innerlooper Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 I don't have a dog in this fight. Uber gouging during peak times? http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-forced-driver-shortage-to-boost-surge-pricing-1531501176 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) I'm okay with surge pricing. It came in handy on a trip to DC recently. Surge pricing should be prohibited during weather emergencies, though. And taxis should be allowed to compete on equal footing (which is to say, they can also use surge pricing and surge prices are disclosed before booking). Edited February 28, 2014 by kylejack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livincinco Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 I don't have a dog in this fight. Uber gouging during peak times? http://valleywag.gawker.com/uber-forced-driver-shortage-to-boost-surge-pricing-1531501176 That might work as a short term strategy, but now you're making your customer feel like they need to rate shop everytime they consider you and that will probably backfire in the long term. All they're doing is creating opportunities for other companies to come into the market and compete against them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinite_jim Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Has anyone used Lyft or UberX yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Not in houston Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonSpurs Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Has anyone used Lyft or UberX yet? Used it in Los Angeles, London and Paris. It's brilliant. Cannot wait for it to come here (fingers crossed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I use Hailo, but I was talking to some people at lunch yesterday who use Uber and UberX a lot and love it. Chicago cab companies are trying to ban Uber, UberX, Lyft, and Sidecar until they comply with local livery laws, especially when it comes to insurance. According to the cab companies, if you're in an Uber car driven by a private person and there's a crash, you're not covered under the driver's insurance (at least in Illinois) because the driver has personal auto insurance, not commercial insurance. Uber claims that its insurance policy fills the gap, but the cab companies say it only protects Uber. In addition, while the cab companies are required to work all parts of the city, while the ride sharing people are free to cherry pick the most profitable runs - downtown hotels to the airports, and don't have to have to make special accommodations for the handicapped like cabs do. Hailo works WITH the cab companies, and is great for summoning a taxi when you're in a neighborhood that doesn't get a lot of regular cab service. I've used it about ten times and love watching the taxi on the screen as it gets closer to me. As for Uber's "surge" pricing, it would be OK if the taxi scarcity was organic, but Uber's texts show that it is deliberately manipulating the number of vehicles available, which is creating artificial scarcity, driving up prices for its customers. It's like how every time gas prices start to fall a bunch of gas refineries magically go offline for maintenance, and how the petroleum industry drags its feet to build new refining capacity. Creating artificial scarcity makes people hate your company/industry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 As a follow-up to my post above, the Federal Trade Commission sent the city of Chicago a letter telling it to back off of the car-sharing services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.