SINGAPORE: A first-time visitor to Singapore asked in a Reddit post if they had got scammed when they booked a ride from the airport to their hotel. Their driver appears to have engaged in unethical behaviour. The post author claims the driver not only asked for a sizeable tip but also gave himself a high rating by taking the post author’s phone from them.
In a post on r/Ask Singapore on Thursday (Jan 9), u/rrrreddithasridges wrote that they had called for a six-seater GrabCar from the airport since they had six pieces of luggage. They claimed that the problems started even before the driver arrived, as they were charged a $3 fee when the driver claimed he had arrived but actually hadn’t.
The driver seemed shocked by the number of luggage items the post author and their companion had and said they should have booked GrabCar Premium, which is more spacious. However, the driver said he would help them if they gave him a $20 tip, an amount the post author found pricey, as the ride was only supposed to cost $35. But at that point, their suitcases were already loaded in the car.
And when they got into the car, the driver said he would “help” them — and proceeded to take their phone from them to give himself a five-star rating along with a $20 tip.
The post author asked if they should report the incident to Grab, asking if they had been in the wrong because they arrived with too many suitcases.
Commenters overwhelmingly urged the post author to report the matter to Grab, with one saying that the company takes these types of complaints seriously. Others wrote that the post author should report the incident to the police or to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
“This is not a scam, it’s basically a crime. He took your phone and paid himself,” a Reddit user wrote bluntly.
After the post author complained to Grab, they were given a $20 refund. They added in an edit to the post that they also reported the driver to Singapore’s tourism board.
“I appreciate all of your feedback, and am not letting this ruin our trip – Singapore is beautiful so far,” they wrote, adding a warning to first-time visitors to be vigilant.
The Independent Singapore has reached out to Grab for further comment or updates. /TISG