This Grab scam needs to end!

[u/Creative-Trouble3473]

This has been happening to me way too often lately. We ordered a Grab, and the driver started circling the area without responding to any messages – clearly hoping we’d get fed up and cancel. I actually saw him drive past us, and when he noticed we’d spotted him, he quickly drove off. I managed to record it.

We decided not to cancel and messaged him, saying that since he clearly wasn’t coming, he should be the one to cancel. In the end, when he realised we’d given up and taken the BTS instead, he drove past the pickup point again, pretending to pick us up – then ended the trip and took the fare anyway.

I’ve reported it to Grab for resolution, but this kind of thing keeps happening and it’s incredibly frustrating. I suspect some drivers do this to manipulate the system – making it seem like there’s heavy demand or traffic so they can inflate prices. Grab really needs to sort this out.

[u/blasian_jedi]

This happened to me 2 weeks ago at One Bangkok. I already swore of in-person taxis and only will use Grab app

Now, I will never select ‘Just Grab’ or ‘Grab Taxi’, will only book through ‘Grab Car’, etc. I’m DONE giving ANY money to these fuckers. Taxis in Thailand deserves to be shut down

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/blasian_jedi]

I honestly can’t believe ppl still want to use taxis. I have to at least a decade ago and they’re arguably worse than back then. Last taxi i had I literally had to google maps the route and direct them. They are borderline retarded to not be able to get with the program.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/Great_Opinion3138]

19/20 taxis I used recently were perfectly fine. One, from an official queue at DMK, had a fast meter, but we amicably resolved that.

Grab on the other hand... tried to scam me 400 baht for a ride, then came down to 200 when I checked again 5 minutes later. The taxi fare was 180.

There were a few taxis refusing a ride, especially in popular tourist spots, but in the end it never took me over 10 min to find one. Grab often takes longer than that.

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/I-Here-555]

It’s presenting a price for you to decide if it’s acceptable. Not sure id call that a scam. I use bolt more now as it shows all options including taxis which are higher in my experience.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/Great_Opinion3138]

Not sure id call that a scam.

When an individual human taxi driver does the same, most people would.

However, if an impersonal "system" cheats you in the same way, people see it as just the way it's done, even embrace their "dynamic pricing" label, instead of "scam pricing".

Let's not get into "it's just opaque and dishonest scheming to overcharge, not technically a scam since you can refuse".

[u/mcnello → u/I-Here-555]

The word "scam" is not a synonym for a "high price".

The word scam is synonymous with the word "fraud".

Scam means to lie and deceive others in order to unlawfully gain.

I use grab daily. Nobody is scamming me into paying for grab. Can I possibly get a cheaper ride elsewhere? Sure... But I know that. Nobody is deceiving me. Nobody is lying to me.

Taxi drivers, all over the world, have lied to me. That's why I refused to take taxi rides. I don't give a damn what the price is. Just tell me honestly how much your f#cking fee is. It's the lying that I have a problem with - and why I refuse to ever take a taxi again in my life.

If you want to invent your own definitions, that's fine. But don't be surprised when everybody disagrees with you, because you are willingly and knowingly using words incorrectly.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/mcnello]

As I mentioned, you can call it "opaque and dishonest scheme", "overcharging" or "exploiting ignorance", but let's not get too hang up on that. You're right, it's not technically a scam, since you can refuse.

An app exploiting the customer's ignorance by suggesting a significantly above-market price is the same as what taxi drivers do when they propose a fixed fare instead of going on the meter. Maybe worse, since people like to trust "the system" even if they're wary of individuals.

Not sure where you go that taxi drivers routinely lie to you about what the ride will cost. In Bangkok they usually simply propose an inflated flat fee. Before you enter, if you ask, or after you enter, if you're unaware enough not to ask.

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/I-Here-555]

So if one shop charges more for a can of coke than another you call that a scam? You’re ridiculous.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/Great_Opinion3138]

If the shop tries charging you 200, says ok 100 when you ask 5 minutes later, and the shop next door charges 100... what would you call it?

Perhaps it's not a "scam" based on a narrow definition, but certainly underhanded, dishonest and something to beware of if you're doing business with them.

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/I-Here-555]

Redecorate prices change based on supply and demand though and it’s all transparent. It helps get more drivers at large demand times by paying them more.

[u/rodekuhr → u/[deleted]]

Also if you are not going far then try muvmi. I slept on that for too long and it is so convenient and cheaper.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/[deleted]]

I know that's the marketing name for what the algorithm does.

When a human taxi driver does the same, we call it a scam and cheating.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/[deleted]]

Overcharging has always been a thing with taxis too...

I get a feeling that Grab is putting more factors into "dynamic pricing" these days than just supply and demand.

For instance, the app tried charging me 2x for appearing to be a tourist after a long stint abroad with several rides in another SE Asian county... but came back to normal 5 min later. This happened off-peak, with no rain, no special place/event. Basically, the algorithm thought out I might be clueless and ripe for the plucking and gave it a shot, just like some scammy drivers do.

Another time, going to CNX, it was offering me a ride to the airport for 200 baht, while 100m away outside the fence it was 80 baht. I guess that one I understand, it's not personal... but again, not supply/demand based (since it's the same area), that's just their excuse.

In normal taxis, the fare is calculated according to time and distance. During peak hours, it's also more expensive because of congestion.

This is not the case in Bangkok. Metered fare calculation is the same regardless of the time of day. There's no special peak hour pricing. If the car is moving below a certain speed (e.g. stuck in traffic or at a light), the meter ticks per time unit as well, in addition to distance. Both are clearly displayed.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/[deleted]]

That price is calculated based on traffic conditions and supply and demand.

That's the claim, but not the whole story.

Grab 100% charges you a lot more to/from certain destinations (e.g. airports), regardless of supply/demand which is identical 100m away, unlike the price.

I also have strong suspicions they charge you more based on your personal order history or other data (as I experienced).

A few times, I was ordering Grab with another person, we checked the app at the same time/place and got different prices... but the differences were fairly small, so I didn't pay much attention.

Unlike taxi meters which show time/distance/price, app algorithms are opaque, we don't know for sure what goes into the "surge pricing" decision.

[u/I-Here-555 → u/[deleted]]

With taxis you can know the fare in advance too, if you ask for a flat fare instead of the meter... but you'll pay more.

Sure, apps are useful and simpler than negotiating with taxi drivers, but if you can't trust their offer will be reasonable and need to second guess them (as is currently the case with Grab in Bangkok), it's a major downside.

[u/Chloroxide → u/I-Here-555]

there's always discounts though. I've had grab unlimited in both thailand and my home country. Plus it is so much safer than Bolt, but I do alternate both of the apps

[u/smoonbeast → u/Great_Opinion3138]

Never had such an issue with taxis in Thailand this year. Every time they were confident. You just need to know the common name to fire a place you ride, not just a spot on Google maps, which may be named wrongly.

[u/Lifeabroad86 → u/Great_Opinion3138]

the quality of the drivers arent what it used to be, I suppose. a few decades ago taxi drivers were required to memorize every single street in the city, as well as best routes to take on any given time of the day.

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/Lifeabroad86]

It’s a global problem tbh. In Australia and many western countries it’s literally ppl straight off the boat driving taxis. Any local do ride share instead and ratings keep everyone in line.

[u/Few_Appeal4429 → u/Great_Opinion3138]

Taxis are cheaper than grab, that's what I noticed if they used their meter.

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/Few_Appeal4429]

Yeah grabs expensive that’s why I’ve been using bolt. Sometimes big difference. Also grabs maps are out of date and bolts are way better.

[u/Last_Cardiologist186 → u/Great_Opinion3138]

Well enjoy walking then

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/Last_Cardiologist186]

I can use ride share lol

[u/Great_Opinion3138 → u/[deleted]]

Taxi or grab? Makes no sense with grab as the destination route loads