Go-Jek responds after Singapore users charged by no-show drivers

Photo credit: Go-Jek

Several Go-Jek users in Singapore have taken to social media in recent days to complain that they’ve been ripped off by drivers on the platform who don’t show up, but mark the job as complete and collect payment.

A spokesperson for the Indonesian company confirmed to Tech in Asia that it’s “actively looking into a small number of unfulfilled trip charges that have been reported by Go-Jek riders.”

Mothership reports that on January 20, a Go-Jek user named Naomi Hoe claimed in a Facebook post that she had hailed a ride which never turned up – but a fare was deducted from her credit card nonetheless. She included screenshots from the Go-Jek app as evidence of her experience.

Since then, other users have come forward with screenshots that appear to detail similar experiences – in some cases, involving the same driver indicated in Hoe’s post.

In one example, a 16.3 kilometer ride was reported as completed after just 4.5 minutes – a feat which would’ve required the driver to maintain an average speed well over 200 kilometers per hour.

Some affected users have suggested in social media posts that they have been unable to get a response from Go-Jek when they requested refunds, while others have cautioned that riders should pay cash as a safety measure.

However, Go-Jek’s Singapore terms and conditions state that once users add their credit or debit card as their preferred payment method, the ability to remove it “is currently unavailable” and the company is “working on it.”

The Go-Jek spokesperson told Tech in Asia that the company “will be reaching out directly to the riders and driver-partners involved and will ensure that swift and appropriate action is taken to resolve the situation.”

The Jakarta-based unicorn targeted expansion to Singapore as part of a US$500 million regional expansion effort announced in May last year, launching ride-hailing in beta there last November. Initially available only to customers in select areas of the city-state, Go-Jek extended its coverage islandwide from January 2.

Go-Jek simultaneously said it would introduce surge pricing, having avoided it earlier in its beta phase. This approach had allowed it to offer fares half as expensive as those offered by archrival Grab. However, Go-Jek has indicated that it will continue to use promotions codes and vouchers, such as the discounts it has already provided to customers of its strategic partner DBS, in an attempt to attract users away from competing platforms.