Watch out for these common taxi scams…

Here is a checklist of some common taxi scams and things to do and things to avoid when traveling outstation or long-distance by taxi in India.

• Taxi meter broken  When traveling within the city, drivers will either refuse to use the taxi meter or claim that its broken. At the end of the they will try to charge you higher than what the fare should have been if you paid by meter. Use a service that either bills you by meter or has published fares. If you are going to be driving aroiund town a lot, you may be better of renting a chauffeur-driven car for the day. Gozo can help you with this.
• Lack of pricing transparency ..or bait and switch pricing
  Many customers, even locals fall into this trap. When traveling intercity, you may be quoted the lowest price on a per km basis but later a variety of charges, including toll, taxes etc are piled on to your bill. Insist on getting clarity on what the final bill will cost.At Gozo we believe in 100% pricing transparency. At the time you make the reservation, your confirmation clearly spells out the included kms for your trip, the base fare, expected tolls/taxes etc and the per km charges if you were to drive extra on your trip. More so, we also call out if and when parking charges are included for your trip. All inclusions and exclusions are explicitly called out on your confirmation email.
• Odometer scamWhen traveling long distance you are expected to pay for the number of kms travelled. In many a cases an unscrupulous driver might try to scam you by charging you for extra kms. Always insist that the driver reset the trip odometer at the start of the trip.
  Double check the odometer reading… Make sure you check if you read Odometer A or Odometer B. Or even better, get them to reset both the trip odometers (most cars have a Trip A and a Trip B). At the end of the trip, you can now trust the odometer reading.A common scam is where the driver resets one of the Trip odometers (Trip B) well before your pickup and then resets the other one (Trip A) at the start of your trip. And the end of the trip they would show you the one reading the higher value and get you to pay for more kms than what you travelled.
• Cancellation charges
  Plans do change. So please get clarity on what cancellation charges you would have to pay if you do cancel your reservation. At Gozo, our cancellation policy is clearly spelled out on your confirmation.
• Be careful with your luggage
  Make sure all your pieces are loaded in the car before you take a seat else you may be risking arriving without a piece of luggage
• Timely service
  If you are making a reservation for a trip, then you expect the car to show up on time and get you on our way. Ensure that you have confirmed service with a dependable provider. At Gozo, we require our customers to reconfirm their trips so as to avoid last minute cancellations. A trip can be guaranteed by paying 15% advance or by reconfirming when we email/call to reconfirm your travel plans.
• Lost or forgotten items  Always check for your belongings and keep and eye on them. When leaving the vehicle, make sure you take everything you arrived with.
• Do you get roadside assistance?
  Breakdowns can happen on a long distance journey. You need to know that your provider can arrange for a replacement car to get you on your way without losing time or messing up your plans.Our premium tier of services include a provision for road-side assistance (thats explicitly called out in your confirmation if your purchase includes road-side assistance)
• Licensed & Insured cabs
  In life you get what you pay for… Most providers offering cheap quotes tend to cut corners on their service. It is illegal to use a private vehicle for hired transportation of passengers in India. Only commercially licensed taxis which carry the pre-requisite insurance and permits are considered a legal taxi transport. Always ensure that before you board a taxi, the vehicle license plate has YELLOW letters on a black license plate.
• Well maintained vehicles
  It is important that you know that your taxi is well maintained and taken care of. In the rainy season windshield wipers, tires with a good tread etc are of utmost importance. Gozo’s taxi inspection and approval process checks for these items and our field teams conduct inspections on the taxis’ on a periodic basis.
• Avoid Sightseeing offer or local shopping recommendations
  Unless you have purchased sight-seeing as part of your purchase contract, avoid an offer from the driver to take you sight-seeing for cheap or sometimes even free.

  Never fall for this age-old trick. On the way, typically the driver makes small talk in an effort to win you over. Once he has your confidence, the driver suggests a pit stop at a recommended restaurant or shop. Even if the passenger resists, the driver may encourage a stop to “just take a look.” The next thing you know you are being pressured to buy something (generally overpriced and one in which the driver will be making a cut). If you find yourself in this situation, mention that a local friend is meeting you at your destination and you cannot be late. Act like you are familiar with the area to avoid unwanted suggestions.

• Working Air conditioning in the vehicle
  Most taxi drivers in India will turn off the AC when driving on hilly areas to prevent overheating of the vehicle. Outside of hilly areas, the AC can be used at all times.
• To avoid the above issues book with a dependable provider like Gozo
  Taxi operators working with Gozo, depend on Gozo to receive business on an ongoing basis. This gives us leverage with them to ensure that customers are treated fairly. Our drivers and operators will generally act in the best interest of the customer – we all want you to come back as a repeat customer.
  In addition, in the event there is an issue on the trip – a flat tire, an item you left behind we have a way to contact the driver and have them arrange for your item be returned. We believe firmly that people are generally honest and by treating our customers and operators well we are able to create a friendly environment that encourages more travel across India.