We recently attempted to take an Uber in Milan, Italy from an apartment we were staying at to the Milan CENTRALE station. However, the driver dropped us off at a location that looked strange to us so we asked if this was the train station and the uber driver told us it was through the large entrance into the building where he dropped us off. (He was also rushing to give us our bags and he left the location quickly which seemed a little odd to me.) Turned out to be erroneous instructions and we had to take an approx 20 minute walk/Metro ride from where we were dropped off to the actual train station. The Uber charge was 25 euros. I was recently told a 25 euro charge is a typical charge for scams like the one we encountered. I am curious if the 25 euro charge advice I received is a precursor to potential driver scams like the one we just encountered and/or if others have experienced a similar situation with drivers in Italy. Thanks.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3769 posts
Many scams involve an amount you’re not likely to bother reporting so the scammer basically gets off without any consequences. In this case, the Uber driver shorted the distance of the ride to get you out of the car quickly so the driver could expedite taking their next fare “for a ride.”
When you agreed to the Uber ride, you agreed to the pick-up and drop-off locations and Uber agreed to charge you €25 based on that contract. The driver did not fulfill Uber’s end of the bargain which was to deliver you to the train station. You should report this to Uber and request compensation.
It’s impossible to know if a future Uber driver whose car you step into will be as dishonest as the one you, unfortunately, encountered in Milan. You have it in your power to report that guy to Uber, and maybe spare others from suffering a similar experience with that driver.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
1010 posts
I tried to respond earlier, but there are some details we might need....
Did you get dropped off at the "pin" or address that you selected? If they dropped you off there, there might have been some error in the trip request....
If they didn't drop you off at the pin (you could have seen it on their app if it was mounted, yours if you were looking), then you can report it to uber.....
The drivers can't manipulate the app to charge you, the app does the calculating, so I doubt that it's the "customary" scam price....
Posted by
3730 posts
It might have been yet another case of an Uber driver not knowing the town well enough to realize he didn't drop you off at the right place.
Posted by
Portland, OR
760 posts
Hanlon's Razor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
Though I usually see it as "ignorance" rather than "stupidity".
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
13100 posts
Uber, as it operates in the US, does not exist in Italy
I wonder what/who actually transported you.
Posted by
3730 posts
Uber, as it operates in the US, does not exist in Italy
Uber thinks it does
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3769 posts
Hanlon’s razor is from 1980.
Consider this one from 1836:
“Never say Never because limits, like fears, are often an illusion.”
—The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
2020 posts
Well, I once was on a fake taxi in Orvieto; not by design, he basically was fishing for clients by asking people waiting in the Cathedral piazza if they were the ones who had reserved a taxi and let them on even if he was not the reserved one. The fake taxi could not leave us in front of the station or he would have been spotted by legal taxies, so he left us in the back parking.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
1010 posts
To clarify Joe's statement.....
Uber knows it doesn't operate in Italy as it does in the US....it just contracts taxis and private chauffeurs instead of the normal uberX we mostly use, normal people's cars. The private chauffeurs and taxis are registered transportation services. So uberBlack is fully normal, and everything lower than that is a taxi.
Which makes me think......dtces, did you get in a normal car? Because if it wasn't a taxi or a professional chauffeur, then I can't even tell you what happened.......
Posted by
Chicago
2269 posts
In Rome we used the FreeNow app, and it worked fine & legitimately twice. Just used taxis in Florence. Had drivers in Salerno and Sicily.
Posted by
Atlanta
5532 posts
Some swear by uber and the like, and that's ok. To each his own. Much prefer to use regular taxis or private car companies. Yes, one can be taken for a ride in a regular taxi if one is not diligent, but much less likely with them. Just don't like the idea of "buying a pig in a poke".
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you very much for the replies. I took an Uber trip in Rome after the Milan incident I described above and the trip was event free. Following up on my Milan incident and to provide more info on my negative experience, I reviewed my Uber app for details. First, the trip is stored in my Uber activity account under the title “Milan Centrale station.” Second, I confirmed that the trip heading in the Uber app for my past trips is titled by the destination I selected. Thus, since I typed in go to: CENTRALE Station in the Uber app trip planner, it titled the trip as such and confirms that I selected the correct destination. [I also verified it was the correct location on the Uber app trip planner map when I confirmed the trip. This is a practice I typically apply when using the app.] The pickup point was set by my location when I booked the trip. I allow the app to track my location for that purpose. I selected the Van option for the vehicle type, likely because it was the least expensive option at the time. When we boarded the Van my back was to the driver and I wasn’t paying attention to the route taken. Finally, the Uber app also saves the route taken. I tried to cut and paste the map details in this reply but was unable to do so. An interesting thing we noticed about the route the driver actually took is that he started off in the direction of the train station but about midway there he circled back in one big horseshoe type shape and ended the trip not far from where we started. We can only speculate as to why such an odd route - one that traveled the distance to get us to the train station - but the horseshoe shape of the route actually brought us back closer to where we were picked up. We suspect the driver got another rider offer closer to where we were picked up so he just reverse course and headed back to get closer to his next pick up? In any case, Uber has the info that shows we sought to go to the train station (hence the title of the trip) and that we did not get there (they have the actual route travelled). We got a small refund and Uber noted the driver being a partner something or another, but we did not get back nearly what we paid and from the tone of the Uber replies, we concluded they really did not care much about our experience. My takeaway is that I will verbally confirm the driver is taking me to the correct location before I enter the Uber vehicle. I typically confirm the vehicle tag number, vehicle details and driver name before entering the vehicle. Had I also confirmed the destination, I could possibly have identified any misunderstanding in the destination, if there was any. Thank you for the replies and info.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
1010 posts
Ok, good start that it was the correct locations. Bad thing that UBER won't give you the refund fully though. I don't see how they could drop you off somewhere else and claim it's done! That should mean a refund for sure! I am intrigued that the route that the driver took was saved in the app even though it wasn't correct.
After that mess I would have stuck with the freenow app.....
Posted by
Los Angeles
5434 posts
My Rome taxi story, years ago we were going to rent a car from Avis under the Borghese gardens. I did a recce the day before and they gave me a business card and said use this taxi company they are the only ones who can get you into this underground car park.
That night I asked the guy at my hotel's front desk to call this taxi for me for the next morning, he said no problem I'll get you a taxi. Which he did but it turned out he used another company (probably a friend) who drove us around for a while, realized he couldn't get us into that car park, and basically dropped us off further than if we had walked from the hotel. Oh well.
Regarding this UBER situation, you should report the driver just so they know what he pulled on you, but don't expect any satisfaction other than that. In fact they may applaud him for being so clever!