Recently, a young woman, Isabella, reminded Australians to be wary of ride-hailing "scams".
According to Australian media reports on October 9, things start with the concert of Canada singer The Weeknd held at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Monday night. After the concert, Isabella and three friends hailed a Didi ride-hailing ride from Richmond to Prahan. It was supposed to be an ordinary trip, but subsequent developments left Isabella in trouble.
On Tuesday morning, Isabella received a message from Didi's ride-hailing company that she had been charged $150 for a "severely dirty" cleaning fee.
The text message explained: "Unfortunately, the driver's vehicle was soiled or damaged and needed to be cleaned. Based on the attestation information provided by the driver, we charge a cleaning fee of AUD 150 to help the driver clean up the car so that it can be reused. ”
It is understood that passengers are charged this fee when there is a serious mess, stain, or spilled liquid.
But Isabella insists that she and her friends haven't done anything that would cause the car to mess up. "We were in our right minds, we didn't carry food or drink, nothing."
Isabella recalled. Her initial fare was $19.36, which ballooned to $169.36 with this cleaning fee.
In order to appeal this unreasonable fee, Isabella did everything she could. She tried to send messages to Didi via email, phone, and apps like Instagram and TikTok, but received no response.
"I've been trying to appeal all day, but this app can only see FAQs, and I can't choose a specific reason." Isabella said helplessly. She even went to great lengths to find people who worked at Didi on LinkedIn and text them.
Isabella also revealed that her friend overheard the driver laughing at them in the car. "My friend speaks Hindi and he heard the driver say things like insults to us while driving on the phone."
This is not an isolated case, and some netizens said that they have encountered similar problems.
One netizen said: "I also had the exact same experience, this is the most infuriating thing! In addition to the $150, they went the wrong way, resulting in an increase of $25 to our original $75 fare. ”
Another wrote: "That's why I think all Didi ride-hailing vehicles need internal cameras, and that's to keep us and them safe." Dash cams in both front and rear directions should also be mandatory. ”
Another suggestion: "Try to file an objection with the bank." They had to prove the existence of the damage, but apparently they couldn't. ”
Ride-hailing is supposed to provide a convenient way for people to get around, but this "cleaning fee" controversy has left passengers dissatisfied and uneasy.
Did the passenger really dirty the vehicle, or did the driver do it on purpose? Should DiDi be more transparent and impartial in dealing with such issues?
The car thief was shot and subdued by police officers on the streets of Sydney, and one person was reported to have died
Meanwhile, in Sydney, a police shooting has also raised concerns. Last Friday, police were called to find a stolen car on Lane St in the Wentworthville borough.
The stolen white Mercedes SUV belonged to the husband of Penrith Councillor Karen McKeown, who was overseas at the time. The car's GPS tracking system showed the car's location, so police rushed to the scene after McKeown called the police.
When police entered the underground parking lot of a unit building in the district, stolen vehicles rushed towards them. This dangerous move prompted three officers to open fire. A 26-year-old driver and a 34-year-old passenger in the car were shot. Officers administered first aid to the two injured until NSW ambulance paramedics arrived at the scene and took the injured man to Westmead Hospital.
It is learnt that one of the men was in critical condition due to a gunshot in the neck, while the other man suffered a serious but stable thigh injury. In order to investigate the specifics of this case, the Homicide Unit of the State Crime Command has established a Major Incident Investigation Team with the assistance of the Southwest Metropolitan Area Police, which is subject to a separate independent review.