Team-BHP - Review: Uber Premium Taxi Service

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Originally Posted by Rehaan (Post 3783464)

Not sure if you've typed X when you mean Go?

If so, I've experienced the same (got a Swift Dzire as an UberGo - when normally it is an UberX).

Asked the driver, and he said they had the option of downgrading (or double-listing?) their car in the app -- which he had done since he wasn't getting enough business as an UberX.

Yup they can now be listen in 2 segments at the same time. So before I use an uber, I quickly go one segment below depending on who is closer to see if the same car is listed in the lower segment. I then book the lower segment, and enjoy my trip in the same car at lower rateslol:

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Originally Posted by akshay1234 (Post 3784019)

So before I use an uber, I quickly go one segment below depending on who is closer to see if the same car is listed in the lower segment. I then book the lower segment, and enjoy my trip in the same car at lower rates

There is absolutely no guarantee that the closest vehicle will take your trip.

Today at 05:30am, the closest UberGo was 1 km away and on my side of the road facing me but the UberGo who took me was at that time 5 km away and he needed to take a U-Turn to pick me (adding 2 km for him without starting the meter).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan (Post 3783464)

Not sure if you've typed X when you mean Go?

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Originally Posted by AkMar (Post 3783980)

No, I meant to type X itself. I thought that the Honda City would be part of the higher priced Uber Black, and cars like Dzire, Etios, Manza would be part of Uber X. Hence was surprised when I got City as an Uber X.

I got a Skoda Rapid as Uber X last night. Pleasant surprise since an earlier Dzire driver called me and asked me to cancel since he wanted to go back home in the other direction. Driver was a good chap too. Told him I had a Vento myself so his cab felt very familiar except that I was sitting in the back!

About the Dzire driver who asked me to cancel, I tend to now take a more charitable view since Uber has built a fair amount of equity with me now. Strictly speaking it isn't allowed but the guy made a genuine request so I agreed.

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Originally Posted by noopster (Post 3784192)

Strictly speaking it isn't allowed but the guy made a genuine request so I agreed.

I am wondering if he wanted to go the other way, why did he respond to the booking call in the first place?

BTW, day before, I called an OLA cab .. the driver was very polite and he even suggested me to try Uber as it works out cheaper for me. He subscribes to both services and take up whichever comes first. I asked, if I get Uber at discount wouldn't he lose out on profit. He mentions that Uber will give him incentive for the remaining, so he will not lose anything. So, I wondered how is Uber going to profit out of it. Is it a temporary ploy to gain the market share? Or is this some different type of business plan?

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Originally Posted by hyd_traveller (Post 3784069)

There is absolutely no guarantee that the closest vehicle will take your trip.

The closest (/closer?) cars have 15-18 seconds to accept your request, failing which it moves to the ones further away.

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Originally Posted by sukhoi30 (Post 3784222)

I am wondering if he wanted to go the other way, why did he respond to the booking call in the first place?

You'll find your answer in this post : link

UBER Experience - On 18/08, in Chennai at 10.30 PM, after picking up my brother in law, sister and 3 kids, the driver asked them to get out of the car and also cancel the booking after realising that the drop off point is in the outskirts(Tambaram) of Chennai. Brother in law has placed a complaint with UBER, who is yet to attend to it.

I live in Jayanagar, Bangalore and have used UBER several times and never had any problems with them. The users of UBER are at the mercy of the driver. If the transaction is lucrative, the driver may choose to attend, else you're out.

Uber joins hands with Bharti Airtel to provide free in-car Wifi:

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As a part of the deal, Uber users get access to free 4G Wifi in Uber cabs starting with Mumbai on Saturday and an additional payment option Airtel money on the app. Drivers get subsidised mobile devices and data plans, the company said.

The drivers will use their existing 4G enabled handsets on iOS or Android and turn them into a WiFi hotspot. Users will just have to click on 'UberWiFi' as an option and they will be logged on to the internet.

Source: ET Auto

Uber Launches a new category UberSUV in Bangalore. Helps to ensure you get a 6 seater when needed. These were already available as part of Uber Black, but you would not know if you are getting a SU/MUV until after you book.

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Today, we're thrilled to announce a new way to get around Bangalore - UberSUV. By selecting UberSUV, you are guaranteed to get a bigger vehicle that seats up to 6 people or carries more luggage. These vehicles will still be available on UberBLACK, however for a guaranteed larger vehicle - UberSUV is your friend. Sample cars include Toyota Innova, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and similar vehicles. UberSUV comes out of the same garage of vehicles as UberBLACK at the same price!

The other interesting update. For UberGo and UberX, if your trip exceeds 15km, for every additional KM, there is a per km charge of Rs 14 for Uber Go and Rs 16 for Uber X.

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Starting today, to justify partner economics, there’s a marginal change in pricing for longer distance trips. After 15 KMs, you will be charged an additional fare for every KM that your uberX and uberGO take you, as follows:

Wonder if this is to discourage airport bookings. Belandur to the Airport is 50km and ~75 minutes. Today in an UberX I would pay 40+50*8 +75= 515. With this new fare it would be 40+50*8+ 35*16 +75= 1075 :Shockked:

This will bring it roughly in line with a regular airport taxi. Actually more expensive.

http://newsroom.uber.com/bangalore/2.../vardistfares/

This is the news article. They have jacked up the prices big big time for longer trips. Airport trips are no longer economical with Uber.

Are they discouraging long trips and forcing customers to take short trips? Not sure why. They seem to be giving more incentives to do more number of trips instead of doing one trip that takes more time.

For 50kms trip to airport, I was paying around 600 including airport toll with UberX. Now it will be 40 (base) + 15*8 (first 15kms) + 35*16 + 90 (approx time) + 120 (toll) = Rs.930.

Almost 300 bucks more now.

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Originally Posted by Vid6639 (Post 3787018)

Thanks for sharing this article Viddy.
I hired an Uber to go from Banashankari 3 stage to Whitefield on Sunday (23rd August) and this is maybe a 30km trip.
The cab driver asked me to end the trip once at St. John's, next at Phoenix and finally to Whitefield. I ended up paying more than usual but this helped the driver earn some 800/- bonus and so I obliged.
So, what if we break the journey to the airport by ending the trip in the middle and booking it again and continuing? You can do that sitting in the same cab :D Maybe that still works out cheaper.
Cheers,
Deepak

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vid6639 (Post 3787018)

For 50kms trip to airport, I was paying around 600 including airport toll with UberX. Now it will be 40 (base) + 15*8 (first 15kms) + 35*16 + 90 (approx time) + 120 (toll) = Rs.930.

Almost 300 bucks more now.

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After 15 KMs, you will be charged an additional fare for every KM that your uberX and uberGO take you

So based on your example, it would be

40+50*8 (total distance at 8 per km)+ 35*16 (excess after 15 additional charge of 16 per km) +90 +120= 1210 Right?

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Originally Posted by Eddy (Post 3787029)

Is this limited to Bangalore only ?

The email I got said Bangalore. So I assume it is for Bangalore and is a clear cut move to discourage airport drops.

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Originally Posted by Rajeevraj (Post 3787052)

Is the Rs 16 the per km rate after 15 km or an additional rate per km after 15 km. My understanding after reading the article was that the 8 rs per km will be for the full distance plus Rs 16 for every km after 15 km.
So based on your example, it would be

40+50*8 (total distance at 8 per km)+ 35*16 (excess after 15 additional charge of 16 per km) +90 +120= 1210 Right?

Their wordings are a little vague but I can see that they have put in bold After 15kms not for the entire trip.

The example from MG road to airport is close to that fare rather than full fare distance being at 16Rs/km.

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Originally Posted by starter (Post 3787038)

Since there is a base-fare as part of the total-fare, the effective per km charge (including base-fare and per-minute) becomes lesser and lesser as the trip distance increases. So, breaking the same journey into 3 would mean effectively more pay-out from you as compared to single journey. Of course, this is before the new development of "additional rate beyond 15 kms".

Quote:

So, what if we break the journey to the airport by ending the trip in the middle and booking it again and continuing? You can do that sitting in the same cab :D Maybe that still works out cheaper.
Cheers,
Deepak

Did you try this? Logically if you end a journey from inside the cab or from just outside the cab and request a new ride, the same driver would get the ride-request him being the closest to your current location. But, that's logically. In reality, does it work that way?