# Uber Colorado Just Hinted At Rates Going Back Up



## uberisez (Jan 12, 2015)

I take uber whenever I travel for business and the main HQ for my company is in Denver. Just got this interesting email saying that rates have dropped by 20%, but that the pricing won't last forever... So perhaps Uber rates will be going back up soon throughout the country, or at least in Colorado. 
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SAVE 20% WHEN YOU RIDE
From running errands to hitting the gym, there's never been a better reason to ride uberX - and with our lowest fares ever, your wallet will thank you. These prices won't last forever, though, so get moving Colorado!


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

The pricing won't last forever... because even lower prices are coming soon.


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## uberisez (Jan 12, 2015)

UberHammer said:


> The pricing won't last forever... because even lower prices are coming soon.


lol... I would feel absolutely horrible for drivers if that happened.


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

uberisez said:


> lol... I would feel absolutely horrible for drivers if that happened.


At $0.95/mile, Denver still has a ways to go before it's at $0.65/mile like Lexington. Plenty of room for more cuts from Uber's point of view.


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## uberisez (Jan 12, 2015)

UberHammer said:


> At $0.95/mile, Denver still has a ways to go before it's at $0.65/mile like Lexington. Plenty of room for more cuts from Uber's point of view.


The cost of living is too high in Denver for that to happen. They would lose almost all the drivers immediately.


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

uberisez said:


> The cost of living is too high in Denver for that to happen. They would lose almost all the drivers immediately.


I quit at the last rate cuts in Januarry 2015 in Dallas market .90 cents per mile $4.00 minimum. You cannot make a profit at those rates. Uber has not raised rates in at market in U.S. after rate cuts, nor has Uber ever lowered their commission rates when they cut rates.


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## duggles (Aug 25, 2014)

I don't think this is any indication that rates will go back up. It's just marketing speak. It does sound like the increase in ridership they calculated may not be what they thought. Therefore, they're trying to advertise (by marketing to their existing rider base) the lower rates. But the rates are the rates, they're not going back up. However, Uber, as usual, is pissing off more riders. The number of surges in Denver has increased because so many drivers dropped out after the rate cuts. So when riders were seeing more stabilized rates, now they're seeing surges. And they don't do the math and realize that 1.5 is still the same price as the previous rates, or that up to 3.5x it's still cheaper than a cab. They just see price increases. On top of that, Uber was so bad at marketing how surge works that I've had lots of Lyft riders tell me they prefer Lyft PrimeTime because that at least goes to the driver, unlike Uber surge.

Let's face, Uber ****ed it up big time on labeling, marketing, and explaining the surge to riders. 

This email is also the proof that lower rates don't spur more demand. Come on, Uber!!! What the ****!?!? Telling your existing rider base that it's cheaper isn't going to encourage them to ride MORE. They ride when they need it, otherwise they don't. If your lower rates were supposed to increase demand it seems like it would have been more likely to entice people that haven't yet used the system. But Uber doesn't market to them.


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## Uber SUCKS for drivers! (Jan 1, 2015)

duggles said:


> I don't think this is any indication that rates will go back up. It's just marketing speak. It does sound like the increase in ridership they calculated may not be what they thought. Therefore, they're trying to advertise (by marketing to their existing rider base) the lower rates. But the rates are the rates, they're not going back up. However, Uber, as usual, is pissing off more riders. The number of surges in Denver has increased because so many drivers dropped out after the rate cuts. So when riders were seeing more stabilized rates, now they're seeing surges. And they don't do the math and realize that 1.5 is still the same price as the previous rates, or that up to 3.5x it's still cheaper than a cab. They just see price increases. On top of that, Uber was so bad at marketing how surge works that I've had lots of Lyft riders tell me they prefer Lyft PrimeTime because that at least goes to the driver, unlike Uber surge.
> 
> Let's face, Uber ****ed it up big time on labeling, marketing, and explaining the surge to riders.
> 
> This email is also the proof that lower rates don't spur more demand. Come on, Uber!!! What the ****!?!? Telling your existing rider base that it's cheaper isn't going to encourage them to ride MORE. They ride when they need it, otherwise they don't. If your lower rates were supposed to increase demand it seems like it would have been more likely to entice people that haven't yet used the system. But Uber doesn't market to them.


Incorrect, I drive for Lyft also, Primetime does not just go to the driver, it is also cut by 20% commission, same as Uber surge. Their pax message says, it is added to "encourage more drivers to drive during the busiest times", so maybe pax may think that, but its exactly the same as Uber surge. Only, it is capped at +200%, where Uber surge routinely goes to 3 & 4x here, and actually hit 9x on the super bowl Sunday blizzard, while Lyft maxed out at 200% (which equals 3x).


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## RideshareGuru (Nov 17, 2014)

uberisez said:


> I take uber whenever I travel for business and the main HQ for my company is in Denver. Just got this interesting email saying that rates have dropped by 20%, but that the pricing won't last forever... So perhaps Uber rates will be going back up soon throughout the country, or at least in Colorado.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> ...


You have to take what Uber says with a grain of salt (a huge one). They never said the rates were going back up, just that these rates won't last. That could (and probably does) mean they're going down again.


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## RideshareGuru (Nov 17, 2014)

Txchick said:


> I quit at the last rate cuts in Januarry 2015 in Dallas market .90 cents per mile $4.00 minimum. You cannot make a profit at those rates. Uber has not raised rates in at market in U.S. after rate cuts, nor has Uber ever lowered their commission rates when they cut rates.


Correction: they did temporarily lower commissions in 2013 during rate cuts. The rates became permanent and the commissions went back to 20%. Now in some markets, new drivers pay 25% commissions.


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## RideshareGuru (Nov 17, 2014)

Uber SUCKS for drivers! said:


> Incorrect, I drive for Lyft also, Primetime does not just go to the driver, it is also cut by 20% commission, same as Uber surge. Their pax message says, it is added to "encourage more drivers to drive during the busiest times", so maybe pax may think that, but its exactly the same as Uber surge. Only, it is capped at +200%, where Uber surge routinely goes to 3 & 4x here, and actually hit 9x on the super bowl Sunday blizzard, while Lyft maxed out at 200% (which equals 3x).


Well, at least Lyft has the power driver bonus, so, technically it can all go to the driver, and I always get mine!


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## Txchick (Nov 25, 2014)

The key word is temporary in your reply.


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## Amsoil Uber Connect (Jan 14, 2015)

Earlier today, after the third trip from the college to the Metro link I thought wtf, am I the only driver here today? Then did another. I couldn't get out of the Metro parking lot b4 it went off again. As luck would have it, I found a faster way back to the college.

One of which was a surge 1.5 I though well halalulua. Finally one came to me. Did they figure out I am not chasing those. As I noticed that everyday surges go off at the Mall about the same time of day.

I am not gona hold my breath........


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## Drive777 (Jan 23, 2015)

duggles said:


> Uber was so bad at marketing how surge works that I've had lots of Lyft riders tell me they prefer Lyft PrimeTime because that at least goes to the driver, unlike Uber surge.
> 
> Let's face, Uber ****ed it up big time on labeling, marketing, and explaining the surge to riders.


This is true. Just had a Lyft passenger say they got burned on Halloween from Uber and will never go back. Uber cemented in the riders mind that surge was a bad thing and that it can jump to outrageous levels (regardless of rather it actually does anymore). Then Uber cut rates too far, which pushed drivers out of the market, causing lower surges to happen more often... yet passengers don't know the difference.

No wonder Travis threw in the towel and said he's fast tracking research on driverless cars. This company has no customer service skills and no employee relationship skills.


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## Uber SUCKS for drivers! (Jan 1, 2015)

RideshareGuru said:


> Well, at least Lyft has the power driver bonus, so, technically it can all go to the driver, and I always get mine!


Thats amazing, I think you have to be online like 50 hours, and at some really weird times, plus 90% acceptance?
I only end up doing about 8 hours a week with Lyft, so never got any commission rebate.
I end up only accepting about 50% of Lyft rides anyway. Drivers are so thin here in my suburban area, I get a lot of pings from 8-10 miles away, then pax says take me one mile to the grocery store (min. Fare), and you actually lose $. :-(


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## duggles (Aug 25, 2014)

Uber SUCKS for drivers! said:


> Incorrect, I drive for Lyft also, Primetime does not just go to the driver, it is also cut by 20% commission, same as Uber surge. Their pax message says, it is added to "encourage more drivers to drive during the busiest times", so maybe pax may think that, but its exactly the same as Uber surge. Only, it is capped at +200%, where Uber surge routinely goes to 3 & 4x here, and actually hit 9x on the super bowl Sunday blizzard, while Lyft maxed out at 200% (which equals 3x).


That was my point, Uber did a horrible job of marketing and explaining their surge. Passengers think of PrimeTime and Surge as different things, but they're exactly the same. Somehow Lyfted niced up their upcharging.

As for your other point about surges, it's different in Denver. Lyft has't lowered rates to match Uber, so Uber has to be at 2.5x to at least equal Lyft earnings (counting tips). And at that point, Lyft is usually PrimeTime.


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## CaptainJackLA (Dec 4, 2014)

It's another Uber marketing ploy. Don't believe it


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## sam tall (Jan 20, 2015)

duggles said:


> That was my point, Uber did a horrible job of marketing and explaining their surge. Passengers think of PrimeTime and Surge as different things, but they're exactly the same. Somehow Lyfted niced up their upcharging.
> 
> As for your other point about surges, it's different in Denver. Lyft has't lowered rates to match Uber, so Uber has to be at 2.5x to at least equal Lyft earnings (counting tips). And at that point, Lyft is usually PrimeTime.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

Up?

Lolololololololololo


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## rckymtnrideshrdriver (Jun 17, 2014)

As long as they keep guaranteeing me $50 an hour on Friday and Saturday nights, like they just started in Denver last night, I don't care what the rates are. But that won't last forever either...


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## ElectroFuzz (Jun 10, 2014)

uberisez said:


> These prices won't last forever, though, so get moving Colorado!


These words were used at every price cut.
Those who drove in July 2014 will remember
the "summer special prices that won't last forever" slogan.


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## SCdave (Jun 27, 2014)

CaptainJackLA said:


> It's another Uber marketing ploy. Don't believe it


Uh, technically it is 'the same" marketing ploy. This wording "won't last forever" is used over and over in all markets, right, Believe the last couple of LA/OC Promotional 20% discounts the pat year or so had the same wording, nu?


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

uberisez said:


> lol... I would feel absolutely horrible for drivers if that happened.


Probably not because there won't be any.


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## AmberLamps (Oct 29, 2014)

I live in North Park Hill and have noticed lately if i try to summon an UBER ride from my house "there are no UberX available" so i move the pin to downtown and there are 100's of them down there. It seems to me that all the drivers are just hanging out downtown now because no one wants to do any far rides to and from suburbia because its just an hourly gig now with the guarantees. So ridiculous, as before it used to have a good dispersion in the suburbs as well as downtown, because the smart drivers were out in the burbs trying to get the long rides. Complete ******ation by Uber with these price cuts and hourly gtds.

For the record if your not familiar with Denver, north Park Hill is about 5 miles from downtown....8:30 pm Saturday "no Uberx Available" are you ****ing kidding me?


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## Monica rodriguez (Nov 16, 2014)

UberHammer said:


> At $0.95/mile, Denver still has a ways to go before it's at $0.65/mile like Lexington. Plenty of room for more cuts from Uber's point of view.


After reading this I checked my riders app and there were 4 uber cars in Lexington. What is wrong with these drivers?!


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

AmberLamps said:


> I live in North Park Hill and have noticed lately if i try to summon an UBER ride from my house "there are no UberX available" so i move the pin to downtown and there are 100's of them down there. It seems to me that all the drivers are just hanging out downtown now because no one wants to do any far rides to and from suburbia because its just an hourly gig now with the guarantees. So ridiculous, as before it used to have a good dispersion in the suburbs as well as downtown, because the smart drivers were out in the burbs trying to get the long rides. Complete ******ation by Uber with these price cuts and hourly gtds.
> 
> For the record if your not familiar with Denver, north Park Hill is about 5 miles from downtown....8:30 pm Saturday "no Uberx Available" are you ****ing kidding me?


At Denver's 95 cents a mile UberX passengers shouldn't expect any drivers to be available. Too bad, so sad. Why should drivers pay out of their pockets to run you around town? What are drivers going to get for driving 5 miles and 20 min. across town to get you and 5 miles back when you are done doing your $4 run to the mall? For 12 miles. $2.40 net to them. 20 cents per mile. Good luck with that! *I'm only surprised that Uber isn't pinging them for you and forcing one of them out to get you.*

If you really wanted an UberX std rate driver and none are available, move your pin closer to a driver, hit it, then immediately call the driver and tell them you'll compensate them for their time at some mutually determined cash spiff paid at arrival and give them your real address. I'm sure someone will show up. If not, just cancel and try again. I've done this a couple times when I needed a ride and was way out of driver range. Most of them will run 20 minutes to get me if I throw them a $10 when they get there to compensate their costs.

It will probably still be much cheaper than a cab.

Or you can order a cab, wait 2 hours and see if one shows up and pay a reality price.


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