Uber competitor launches "Surge Sucks" promotion by offering ride credits
Uber's surge pricing is a lot like canned beets and Nickelback, in that it's hard to find anyone who admittedly likes it. Gett, one of Uber's competitors, has always criticized those temporary price hikes, but now the company is offering to refund any Uber rider who has had to pay a few extra dollars due to high demand. The London-based car service is launching a pointedly named promotion — "Surge Sucks" — that offers riders Gett credits that are equal to the amount that they've spent on Uber surge charges.
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The promotion starts on November 10 and New Yorkers who want to participate need to register at SurgeSucks.com and then submit surge receipts from Uber (or Prime Time charges from Lyft). In return, those riders will score Gett ride credits that have been rounded up to the nearest $5 amount. Participants can receive up to $100 in Gett credit, and the unlucky sucker who paid the most in surge pricing could win $1,000 in cash.
Gett advertises itself as a surge-free alternative to Uber, promising that its customers will always pay the same flat rate, regardless of "heavy rain, traffic or demand." Although it considers itself a competitor of Uber, it doesn't operate exactly the same way. The Gett app (formerly known as GetTaxi), will hail a cab, limo or black car for you. (In New York, it works with black cars).
The company is also no stranger to eye-catching promotions; in July, it launched a champagne delivery service in London, offering to swing by with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a pair of champagne flutes, all for £50.
Gett CEO Shahar Waser told CNBC:
"In this huge market, you have Uber, who is the big player right now and by definition it's not competitive. When you have only one player in the market, you're really paying extra. Once you have an underdog who is offering an alternative, that is when everyone wins: the drivers, the consumers and the company."
The company has not said when the Surge Sucks promotion will end, but man, we hope it outlasts Nickelback.