Scam Artist Cab Drivers

[dani28]

I dont know if this has happened to anybody before, but just thought I'd share. I flagged down a cab yesterday after dinner outside a nice Puerto Madero restaurant and told the cabbie where I wanted to go (a boliche) and told him what route to best take. I could detect than even from the get go we could have problems, as he clearly didnt like that I knew my way around and was instructing him on the quickest route possible, and gave me the ¨what?you dont trust me?¨ schpeal.
Finally when we arrive I give him a 100 and instructed him to round the amount up to get a tip for himself and give me the change from the rounded up estimate. Literally in 3 seconds when I look back up, he goes, ¨Change? You gave me a 10¨ And instead of a 100 peso bill he had a 10 in his hand.
I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt I had given him 100, because I know how much I had left the restaurant with after hving gotten change from my bill, and I am not flighty or was in a state of impaired judgement (IE drunk) I know what happened, he did a bait and switch and probably does this with a lot of foreigners and/or people who are drunk and pockets quite a nice difference doing this every night.

I did not complain, as I felt it best not to argue, and plus it was a single lane road and cars were starting to honk, and simply accepted the fact that I had been ripped off..... Has this ever happened to anybody?

 

[cbphoto]

Probably to just about everyone...

 

[dani28]

It is a very common scam...especially in that area!

I dont believe I had read about that one on here. These damn cab drivers.

 

[PhilipDT]

Yeah, happend a a few times when I first got here but now I'm very vigilant, and very blatantly so, and it's been a year since anyone's tried anything.

Still doesn't beat my all time favorite when I walked from 15 min from my hotel on the bay of naples to the museo di san martin and took a 30 min and 65 Euro taxi ride back to my hotel during which I got a complete tour of all napoleon suburbs because the center was "congested".

 

[dani28]

I'm thinking Im going to be the most annoying cab passenger from now on. Instructing them on which route I prefer them to take AND quoting aloud how much I am giving and holding it out clearly, ¨I'm giving you a FIFTY!¨ etc. LOL

 

[Montrose]

I say the amount I give out loud as I hand the bill over. It might seem rude to the honest cabbies but it protects you from that particular trick so I don't care.

Also, it's good advice to never pay with large bills, ever.

 

[henryb]

I did not complain, as I felt it best not to argue, and plus it was a single lane road and cars were starting to honk, and simply accepted the fact that I had been ripped off

I think you should not leave the taxi until everything is resolved to your satisfaction. Call your friend and read taxi driver information to him. Ask to talk to the police. File a complaint. Even if it will not make any difference after all, you are not supposed to make it to be so easy for him and chicken out just because some cars started to honk. Who cares? While you are in the car he is losing his money.

 

[jp]

Never, ever try and pay for a cab with a 100. Hardly anyone will break a 100, not even honest drivers. Its advisable to ask if them in advance if they can break a 50.

Paying with a 100 at the end of a journey gives you away as a tourist, new to the city, and unaware of the rules. If you pay with a 100 at the end of the journey, you force the cab driver (who won't have change) into a position where he can either scam you, try and explain to you that you need to go to a cash point and get out the right change for him (unlikely to happen), or he can let you leave his cab and hope you go bring him change (even less likely to happen).

Never get into a taxi unless you know you can pay the fare with the right change, failing that always take a company or radio taxi and ask if they can break a bigger note before you get in.

Sucks that it happened, but it should only ever happen to you once.

 

[PhilipDT]

Never, ever try and pay for a cab with a 100. Hardly anyone will break a 100, not even honest drivers. Its advisable to ask if them in advance if they can break a 50.

Paying with a 100 at the end of a journey gives you away as a tourist, new to the city, and unaware of the rules. If you pay with a 100 at the end of the journey, you force the cab driver (who won't have change) into a position where he can either scam you, try and explain to you that you need to go to a cash point and get out the right change for him (unlikely to happen), or he can let you leave his cab and hope you go bring him change (even less likely to happen).

Never get into a taxi unless you know you can pay the fare with the right change, failing that always take a company or radio taxi and ask if they can break a bigger note before you get in.

Sucks that it happened, but it should only ever happen to you once.

I always ask if they have change for a 100 but I've found that these days they almost always do. Thats because what was a 15 peso taxi ride 3 years ago is now a 45 peso taxi ride.