Uber Problems Complain to Where ?

[jonwilly]

I have an old mate visiting and we either take lunch together going in my car or I meet him of an evening and as we will be drinking I take a Uber.

A couple of problems have arisen.

I assume their 'Super Computer' is in the States and so not 100% on CM roads, access to places like CM uni, no go without a pass or must leave by gate entered. 

More than once I get Pick up in 5 mins then car try's to enter CM uni and gets refused. 5 mins then turns into 20 or more as a new route is found. Also once Uber gave colour of car as well as make but now name of driver and make of car.

Second problem is I request return to my Condo, enter my restaurant location, stand outside, mobile in hand taking scowls from Songtow and Tuc Tuc drivers . I see car approaching on mobile, then stepping as far into road as I consider safe, the Uber goes past.

I have had them go around the 'block' or get lost. Three times they go vanish then I get You Missed pickup, B35 to be paid on next trip. Definitely not my fault.

Most driver owners are safe or as safe as anyone can be on CM roads. Occasionally I have all but pushed my foot through the floor for following close behind can be disturbing.

Who in CM can I talk to about these problems. Not a computer.

 

john

[amexpat]

I think problem one is google maps. They place my house several blocks away. 

 

Other problem: I can live without knowing the color of the car.

 

Second problem:  chances are the driver also saw the scowls from songtow and tuc tuc drivers. 

 

[sqwakvfr]

Had a similar problems with Uber.  I have paid the 35 Baht penalty for allegedly canceling a trip(driver went to the wrong location).  The penalty was tacked onto the next ride.  A live person is not available(not that I know of). Instead the App has a messaging function and a response comes when it comes.  A complaint can then be made through the messaging function(I let it go because I consider the 35 Baht as an unofficial tax for living here).  On my last ride the first driver said he could not find the apartment building(a well known landmark in CNX but the App showed he was stopped on  HK Road and was not moving?).  I requested a second car and all ended well.  Just another day in "Paradise"?

[CheGuava]

With the Uber app allowing you to put the location marker exactly where you are for pick-up, and exactly where you want to go, how do you guys and/or Uber drivers manage to mess that up?     And if Google Maps comes up with something odd then just tell the driver where to go?

 

And best not to be picked up at a place where there's a whole pack of taxi/tuktuk/Songthaew mafia but that goes without saying.  I've made that mistake myself but at that time the driver just called me and asked if I could walk just a bit up the street and into a parking lot, and then all was fine.

 

I don't think this is an issue so much of 'where to complain' but rather 'how to get better / get best results using Uber'. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by CheGuava

[Justfine]

Rubbish business. Problem when dealing via apps. No one responsible.

 

Fools game.

[Wallich]

I agree, twice have had drivers go to the back of my Condo Galae Thong where there is no access. Wasted 20 minutes trying to communicate with the driver. Two more problems involved being charged 35 baht cancellation fee, must admit the complaint response is great with the fee being promptly reversed.

 

Foreign Companies trying to enter this market need to be far professional and more aware that different conditions are in place

 

Must be a software problem as I have no problems with Grab.

[richard_smith237]

The issue with UBER, Grab and any other Taxi, Motorbike and delivery vehicle is the 'human aspect'.... 

 

In short - some of the guys driving / riding are quite dumb. 

 

For the most part 'drivers / riders' turn up at my address without issue, but sometimes simply arriving at a fixed address is simply too difficult for someone who can't read a map, can't read instructions and is unable to follow simple verbal instructions (in their own language).

 

I've had drivers go up and down Soi 30 when my Map link and stated address clearly shows Soi 28 - when the drivers have finally turned up it is with some attitude that my address is not where they thought it should be until I point out (again) that they were driving / riding up and down the wrong Soi. 

 

It's not through a lack of Thai, its simply a lack of intelligence, I can't put it down to anything else - Friends, work colleagues etc find my place first time 100% of the time without issue - it just a small minority (perhaps 5%) who somehow fail in this simplest of tasks (arriving at a destination), of course, once the journey commences the reasons are obvious - I'm dealing with an idiot. 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2018 by richard_smith237

[BadCash]

Have used Uber about 15 times in Bangkok, only had a problem once (driver cancelled the pickup). Usually very smooth experience, drivers know exactly where to go and how to best get there, as opposed to some taxi drivers who appear to only know one route (and often the one with as much traffic an red lights as possible). In my opinion the thing that makes Uber far superior to the normal taxis here is the fact that they use navigation to get the best route.

 

About Chiang Mai - I have only used Uber there once, but it was exactly as the OP describes. I was waiting at the exact location, there was heavy but slow traffic (outside of the moat), I see the guy approaching and step as close to the street as is safe and trying to make some kind of eye contact. The guy keeps driving in the middle lane and is about to pass us. Fortunately the traffic came to a standstill and we had an opportunity to make a dash out to the car and get in. The rest of the trip was fine though, we even managed to get him to make a 2 minute pitstop to pick up a bag along the way without any hassle. 

 

[BadCash]

1 hour ago, Wallich said:

I agree, twice have had drivers go to the back of my Condo Galae Thong where there is no access. Wasted 20 minutes trying to communicate with the driver. Two more problems involved being charged 35 baht cancellation fee, must admit the complaint response is great with the fee being promptly reversed.

 

Foreign Companies trying to enter this market need to be far professional and more aware that different conditions are in place

 

Must be a software problem as I have no problems with Grab.

Make sure the route is how you want it to be before requesting the car. I have the same problem here in Bangkok at a friends house where there is a pedestrian-only entrance on one side of the condo, and the other side is in a completely different area separated by water, about 3 kms detour if they try to show up on the wrong side. 

 

I simply place the marker manually on the map where I need it to be, making sure that the displayed route is going in the right direction. If not, I just move the marker a bit further away until the route is going via the correct entrance. Just about 30 meters or so away usually does the trick.

[jonwilly]

"Problem when dealing via apps. No one responsible."

I agree with the above. Last night I had an excellent trip back. Mature driver who picked me up exactly at spot indicated in Mobile map.

I suggested a detour to avoid a know traffic area but he had a better solution.

Good drivers do exist but problem drivers are more common.

Going down town the driver told me that Uber have an office in Hang Dong, but could not be specific as too location.

 

john

[Peterw42]

Some of the issues described would come down to the accuracy of the GPS device/chip, both the passengers device and the drivers device. Lots of variables for the accuracy, cloudy, tall buildings etc. Most of the time it works great but now and then can show location as one street over etc.

The driver can have your location on the map but his GPS device is not showing his own location accurately.

[NancyL]

16 hours ago, CheGuava said:

With the Uber app allowing you to put the location marker exactly where you are for pick-up, and exactly where you want to go, how do you guys and/or Uber drivers manage to mess that up?     And if Google Maps comes up with something odd then just tell the driver where to go?

 

And best not to be picked up at a place where there's a whole pack of taxi/tuktuk/Songthaew mafia but that goes without saying.  I've made that mistake myself but at that time the driver just called me and asked if I could walk just a bit up the street and into a parking lot, and then all was fine.

 

I don't think this is an issue so much of 'where to complain' but rather 'how to get better / get best results using Uber'. 

Yeah, it's amazing how many Uber drivers manage to mess up the pick-up when you've correctly input a location marker and the GPS on your phone is sending out a signal.  How many don't know a major landmark like the U.S. Consulate -- had three failed connections from that pick-up point.  And how many follow the Google map instructions to McKean Hospital (which are majorly messed up) rather than looking at the flashing blue dot indicating my location and ignoring my messages to please call, where I have a McKean nurse ready to give them directions in fluent Muang Lanna Thai.  Even the nurses get frustrated with some drivers when they finally call and several have ended up yelling at them, calling them idiots.  It's really quite amusing.  

 

Incidentally, the administration of McKean/Dok Kaew has tried, without success, to contact Google maps to get their location and the google maps directions to their facility corrected.  It's a major headache, since some of their long-term residents rely on Uber for trips into town.

[elektrified]

A couple of things.....

 

1. Uber uses google maps which have many flaws. So it's not the fault of the driver or Uber. For example, our soi does not exist on google maps. In Bangkok it is very difficult sometimes for the driver to find you because all the tall buildings interfere with the GPS.

 

2. I have also given recommendations on shortcuts but drivers have refused each time.

 

3. The computers are not in America. Uber Thailand is a separate entity. If you have a problem and can speak some Thai, you can call them in Bangkok and tell them your concerns. They will respond by way of a message in your program. On a recent trip to Bangkok we had a number of issues. We contacted them and they listened, viewed the screen shots we sent, responded and addressed each issue, profusely apologized, and gave us close to 600 Baht in credits to make up for the problems.   

[elektrified]

22 hours ago, NancyL said:

Yeah, it's amazing how many Uber drivers manage to mess up the pick-up when you've correctly input a location marker and the GPS on your phone is sending out a signal.  How many don't know a major landmark like the U.S. Consulate -- had three failed connections from that pick-up point.  And how many follow the Google map instructions to McKean Hospital (which are majorly messed up) rather than looking at the flashing blue dot indicating my location and ignoring my messages to please call, where I have a McKean nurse ready to give them directions in fluent Muang Lanna Thai.  Even the nurses get frustrated with some drivers when they finally call and several have ended up yelling at them, calling them idiots.  It's really quite amusing.  

 

Incidentally, the administration of McKean/Dok Kaew has tried, without success, to contact Google maps to get their location and the google maps directions to their facility corrected.  It's a major headache, since some of their long-term residents rely on Uber for trips into town.

McKean will have to pay google maps to correct the location. A local business close to my house tried for 5 months to get them to correct the location of his business. Finally he was directed to a marketing office and was told that he could pay for expedited service (which he did). They came the next day and corrected it.

[PAWNEESE]

Jonwilly

 

In case you dont notice small mail icon .. I have private msgd you re your query and worries about our missing friend.

[siam2007]

On 1/9/2018 at 2:38 PM, amexpat said:

I think problem one is google maps. They place my house several blocks away. 

 

Other problem: I can live without knowing the color of the car.

 

Second problem:  chances are the driver also saw the scowls from songtow and tuc tuc drivers. 

 

 

 

I believe that one big problem with Uber is that many drivers also drive for GRAB, which offers better conditions and - unlike UBER - let drivers know the destination before they agree to accept the ride.

Also, GRab is less strict with their drivers. They can basically get away with almost everything and don't get a point rating by the customers  (I had Uber drivers with ratings as low as 3.6)

This means, that if a driver accepted your UBER ride, and then was offered another (better) ride by GRAB, he might simply ignore the UBER order and drive to some other place.

This happened to me many times in the recent past, making UBER quite unreliable when you need to be at a certain place/location at a certain time.

The number of UBER drivers has been decreasing since months. I assume that UBER will eventually vanish from the Thai market, sadly

[NancyL]

54 minutes ago, siam2007 said:

 

 

I believe that one big problem with Uber is that many drivers also drive for GRAB, which offers better conditions and - unlike UBER - let drivers know the destination before they agree to accept the ride.

Also, GRab is less strict with their drivers. They can basically get away with almost everything and don't get a point rating by the customers  (I had Uber drivers with ratings as low as 3.6)

This means, that if a driver accepted your UBER ride, and then was offered another (better) ride by GRAB, he might simply ignore the UBER order and drive to some other place.

This happened to me many times in the recent past, making UBER quite unreliable when you need to be at a certain place/location at a certain time.

The number of UBER drivers has been decreasing since months. I assume that UBER will eventually vanish from the Thai market, sadly

The only time I used Grab was when the Uber app was messed up on my phone and I needed to get Mr. Bitey to see his doctor pronto.  It's interesting that you say the Grab drivers can see the final destination because the Grab driver wanted me to put Mr. Bitey, who was safely in his little plastic basket in the cargo bed of his four-door Hilux pick-up truck rather than on the floor of the back seat.  Why did he accept a ride with a destination of a veterinarian's office if he didn't want a small animal in an animal carrier inside his vehicle?

 

Needless to say, I told him to cancel since it was almost 40 deg F outside.  If I'd wanted Mr. Bitey to ride in the back of a pick-up truck, I would have used a songthaew.

 

Never had this problem with Uber.  All the drivers very graciously permit Mr. Bitey to ride inside their vehicle, many commenting that they have cats.  Fortunately, one of our condo staff called an Uber for me and Mr. Bitey that day and the Uber driver reloaded the Uber app on my phone, too.

[Puwa]

5 hours ago, NancyL said:

The only time I used Grab was when the Uber app was messed up on my phone and I needed to get Mr. Bitey to see his doctor pronto.  It's interesting that you say the Grab drivers can see the final destination because the Grab driver wanted me to put Mr. Bitey, who was safely in his little plastic basket in the cargo bed of his four-door Hilux pick-up truck rather than on the floor of the back seat.  Why did he accept a ride with a destination of a veterinarian's office if he didn't want a small animal in an animal carrier inside his vehicle?

 

Needless to say, I told him to cancel since it was almost 40 deg F outside.  If I'd wanted Mr. Bitey to ride in the back of a pick-up truck, I would have used a songthaew.

 

Never had this problem with Uber.  All the drivers very graciously permit Mr. Bitey to ride inside their vehicle, many commenting that they have cats.  Fortunately, one of our condo staff called an Uber for me and Mr. Bitey that day and the Uber driver reloaded the Uber app on my phone, too.

Do you know Edith Clampton?

[sharktooth]

9 hours ago, NancyL said:

The only time I used Grab was when the Uber app was messed up on my phone and I needed to get Mr. Bitey to see his doctor pronto.  It's interesting that you say the Grab drivers can see the final destination because the Grab driver wanted me to put Mr. Bitey, who was safely in his little plastic basket in the cargo bed of his four-door Hilux pick-up truck rather than on the floor of the back seat.  Why did he accept a ride with a destination of a veterinarian's office if he didn't want a small animal in an animal carrier inside his vehicle?

 

Needless to say, I told him to cancel since it was almost 40 deg F outside.  If I'd wanted Mr. Bitey to ride in the back of a pick-up truck, I would have used a songthaew.

 

Never had this problem with Uber.  All the drivers very graciously permit Mr. Bitey to ride inside their vehicle, many commenting that they have cats.  Fortunately, one of our condo staff called an Uber for me and Mr. Bitey that day and the Uber driver reloaded the Uber app on my phone, too.

 

[bubba]

On 10/01/2018 at 9:47 AM, NancyL said:

Yeah, it's amazing how many Uber drivers manage to mess up the pick-up when you've correctly input a location marker and the GPS on your phone is sending out a signal.  How many don't know a major landmark like the U.S. Consulate -- had three failed connections from that pick-up point.  And how many follow the Google map instructions to McKean Hospital (which are majorly messed up) rather than looking at the flashing blue dot indicating my location and ignoring my messages to please call, where I have a McKean nurse ready to give them directions in fluent Muang Lanna Thai.  Even the nurses get frustrated with some drivers when they finally call and several have ended up yelling at them, calling them idiots.  It's really quite amusing.  

 

Incidentally, the administration of McKean/Dok Kaew has tried, without success, to contact Google maps to get their location and the google maps directions to their facility corrected.  It's a major headache, since some of their long-term residents rely on Uber for trips into town.

I had an interesting experience regarding this yesterday. I use Uber a lot and know exactly how to correctly mark my pickup location. Yesterday, I was outside, fixed the pickup location, double checked it and requested my ride. The driver turned up and drove right past me. I was waiting by the side of the road, clearly visible, flailing my arms and he must have seen that as he stopped about 100 m up the road. Getting in the car, he said "but your location is up there, not where you were standing". Looking at his phone, indeed that is where my location was marked. Looking again at my phone, my pickup mark was correctly marked where I was standing – the two didn't match.

 

Never had that happen before, nor can I work out how it happened.

[elektrified]

In Bangkok the driver calls immediately, each and every time, to ask exactly where the pick-up is. The blue thing does not work because of so many tall buildings. It is easier in Chiang Mai but in Bangkok, 100 meters off could be across the street with no foot bridge to cross and during certain times of the day - a 25 minute u-turn for the driver to get to the opposite side of the road - making the whole idea a waste of time for everyone involved.

[bubba]

52 minutes ago, elektrified said:

In Bangkok the driver calls immediately, each and every time, to ask exactly where the pick-up is. The blue thing does not work because of so many tall buildings. It is easier in Chiang Mai but in Bangkok, 100 meters off could be across the street with no foot bridge to cross and during certain times of the day - a 25 minute u-turn for the driver to get to the opposite side of the road - making the whole idea a waste of time for everyone involved.

But you need to use the app properly. The blue dot you refer to is fixed by GPS and of course if you are inside a building it may not be accurate. The next step is you drag the pin so that your pickup location is where you want it. For example, you may be inside a condo and wish to be picked up at the front entrance, so you adjust the pickup point (a black point) to the proper location. If you don't do that, the location will default to the blue dot and if that is not the correct location, of course the Uber driver will not be able to locate you.

[siam2007]

On 1/12/2018 at 1:25 PM, NancyL said:

The only time I used Grab was when the Uber app was messed up on my phone and I needed to get Mr. Bitey to see his doctor pronto.  It's interesting that you say the Grab drivers can see the final destination because the Grab driver wanted me to put Mr. Bitey, who was safely in his little plastic basket in the cargo bed of his four-door Hilux pick-up truck rather than on the floor of the back seat.  Why did he accept a ride with a destination of a veterinarian's office if he didn't want a small animal in an animal carrier inside his vehicle?

because many Thais cannot do simple math like 1 + 1 = 2

 

another possible reason: He was a Muslim (which is not unusual in both PTY and CM)

 

I agree with you that UBER offers much more quality (and many drivers speak enough English to avoid confusion/misunderstandings) but I believe the UBER mgmt of Thailand is not exactly "on the ball"

Edited January 14, 2018 by siam2007

[elektrified]

4 hours ago, bubba said:

But you need to use the app properly. The blue dot you refer to is fixed by GPS and of course if you are inside a building it may not be accurate. The next step is you drag the pin so that your pickup location is where you want it. For example, you may be inside a condo and wish to be picked up at the front entrance, so you adjust the pickup point (a black point) to the proper location. If you don't do that, the location will default to the blue dot and if that is not the correct location, of course the Uber driver will not be able to locate you.

In Bangkok I found it impossible to do as you described. The black dot just snapped back to where the blue dot was. The drivers said everyone has the same complaint and that the only thing you can do is go downstairs and try to find a spot where it will read properly. That is completely impractical when the family is up on the 12th Floor (or whatever), it's raining, etc...

[bubba]

Hmm...interesting, as I have never had that happen using Uber in BKK and many other cities internationally and it sounds like a serious bug. I sort of think that saying "everyone has the same complaint" may be a bit exaggerated. Are you using iOS or Android (I am on iOS) and the latest version?

[Shorthalfhead]

I booked an Uber from the old city in November. Kept on watching the driver do laps. Was turning one soi before pickup point. Finally got another driver no worries. On way to airport, noticed I had been charged a cancellation fee by the first driver. I questioned them through the app and an hour later, the charge was removed