Uber estimates vs actual cost

[jeromedawg]

Hey all,

Curious as to how accurate the Uber estimates are in relation the actual cost at the end of the ride. I know they say it all depends on the weather, traffic, etc. But on a 'normal' day where none of these things are a factor, how close is the estimate to the actual cost? For example, to travel 15 miles, I'm getting a estimated range of $16-22 - that seems like a relatively wide range. Will the fare fluctuate, say, if there happens to be an accident by the time the driver gets on the freeway and there's a slowdown? Or it starts pouring rain halfway through the drive, where a 10-15 min delay is caused?

[jeromedawg]

I stumbled across www.whatsthefare.com and was about to proceed to requesting an Uber for my wife but I got some error pop-up about my phone number not being valid and to update it with a valid number, so I did but I still got that lame pop-up. Something is/was screwy with their site. My wife was already late to a baby shower and I wasn't able to request the Uber so I told her just to drive. What a waste of time trying to figure things out... If there were an issue with my phone number, why tell me about it *after* I request the Uber? SMH... not having the best user experience. Was just trying to use up some free credits I have too. This is the first time we've actually tried using Uber too.

[aneel]

+/- $3 on $19 fare isn't soooo bad. I regularly take uber on 30-40 minute trip to the airport. Even with the variation in time due to stupid Boston traffic, the fare is always +/- $1. In my guesstimate, Uber fares are 90% mileage.

Bottom line, uber fares (minus surge) are consistent

[Cassie]

We use Uber and love it. It is about half the price of a cab.

[SKL-HOU]

I love uber and use it all the time. One thing to watch out for is the surcharge times but that is reflected in the estimate. If traffic and roads are ok, it is on the lower end of the estimate, which has been my experience most of the time. It is so much cheaper and more convenient than taxis.

[JohnGalt]

I almost exclusively use uber when I'm traveling for work (which is often).  The estimates are usually very reliable.

[jeromedawg]

My wife ended up using them this past weekend as we were able to get the promo codes to work. Very short distances (all under 10 miles) and the fares were pretty accurate. Less than a dollar over the lower-end estimate (so if the estimate was $6-8, the fare came out to be $6.93, or something along those lines). Felt like a waste since the codes were for $15 and $20 but we had to use the $15 up as it was expiring that day and the $20 had to be used for the return fare back home. It was pretty easy and I can see why many people do it. In the long run you really do save when it comes down to vehicle maintenance and registration fees, especially. I currently have a 93 Camry hand-me-down and we finishing paying off my wife's Rav4 shortly after we got married back in 2010. I've been contemplating selling the Camry since I'm working from home now and my wife is SAHM. The job is still new though, so I don't want to make any hasty decisions. We'll see... I've been eyeing the Mazda 5 to potentially replace our Rav4 as well as we currently have one kid but are likely going to try for more within the next several years. It's going to be a little tighter with the Rav4 and 2 or more, I would think.

[arebelspy]

Question will be moot very soon.  :)

Last week Uber announced they're replacing the fare estimate with a guaranteed price:

Soon, when you open up Uber and request a ride you'll see the pricing in a different way. Instead of its current method of displaying the rate (and multiplier, if surge pricing is in effect), with a fare estimate in a second screen, it will just display a guaranteed price to take you to your destination. Of course, that doesn't mean surge pricing is going away, just that it will already be figured in to the price you're quoted (with a "Fares are higher due to increased demand" note.)

Miami, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego and Seattle are the first US cities where it's rolling out, and other areas should see it in the next few months.

https://www.engadget.com/2016/06/23/upfront-uber-pricing-replaces-estimates-with-guarantees/

[Roots&Wings]

^ That is great news. Actual fares for me have been ~20% more than the estimates.