You may have read about making sure you go to the official taxi line at Charles de Gaulle airport and get an official taxi (fixed price €50/55 into the city).
This guy attempted to charge two Thai tourists €247. He has now been jailed for 8 months for fraud.
Story here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46316325
A seemingly rare instance of justice prevailing
Wow I hope word gets around. That airport is out of control with people even going up to the baggage claim area and trying to hustle you out on a different floor to a waiting “taxi”. It happened to us in April but we didn’t follow him very far.
I love it that the Thai couple got video. And I love it that the guy went to jail.
Man holding Uber sign came up to us in a long taxi stand line in NYC. My spouse told him where we were going and he quoted $40. The taxi cost $12.00. Scammers are everywhere!
"These people had nothing to do with Uber."
So what is different, the scam taxi drivers have nothing to do with the real Taxi companies.
I was pleased to see that this scamming driver was caught and will have to answer for his actions. Unfortunately I doubt this case will stop this type of incident from occurring.
I suppose the charges could have been worse if the tourists were picked up by an Uber car under the so-called "surge pricing" (thankfully they won't be able to use surge pricing when they begin operating in B.C. next year).
One more thing that would never happen with Uber or Lyft.
Well that's evidently not true. During our recent holiday to Florida we we're ripped off by Uber drivers on at least 4 occasions, all of whom took an unnecessary longer route than was quoted which inevitably increased the fare. Uber refunded me on every occasion when I reported the journey.
So you weren't ripped off. But point proven about Uber, sounds like. Also, sounds like you are exceptionally unlucky. Four Uber drivers ripped you off in one trip? Wow.
Not ripped off? What would you call it then?
I wouldn't consider myself exceptionally unlucky, it seemed like it was the norm, taking advantage of tourists who are unlikely to know whether the route taken was the most direct and efficient. Fortunately we also had a car so it didn't take me long to figure out the routes within the area we were staying which meant that I knew we were being taken for a ride when the driver didn't take the route that I expected him too and also, post trip, when we compared it to the route that the Uber app suggested.
Yes, four Uber drivers ripped us off over a two week period. Why is that such a difficult concept to grasp?
In the last five years, I have taken taxis in a number of German towns:
Munich
Lindau (multiple times)
Berchtesgaden (multiple times)
Fischen im Allgäu
Sigmaringen
I don't think I've never been overcharged. (Of course, since the highest of the fares was probably 10€, it would hardly be worth overcharging.) Admittedly, except for Munich, these were all small towns, and most were to/from train stations, not airports. Maybe scammers only pick airports and large towns. Or maybe Germans are just more honest.
In Munich, the driver took a somewhat circuitous route of over 1 km for what would have been a ½ km walk, but I checked it out on Google Maps when I got home, and it was the shortest route by car due to one-way streets and pedestrian zones.
JC, with Uber you had recourse and you got your money back. That would never happen with a regular taxi. I’ve been ripped off by Paris taxis. Never with Uber.
Susan, yes I had recourse with Uber. I don't have an issue with Uber, my criticism was directed towards those particular drivers however my post was in response to the false claim that you'll never get ripped off by Uber drivers.
JC, I understand your perspective.
I read Kaeleku’s statement as, ultimately you do not get ripped off because you have recourse and will get your money back if you are. And I'm confident that any Uber driver that rips you off will be fired, which is a nice bonus.
No refund, and no losing their job with a regular taxi.
But yes, rip-offs and bad people are in every occupation.
I sympathize with legal taxi drivers. They have to pay fees to the provincial (state) authorities, city, airport and hotels. They pay much higher insurance. The taxi companies are required to provide special vans for disabled or wheelchair passengers. When it is really busy or the weather is lousy, they cannot increase their fees and charge surge pricing. I think many taxi operators wish they could have the freedom and financial advantages of uber.
It is all a matter of perspective. There is very little difference between uber and AirBnB. Both offer cheap and convenient alternatives for users. Think of the lowly taxi operator, the next time somebody buys the house or apartment next to yours and begins to operate it as an AirBnB.
Once in Dresden, Germany, I got in a taxi and gave the driver the addy of a restaurant I wanted to try. No sooner did I get in when he said "eh, its only 400 meters that way! red building on the right! you can't miss it! go ahead and walk!" Saved me a few bucks when he didn't have to.
That is a very honest taxi driver, Frank :) Not all of them are like that
