The price of an Uber ride can surge when demand increases relative to the number of drivers available. Photo / File
An Auckland man is warning people to double-check the price when taking an Uber from Auckland Airport after being quoted over three times the original fare.
The man, who did not want to be named, had just arrived on a flight from Melbourne about midnight Sunday, and went to book an Uber to Ponsonby at about 1am.
But he said he was shocked when saw the quoted fare - $168.
"It is normally about $50, so it was quite a shock to see that. I refreshed it a few times but it stayed the same."
In the end he took a regular taxi, which cost him about $80.
"I use Uber five or six times a week, and am used to the surges. When it is $8 and you pay $18, it is in the realm of possibility, but not when it is $168."
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Uber uses a dynamic pricing algorithm, which adjusts rates based on variables including distance, traffic, and rider-to-driver demand, which can lead to a temporary increase in price - or "surge" - during particularly busy periods.
An Uber spokesman said they provided the cost upfront to riders to give certainty.
"Riders are able to see the total cost of a trip from their location to a destination before booking a ride.
"There are occasions when the cost of riding is higher than usual. This happens when demand from riders exceeds the supply of drivers. In situations of increased demand riders are still given an upfront price before they request their ride, giving them the freedom to decide if they want to use the platform.
"This always on-transparency helps people decide if they want to use an Uber to transport them safely at any moment in time."
Uber today launched a new safety feature RideCheck that uses GPS to detect possible crashes, unusually long or unexpected stops, or if a trip goes unusually off course.
When a RideCheck is initiated, both a rider and driver will receive a notification asking if everything is OK.
This adds to other safety features, including an in-app emergency button and the ability to share a trip with others.
