I clearly heard the driver quote "850" over the phone the night before and obviously understood it as $8.50, especially for a 13-minute ride. But in the middle of the trip, he suddenly asked for $50, which shocked me. I paid it because I was already in the cab, middle of nowhere and had little choice. At the end of the trip, I confronted him about the misleading quote and felt that I had been tricked into booking the ride.
In his response, he argues that "850" could mean "$850" and asks how I could be sure it meant $8.50. But that actually proves my point: he is acknowledging that "850" is what he said over the phone -- he did not clearly quote me $50.
I believe the cheaper quote was used to get me to book the ride, and then I was charged $50 once I was already inside the cab, in the middle of the trip. If he had honestly told me it was $50 the night before, why would I have booked him instead of Uber? This was last November, during the off-season, and Uber was showing roughly $10-$15 for the same 13-minute trip, even when scheduled the day before. I obviously would have taken Uber.
And who in their right mind would knowingly agree to pay $850 for a 13-minute ride? His argument that "850" could mean $850 completely misses the point. The reasonable interpretation in this context was clearly $8.50.
I admit I should have double-checked the fare before starting the ride. However, that does not excuse giving a misleadingly low quote over the phone and then charging a much higher amount afterward when the passenger is in the middle of the trip has zero option but to pay.
When I questioned him about the misleading fare at the end of the trip, his attitude became rude, and I simply wanted to get out of the uncomfortable situation. I became silent and ended the conversation because there was no point continuing given his tone. The whole experience ruined the mood of our trip. read more
