FreeNow (MyTaxi) will now charge you for canceling a trip
Watch out if you usually order taxis through the FreeNow app (formerly known as MyTaxi): now you can be charged to cancel the trip. An action that many users can dismiss as unfair but that the Taxi company defends by arguing losses in fuel and working time of the driver due to the request and subsequent cancellation of the trip. This change in the contract conditions has appeared in the updated terms of the application, which have been sent to the users of the app through an email
It states that “If your driver arrives at the pick-up location and you are not there, he will wait and try to call you. Finally, if he doesn't manage to contact you, the driver will cancel your trip. In this case, the cancellation could also entail a cost for you. And how does that 'assume' translate? In what situations will you be charged the cost of cancellation?
Cancellation fee after the taxi driver has accepted your journey
If you want to cancel the request for a taxi trip and two or more minutes have passed since the driver accepted it and if the driver has traveled a distance equal to or greater than 150 meters On the way to your collection, you will be charged a total amount of 5 euros. Likewise, if the taxi is less than 100 meters from your pick-up site, you will also be charged five euros.
Cancellation fee after the driver's arrival at the pick-up point
If the taxi arrives at the agreed pick-up point and in the following 5 minutes the user does not show up, the driver will have the right to cancel the trip and you will be charged the five euros corresponding to the cancellation.
Cancellation cost if your only payment method entered in the App is cash
As with Uber in certain countries, the FreeNow application (MyTaxi) allows you to pay cash for the taxi ride, in case you do not trust entering your bank details in an application that connects to the Internet. In the event that you have requested payment in cash and some of the above cases apply, the five euros for the cancellation will be charged directly to your bank card. If it were not possible to make the payment, the account could be totally suspended until the payment of the sanction is made effective.
What if the user proves that the reason for canceling is a 'compelling reason'?
If you believe that you have been charged for the cancellation for an unjustified reason and you have seen yourself obliged to do so, you can claim the amount of five euros at the FreeNow customer service email address
The reasons that the application uses to start charging the cancellation are simple, as indicated in its terms and conditions.
« Our drivers are looking forward to offering you excellent service. If you cancel a trip, they may already be on their way to you and waste time, fuel, and cancel other trips. We want to maintain a high quality of service for you and our happy drivers.»
So now you know, if you are a FreeNow user, from now on canceling a trip can be a bit expensive. Think about it before hiring one.
