A young woman shared the frustrating moment she realized she had been scammed by a taxi driver traveling from one of the country’s largest airports.
Brooke Marsh is warning others to remain alert after she says she was taken to an unmarked vehicle after landing at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport from the Sunshine Coast on May 29.
The 22-year-old, who was admittedly sleep-deprived, said she was walking down the escalator when an “attractive man” called her.
Brooke Marsh, 22, claims she was taken to an unmarked vehicle after landing at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport from the Sunshine Coast on May 29.
“I was coming down the escalator and I was just looking around, I probably would have looked a little lost.” And then this nice man came up to me and said, ‘Oh, do you need a taxi?'” he recalled.
Approaching the Mercedes, which was not parked at the taxi rank, Ms. Marsh noticed that the passenger side door and trunk were already open, a detail she later suspected was perhaps an intentional move to prevent her from seeing the tuition.
“As soon as I got to his car I asked him the price of the fare (and) he explained it would be 2.80p/km – completely fine, I was only going 21km,” he wrote on Reddit.
That fee would put the rate around $60.
“He mentioned that he owned the company and that he had a private fleet of 10 cars.”
Intending to travel just 21 kilometers at a rate of 2.80 pence per kilometer, Mrs Marsh was happy that the rate was less than $60. But upon arriving at his destination, the man showed a terminal displaying $108.
Marsh admitted he was worried something sinister would happen if he refused the “overloaded” payment.
“On the way to the destination, he asked me if I needed a ride back when my trip was over, so I agreed and he sent me a confirmation text, which is how I got his number,” he added.
At the destination, the driver, who had introduced himself as “Eddie,” pulled out the payment terminal and $108 flashed on the screen.
“I didn’t want to say anything because it was just me in the car… I was mad at myself, we learn when we’re older not to get in a car with a stranger,” she said. yahoo news.
“But at that moment I just wanted to get out of the situation.”
He paid, took the receipt, which had “GM Taxipay” written on the top (a mobile payment terminal designed specifically for taxi drivers), and jumped out of the car.
Marsh admitted he was worried something sinister would happen if he refused payment.
The traveler subsequently messaged ‘Eddie’ to ask the cost of the trip, who justified the fare by stating that he worked for Silver Services, a premium taxi service offered by 13Cabs.
Ms Marsh was told the man’s driver identification number did not exist after contacting 13Cabs for help.
This contradicts previous claims that he owned his own taxi service business.
According to 13Cabs, Silver Service rates are exactly the same as regular services with a variation in booking rates by state.
After contacting 13Cabs for help, Ms Marsh was told the man’s driver identification number did not exist.
She believes he works for GM Cabs, which charges $2.19 per kilometer, and overcharged her “vastly.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted GM Cabs for comment.
The traveler subsequently messaged ‘Eddie’ to ask about the cost of the trip, who justified the high cost by stating that he worked for Silver Services, a premium taxi service offered by 13Cabs.
The man declined to reveal the name of the company he works for and said he does not remember the interaction with Ms. Marsh.
Yahoo spoke to the man who claims GM Cabs is not the name of his company but the name of his vehicle’s payment terminal.
He declined to reveal the name of the company he works for and told Yahoo that he does not remember the interaction with Ms. Marsh.
The driver’s ABN number was also not valid.
Ms Marsh has since contacted Safe Transport Victoria.