Where to start? – Uber - Request a ride Review

The fundamental idea behind this app sounds good as a shark tank pitch, but pragmatically speaking, it isn’t sustainable when the company blames passengers and drivers both for corporate’s bad practices. This is especially true when the company has set up a system to punish customers who don’t tip enough, while simultaneously lording over drivers to the point that they are so uncomfortable, that it makes the experience uncomfortable for the passenger. The service itself is mediocre at best, emphasis on “at best”. Despite this, it is priced so high I doubt I even need a comparison; you’ve most likely already heard about how ridiculous it is. The very fact that there is a “customer rating”, which is obviously meant to be used for delinquent interactions, but in practice is utilized when drivers aren’t satisfied with the tip, should be a massive red flag about the company itself. It is one thing to deny a customer a service because of behavior; it is another to bind their account to a definitive rating that serves as a representation of the entire individual, based on how deep their pockets are. This is coming from someone who has never had issues with this feature at all, but I hear about it and see it regularly among people all over the country. It’s quite easy to create an account and sink a good sum of money into utilizing the service; a good two or three round trips will set you back enough money to buy a new game console, however the app is currently set up in a way that is intentionally opaque, tedious, and time consuming if you wish to delete your account. If you are thinking about utilizing this service, look up how much the app charges in your area per trip, mile, and expected tip percentages, and calculate how many days per month you plan to use it. Most likely this number will go beyond giving you sticker shock, unless you are only using it a couple times a month. Now times it by twelve, and see how much it would cost per year to use this service (assuming they never raised prices; which we all know companies do). You may as well just buy a car with a down payment while interest rates are still low. I want to again emphasize that the service itself is unsatisfactory. If you are not happy with the service, then I would strongly suggest spending your money somewhere else. This platform survives by attempting to make people dependent on it for travel, keep that in mind. Lastly, the company is very aggressive with its predatory use of internal controls in an attempt to shift the blame of negative interactions, politically motivated stunts and policies, and questionable billing practices onto the drivers and passengers instead of taking responsibility themselves. Morally speaking, even if you are ok with this, keep in mind what exactly it is that you are funding…
Review by Nik Katt on Uber - Request a ride.