# Uber's new pricing model masks surge and pushes Pool



## Flarpy (Apr 17, 2016)

From the SD Union-Tribune:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/26/uber-upfront-pricing-surge-pricing/

I only drive for Lyft, but a word of warning to all those Uber drivers who (understandably) avoid driving Pool: You will feel the wrath of Uber some day soon because you are standing in the way of their future business model which heavily favors Pool.

Uber makes a much bigger profit on Pool rides. The extra passengers are basically free money for the company because it's not passed on to drivers. Don't be surprised if Uber becomes more and more "adamant" that its drivers accept as many Pool rides as they can. Perhaps even to the point where Uber no longer lets you know if you're picking up a Pool ride until you've arrived.


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## Djc (Jan 6, 2016)

Flarpy said:


> Perhaps even to the point where Uber no longer lets you know if you're picking up a Pool ride until you've arrived.


That would be another lawsuit unless the pool rate was the same as X rate. You'd no idea about compensation upfront before take a job.


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## Flarpy (Apr 17, 2016)

What would the cause(s) of action be for that lawsuit? Breach of contract? Uber doesn't really play by the "independent contractor" rules anyway so I'm wondering what a lawsuit would allege.


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## uber strike (Jan 10, 2016)

i think that a lot of drivers think that they are earning 2 fares at the same time, but they don't know uber apparently.


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## ATX 22 (Jun 17, 2015)

Uber was already doing this in Austin before they left. 2 hour timeouts for drivers for not accepting or cancelling. Most of the non acceptance was pool. They also made pool the default when it was a single rider. You had to say you had 3 pax to get an X ride.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

Uber doesnt seem to understand that while on short rides they are making a greater percentage of money vs drivers, they are making less money overall vs two riders riding in separate vehicles. That's why I'm sure they only care about trying to make a higher percentage vs drivers which is absolutely absurd. It's like they only focus on competing against drivers. This is why they will never turn a profit and this is why they are finding it harder and harder to find new investors.

The people running the show have no common sense whatsoever.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

How hard is it to understand that you make more money when two riders are taking separate trips ?

Why would you want to push more pool when you make less money ?

It boggles my mind.

I always ask my passengers if they meant to request a pool and 3/4 of them say they didnt. Uber automatically defaults the slider to Uberpool which is absurd.

It's basically our job to educate the passengers on how to move the slider back to UberX. I hope everyone does this.

Just be polite about it. Show them on your Uber rider app. My pax wind up thanking me and I'm sure that makes it easier to get a 5 star.


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## JuanMoreTime (Jan 25, 2015)

uberdriverfornow said:


> How hard is it to understand that you make more money when two riders are taking separate trips ?
> 
> Why would you want to push more pool when you make less money ?
> 
> ...


I'll never have the opportunity to teach my passengers that lesson, because I refuse to take POOL rides. 95% of them are unprofitable, so I'd rather be kicked offline and drive Lyft until I get a profitable ping from Uber.


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## Uberdummy (Apr 6, 2016)

Every driver every single time needs to refuse pool rides until they do away with it. STUPID drivers that act like sheep is why this crap keeps happening.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

Just to be clear, Uber makes a greater percentage vs drivers on pool rides, but at the same EXACT time they are also making less money overall on all rides. 

Uber doesn't seem to realize that. They think by making a higher percentage vs drivers on pool rides somehow that translates into higher profit and earning. It does not. But they don't care 'cause all they care about is competing against drivers percentage-wise.


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## Hugo (Oct 13, 2015)

In part because of our Pool cancellations, Uber has to be aware of how much we hate Pool. My hunch: Uber ignores how we feel about Pool because Pool will be Uber's first service to be transitioned to driverless cars.


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## melusine3 (Jun 20, 2016)

uberdriverfornow said:


> Uber doesnt seem to understand that while on short rides they are making a greater percentage of money vs drivers, they are making less money overall vs two riders riding in separate vehicles. That's why I'm sure they only care about trying to make a higher percentage vs drivers which is absolutely absurd. It's like they only focus on competing against drivers. This is why they will never turn a profit and this is why they are finding it harder and harder to find new investors.
> 
> The people running the show have no common sense whatsoever.


One would think investors would balk at any company that relies on a high turnover of workers ("workers?"), in that they treat drivers so badly (constant reduction in income and now with pool) people can't get out of this soon enough. If they think they can rely on driverless cars, I wish them luck.


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## Hugo (Oct 13, 2015)

melusine3 said:


> One would think investors would balk at any company that relies on a high turnover of workers ("workers?"), in that they treat drivers so badly (constant reduction in income and now with pool) people can't get out of this soon enough. If they think they can rely on driverless cars, I wish them luck.


About Uber driverless cars, I think:

1. It is a ploy to lure investors.
2. Implementation is further out than Uber originally anticipated.


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## toi (Sep 8, 2014)

Flarpy said:


> From the SD Union-Tribune:
> 
> http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/26/uber-upfront-pricing-surge-pricing/
> 
> ...


Not sure why thatd be a problem because it would be "ridesharing" in its true form as its been advertised to be since the beginning and how most ppl on these boards claimed to be doing all these years.


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## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

uberdriverfornow said:


> Uber doesn't seem to realize that. They think by making a higher percentage vs drivers on pool rides somehow that translates into higher profit and earning. It does not. But they don't care 'cause all they care about is competing against drivers percentage-wise.


"Lower rates mean more trips which means more profits!". It's like they actually believe that...


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## scamp (May 2, 2016)

A Mass lawyer involved in the class action lawsuit explained the big UberPool push is mainly about defending against "Ubers aren't any different than taxis" charges. Uber been claiming they're a ride sharing company which is really BS unless they can point to UberPool being the dominant service.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

scamp said:


> A Mass lawyer involved in the class action lawsuit explained the big UberPool push is mainly about defending against "Ubers aren't any different than taxis" charges. Uber been claiming they're a ride sharing company which is really BS unless they can point to UberPool being the dominant service.


Sounds like they're screwed


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

CatchyMusicLover said:


> "Lower rates mean more trips which means more profits!". It's like they actually believe that...


They're probably sitting around the office biting the heads off of Uber Kittens,dreaming up the next way to screw us right now.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

Let's make this as simple as possible.

Two pax from San Jose to San Francisco is about $40 each for a $80 total using separate drivers.

Two pax using a pool from San Jose to San Francisco is about $50 using one driver.

Uber is losing about $30 in fare on each pool in that simple scenario. Yes, they get the extra $1.55 pool fee, but since they aren't paying ANY expenses involving the extra driver whatsoever, they are constantly losing money they would otherwise make on the extra ride by pushing UberPool.

I just can't fathom anyone in Uber not understanding that. It makes absolutely no sense.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

Obviously their share of that $30 is $7.5 or so.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

uberdriverfornow said:


> Let's make this as simple as possible.
> 
> Two pax from San Jose to San Francisco is about $40 each for a $80 total using separate drivers.
> 
> ...


In the grocery ,it's never the good stuff on sale.
Only yesterday's hamburger before it rots.


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## melusine3 (Jun 20, 2016)

uberdriverfornow said:


> Let's make this as simple as possible.
> 
> Two pax from San Jose to San Francisco is about $40 each for a $80 total using separate drivers.
> 
> ...


They are trying to grow their customer base, so it's a temporary loss. Wait till they completely wipe out Lyft and what is left of the Taxi industry and put their driverless cars on the road and they can set their own fees and the people will have to eat it.


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