver. I understand that you rely on the ETA provided to you in the app to plan your trip and day, and how frustrating it can be if that changes or is too long.
Your ETA might change if the first driver to receive your request is unable to accept your request, or if your driver gets delayed by factors like traffic. We appreciate your patience as we work to improve ETA accuracy.
Reviewing your trip, our systems show that before requesting you confirmed the upfront price of $27.16.
While your route may have been less than ideal, it appears that the price you paid was not affected by your driver's route choice. Because of this, we're unable to adjust this trip.
We’re always working to improve the in-app navigation experience to provide clear directions for efficient routes.
We appreciate your feedback.
Sent by Rashi on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 10:50:33 AM
3. Me, October 31
Thank you.
1. Unfortunately, you misunderstood the issue. It’s not about price; it’s about time. I’m sorry to ask — but do you understand the difference? Please let me know that you do.
This is crucial: please don’t copy and paste a prewritten reply. Please — please — acknowledge that you understand I’m asking about time, not price.
In fact, do me a favor: Don’t mention price in your reply. That way, I’ll know you’re an actual human being. I hope I can count on you to respond as a person.
2. Then, once you affirmatively acknowledge this crucial difference, we need to address a second thing. I raised two concerns: that both (a) the pick-up and (b) the drop-off were delayed. You do not in any way address the drop-off, which made me 16 minutes late. It’s frustrating to be ignored. Please tell me why you think it’s ok that I was 16 minutes late — 19 if we include the 3 minute delay for the pick-up.
Again, this is not about price. It’s about time. Please don’t mention price.
I took the time to document everything carefully and clearly, and I’d appreciate a reply where you address the very specific issues I’ve described.
3. Finally, please do not close this case until I respond.
I await your response. Thank you again.
4. Uber, October 31
Hi Jonathan,
We know your time is valuable and that external circumstances may unfortunately cause delays.
Reviewing your trip, our systems show that before requesting you confirmed the upfront price of $27.16.
While your route may have been less than ideal, it appears that the price you paid was not affected by your driver's route choice. Because of this, we're unable to adjust this trip.
We’re always working to improve the in-app navigation experience to provide clear directions for efficient routes.
We appreciate your understanding.
Thank you.
Sent by Jyotirmoy R. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 5:19:05 PM
