Would have been cheaper to fly Easyjet than get Uber to Rochester station
05:00, 16 May 2023
updated: 12:29, 16 May 2023
Accountant Gang Wang normally has a head for numbers.
So when Uber charged him £45.41p taxi fare for a journey of less than two miles he thought there must have been a mistake.
However, the dad had failed to check the email stating the agreed cost and was left to pay the price.
He’d booked an early-morning cab the night before from his home in Borstal to Rochester train station, just over five minutes away on a good run.
Having used the internet app company before, he did not check his emails to confirm the reservation assuming it would cost around a fiver.
The 48-year-old said: “To my astonishment, I was billed nearly tenfold the typical cost for this distance.
“I reached out to Uber seeking clarification and their response was that I had agreed to the upfront price of £45.41, which was sent to me via email when I reserved the trip.
“Unfortunately, I overlooked checking my emails the night before and couldn’t fathom the cost for the same journey could surge to such an extent.”
Such was the steep charge he agreed to pay, KentOnline has worked out that he could have flown Easyjet to several European destinations for almost the same or less – including to Ibiza 1,250 miles away.
The 48-year-old dad, who even agreed to give the driver a £1 tip before realising his mistake, says he would normally cycle to the station from his home in Cambria Crescent.
But after an injury caused by falling off an electric scooter he decided the best way to ensure he got the 7.38am to London Bridge was to book a taxi.
Married to wife Molly and with a son Daniel, aged 10, he said: “This experience has left a sour taste and I believe this will be my last encounter with Uber’s reservation service.”
The City bank worker added: “My boss felt sorry for me and even offered to pay half.”
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