Where was UBER when I needed them?

 

NOT in Austin, Texas. Austin drove them out of town, a-p-p-a-r-e-n-t-l-y.  Uber left because they didn't want to pay fees imposed by that city.  In the wake of Uber's departure,  all kinds of knockoffs have popped up with names like Fasten and Wingz.

 

I needed a lift to the airport at 4:30 am.  I DID NOT want my gracious hosts to drive me. They were exhausted after the magical, fairy tale wedding of their daughter, and they needed their rest.

 

I had heard on the wedding guest grapevine that "Fasten" could get me to the airport, plus they had a promo code online for $20.00. I am a TOTAL frugalista, and that $20 savings was what prompted me to download their app, and pre-book my departure by 48 hours.  A) I like to be prepared.  b) I am NOT a last minute kind of gal.  C) I like to save money. 

 

I thought I was pre-booking, when I put in my address, waiting for the screen to ask me the date and time I needed the taxi. I totally ignored that tiny, flashing rectangle at the bottom of the map, reading "real time".  The next thing I know, I get a  phone call.  A man informs me that he is waiting outside to take me to the airport. WTH? I sneak a look outside, and sure enough, there is a car parked in front of the house.  I inform him that I am trying to pre-book. He tells that I need to contact Fasten and ask them about that, because he doesn't know about pre-bookings.  He also tells me that I need to cancel this request (which I didn't realize I was making!), or I will be charged a $5 US fee.  I thank him, hang up, but too late to find that cancel link.  So (KA-CHING!)  $5 US!

 

Not deterred one bit, I send Fasten a request about pre-booking.  However, instead of leaving it at that, I go back in the app, trying to understand it better, when lo and behold, I get ANOTHER phone call. There is ANOTHER driver outside waiting to take me to the airport.  This time I run outside , (B-I-G  M-I-S-T-A-KE), only to encounter a woman driver who is now upset when I explain that I did NOT want a drive now, but in two days.   She starts lamenting about how long it took her to get to my address, yada, yada, yada.  It couldn't have been that long! The other guy was there just 10 minutes ago, if that.  She is like a dog with a bone.  I am pretty frazzled by now, so I tell her to wait a second. I run back in the house, get (KA-CHING!) $10 US, out of my wallet, and hand it over to her, with my apologies, so she will STOP complaining.  I miss out on the timeframe to cancel this SECOND inadvertent request on my app, so BINGO, I am charged (KA-CHING!) another $5 US!

 

Now Madame, mollified by the $10, (need I repeat US funds), wants to chat about her cousin in Montreal who invented 3-D animation.  I just want to get rid of her. This is turning into a nightmare.  It's 40 degrees outside and she wants to be a friendly Chatty Kathy now?

 

She finally drives away, and I scoot back inside. I immediately remove the Fasten app.  I also receive numerous emails from them about those cancellation charges, and an answer to my request about pre-booking. They don't do, but will pass on the request to their "product" department.  I should have known that before I got into this mess. Mea culpa!

 

Did I learn a lesson from ALL this?  Not daunted in the least, I now download the Wingz app and easily pre-book a drive to the airport.  I get a confirmation text from my driver, along with a notice from Wingz that I have been charged (KA-CHING!) $32 US.

 

I have now spent (KA-CHING!) a total of $52 US, and I HAVEN'T EVEN LEFT for the airport YET! 

 

Add the (KA-CHING!), $5 US tip I gave Valerie (my real, final driver) for a grand total (KA-CHING!) of $57 US to get to the airport. It's not really about the money by this point.  Honest! It's about the AGGRAVATION at the time!!! 

 

Another lesson learned. MANY, actually.  Do your homework.  Don't be so impetuous. Don't always try to save money.  Sometimes you just end up spending more. :) 

 

Hey... I felt a blog coming on the minute that Chatty Kathy told me she had a cousin in Montreal.