Less than ideal Uber experience at LAS airport (but mostly MY fault) - what would you do? (w/ quiz!)

One quick peek at the license plate in the rear before getting in the car would have avoided all of this trouble

 

Was it answered whether the Uber driver was in the wrong stall or not?

 

I'd bet money that the driver was in the correct stall

When you are looking for a "grey Toyota SUV" and see one in the row or vicinity where you are expecting it, you are probably not double checking the stall letter and number

Especially if you can't be bothered to check the actual license plate on the vehicle

 

It seems a Toyota RAV4 does not have a front license plate mount/bracket/space on the front of the car. But a front license plate bracket mount is provided from the manufacturer with the car that the owner or dealer could install. So this Uber driver was not in compliance with Nevada law.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've used Uber and/or Lyft. And all those were pick-ups at my house. So my rideshare experience is very limited.

But I am very surprised that Uber doesn't have some standard operating procedure that goes into effect when the situation you found yourself in occurs. Perhaps they do. But if so, I don't think we'd have to wait until Monday ("same goo time, same goo channel!") for the resolution.

After hearing how the set up works at LAS, you share some of the blame for this, even tho it was totally unintentional on your part.

But the driver certainly has a responsibility to take a moment and verify he is picking up the correct passenger. But you got in and were ready to go. The quicker he's on the road, the quicker he can turn rides over. More rides, more money. Checking details takes time, and time is money.

To me, it's certainly more understandable that you, having just landed in Vegas and being excited to start your trip, made this mistake than understandable that the driver didn't verify that he was picking up the correct passenger.

And if I'm the client who had their ride taken, the first thing I'm going to ask is "Why didn't the driver verify he had the correct passenger?"

Between not verifying pick-up details, and not being in compliance with Nevada law concerning the front plate, this wasn't a top tier Uber driver.

 

Eagerly awaiting the reveal. Tough situation in real time. I don't blame OP for whatever happened that day.

 

Regardless of whether or not there was or should have been a front license plate, there definitely was a rear license plate, which could have been easily checked.

 

What next? Confirm the vehicle VIN number? I’m tellin’ ya, the ride-share area at Reid sucks when it’s busy… I’m old enough to remember when vehicles looked different… a Mustang was not a Camero or a Baracuda… now they all look the same… I can’t tell a Hyundai (hell I can’t even spell it!) from a Honda from a Toyota. Cabs look the same too, but all I’ve gotta do is see if it’s empty… I don’t need to do a 12 point inspection!

 

Thank you @NotFromConcentrate! I had no idea but immediately turned it on

 

...because I'm paranoid & have read too many internet horror-stories, I always...ALWAYS confirm the plate number, vehicle make/model and color, as well as the driver's name.
Problem with the PIN thing is that it only protects the driver... somebody impersonating your ride is going to say, "Yeah...that's the correct PIN", no matter what you say. (I suppose you could first give a wrong PIN first & see how they react...when they tell you it's wrong, then give them the correct one).

In the OP's situation, I would have done #4 out of those options.
Of course, if he was still in the garage when the error was discovered, I would have had him loop around right back to his proper stall & get his correct passenger(s).

 

I always check the plate, make and model. When I open the door I wait for the driver to call me by name and I ask their name. I’m often ubering alone so aim to be extra cautious.

 

I cant understand why people are saying the OP is 100% at fault ?

This happened in Vegas where I'd expect 80% + of Uber drivers fares are with people who have alcohol consumed .

I'm not saying the OP was in anyway drunk but what l mean is the Uber driver is meant to be the professional .

Lots of international tourists arriving at LAS won't have Uber in their home town like it is in Las Vegas ,I don't

So you can't rely on the passenger to get it right

I'm going to say it was 90% the Uber drivers fault as he should be used to picking up tourists at LAS

 

Just politely adding that when you tell the driver the PIN, you are usually able to watch them enter it into the app (as just about all drivers have their phone mounted on their centre dashboard in a way that the passenger can easily see). If I remember correctly you also get a notification on your own phone saying “ride confirmed”.

Nonetheless, I respect that everybody’s comfort zone with things is different.

 

More than once the driver has opened the rear hatch as I approached the SUV to speed loading the bags
The issue then becomes the fact that the rear plate is now facing the ceiling of the garage

 

Out of curiosity, what action would you expect the driver to take to prevent this?

 

The driver only has to confirm the passengers name before or as they get into the car .
It's actually very simple for drivers to prevent this happening if they confirmed the passengers name .

The passenger is in a packed pick up area trying to find a car with no front number plate on

 

I had a similar thing happen, probably five or more years ago. Was getting an Uber from Bellagio. Generic sedan pulls up that matches description so I go to the window and say the driver’s name, he nods and I get in. Can’t remember the name, but it wasn’t a common one, at least in the US. As we pull away he comments that it’s strange I don’t have any luggage and am going to the airport - not my destination at all.

very quickly we figure out that the name of the driver I was supposed to have was the name of this driver’s passenger! He says he cannot switch up the destination nor complete the ride. Since we were still in the resort so he was able to pull back around to the waiting area.

My Uber was still there as well as the correct passenger, so we changed up and all went on our way. That was a while ago, so rules could have changed, but I will agree that it can be easy to get in the wrong car!

 

I didn't read the entire thread (if already mentioned). But i believe there is a safety feature you can activate on Uber or Lyft (or maybe both) that requires you give the driver a 4 digit code to start the trip. I have a coworker that uses this. eliminates the possibility you are being picked up by the wrong person.

 

Hi, OP here. Thanks everyone for the comments, suggestions, and replies. I always liked this community, VMB, for the wealth of knowledge of our favorite vacation destination and the nice people who discuss it.

I will reveal what happened during my ill-fated "stolen" Uber ride in my NEXT post, in just a few minutes. Thanks for following along on this cliffhanger.

First, some comments and replies of my own in this post, to catch up with the thread:

- I've used Uber and Lyft perhaps a total of 25 times (nearly all in Vegas) with no issues, so this weird incident was a first for me. By no means am I disparaging their services, as they provide value and are usually better overall than taxicabs for many reasons, at least for me. And I will continue to use them.

- @NotFromConcentrate suggested the "verify your ride" feature (which uses a PIN code to exchange with the driver): Thank you NFC, I didn't know such a feature existed. It would have helped in this case. Thanks again, your "PSA" for my "PSA" is a good add-on to the thread!

- Others suggested that at the LAS airport there are designated stalls for loading of incoming rideshares and technically you are supposed to verify with your rideshare driver which stall they have arrived at BEFORE entering the vehicle. I did not do this and it also would have avoided the problem.

- Instead, I was so excited to begin my Vegas vacation that surely the grey Toyota SUV that I saw waiting... was mine! (It was not.) I mean, that's what the app said, right?

- I'm not a car geek and can't tell the difference between a RAV4 and a Highlander.

- I usually verify front license plate as the ride pulls up or as I walk to it, but again there was no front license plate in this case. As I had a minimal amount of luggage, I didn't even bother going around to the back of the vehicle. So, this is also "my bad."

- So, I do admit fault here, probably at least 90% maybe 95% or more. However, at the same time, the driver did not have a front license plate and when I came in and gave my name ("hi, I'm ____, can you get me downtown, please?") he said sure and we took off with me in the car and him heading downtown. It's unlikely that my first name matches the other rider's name. As for the other rider's destination, I have no idea (and will never know, due to privacy concerns). So maybe there is some fault on his side, especially since a few minutes later he specifically asked me if I have an alias.


So, next post will have the conclusion of the saga. Thanks for reading.

 

OK, so to catch up, I am in a grey Toyota RAV4 maybe 4-5 minutes into the ride, and we are on the I-15 heading north to downtown. Small talk is being made about the weather, the desired heat in the vehicle, and where I am from (and the weather there). Meanwhile, I am so happy to get away from home on my vacation and I am looking out the windows and thinking about the order of casinos I will visit while downtown.

So, the driver gets an incoming phone call on his phone and takes it. There is background music playing in the vehicle so it makes it hard to hear everything, but...

- I can only hear one side of the conversation, but the driver asks me if I have an alias and I reply no, thinking this is a strange question.

- He is talking on the phone and soon tells me he thinks I entered the wrong Uber vehicle.

- I told him I'm in a grey Toyota SUV and that's what Uber told me, but now start checking MY phone and the Uber app.

- I notice an Uber app message from my (now-realized) correct driver, where I am told "I think you are in the wrong Uber." Uh oh.

- I tell the driver that the app says a grey Toyota Highlander, but he points out that this is a RAV4. Uh oh!!!

- Driver turns into right hand lane on the highway and starts to slow down, realizing something is wrong.

- He tells the voice caller "it's too late to turn back, you must cancel the ride." In a few moments, he repeats the phrase "you must cancel the ride" and says "sorry."

- Meanwhile, I'm not sure what to do. I realize that the situation is mostly or perhaps 100% my fault and that I'm defintiely in the wrong vehicle.

- I tap out the message, on the Uber app, quickly to the correct driver: "Sorry! I think I got in the wrong grey Toyota! Can you cancel the ride, please?"

- The ride is cancelled and my phone shows this within a few seconds, and I get a $5.41 cancellation charge e-mail from Uber.

- The driver's voice call ends and I apologize to him about the mixup. I then said to him, "so, what do we do now? I can pay you cash if you can take me to my hotel." He says that will be OK.

- He starts to speed up again and drives normally on the I-15. (I think earlier he was going to pull off of the highway if needed.)

- I apologize for causing the problem and point out (again) that I got in a grey Toyota, but we agree that I'm in the wrong type of Toyota. I ask him about his lack of a front license plate and he says it is optional.

- I'm not sure how much money I should pay him, but before we got off the I-15, I offer $25. I did this because this was what I was originally quoted for the ride anyway (I think it was actually $24 and some change). The driver tells me that will be fine. I guess in my mind he is coming out ahead anyway, sort of, because he gets all of the $25 (in cash) and not $25 minus whatever fees and overhead Uber would be for a "real" ride.

- Meanwhile, I know I'm at least (partly/mostly) at fault here, but I'm not crazy about the $5.41 charge from Uber, nor am I crazy about the fact that I'm in an unauthorized livery service. I don't think Uber even has a "call center" and I'm only maybe 8 or 9 minutes away from my hotel, so I can't really call them.

- What I did instead was go into my account, on the app, and decided to do a "review charges" thinking I could provide some sort of explanation of what happened or maybe avoid a dinge to my Uber rating. I did this for the $5.41 charge. In only a couple clicks, I thought there would be a place to provide feedback. Nope. Instead, I was insta-refunded the $5.41 without having to provide an explanation. I didn't expect this to happen. Why this happened, I don't know. Checking my Uber account even days later, it's correct and there was no charge at all to me.

- Not sure if it matters or not, but I used Uber a total of four (4) times in Vegas this trip. The other three times were without incident and all went 100% well. Reviewing all my Vegas charges, my account balance is accurate.

- So, the driver takes the correct route and drops me off at the back entrance to The D in a reasonable amount of time. I give him $25 in the form of one twenty dollar bill and one five dollar bill, and I apologize once again for the problems, and I exit the vehicle and enter the back entrance of The D.

End of saga.


Conclusions:

- LAS airport rideshare pickups are chaotic. Always check the license plate of your Uber/Lyft at minimum. Also it's a good idea to verify names and destination. Consider "verify your ride" with a PIN.

- I suffered no economic loss here, as I got to my destination safely with the same amount of expected outlay of funds, so there's no ham to me. My driver came out slightly ahead, I guess. But I feel bad (again) for the correct rider, from which I "stole" the vehicle. I wish there was a way I could make this up to him/her, but I have no way of knowing who this is. Also, there was confusion and waiting on the part of the correct driver and I hope everything worked out OK in that case. At minimum perhaps he/she was able to pick up quickly any one of the two dozen waiting riders. I suspect that is the case, as the amount of riders wanting a vehicle definitely was higher than the supply of drivers.

Thanks for reading.

I hope no one thinks I'm a jerk or acted extremely wrong, as this was an honest mistake.

My intention of this thread is to make sure others always verify the license plate with your Uber driver! Thanks again for reading.

 

Can I ask why the cancellation fee bugged you if you know you were at least partly at fault? I have never driven Uber, but does that mean the original driver didn’t get paid for your cancelled ride? I mean, he:she was at the airport and likely was able to pickup another ride—is that why?