Lisboa Taxi Scam - This time in MyTaxi

Usually, the taxi drivers we encountered with MyTaxi app are nicer and friendlier in Lisboa, compared to the ones we hail from the streets. This time was an exception. We got Joao Santana. He seemed to be a nice guy. He loved India and Asia in general. That's what he claimed, at least. He is in his late 50s, and he claimed he was a manager. He appeared to be a nice and knowledgeable. He mentioned how his company let him go as he was too old, over-qualified, and it was expensive to keep him. He mentioned, he used to think money is everything - he said, "I was a savage capitalist". He also said, his dad instructed him to take decisions soon. "Never stall. Take decisions. Bad decision is better than no decision"

We had 5 luggage, and we opted for his large taxi since we need space for the luggage. Being the multi-seater taxi, it is supposed to be a bit more expensive - that we are aware of. The Taxi Meter displayed 10.05 Euro by the end of the journey. Combining 1.6 Euro for the luggage, a flat fee, it should be 12 Euro, as reported by the MyTaxi app as what was paid. Please note this was not a trip to/from the airport.

He counted the luggage, and charged us 16 Euro. He asked us whether we need a receipt. I said, it is not necessary (I was blinded by the assumption that he is an educated gentleman who used to be a manager). However, only after a few minutes since I reached home, I realized he scammed us in a beautiful way. The app reported we paid only 12 Euro including tips by cash, where we indeed paid 16 Euro. In Lisboa, the luggage fee is 1.60 Euro flat, and does not change based on the number of passengers or number of bags.

Mr. Joao Santana, you have scammed us in a beautiful way, with nice talks and sharing your wisdom. It is sad that I encountered someone so nice as Joao Santana who also happens to be a scammer. But he also has taught us an important lesson - we should be careful with those who talk too nice. Specially the taxi drivers and vendors. If a taxi driver is too nice to you, of course, they are not going to give you a discount. They might just cheat you while you least expect it.

I have given this scammer a 1* rating, and have reported him to MyTaxi. Let's wait for their reply. 4 Euro is not a big loss considering the lesson learned. Still I am just a poor student to lose money to scammers. I am sure a taxi driver such as Joao Santana is richer than me.

Regardless of the scam, it is nice to be back in Lisboa in the summer! The 4th year - the final year -  of my PhD has just begun!


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Update on the 30th August from MyTaxi:
Dear Pradeeban,

We appreciate your preference and your contact.

The baggage supplement of 1,60€, refers to the amount, established by the taxi sector, for baggage transport, that requires the use of the luggage compartment or the vehicle’s roof railing.
There are some exceptions: volumes that not exceeding 55×35×20, wheelchairs or other means of movement of persons with reduced mobility, as well as trolleys and accessories for transporting children, if they are passengers too.

The call supplement of 0,80€, refers to the amount, established by the taxi sector, for journeys to the customer’s location. So, when you call a taxi, the driver must charge this amount.

So the supplements were 2,40€. We had the opportunity to talk with your driver and he told us that the trip cost was actually 12€, but you gave him a good tip, that, when it’s paid with cash, doesn’t appear in the resume.

If you need any further assistance or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With our best regards,

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 I have replied as below and waiting for their reply again now:

Hi,

Thanks for getting to this.

The driver said, the taxi costs 16 Euro. I am a poor student living in a grant, and I have no way of giving him 4 Euros as a tip of 12 Euro. :)

I paid without double-checking the application amount. He deceived us, using this as an opportunity.

It is sad that such drivers exist in MyTaxi.

Regards,

Pradeeban.

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I am happy at least he acknowledged that we indeed paid him 4 Euros extra. However, it was not a tip. Tip is when we pay on our own. Not when a taxi driver randomly increases the fare and inform you the increased amount. I am sure Joao Santana is using his inter-personal skills in cheating people off in taxis.

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Update: I have received 5 Euro worth of MyTaxi credits as a compensation for my loss (of 4 Euros to this cheater). I can use them for my next journey when I pay by app using card or paypal. I am happy that this issue is resolved well. Next time, I will be more careful when I pay the taxi driver by cash. I will make sure to pay only the money that is reported by the app. Not a random amount requested by the driver.

Update on the 23rd of September: The MyTaxi credits of 5 Euro has expired today. I of course knew it would expire within a month. MyTaxi was so evil of giving me a credit that expires within a month (30 days). :P I did not have to take a taxi that soon. Having said that, I am a bit satisfied that I indeed reported that scammer. Now, time to stop using this stupid MyTaxi Application unless necessary.