My 15 Cents Worth

[Rat Catcher]

Got another reply from the depot:

Hi Stephen,
 
Thanks for your response.
 
I'm really sorry to hear that the passenger left without paying you. We don't tolerate this behaviour at all.
 
Unfortunately, we're unable to charge the user's card after the trip has taken place to recover payment, but I've taken the necessary measures internally to prevent this from happening again.
 
Inside the trip details, you can block this passenger to ensure that you don't longer receive their requests.
 
On this occasion I've adjusted the service fare for this service. In the future I recommend you always double check the payment screen and only tap on the 'Payment received' option once you've collected it fully, otherwise, you can still selecting 'Switch to app payment'. If this is successful, FREENOW will charge the amount on your behalf. Find out more information on our Help Centre.
 
If you need further help, please don't hesitate to write us back.
 
Have a great day!



To which I have replied:

Hi *****,

Thank you for your reply.

The internal measures you mention is rather intriguing. I’d be obliged if you could explain the same in more detail.

I did double, triple and (dare I say it) quadruple check the fare entered before pressing the button. Alas, the app wouldn’t permit any fare entry below €1.00 hence it is impossible to enter the correct fare as you suggest when the amount received is €0.00. If there is some method of entering €0.00 I’d be obliged if you could explain the same.

To switch a payment from cash to card requires confirmation from the client on their app hence is not an option in such circumstances as the client isn’t able or willing to pay.

Your attention to the above is very much appreciated and I look forward to your response.

Regards,

Stephen

[watty]

I wonder if this is still official policy?

[markmiwurdz]

Got another reply from the depot:

Hi Stephen,
 
Thanks for your response.
 
I'm really sorry to hear that the passenger left without paying you. We don't tolerate this behaviour at all.
 
Unfortunately, we're unable to charge the user's card after the trip has taken place to recover payment, but I've taken the necessary measures internally to prevent this from happening again.
 
Inside the trip details, you can block this passenger to ensure that you don't longer receive their requests.
 
On this occasion I've adjusted the service fare for this service. In the future I recommend you always double check the payment screen and only tap on the 'Payment received' option once you've collected it fully, otherwise, you can still selecting 'Switch to app payment'. If this is successful, FREENOW will charge the amount on your behalf. Find out more information on our Help Centre.
 
If you need further help, please don't hesitate to write us back.
 
Have a great day!



To which I have replied:

Hi *****,

Thank you for your reply.

The internal measures you mention is rather intriguing. I’d be obliged if you could explain the same in more detail.

I did double, triple and (dare I say it) quadruple check the fare entered before pressing the button. Alas, the app wouldn’t permit any fare entry below €1.00 hence it is impossible to enter the correct fare as you suggest when the amount received is €0.00. If there is some method of entering €0.00 I’d be obliged if you could explain the same.

To switch a payment from cash to card requires confirmation from the client on their app hence is not an option in such circumstances as the client isn’t able or willing to pay.

Your attention to the above is very much appreciated and I look forward to your response.

Regards,

Stephen

Their "assistance" a chocolate fireguard,change to "app payment"  on a punter without a fukkin washer.

[Rat Catcher]

Got a further response as follows:

Hello Stephen.
 
Thanks for your response.
 
Unfortunately it's not possible to charge €0 for a trip and you need to put a minimum fare of €1. Once this happens, please inform us of the incident and we will manually adjust it so you aren't charged any commission.
 
Changing payment method requires confirmation but it's only recommended to do when the passenger doesn't have cash and wants to pay with card. If it's an incident of a runaway, unfortunately it won't work.
 
We appreciate your feedback and this is vital for us to improve our services and features for drivers.

We also recommend that you take part in our driver surveys and focus groups to help us improve.
 
I apologize for the inconvenience caused.
 
If there is anything else I can assist you with please do not hesitate to let me know.

Best Regards,


To which I have replied:


Hi *****,

Thank you for reaching back to me.

I don’t which to be argumentative but the substance of your response merely repeats what I told you in reply to your initial questionable suggestions. I note that you haven’t expanded on the nature of the “necessary measures internally to prevent this from happening again” you have taken. I would still be interested to know what the same entails.

In any event, I had a broadly similar issue on Friday evening. In respect of the job as per the attached screenshot the correct fare is €0.00 as, due to issues with the client, I opted to terminate the fare on a FOC basis after leg one of an intended multi-leg ride. In this instance the minimum fare the app would allow me input was €3.80 so I entered €3.88 (so it would stick out and jog my somewhat unreliable memory). I’d be obliged if you could edit the same, thereby reversing commission charged on the amount not received.

Another unrelated issue which is proving to be quite frustrating on occasion is the updated limited availability of the “Arrived” button during the course of processing a job. As the button is now geographically restricted I have found it necessary, on encountering inconsistent connectivity, to ask clients if they are paying through the app and, if they are, explain that we must wait for the button to magically enable itself before commencing the ride. Murphy’s law dictates that it only seems to happen on “account” jobs.

Your attention to the above is very much appreciated and I look forward to your response.

Regards,

Stephen.

[Rat Catcher]

Got a very quick reply yesterday:

Hello Stephen.
 
Thanks for your response.
 
This is always escalated to our Driver team who will act accordingly. Due to GDPR, we aren't able to provide information about internal procedures or actions that are taken on the passenger's accounts.
 
We’re currently aware of said issues and are investigating them. We’re also working actively to ensure they are fixed as soon as possible.

We have adjusted this fare so you will not be charged commission.
 
We deeply apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience so far.
 
Best regards,

[silverbullet]

Could we set up a database of runners and all the information associated with them? It might be funny to see FN's reaction when we show the scale of drug abuse their platform is associated with.

[Rat Catcher]

Interestingly I got my €18.60. Not sure if they collected it from the client or paid it as a goodwill gesture but I'm no longer out of pocket either way. Credit where credit is due!




... and it was paid commission free!

[silverbullet]

Interestingly I got my €18.60. Not sure if they collected it from the client or paid it as a goodwill gesture but I'm no longer out of pocket either way. Credit where credit is due!




... and it was paid commission free!

Result.

I hear you picked up a regular of mine from the Mun during the week.

[Rat Catcher]

Result.

Indeed. I only wanted / expected to get my 15c back. Look after the pennies...

I hear you picked up a regular of mine from the Mun during the week.

He's a Free Now / Bolt regular when going to the club in the heart of Coolock of a Monday evening.

[silverbullet]

Result.

Indeed. I only wanted / expected to get my 15c back. Look after the pennies...

I hear you picked up a regular of mine from the Mun during the week.

He's a Free Now / Bolt regular when going to the club in the heart of Coolock of a Monday evening.

His mate goes around the Cromcastle and insists on paying a score. V. generous.

p.s. I've a bunch of HALE ribbons if you want.

[Rat Catcher]

I have the thermal printer, thanks anyway. If the meter's still working I'll take it as a spare if it's otherwise destined for the bin!

[Belker]

....    Hi *****,

Thank you for reaching back to me.

I don’t which to be argumentative but the substance of your response merely repeats what I told you in reply to your initial questionable suggestions. I note that you haven’t expanded on the nature of the “necessary measures internally to prevent this from happening again” you have taken. I would still be interested to know what the same entails.

In any event, I had a broadly similar issue on Friday evening. In respect of the job as per the attached screenshot the correct fare is €0.00 as, due to issues with the client, I opted to terminate the fare on a FOC basis after leg one of an intended multi-leg ride. In this instance the minimum fare the app would allow me input was €3.80 so I entered €3.88 (so it would stick out and jog my somewhat unreliable memory). I’d be obliged if you could edit the same, thereby reversing commission charged on the amount not received.

Another unrelated issue which is proving to be quite frustrating on occasion is the updated limited availability of the “Arrived” button during the course of processing a job. As the button is now geographically restricted I have found it necessary, on encountering inconsistent connectivity, to ask clients if they are paying through the app and, if they are, explain that we must wait for the button to magically enable itself before commencing the ride. Murphy’s law dictates that it only seems to happen on “account” jobs.

Your attention to the above is very much appreciated and I look forward to your response.

Regards,

Stephen.

@ Rat Catcher,

As much as I enjoyed your eloquently put debacle with FN and delighted that you came out on top financially, may I offer you one tiny piece of advice fer the future. Do not put in multiple complaints in one email because by doing so you are giving your opponent the opportunity pick the one that suits them best to answer and ignore the remainder.

On looking back over the FN responses, they actually answered nothing at all unless you consider GDRP to be an answer mingled in with a few auto responses and then they threw the lost fare of €18.60 at you to shut you up.