An Australian traveller has warned others not to take taxis at the airport after falling victim to the same scam four times.
Dominic Mich shared a video on social media on Wednesday detailing his bad experience with taxis at Sydney Airport.
“This scam works like this: they let the counter go up,” he explained.
‘The meter is usually fine, but at some point during the trip, before you reach your destination, they push a button on the meter and suddenly the price goes up by $10, $20, $30, or $40.’
Mr Mich and his partner had “practically made it home” on a 15-minute trip last week when their taxi meter went up $20.
“I was keeping an eye on the meter the whole time because of previous experiences,” he said.
‘We arrived at our destination, the fare was $32. I was expecting an airport tax to be added, maybe $2 or $3, but suddenly the fare went up to $57 at the push of a button.
‘This time my partner wanted to talk and asked the taxi driver about it. He said it was the airport toll.’
Dominic Mich (pictured with his partner) claims he has been ripped off four times by Sydney Airport taxi drivers
Mr. Mich also recalled another driver who raised the meter price while he was buying candy from the center console, thus blocking the view of the meter from the back seat.
“I loaded up $30 and tapped it three times. It’s like each tap came with $10,” he said.
‘As this has always happened to me after a very long flight, I haven’t done much about it at the time.
“International tourists will come to Sydney and receive this welcome. What a powerful way to welcome someone to this country.”
Hundreds of Australians shared their own experiences with Sydney Airport taxis and recommended Mr Mich use a ride-sharing platform such as Uber.
“I live in Waterloo, so it was less than a 10-minute drive and cost me $66. I was shocked, but jet lag and exhaustion got the better of me. I will always choose Uber.”
“I was charged $170 for a 35-minute ride. The same ride with Uber cost me $51,” said one.
“I thought I was the only one. I went from Sydney Airport to Freshwater and was charged $180. When I asked why, I was told it was the weekend,” another person added.
“I was charged $30-$40 more than I expected, and so were my colleagues,” said a third.
Mr Mich accused the drivers of manipulating the taximeter during the trip, and at one point added $40 to his fare (pictured: the taxi area outside Terminal 1)
“The last taxi I took in Sydney was from the airport to the W in Darling Harbour and it cost me $80. Pure rip-off,” wrote another.
Sydney Airport provides a rough fare guide for taxi drivers; the estimated cost for a trip into the city is between $45 and $55.
Those heading north to Sydney can expect to pay between $55 and $65.
A trip to Cronulla will cost approximately $75-$85, while a trip to Manly will cost you between $90-$100 each way.
For a trip to Liverpool the cost ranges between 95 and 110 dollars.
An airport toll of $5.45 is required for all passengers (per car) hailing a taxi from any of the Sydney Airport taxi ranks.