# Taxi scam or not? No change given.



## SteelBlue05 (17 Oct 2006)

I recently took a short taxi journey which came to €6.10. I handed a €10 note to the driver who said he had no change. (Which was odd?)

I said I had no change either and he eventually said he has €1.80. I was in a bit of a rush and not really interested in an arguement and just took the €1.80 which means the taxi man kept an extra €2.10.

I supposed I could have argued with him and asked him to go and get change from a shop or something but I am just wondering if this is a common thing? It seems like a handy way of getting a few extra euros per fare?


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## greenback (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Hard to believe a taxi man doesn't have change of a ten. I'd say he was chancing his arm.


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## kramer2006 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

 I can't believe that! My love for taxi drivers is documented on the following thread, maybe you've already seen it.

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=38671

I think we need to compile a list of these taxi scams.

What if a barman shrugged his shoulders said he had no change? I doubt we would be as quick to leave the tenner with him. 

I would have made him drive off to get change, drive back to my house, then he could have the tenner. What a chancer!!!!


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## bacchus (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Interesting... something similar happened to my wife few weeks ago..
Fare was €25, she handed €40 and the driver had no change at all.. no coins, no €5, no €10 notes... which I found very hard to believe at 11pm... and he would not take a cheque. 
I tried to convince my wife that it was her problem, and that she should give him €40 full stop...
She went in , routed through pockets/boxes/drawers to come with €25...and then the guy said she now owned €27.50 as he had been waiting!!!


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## SteelBlue05 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Looking back when I told the taxi driver where I was going he would have known it was a short journey and that he would have needed change. 

Actually I cant believe he didnt have change...well he mysteriously found 1.80 after I didnt leave him the 10 straight off.

Yep, I was ripped off. It wont happen again though. Bloody taxi rip offs.


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## SteelBlue05 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



bacchus said:


> Interesting... something similar happened to my wife few weeks ago..
> Fare was €25, she handed €40 and the driver had no change at all.. no coins, no €5, no €10 notes... which I found very hard to believe at 11pm... and he would not take a cheque.
> I tried to convince my wife that it was her problem, and that she should give him €40 full stop...
> She went in , routed through pockets/boxes/drawers to come with €25...and then the guy said she now owned €27.50 as he had been waiting!!!


 
Also had similar experience a few years ago but for lesser amount. Taxi driver drove me up the road to a petrol station to get change (as he had none) and the meter kept running while I went in! The petrol station was only a hundred yards up the road from the house.

I think I need to be more vigilent.


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## Guest120 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Important to note in these cases that the fare on the meter is the maximum amount the taxi driver is allowed to charge, not necessarily the amount he has to charge.


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## SteelBlue05 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



Bluetonic said:


> Important to note in these cases that the fare on the meter is the maximum amount the taxi driver is allowed to charge, not necessarily the amount he has to charge.


 
I have yet to come across a taxi man who give me a discount on what was displayed on the meter...


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## Satanta (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



SteelBlue05 said:


> I have yet to come across a taxi man who give me a discount on what was displayed on the meter...


I have to say I have been lucky enough to meet a few.... and even a few in Dublin.
I've had fares of €12.70 rounded down to €10, but definatly the exception more than the rule.


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## Guest120 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



SteelBlue05 said:


> I have yet to come across a taxi man who give me a discount on what was displayed on the meter...



Me neither, but it might be worth mentioning to them the next time they have no change.


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## kramer2006 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



bacchus said:


> ...and then the guy said she now owned €27.50 as he had been waiting!!!


 
You see folks, this is why taxi drivers have a bad name. It's just pure greed. I really am STAGGERED by the dishonesty of some of these people.

If this happened to me, I would have called the gardai. Simple as that. That is blatant thieving!!

I think we all need to educate ourselves about the charging structures. For anyone new here, the thread I mention above contains a link to the taxi regulator site. 

In a perverse way, I am now looking forward to the next time a taxi driver tries to rip me off. I now have all the facts, and am not afraid to use them!


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## zag (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

I have also had drivers discount fares for me occasionally - like €12.30 down to €12.00 on his own bidding.

Rare, but it has happened a few times.

z


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## LIVERLIPS (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Thats like going to a counter in a shop and them not having a float in the till to offer customers change. Taxi men are meant to have change on them they would have a float for every day it would work the same way as a shopkeeper.


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## daltonr (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

I once needed to get to Griffith College in time for a night lecture. I needed to be there at 6pm. I didn't want to be late under any circumstances, so I got permission to leave work at 3 and called a cab company that the place I worked with had an account with.

I told them where I was going from and to and that I needed to be there at 6. I would be ready to go anytime they wanted, I didn't care how they did it or how early they needed to pick me up but I needed to be there at 6. They said 4:30 would be early enough, I said make it 3:30 just to be sure, they said OK.

3:30 came and went, 4:30 came and went. The car was always just up the street. I was calling other companies to get an alternative but nothing was available that would pick me up in time to get me there for 6.

At almost 6pm and after a heated call to the original company, a jolly old soul picked me up. I got to the college at about 6:30 or 6:45. 

He joked...."I'm sure the lecturer won't notice if you sneak in the back."
I replied..."I am the lecturer"

He didn't get a tip, even though it probably wsn't his fault. The part of that that annoys me most is that I paid at all. I should have gotten out of the car and told him to take it up with his company.

I've learned my lesson though. I drive everywhere now.

-Rd


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## Seagull (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



bacchus said:


> Interesting... something similar happened to my wife few weeks ago..
> Fare was €25, she handed €40 and the driver had no change at all.. no coins, no €5, no €10 notes... which I found very hard to believe at 11pm... and he would not take a cheque.


I would have just given him €20, and told him that not having change was his problem.


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## johndoe64 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

I once got a cab and the driver tried it on with a 60% overcharge, I told him no way that the fare was normally x and he said he would take me to the local garda station, I said I'm fine with that so off we went about a 1 mile down the road to the station the guard came out and asked what was going on, so I explained the situation to him and agreed that I would have no problem paying the correct fare, he said fine so pay him and I will witness the payment,  I replied I will pay him when he drops me at my destination which he had to do as the garda followed, I gave him the correct fare and he had done about 2 miles extra without payment. He wasn't a happy camper but neither would I have been if I just layed down and gave him my hard earned cash!


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## Lauren (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Had a similar 'row' with a taxi driver two weeks ago. 11.15pm at night, coming from the airport. He was disgusted to have gotten a fare to Finglas Road only (even bitched about it on the phone to his buddy who got Malahide)...When we got to my destination I had a 50Euro note and he had no change...He told me in no uncertain terms that I'd 'better' get the change from somewhere...I argued with him that having no change was his problem not mine...We were stopped outside my apartment complex and he told me to go across the road and get change from a local pub...I told him it was his problem so he reversed sharply with me in the car, informed me gruffly that he was keeping the meter on and we drove over to outside the local pub. He looked inside and said 'looks dodgey in there, you go in' (lovely eh?). I laughed at this stage and he eventually got out and got the change....We then drove back to my place and when he saw me with a pen out recording his number he backed down and didn't charge me for his little drive across the road but we agreed on a slightly lesser amount.... His attitide was disgusting, verging on aggressive...

Like others, I have given up on taxi's and bought a car...


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## kramer2006 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



johndoe64 said:


> He wasn't a happy camper but neither would I have been if I just layed down and gave him my hard earned cash!


 
I take my hat off to you, sir! If only we all had the same approach as yourself there might be fewer of these crooks around.

Another incident which happened to me, my destination was a service situation:

Me: 8 euro? There you go (handed driver 20)
Driver: Ehhh ... I've no change, anything smaller?
Me: No, I'm afraid not.
Driver: Hmm, you could break the 20 in the garage...
Me: Emmm, there's nothing in there I want.
Driver: You could just ask them for change?
Me: Ehhhh, could YOU maybe get the change??
Driver: 'Grunt'

I eventually got the change. Did he get a tip for this fantastic service? Ehhhh, no. He did not.


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## Guest127 (17 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

don't think it's a coincidence that its Dublin taxi drivers who are ranting on about the new charges. last week my son got a taxi out from town. €5 as normal. as he said he was embarressed to charge the new amount!


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## D8Lady (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

All the taxis now display the complaint number of the taxi regulator on the side widows. Has anyone actually raised a complaint?


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## ClubMan (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



daltonr said:


> I once needed to get to Griffith College in time for a night lecture. I needed to be there at 6pm. I didn't want to be late under any circumstances, so I got permission to leave work at 3 and called a cab company that the place I worked with had an account with.


Where were you working that 3 hours was not sufficient time to take a chance on hailing a taxi in the street, use public transport or even walk? Just curious...


> 3:30 came and went, 4:30 came and went.


 At that stage I would have tried the alternatives that I mentioned above.


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## bacchus (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



cuchulainn said:


> last week my son got a taxi out from town. €5 as normal. as he said he was embarressed to charge the new amount!


 
Is the new amount more than the old one in your son's case?


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## paddyc (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

If I ever get into a cab and only have a €50 I'll ask them at the start if they have change and if not get them to stop at an ATM along the way. I have had the odd far rounded down by 20 or 30 cent by the driver.


A few years ago when I was out in Limerick and got into a cab, we were heading just over the border to clare, 3 of us were getting out about 2.5 miles from the city centre and the other guy was getting out about 2 miles further out. The taxi driver claimed he was going to charge 2 differerent fares, which we pointed out to him that it was a load of bo!!ix and got out of the cab and told him we would report him to the carriage office and walked back down to the taxi rank wthi him shouting after us. The driver followed us down, hopped out of the cab, got a cop who was on the beat and brought him over to us. The cop asked what was going on and we told him the cab driver was trying to rip us off and we would be reporting him to the carriage office. The cop told the taxi driver to get back in his cab and get lost.... forgot the taxi number the next morning as we didn't have a camera phone so couldn't report him.


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## Cahir (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



paddyc said:


> If I ever get into a cab and only have a €50 I'll ask them at the start if they have change and if not get them to stop at an ATM along the way. I have had the odd far rounded down by 20 or 30 cent by the driver.




Given that a lot of ATMs won't dispense anything smaller than a €50 this wouldn't be much use.


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## kramer2006 (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



paddyc said:


> If I ever get into a cab and only have a €50 I'll ask them at the start if they have change and if not get them to stop at an ATM along the way.


 
Eh? If the driver has no change, is the meter still running while you are at the ATM? Either way, you should not have the inconvenience of queuing at an ATM. These guys are supposed to providing a *service*!


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## Guest127 (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Bacchus: live about 3 kms from town centre - taxi rank. fare should have been 3.80 +2.85= 6.65. son was on his own last saturday , normally he would be in company. normally charged €5 regardless if 2/3 of them came  out together. in this case I dont know if taxi driver would have still charged €5 or charged the new rates if there was more than himself. personally I would have walked it ( and there are busses)   but the new generation ...........


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## asdfg (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



> live about 3 kms from town centre - taxi rank. fare should have been 3.80 +2.85= 6.65


 
These are the maximum fares allowed to be charged.


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## Guest127 (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

ok. but at least he didnt look for it, which by the sounds of the earlier posts is the _least_ the dublin cabbies were looking for. _ie._probably would have told him they had no change out of a €10.


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## Mouldy (18 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*

Can i ask the follwing question: If a taxi drops me home and the fare is, say, 10 euros and I only have 20, what is my legal right as a consumer if the driver has not got any change?


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## bacchus (19 Oct 2006)

*Re: Taxi scam or not?*



cuchulainn said:


> Bacchus: live about 3 kms from town centre - taxi rank. fare should have been 3.80 +2.85= 6.65. son was on his own last saturday , normally he would be in company. normally charged €5 regardless if 2/3 of them came out together. in this case I dont know if taxi driver would have still charged €5 or charged the new rates if there was more than himself. personally I would have walked it ( and there are busses) but the new generation ...........


 
I don't get it them... taxi drivers went on strike because of the  new fare structure...
Under new fare this guy could charge €6.65 instead of €5... What's the problem from his point of view? i can see a problem from the consumer point of view all right...

May be taxi driver loose out for longer distances..

Has anybody got any figures to share as to how much they have been charged under old fare / new fare for greater distances?


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## elcato (19 Oct 2006)

> If a taxi drops me home and the fare is, say, 10 euros and I only have 20, what is my legal right as a consumer if the driver has not got any change?


Your right is to either get your change and a receipt there and then or tell him to bill you and you will pay either by post or if he drops back at another time.As with all these things you should take the plate number which is clearly visible on the roof and report to the taxi regulator.


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## ajapale (19 Oct 2006)

I spoke to a very nice lady at the taxi regulator's office and she stated that the taxi driver is obliged to carry enough change to cover all eventualities.

She also referred to their website [broken link removed]



> *Contacting Us by Telephone     *
> For consumer information or advice on how to make a complaint or        commendation, ring our lo-call consumer information        line at 1890 60 60 90.
> For general industry information or advice, ring our        lo-call industry information line at 1890 347        347 .
> To book your small public service vehicle in for a test, or to enquire        about vehicle licensing, contact the dedicated NCTS  phone line on 1890 92 79 77.
> ...


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## ajapale (23 Oct 2006)

ci1 and rabbit,

Please post generalised rants against the taxi industry in the LOS section.

Keep this thread to discuss what to do when a taxi driver is not willing to give change.


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## Head-wrecked (23 Oct 2006)

My Husband had an argument with a taxi driver over a similar "no change"
incident. He rang the local Garda Station who told my husband to pay whatever he had, leave his name and address and the onus would be on the Taxi Driver to collect the rest of the money.


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## Hasslehoff (27 Oct 2006)

If i have only notes i always ask for a receipt first , fuffle around with my wallet and come up with note/s. By this time the Taxi driver has stopped the meter and printed off a receipt , usually a trip to the nearest Spar to get the change does the trick but it does not cost  me any extra.


I have on other occasions handed a tenner over and the guy has said no change , just got a receipt for the fare with an IOU for the balance, handed the IOU to the Carraige office if the funds never arrive and they collected same for me.This system is now in place [broken link removed]  so dont be conned just be smarter.


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## Joe Nonety (2 Nov 2006)

My main gripes with taxi drivers from a rip-off point of view....
- whenever I book a taxi for a certain time and they arrive early, they have the meter running. Surely if I book a taxi for 9pm and it arrives ar 8:50pm, they can't start the meter until 9pm?
- Taxivans charging per person. They make €30 when there's 15 of us onboard for just a 2 mile journey. This in particular applies to villages in the country where there are no taxicars.
- A talkative friend of mine was chatting away to the taxi driver and the taxi driver was being especially chatty back. After handing the exact fare of €10, the taxi driver asks my friend for a tip. I told him not to eat yellow snow. I've seen it a lot since, where chatty taxi drivers will ask for a tip when you give them the exact fare. Since when did you have to pay for conversation in this country?
- Spanish and Polish friends of mine have told me of lots of incidences (particularly after being out drinking) where they're waiting on change back from the taxi driver e.g. €8.40. The taxi driver turns around and gives them €3.40 and turns back to his/her normal driving position without saying a word and remains motionless. The passenger will then have to ask for the rest of the change and the taxidriver usually goes "Yeah, yeah, I'm just looking for it" even though they've been motionless for the last minute. The amount the taxidriver tries to rob with this scam varies from €2 to €20. It's obviously working for them if they're still using it.

If I could spare the money I'd spend a whole day at Dublin airport repeatedly getting into taxis at the rank and asking for a destination just one mile down the road!


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## Sarah W (2 Nov 2006)

Joe Nonety said:


> - Taxivans charging per person. They make €30 when there's 15 of us onboard for just a 2 mile journey. This in particular applies to villages in the country where there are no taxicars.




15 people in one cab?! Cosy.


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## Guest127 (2 Nov 2006)

thought the new rules covered extra passangers but maybe only to the one destination ie going to a nite club or wedding etc.


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## passat (2 Nov 2006)

Head-wrecked said:


> My Husband had an argument with a taxi driver over a similar "no change"
> incident. He rang the local Garda Station who told my husband to pay whatever he had, leave his name and address and the onus would be on the Taxi Driver to collect the rest of the money.


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## passat (2 Nov 2006)

Have you ever tried giving a bus driver E50 each time you hop on a bus?


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## Joe1234 (2 Nov 2006)

Sarah W said:


> 15 people in one cab?! Cosy.



The OP said taxivan, ie minibus, which can seat more that 15 people.


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## Ceist Beag (3 Nov 2006)

As far as I can see most Dublin taxi drivers try this trick on by either claiming to have no change or else rooting around for ever and handing you back one coin at a time in the hope that you will say "Ah sure keep the rest". I never do and sit there patiently waiting for my change unless I'm really happy with the service (if he gets me there early or is good company or such) in which case I generally leave a tip. But there is no doubt that these lads are greedy. However in my experience its much the same the world over with taxi drivers in cities - maybe it's a training course they all go on before they start?!!


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## Mourinho (3 Nov 2006)

Quick story which i thought id share.

I travel a lot with work via Dublin airport. Prior to the introduction of the new fare regulations, a trip from home to airport cost between €45-55 (depending on time of day etc).

Since the new regulations have come in, this has increased to between €55-65. I got a taxi home recently from the airport and total was €64. The taxi driver turned to me and asked me did I think that was the correct fare as he couldn’t believe it was that much. He said it was the first long journey he had done since he got his meter upgraded and couldn’t believe the increase in price – for the journey we did he expected the fare to be around the €50 mark.  I confirmed to him that it was pretty much what I had paid before due to the new regulations. He round it down to €60 (out of guilt i think?)

I have pretty much no time for 90% of taxi drivers and agree with the majority of comments, but I thought to add some balance I would post this story.

The whole thing makes a complete mockery of their recent protects about the revised fare structure – they are creaming it more than ever now.  

M


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## evelynn (4 Nov 2006)

Ah guys "Come on !!",  These guys are out dealing with all walks of life, drunk and sober, day and night,  they can't have change of every single fare they pick up. Your worried about being ripped off, while they worried about been mugged, or worse!. I know if I was driving my car I wouldn't get out and leave a complete stranger in it while I got change for them.Think about it?  And NO I'm not a taxi driver!


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## Digger (4 Nov 2006)

Everlynn,
Don't you think getting change between pickups might be a good idea. If I bought something in a shop and they didn't have change  I would do a U turn straight away and be gone.


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## evelynn (4 Nov 2006)

Digger,
This is the way most of them get their change and from passengers, but sometimes they pickup straight away after a drop off, and maybe the passenger before you has taken all his/her change. As for a shop, well these have a safe and most times two or more people working in it that can go a get change. It wouldn't be ideal for a taxi to carry alot of money in the car, for their safety, and less ideal for them to show their passenger where it is when looking for change. 
As I'm sure most have heard of the taxi driver on Friday night that was very badly beaten, his money taken and his car burned out, they never know who is in their car, and thankfully most of us do not have the same fears when going to work


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## Grifter (4 Nov 2006)

I have been given a bad deal several times in the past. I refuse to use them now. Hey, it's been approx three years since I've used one. Happy days!


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## rabbit (6 Nov 2006)

evelynn said:


> Ah guys "Come on !!", These guys are out dealing with all walks of life, drunk and sober, day and night, they can't have change of every single fare they pick up. Your worried about being ripped off, while they worried about been mugged, or worse!. I know if I was driving my car I wouldn't get out and leave a complete stranger in it while I got change for them.Think about it? And NO I'm not a taxi driver!


 

Maybe you are related to one so ? Besides, lots of people have to deal with all walks of life in order to try to earn a living.


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## extopia (6 Nov 2006)

They are supposed to be providing a service for which cash is the preferred (and often only) means of paying.

It's their business to have change.


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## evelynn (6 Nov 2006)

rabbit said:


> Maybe you are related to one so ? Besides, lots of people have to deal with all walks of life in order to try to earn a living.


 
No I'm not............but i do think it's ridiculous to tar all with the same brush. I know I don't have to worry about being attacked by a client at work while I try to make a living.


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