Why is Uber in HK so useless

[TheBrit]

I've had more good experiences than bad with Uber. The most annoying thing is when you see several close by Ubers, and you request one but then the assigned car is much further away.

Drivers are generally less knowledgeable about the roads than red taxi drivers but the difference doesn't seem to be huge.

Out of several dozen trips I've only had two clueless drivers who couldn't work out how to pick me up. Uber automatically refunded both cancellation fees when I hit the complain button in their app.

[Elegiaque]

This has all recently been hashed out on another thread.... I think especially on HK Island it doesn't work as well as the taxis and costs more.

[Blue88]

The app tells then where to pick u up and where to go.

There should be no need for any interaction.

think you need to try being picked up in and around the IFC more!

[alexdown]

As the GPS in Hong Kong not works very well, it is very important to guide a unfamilar driver in his language.

If GPS doesn't work is his problem, not mine.
I select very carefully the pickup point on the map. Driver can look at the map, see where I am, and go there. Doesn't need to rely on the GPS's help.
If he's clueless and can't go around the city, change job.

[alexdown]

as i said earlier. i use UBER almost daily and do not encounter any problem. so, it's not my problem, it is yours.

I said *his*, the driver's, not *yours*.
Ah, English!

[HK_Katherine]

If GPS doesn't work is his problem, not mine.
I select very carefully the pickup point on the map. Driver can look at the map, see where I am, and go there. Doesn't need to rely on the GPS's help.
If he's clueless and can't go around the city, change job.

I've yet to meet a Chinese person who can understand a map. I find it pretty strange, but I think its cultural. IT might explain a lot.

[East_coast]

Not enough cars and too often surge pricing.

The last few times I have looked to take Uber the pricing has been 1.8x or over with limited choices of cars and 15 minutes wait. This is not a premium service....

Perhaps if they upped the usual fare to more than a Taxi they would get more drivers and more customers. Not knowing if you can rely on Uber is the most annoying part of their service, the rest is pretty good.

[bargfeldstegen]

Not enough cars and too often surge pricing.

The last few times I have looked to take Uber the pricing has been 1.8x or over with limited choices of cars and 15 minutes wait. This is not a premium service....

Perhaps if they upped the usual fare to more than a Taxi they would get more drivers and more customers. Not knowing if you can rely on Uber is the most annoying part of their service, the rest is pretty good.

Agree, if you NEED to be somewhere at a specific time, better don't use them. It's like a lottery sometimes.

[lovehunter]

Uber drivers can't trick the system to accept your fare before they've finished a trip. The fares are automatically assigned by Uber and drivers don't see your destination until the trip has started so they won't refuse the fare.

Never had a problem with Uber in HK so far.

But they do start the trip even before arriving... This guy started the trip 5 min before arriving and that too on the wrong side of the street.

[TheBrit]

I suspect that if you report that to Uber, it won't be a recurring issue.