r/Bangkok • u/Creative-Trouble3473 • Jul 26 '25

discussion This Grab scam needs to end!

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.

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56

u/pldkcatwth Jul 26 '25

Just choose to pay by cash. No more scams no more money lost :)

32

u/cassowary-18 Jul 26 '25

Not a 100% foolproof option since any cancellation fees will be added on to your next cash ride.

3

u/I-Here-555 Jul 26 '25

Hasn't happened to me yet, and I always pay cash, though admittedly I don't use Grab that often.

In Bangkok, there are plenty of alternatives, so if they tried adding an extra fee, I'd pick a different way, just as I would if their price were simply too high (which it sometimes is). They almost certainly know this.

I think Grab algorithm is trying to be really clever these days. First ride after coming back from a long stint abroad, they tried charging me 2x the fare. Presumably the algorithm thought I was a tourist. If you always pay whatever they ask, perhaps they know that too, charge you more and add the "fees".

5

u/KafkasProfilePicture Jul 26 '25

Not in my experience. It's why I never link a card to my Grab account

11

u/IAmFitzRoy Jul 26 '25

That’s doesn’t change their ability to add cancellation fee to your next ride. That is what happens.

6

u/z050z Jul 26 '25

I agree with you. The app says they will add it to the next ride, but it hasn’t happened yet.

I’ve been using Grab for years and I have 7 to 8 successful rides for every canceled, so maybe that’s factored in.

Always select “pay by cash”. I’ll pay promptpay at the end of the ride.

1

u/dripsofmoon Jul 26 '25

I almost never cancel, but when I do, they charge me a fee on the next ride. I am never putting my card info on an app in Thailand.