I have both used it as a consumer and driven as a driver.
Passenger experience: The guy was not very friendly. He didnt greet me when I stepped into the car and simply asked where I was going? I said, NODA and I can direct you. He rudely interrupted and said, " no I know how to get there" . The fares are cheap but the price goes up exponentially in times you actually need a ride. Which is something that I dont appreciate because I think there should be a standard fare rate fair to both the rider and the passenger. Also, their surge is ridiculous and no where can you report if you were taken advantage of. I hate that they claim that they are better than taxi but are they? Cab drivers do jack up prices in peak times but never 4 times as much and when they do jack the prices up, you have the right to complain. With uber, NONE.
DRIVER EXPERIENCE: They have dropped the rates so low that it's disturbing, I was raised in Charlotte and know the whole city. It is not worth my time to drive someone 3 miles and make $6.60 and lose $1 for the 'safe ride fee" and another $1.20 for the uber commission with net fare into my pocked of $4.40 for THREE MILES??? That's about 3 miles out of my way that I have to go to drop the rider off and 3-5 miles to get to my resting point. NOT TIME WORTHY at all. People who ride are cheap and broke. They try to force the uber X driver to accept more than 4 passenger which is far above the capacity, knowing UBER XL is an option but it is nearly twice as much. I just have to sit there and accept their BS because I don't want bad rating. It's not fair.
Nonetheless the SURGE does come in handy sometimes but that's one trip out of 15 which really makes you feel like crap because you feel like your other fares' compensation is too low. However, consumers have adapted to this whole surge thing and only use it when the surge is not in session. which leaves me screwed as a driver because it's not FAIR to me to donate my time for chump change. I drove a couple nearly 25 miles once and the fair was only like 18 bucks. take away 3 for commission and 1 buck for the "safe ride fee" leaving me with $14 for driving 50 miles, 25 out of way and 25 to get back to uptown or wherever the starting point is. AND NO ONE TIPS, it is a service with a clean serviced car with no odors of any sort. That's why I have chosen to stop driving and would rather enjoy my weekends.
The point