Taxi rates. Am I being scammed?

[arvest]

Thanks, folks. In hindsight it seems obvious I got scammed and this post is embarrassing. Oh well, you live and you learn. Thank you for all the tips! Will definitely be taking Ubers from now on, or at least keeping my mouth shut during cab rides...

Ubers are available but much more expensive than Didis in my experiences. Cabs have been honest with me, I never had an issue other than the taxis from the airport which do scam you every chance they get.

 

[Alfred_Arnold]

Semi-topical:

Has anyone tried to call (as in 8 digit public line number) for a taxi in recent times? I did for old times sake, two different companies, sometime around midnight from near the center.

The first number picked up, I said my route, and she said it would take about 45 minutes. The second number did not pick up. From there i forwent the nostalgia, forsook the old days, and used Cabify--which arrived in 3 minutes.

On topic: i remember once or twice having a taxi driver turn on an avenue in the complete opposite direction, to which i spoke up, heard the excuse, and watched him correct his path. I have not had a "rigged meter" or anything of that sort.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

How can you get scammed if it’s on the meter?
Top tip, make sure it’s on the meter…

 

[D.B. Cooper]

How can you get scammed if it’s on the meter?
Top tip, make sure it’s on the meter…

Some meters are "fix" so that they run at faster rate. It's a classic scam. It's kinda hard to fight it.

 

[FrankPintor]

In the almost 7 years I’ve been here I think I’ve been scammed maybe twice, like @Ries. Once with the “paseo millonario” and once with a fiddled meter. If you want to go to provincia, there are options, there are “combi” minibuses to a lot of places, normal “colectivo” bus services as well (though do your research to find the express services, the different letters after the route number have a meaning, and if your lucky you might find a train connection.

 

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Some meters are "fix" so that they run at faster rate. It's a classic scam. It's kinda hard to fight it.

They display the tariff in the taxi so not that hard to fight it?

Anyway I think tampered meters must be a pretty small percentage of the scam most of the time they just don’t put the meter on and then say it’s xxx pesos?
Or am I wrong?
I’ve been scammed with them swapping a 100 peso note and saying it’s a forgery but that’s about it.

 

[PatriotsFan]

Welcome to the Provinces La Mantanza. . Was 2000 pesos last week. This is as of 8/22/24. I do not blame them. Petrol/Gas went up, many fares are not really for long distances. I have not been here for too long but have seen sharp increases across the board, especially in the past 8 months. I have friends in San Telmo and what was frightening is how much their electricity rates increased compared to with other parts of the C.A.B.A. community. I know that their rates increased by over 100% in the past year. As a recent ExPat i can absorb these small (comparatively US Dollar) increases .... but many non US Dollar recipients ( I am retired) are greatly affected/effected / choose your poison, (please no linguistics attacks please) by across the board increases. I know that there are some on this forum that have been here in Argentina for some time and may or may not begin to feel a severe pinch, but to others, think of your friends that you have made here. This is the price of kicking the can down the road. Someone had to make the hard decision of trying to get the Countries finances in order...it just happens to be the current President that made that decision. Policy choices may not be what your options would be but ... this is what we have to contend with and as does the rest of the Country. Let's hope that the Austerity does not last too long (I expect one more year minimum) and that El Pais will be better off in the long run. Yeah there are going to be some that will take advantage of foreigners and this may or may not make them able to get by for another week of petrol. (The topic was about getting screwed for maybe 10,000 pesos)

 

[VincentKMcMahon]

18000 pesos ? How is that even possible is the meter just going crazy? Or if there is no meter either get out immediately or agree on a price upfront. Like others said I have been taking taxis daily for 20 years here and seen 1 rigged meter in this time, after we drove a few blocks I told the driver to let me out. You are having very bad luck

 

[sergio]

In the almost 7 years I’ve been here I think I’ve been scammed maybe twice, like @Ries. Once with the “paseo millonario” and once with a fiddled meter. If you want to go to provincia, there are options, there are “combi” minibuses to a lot of places, normal “colectivo” bus services as well (though do your research to find the express services, the different letters after the route number have a meaning, and if your lucky you might find a train connection.

Combis have limited service. Buses take forever and may not take you close to where you want in the provincia. I tried the train recently on a weekend. A connection was needed. I had to wait ninety minutes for the connecting train. Never again. Not worth it. I'll use Uber.

 

[sergio]

I have a friend who takes the 152 to mashewicz . But she is local, and earns in pesos.
I just dont like the smell in Ubers. Plus, I am an old hippie, socialist, and just feel more comfortable in a bus or regular taxi. But I have to go to Pilar, I take an uber, or I use a taxi app that books in advance with a fixed price. Easier to get a camionetta with a taxi service, too. I use one called Taxi Base 3.0, its a co-op of a few dozen taxis. Worker run and owned...

Since when are taxis for socialist hippies! Sounds bourgeois to me.