Last week in Athens I handed the taxi driver a €50 plus €20 Euro note to pay the €60 cab fare plus tip.
He accused me of giving him a €10 plus €20 note and I had to make the money up.
Wonder how many times he pulls that trick. Again no point in arguing but it was just not a nice feeling that I’d been scammed.
That’s a nice system. I’ve given up on taxis in cities where rideshare is available, and now consider myself a satisfied Uber/Lyft customer. I always compare prices before committing to one or the other.Airport taxis can get tricky because sometimes there's the fare, plus extra per person over a certain number, plus extra per bag, etc. I like how they did it in San Juan when we were there earlier this year. Someone working at the airport filled out a card that included the fare plus all the extras before you got in the car so you knew what you'd be paying and had the proof that it was all you'd pay.
This is a common trick in a lot of places
They did that to me once in Argentina during a business trip and I learned my lesson.
Happened again to me in France, Mexico and Italy, with taxi drivers and at a restaurant... except I took a picture of me handing the bills without the other person noticing.. shock & embarrassment looks everywhere when trick was attempted.
The lesson is: there's scammers everywhere in the world. Be vigilant, be careful and always, always take pictures.
It was a scam. Asked him how much he pointed at the 15 pounds but not at the per person that was in small letters. When the ride was over that’s when he pointed out the per person.
Yep, this is why alternatives like Uber are becoming so popular. You know the cost ahead of time. Vacationers are prime targets for scammers. Not a great way to start a vacation- feeling ‘had’.