An Australian traveller is warning others not to hail taxis at the airport after falling victim to the same scam four times.
Dominic Mich shared a video on social media on Wednesday describing his bad experience with taxis at Sydney Airport.
“This scam works like this: they let the meter run,” he explains.
“The meter generally works fine, but at some point during the trip, before you get to your destination, they push a button on the meter and all of a sudden the price jumps up $10, $20, $30, $40.”
Mr. Mich and his partner were “almost all the way home” from a 15-minute ride last week when their meter went up by $20.
“I kept an eye on the meter all the time, because of previous experience,” he said.
‘We arrived at our destination and the fare was $32. I was expecting there to be an additional airport surcharge, maybe $2 or $3, but then suddenly the fare jumped to $57 with a few taps of a button.
‘My partner was willing to talk this time and questioned the taxi driver about it. He claimed it was the airport toll.’
Dominic Mich (pictured with his partner) claims he has been scammed four times by Sydney Airport taxi drivers
Mr. Mich also recalls another driver who raised the meter price while grabbing a lollipop from the center console, blocking the view of the meter from the back seat.
“Put $30 in there, tapped three times. It’s like there’s $10 in there every time you tap,” he said.
‘Since this always happens after a long flight, I didn’t do much about it at that point.
“International tourists will land in Sydney and feel welcomed. What a shocking way to welcome someone to this country.”
Hundreds of Australians shared their experiences with taxis at Sydney Airport and recommended Mr Mich use a ride-sharing platform such as Uber.
“I live in Waterloo, so less than a 10-minute drive, and he charged me $66. I was shocked. But jet lag and fatigue got the better of me. I’ll always stick with Uber.”
“I was charged $170 for a 35-minute ride. The same ride with Uber was $51,” one person said.
‘I thought I was the only one. I went from Sydney Airport to Freshwater and was charged $180. When I asked why he said because it was the weekend,’ added a second.
“I paid $30-40 more than I expected, and so did my coworkers,” said a third.
Mr. Mich accused the drivers of tampering with the meter during the trip, at one point adding $40 to his fare (see file photo)
“My last taxi in Sydney was from the airport to the W in Darling Harbour and it cost $80. Absolute theft,” wrote another.
Sydney Airport provides an indication of the rates for taxi drivers. The estimated cost for a ride into the city is between $45 and $55.
Those going to North Sydney will pay between $55 and $65.
A one-way trip to Cronulla costs around $75-$85, while a one-way trip to Manly costs between $90 and $100.
A ride to Liverpool will cost you between $95 and $110.
An airport toll of $5.45 applies to all passengers (by car) taking a taxi from a taxi rank at Sydney Airport.