Asking for your thoughts on what this older woman should do after this terrible Uber experience

[Sunshineandoranges]

I have a friend in her eighties who was coming to my house this afternoon. She had booked an Uber cab. It was the first time she had used uber and I don't know whether she booked it or her daughter did. She arrived late and very upset. Apparently the driver collected her, took her to the end of her street, then turned round and drove her back. He said he had another fare and couldn't drive her to my house. He then said she had to pay him the fare of eight pounds. She refused but he said he wouldn't unlock the cab till she paid, so she gave him the cash. He drove off and she walked around to a mini cab firm nearby who brought her to my house.

Get whoever booked it to report the driver.

That is awful. Google says 'If you have a bad Uber experience, immediately report it through the app's "Help" section within "Your Trips" for issues like rudeness or poor routes. Rate the driver low to prevent being matched again, and use the safety toolkit for serious incidents, such as harassment or dangerous driving.'

You are wrong. I googled to check as i dont use uber. There is an option on the app to pay cash. It did happen and she was distressed by the experience.

It could easily have happened. What is to stop an Uber driver accepting cash? Nothing.

A driver took £25 from my dad recently - he'd never booked an Uber and didn't know that it had already been paid for.

OP, no answers except for you or your friend's daughter to contact Uber and complain. His conduct was awful.

Uber do take cash.

They do take cash now actually.

If you think the op is a troll report to MN so they can check - or move onto another thread.

It’s not nice to just state ‘this didn’t happen’.

Op please report and find a local decent cabbie for future journeys. I will no longer use uber.

@Naominobs

from the Uber site

https://help.uber.com/en/riders/article/using-cash-as-a-payment-method?nodeId=c008ee4b-bf05-4604-a958-6010092742dc

Op. Sounds to me like he had a better offer so just cancelled the ride. I would report to Uber

This is one reason why I would never ever use them

I was just gobsmacked that he had the cheek to charge her for taking her down the road then back to her house. Also it was a very unkind way to treat a frail older woman.

Who are you to say ‘this didn’t happen’?
Have a word with yourself!

Just awful OP. The Uber driver should be reported to the police. They can’t lock people in a car and refuse to open the door unless they pay. Your poor friend!

Yes absolutely report it.

whoever made the booking should have the journey details.

And the driver assigned I believe?

You must report OP.

That's needs reporting I wonder how many times he has done this ?
Well if u report hopefully b the last I would report to police as well because this is fraud and theft ! Taking money from someone when he hasn't done the job but I bet it looks like he has picked up passenger and theft because he took money off her and wouldn't let her out of the cab ! That is actually quiet scary someone would do this to an old lady bless her I hope she is ok 💐

Has a crime report been made to the police and a complaint to Uber? This is serious.

Get whoever booked it to make a complaint to Uber and I would tell her to use the local mini cab company for all journeys from now on.

That's shocking. They definitely do take cash because I reset my uber app payment type to "cash" when I was abroad and now I can't seem to change it back again which is a massive pain.

The 8.99(ish) is the cancellation fee if the driver has already set off but only when the passenger cancels, not when the driver cancels. Awful man.

What this driver did was appalling and quite possibly illegal. I would do three things:

• Report to Uber via the app.
• Report to the local council licensing team.
• Report to the police on 101.

You will need the name and licence plate of the driver both of which will be available on the Uber app

That’s awful. I’d maybe even go as far as saying this should be reported to the police. That’s very threatening to an elderly lady to lock them in the car and refuse to let them out. And theft to demand the money (even if only £8) when he’s not done the job he was hired to do.
But at the very least, absolutely report to uber.

I had a similar experience some years ago with an ordinary taxi driver. After visiting my brother at Christmas shortly after the death of my husband, a cab was booked to get me home, back across town, which I expected to be arduous because of recent flooding. However the taxi office assured us that the flooding wasn't "too deep" and the journey was doable. So, after collecting me, the driver drove for about four miles, with repeated reassurances that he could get across town.... before deciding that in fact he couldn't (wouldn't) make the journey.

He drove 2 miles back, then stopped. He locked the doors and refused to open them until I paid his fare, £23.... Luckily I had opened the rear window a little and was able to shout out that I was being held and he soon opened the door when three men walked towards the car asking after my safety... He soon let me out. Got a lovely lift home from one of them in their car, no problem or charge. (Thanks James👍🏼) No hesitation in phoning the taxi office to complain about the driver, and threatened to report to the police too.

Whoever booked it should report to uber AND she should also report to police as refusing to let her out of the car is a criminal offence.

I would report to the police as well as Uber. Refusing to let an elderly, vulnerable person out of the car until they paid is awful and very scary for her.

My parents are in their 80s and no longer drive. They use a local taxi company and it's a bit more expensive but worth it for a more "personal" service than uber. They wouldn't do this as they want to keep my parents as customers. I would suggest this to your friend.

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to text her and suggest she reports to 101 and get her daughter to report it to Uber. It is a big thing for her to regain a bit of independence using a taxi to get out as her eyesight means she has had to guve up driving. Luckily the minicab driver she got after the uber experience was very nice to her.