Mainstream Taxis - "Special Event" Tactics + "off-Meter" Fares

simplystu on 14/01/2024 - 19:20
Last edited 15/01/2024 - 00:15 by 1 other user

Anyone else noticed this recently? … FYI : live in WA.

Background: ordered a taxi (from a mainstream company) from hotel to Crown Casino @ 6:45pm … cost was $17.80.

After the show, we hailed a taxi from the "taxi waiting area" at Crown Casino - to take us back to the same hotel. Taxi driver - upon entering, asked if we were ok with paying a set fee … $30 (we said yes, as we just wanted to get back to hotel). Return trip was a secondary/major taxi company … but driver had meter turned off (so it was off the books) … from what I witnessed while waiting in line last night - it seems to be a common occurrence with taxi's picking up at crown casino.

$17.80 one way.
$30 the other.

While mainstream taxi companies haven't implemented "surge pricing" … certainly their drivers have found a way to exploit the system, to their advantage.

Also wonder if, (any of the mainstream taxi companies) are aware of such practices (esp if their signage is on the side of the car as well) - or do these companies just turn a blind eye?

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  AustriaBargain on 14/01/2024 - 19:28

  +1

  You said yes.

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    simplystu on 14/01/2024 - 19:34

    yeah I get that - I did agree to what he was asking … but we had already been standing there for 20+mins - and basically ALL the taxi's were doing (OFF THE BOOK / unmetered) fares …. roughly only 1 in 10 were OK with a metered fare.

    But my main Question …. why do so many taxi drivers (even from mainstream companies) do this??? esp if the company logo is on the outside of car.

    IS this a common thing nowdays (for mainstream taxi companies) ???

    Have only caught taxi's to/from airport (twice a year, but never EXP this)… prob first time in 5 years have taken a taxi from crown casino.

    • 

      AustriaBargain on 14/01/2024 - 19:48

      They probably do it because they earn more money. It's like asking for a tip upfront.

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  bobbified on 14/01/2024 - 19:56

  +2

  Taxis have been doing this forever. People got the shits. That's why Uber and other similar companies have been so successful.

  btw, $30 at night doesn't seem too bad (relative to the day price of ~$18).

  • 

    freefall101 on 15/01/2024 - 00:59

    +2

    Yup, this is why I don't take taxis. Far too many attempts to over bill, asking where I'm going before the unlock the door and getting "nah, not far enough" or 'missing a turn' then trying to bill me for their mistake.

    I try to stick to services besides Uber because they're a shit company (even if they did get the system right). Other companies tend to pay the drivers better.

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      bobbified on 15/01/2024 - 11:23

      I've mostly been able to avoid using any of those services for the last few years.

      Other companies tend to pay the drivers better.

      I didn't know that, but I'm assuming if they pay shit, then drivers are free to choose which platform they work with and those companies that pay shit will eventually just wither away and die.

      • 

        freefall101 on 15/01/2024 - 13:14

        I've mostly been able to avoid using any of those services for the last few years.

        I spent 9 years without a car in Melbourne (by choice, trying to be a greenie). While that meant I walked and used public transport most of the time, I still wound up learning more about ridesharing than I care to know. So glad I finally gave in though, between the odd rental for a long trip and using taxis/car sharing I never want to deal with any of them again.

        The reason uber can get away with paying worse is that is where all the customers are, and the drivers choose to use all platforms because some pay is better than no pay. Customers never seem to have caught on though that drivers will take the didi ride before the uber ride though.

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  Central Intelligence on 14/01/2024 - 19:59

  This is normal from my own experience. It is actually better because I had this experience lately as elaborated below:

  When you get a driver and the drive is only a short distance, e.g. to get to another suburb because trackwork is on your line only, once they find out how short the trip is they will usually tap some random buttons on the machine that is used to tell the driver that someone has booked a taxi; then proceed to tell you that someone else has booked.

  A few minutes later if you walk away back to the bus stop, the driver will be waiting at the cab rank again.

  I wish the drivers would be upfront because I do need the cab and yes I would pay the extra $20 for you not to waste my time.

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  simplystu on 14/01/2024 - 20:09

  yeah … actually used to experience similar.

  As live close to Perth airport (within 15 mins) … as said - we travel twice a year … prob 25% of time - once driver finds out only going short trip to airport, they used to add on a small fee

  but that as mainly due to Perth Airport …. charging taxi drivers a surcharge EACH/EVERY time they re-entered the lineup.

  Which is slightly different to my scenario at crown casino last night (have yet to hear that Crown Casino charges taxi drivers each time they lineup).

  • 

    PissLUR on 15/01/2024 - 15:10

    but that as mainly due to Perth Airport …. charging taxi drivers a surcharge EACH/EVERY time they re-entered the lineup.

    its passed to the customer. they dont pay any.

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  Europoor on 15/01/2024 - 02:17

  Yeah it might be more expensive, but it gives you the ability to pay with cash (that you totally got fully legally and declared as income to the ATO) so in the end you might actually be saving money considering this amount of cash was not taxed (yet, in theory) in the first place and you would be paying more in the end using your bank account with after-tax money.

  OP is simply not the main demographic for this type of "deal". 😂😂😂

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  BewareOfThe Dog on 15/01/2024 - 10:06

  Not uncommon for cash jobs worth taxis.

  Quite a few taxi drivers work as rideshare drivers in spare time, so they have a 'fare' idea of the rates.