{"id":683,"date":"2012-08-09T00:29:20","date_gmt":"2012-08-09T00:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/?p=683"},"modified":"2020-01-17T11:26:54","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T16:26:54","slug":"how-to-resolve-a-taxi-fare-dispute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/2012\/08\/09\/how-to-resolve-a-taxi-fare-dispute\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Resolve a Taxi Fare Dispute"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the moment when your taxi driver gives you the final price<\/a> for your cab ride, and it is significantly higher than you expected.\u00a0 It is hard to not instantly get angry and overreact, convincing yourself that the driver is attempting a scam.\u00a0 However, in a fare dispute, it is essential to stay calm and polite and attempt to understand the reason for the charges.<\/p>\n

Many taxi fare disputes can be attributed to the fact that there are various charges that can be incurred during a taxi ride and how they are not publicized and common knowledge. Such charges include: flag drop, per mile charge, wait time, toll charges, airport fees, and others. Many of these costs are not even added to the total until the very end of a ride, so oftentimes, it appears you are being charged excessively and unfairly. \u00a0Many taxis post the taxi rates, fees, and sample fares; however, they are often not standardized, calculations are complex with various factors, and through unfamiliar streets, figuring it out is quite a challenge.<\/p>\n

So, what to do when in the middle of a fare dispute?\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ask for a receipt, right away<\/strong>.\u00a0 Taxis are required by law to produce a receipt when requested.\u00a0 This will display the initial fare, metered fare, tolls and any additional fees incurred during your ride.\u00a0 \u00a0With the receipt, you should be able to identify where you could have been overcharged or where you were fairly charged but unaware.<\/p>\n

Collect all information.<\/strong> If the taxi driver cannot or will not produce a receipt that itemizes charges, then you may have a problem. However, remain calm, you can still help yourself. At this point, it is important to collect and record as many details as possible. Document the cab company, cab vehicle number, the name of the cab driver, and the medallion or license number. (Most of these information can be found on the dash of the car.) Also, write down the date, time, and beginning and ending addresses of your trip. If you happen to have a camera accessible, take a picture of the final meter as well as the license number; these will both extremely useful for the authorities to determine legality and fairness in the situation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

All of these details will make your case stronger when reporting to authorities later.\u00a0 After this is completed, use your judgment as to what the next step should be.\u00a0 If it seems as though you will have to pay the fare to exit the situation, try to pay with a credit card, as this will leave proof of payment.\u00a0 If possible, exchange personal information, name and phone number, as you would in a car accident, and then pay the fare.\u00a0 Paying with cash is risky because it is unlikely that payment can be reversed or even proven, but safety comes first and paying the fare may ensure this.\u00a0\u00a0 If at any point during this process you feel uncomfortable or threatened, step out of the cab and ask the driver to do the same.\u00a0 Freedom from the enclosed space may be beneficial for both of you.<\/p>\n

Talk about it: to <\/strong>everyone! <\/strong>Now it is time to take matters into your own hands.\u00a0 Contact the taxi commission first: you can find your city\u2019s commission easily online by performing a general search.\u00a0 Some examples of taxi authorities are: the NYC Taxi Commission, www.nyc.gov\/tlc<\/a>, and the Boston Police Commissioner, http:\/\/www.cityofboston.gov\/police\/taxi.asp<\/a>. \u00a0In most regions, taxi drivers operate under their own professional licenses; use his license number to report the individual driver to the commission. The taxi commission in each city has control over the status and good-standing of each driver and has the power to ticket, penalize, suspend, and revoke the licenses of cab drivers.\u00a0 Taxi drivers take this authority seriously, so it is your best shot at some sort of resolution.<\/p>\n

If the taxi operates under an organized company, contact them too. \u00a0Utilize social media if you must: post your complaint on the company\u2019s Facebook wall or tweet at the company. \u00a0There are plenty of forums online to share your story and discover if anyone else has had the same experience.\u00a0 There is even a mobile app called Report a Taxi<\/a> to submit grievances to the Taxi Commission.<\/p>\n

Get the police involved.<\/strong>\u00a0 If you are still unhappy with the situation, call the local police and report the incident.\u00a0 Report the incident using all the details recorded and be confident and clear when explaining the situation.<\/p>\n

Few more tips.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0final piece of advice is to ask the driver for an estimated fare before beginning your trip; this will provide a frame of reference.\u00a0 Do this in addition to using taxi tools, such as the TaxiFareFinder<\/a> mobile app, where you can retrieve a fare estimation of a trip quickly on your smart phone and the situation could be avoided completely.\u00a0 Just remember: give the driver the benefit of the doubt and a chance to explain the charges, but if you truly disagree with the fare, stand up for yourself!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the moment when your taxi driver gives you the final price for your cab ride, and it is significantly higher than you expected.\u00a0 It is hard to not instantly get angry and overreact, convincing yourself that the driver is attempting a scam.\u00a0 However, in a fare dispute, it is essential to stay calm and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=683"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5917,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions\/5917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxifarefinder.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}