A UK-based holidaymaker has urged fellow tourists to ‘remain vigilant’ on European city breaks, after falling victim to a potential Uber scam.
In Facebook group Extreme Day Trips, Stacey Nuttall shared a ‘shocking’ experience she encountered on a recent trip to the renowned Therme Spa, Bucharest.
Like when she visited the Romanian capital previously, she and her travel companion ordered an Uber using the app, with the taxi arriving within around a minute.
According to Stacey however, they’d barely started the journey when the driver pulled over complaining of ‘a problem’.
He reportedly said there was an issue with the price shown on the Uber app, asked the pair to ‘pay more and in cash’, then cancelled the trip and asked them to get out of the car when they refused.
Stacey claims that not only was she slapped with a cancellation fee for this ride, when she tried to book another Uber and a series of drivers cancelled her booking, she was also charged a penalty.
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‘We then got approached by four different taxi drivers all asking for us to pay them via cash upfront or Revolut or Apple Pay,’ she continues in her post. ‘This all felt very set up.’
Stranded at 10pm, with no cash to hand and ‘no other option’, Stacey and her friend managed to find an independent cabbie who let them pay once they arrived at the hotel.
Having visited Bucharest three times in the past six months without issue, she questioned whether the late hour and poor weather may have been to blame — and according to the driver who took them home, new taxation rules also mean the’re increasingly ‘losing money’, leading some to resort to unscrupulous behaviour.
Have you ever had a negative experience with ride-hailing apps like Uber while traveling?
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Yes, I have experienced issues.
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No, I haven't had any problems.
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I don't use ride-hailing apps.
Stacey urged others to consider alternative transport methods, plan transport ‘in advance’, and leave a tip when booking through taxi apps (‘as it does make the difference’), but also to ‘be safe’ and stay aware of potential scams.
It certainly seems wise, given others said they’d had similar issues with dodgy cab services while abroad.
‘We had the same,’ wrote one commenter. ‘It was infuriating and so rude. We were lucky that the bus turned up and we got that instead. It seemed very suspicious to us.’
Another said they were stuck at the airport in Faro, Portugal, after ‘multiple drivers accepted and cancelled’ their Ubers, adding: ‘Another scam is them not coming to pick-up point and asking to walk to meet them 8 to 10 minutes away… and then they are not there – you see them driving away on app.’
‘I’ve heard of this happening a lot,’ a third chimed in. ‘Dispute the cancellation charges and Uber should reimburse you.’
It’s not clear whether Stacey has been in touch with Uber regarding the incident, but a spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘The behaviour that has been described is completely unacceptable.
‘Uber has clear rules regarding payments and cancellations, and we will investigate and take appropriate action on any reports of this nature. We always aim to deliver the highest standard of service to all riders and everyone should feel safe and welcome when riding with Uber.’
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