Unacceptable Service – Driver Took Our Money and Was Extremely Rude

I had an absolutely terrible experience with this Uber driver, and I feel it’s important to share what happened. This was not just an issue of bad service—it was outright dishonesty, unprofessionalism, and reckless behavior.

From the start, the driver delayed our trip by standing outside and chatting with someone instead of beginning the ride. When we asked him to leave, he ignored us and continued his conversation. Once he finally started driving, he told us he had no fuel and demanded that we pay him cash upfront. Since we needed to get to our destination, we gave him R100 to fill up his tank.

The real issue began when we noticed that he had never actually started the trip on the Uber app. Instead, he kept asking us where we were going, even though the destination was clearly listed. We pointed out that the waiting time was increasing and that we would be unfairly charged. At this point, the driver became aggressive, told us to get out of his car, and initially only offered to return R20 out of the R100 we gave him. When we insisted that he return the full amount, he falsely claimed that Uber would compensate us.

Things escalated further when he called someone, and within minutes, a security/police-like vehicle arrived. After explaining the situation to them, they told the driver that he had to take us to our destination because we had already paid him. This clearly showed that even a neutral third party recognized that he was in the wrong.

On the way, the driver continued to be unprofessional—constantly talking on his phone and even running a red light at Kasselsvlei Road, nearly causing an accident. He only apologized when I got off at my stop, begging me not to report him. But after everything that happened—the verbal abuse, dishonesty, and reckless driving—I knew I had to speak up.

This experience was completely unacceptable. No customer should have to deal with this level of mistreatment. Uber needs to take strict action against such drivers who exploit passengers, put their safety at risk, and then try to cover it up with false accusations.

I strongly advise others to check that the driver has actually started the trip before handing over any money and to report such behavior immediately. This driver should not be allowed to continue working under Uber.