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'Daylight robbery': Rogue Auckland taxi driver charges customer twice during 3km journey

Author
Benjamin Plummer,
Publish Date
Wed, 27 Nov 2024, 9:44am
A single Christchurch mother-of-three says she was charged twice for a total of $270 during a 3km Auckland taxi ride - including a “card activation fee” of almost $200. Photo / 九一星空无限
A single Christchurch mother-of-three says she was charged twice for a total of $270 during a 3km Auckland taxi ride - including a 鈥渃ard activation fee鈥� of almost $200. Photo / 九一星空无限

'Daylight robbery': Rogue Auckland taxi driver charges customer twice during 3km journey

Author
Benjamin Plummer,
Publish Date
Wed, 27 Nov 2024, 9:44am
  • Auckland taxi company 鈥淣orthland Cabs Papakura鈥� is accused of overcharging customers after a Coldplay concert. 
  • Christchurch mother Lydia was charged $270.82 for a 3km ride, including a $195.80 鈥渃ard activation fee鈥�. 
  • Northland Taxi Shuttles & Tours say they receive 鈥渨eekly鈥� calls from confused customers mistaking it for the rogue company. 

Another rogue Auckland taxi company is under fire for allegedly fleecing at least two customers after a sold-out Coldplay concert 鈥� in one instance charging a tourist twice for a 3km trip, including a 鈥渃ard activation fee鈥� of almost $200. 

And a Northland taxi company has said they receive calls from disgruntled customers on a 鈥渨eekly basis鈥� who mistake their services with that of the dubious Auckland firm. 

A single Christchurch mother-of-three Lydia told the Herald she felt 鈥渧ery vulnerable鈥� after checking her bank account the following morning to see she had been charged twice, paying a total of $270.82 to taxi company 鈥淣orthland Cabs Papakura鈥�. 

But after over a week of searching, no record of the company could be found online 鈥� and the company鈥檚 supposed GST number on a receipt she received is not registered to any business. 

Lydia travelled to Auckland with her daughter for the second Coldplay concert at Eden Park on Friday, November 15. After the concert, the pair walked to New North Rd in Kingsland hoping to catch a bus, but they had finished for the night. 

As a 鈥渓ast resort鈥�, Lydia and her daughter got in a taxi after their phones wouldn鈥檛 connect to the Uber app. They were only travelling 3km up the road to the Mt Albert Motor Lodge where they were staying for the night. 

鈥淏efore we took off he said that he just needed to verify my card was working [with a fee] and I was thinking it would only be $1 or something,鈥� she said. 

After the short journey Lydia was again asked to present her card and pay for the ride. 

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think anything of it. I asked for a receipt because I always get one, especially when I鈥檓 away,鈥� she said. 

鈥淲hen we got into our motel I looked at the receipt and saw $75. I just thought what an asshole ... even that is daylight robbery.鈥� 

Lydia said she only received one receipt for the taxi ride - and that the charge of $75 for a 3km journey was 'daylight robbery' in itself.Lydia said she only received one receipt for the taxi ride - and that the charge of $75 for a 3km journey was 'daylight robbery' in itself. 

After checking her bank account the next morning, she saw Northland Cabs Papakura had charged her a further $195.80, which she believes was a 'card activation fee'.After checking her bank account the next morning, she saw Northland Cabs Papakura had charged her a further $195.80, which she believes was a 'card activation fee'. 

But it wasn鈥檛 until the following morning that she realised she had 鈥渘o money left鈥� in her account and saw an additional charge of $195.80 to Northland Cabs Papakura 鈥� which she believes was the 鈥渃ard activation fee鈥� that the driver charged before the trip. 

鈥淭he fact that he took out money before we even got going was insane,鈥� she said. 

Activation fee included, the taxi charged the pair over $90 per km. 

Lydia鈥檚 bank allegedly advised her the taxi driver could be convicted of fraud and recommended she report the incident to police. But police told her they were unable to lay charges and would not open a case without more evidence. 

She described the driver as 鈥渟o lovely鈥� when she and her daughter were in the taxi. 

鈥淗e was super chatty, my daughter was talking to him, he was asking where we were from and what we were doing and he was telling us about his wife and stuff. 

鈥淗e just seemed like a really genuine person and just to have that happen, it just fg sucks.鈥� 

Lydia said she felt like she had 鈥渇ully let my daughter down鈥� with their trip to Auckland. 

鈥淚 already suffer from severe anxiety so it just really sucks. I just hope that everybody can get their money back and this guy can be brought to some sort of justice.鈥� 

Asked if Lydia would ever catch a taxi again, she said she would 鈥渞ather hike in the rain鈥�. 

鈥淚t just puts a really bad name on taxis.鈥� 

鈥業 want my money back鈥�: Driver agrees to $16 cash fare, charges $176 on eftpos 

Just hours after Lydia was fleeced, a woman from the top of the South Island says she was 鈥渞ipped off鈥� by the same company, and potentially the same driver. 

The woman, who didn鈥檛 wish to be named, told the Herald she and her husband had been at a bar in Kingsland in the early hours of the morning after the Coldplay concert and were about to call an Uber on New North Rd back to their hotel in Newmarket. 

An unmarked taxi pulled up next to them, and allegedly called out 鈥淚鈥檒l take you, I鈥檒l take you鈥�. The couple initially declined because taxi prices were 鈥渢oo expensive鈥� before saying they would only pay $16 cash for the approximate 3km ride, which the driver allegedly agreed to. 

鈥淲e had the best yarns with this guy, he was really super nice,鈥� the woman said. 

But when they arrived at their destination in Newmarket, the couple realised they didn鈥檛 have any cash. 鈥淭he guy said, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 okay, we鈥檝e got eftpos鈥�, so my husband just got out his card, payWaved it, all good鈥�. 

The next morning the couple checked their bank account to see a charge of $176, paid to Northland Cabs Papakura 鈥� $160 more than the agreed-upon fare. 

Another South Island couple were charged $176 by Northland Cabs Papakura after the taxi driver allegedly agreed to a fare of $16 cash.Another South Island couple were charged $176 by Northland Cabs Papakura after the taxi driver allegedly agreed to a fare of $16 cash. 

鈥淏eing nice people, we thought this guy had made a mistake and obviously pushed the wrong button somewhere along the way, so we decided we鈥檇 just give him a call and straighten this out,鈥� the woman said. 

The couple began Googling Northland Cabs Papakura, but the company didn鈥檛 come up. They instead called a Northland taxi company who said they 鈥減robably get one call a week about the same problem鈥�. 

鈥淪o we were like, 鈥極h s**t, it鈥檚 not just a mistake from the company, we鈥檝e actually been ripped off鈥�,鈥� the woman said. 

鈥淚t was a big mission for us to get to Auckland for a concert and then we wake up to a s**t thing like that happening ... I want my money back. 

鈥淚 have a positive outlook, I like to think the best of people. I鈥檓 just gutted.鈥� 

The woman said she contacted her bank who said they were unable to help because she didn鈥檛 have a receipt. 

鈥楩rustrating鈥�: Northland taxi company receives calls on 鈥榳eekly basis鈥� from customers confusing name 

The first search result on Google when the term 鈥淣orthland Cabs Papakura鈥� is searched is a Northland-based company named Northland Taxi Shuttles & Tours. 

A Northland Taxi Shuttles & Tours spokesperson told the Herald they received calls about the dodgy Auckland taxi company on a 鈥渨eekly basis鈥�. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 people confusing our name with Northland Cabs Papakura. It鈥檚 quite frustrating, but most people are pretty understanding when they know it isn鈥檛 us.鈥� 

Asked when calls generally came through, the spokesman said 鈥渋t鈥檚 more of a weekend event鈥�. 

鈥淭hey seem to target large events in my opinion.鈥� 

A Commerce Commission spokesperson said they had not received any inquiries about Northland Cabs Papakura 鈥� but noted that the company may trade under multiple names. 

A New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) spokesperson said it had received 27 complaints or notifications in relation to fares of small passenger services to November 19 this year 鈥� 12 of which were in the Upper North Island region. 

The spokesperson said this number did not include any complaints that would have come through directly to its contact centre. 

鈥淚f small passenger customers think the fare their driver charged was too high, even if it was a fare on the basis agreed, you can make a claim to the Disputes Tribunal.鈥� 

Information on complaining to NZTA about small passenger services is available here. 

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022. 

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