Uber is a private car service you can book via your smartphone, and it’s pretty damn special. It only costs around 15 to 20 per cent more than the average cab, and it’s worth it for that extra bit of luxury. The only problem is when there aren’t enough cars to go round during big events like New Year’s Eve or during wild weather, because that’s when “surge pricing” is engaged, making the service über expensive. Uber Australia has just told users that they should expect surge pricing to continue during big events.
Surge pricing isn’t fun. It can cost you around 50 per cent more on your already inflated fare for using the Uber service.
Despite the sucky pricing, Uber won’t rule out using it in future:
If demand gets really crazy again (like during last Friday night’s wild storm) we may surge our fares by 25 per cent or 50 per cent. This improves availability in two ways — more drivers will come on the road when clients need them most and some clients may wait until demand cools off. You will always know the rates before you book.
To take some of the sting out of the Uber tail, the service is giving out $100 credits to users who rate new drivers for the first time:
We continue to be amazed by the demand for Uber rides. Unfortunately, we haven’t always been able to add drivers fast enough to keep up, so sometimes you haven’t been able to find an Uber when you needed it. Now you can help us out by referring your favorite drivers! We’ll happily add $100 of Uber credits if you are the first to refer a new driver who joins the Uber system.
Have you ever taken Uber? What did you think?