Uber operating at big losses, suggests document leak

Re:Uber operating at big losses, suggests document leak by kuschku on Thursday August 06, 2015 @09:39AM (#10016275)

So, they are ignoring regulations, avoided paying insurance fees and drivers licenses for months, are equally expensive as normal taxis, are paying their drivers badly, and are STILL not profitable?

Well, this is a failed experiment.

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Re:Uber operating at big losses, suggests document leak by dec0dedab0de on Thursday August 06, 2015 @10:15AM (#10016551)

...are equally expensive as normal taxis...

I've only used uber twice, but it was about half as much as a taxi would have been.

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Re:Uber operating at big losses, suggests document leak by dylanjermiah on Thursday August 06, 2015 @09:45AM (#10016312)

Regulations imposed to protect incumbents. Evidence on the insurance fees? Evidence on licenses? Evidence on price? Anecdotally in my city they're 300% cheaper than taxi's. Evidence on paying drivers 'badly'?

Investing in growth > short term profitability (which they could do of they wanted to miss future markets)

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Re:Uber operating at big losses, suggests document leak by kuschku on Thursday August 06, 2015 @09:51AM (#10016363)

The court case in Germany has all the evidence you asked for.

UberPop was banned (not UberBlack, though) because Uber refused to only hire drivers who had a chauffeurs license; because Uber refused to pay insurance.

And anecdotal evidence of the uber pricing is that it’s not a bit more expensive than any other taxi or chauffeur services.

Paying drivers 'badly': There were multiple submissions about this topic on HN, use the search.

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Re:Uber operating at big losses, suggests document leak by Nursie on Thursday August 06, 2015 @10:19AM (#10016586)

Regulations are not always imposed to protect incumbents.

This meme is really winding me up lately. Sure, it seems like in the US market there are protections in place for existing firms - tax medallions etc.

This does not apply everywhere and some of the regulations around this industry are genuinely for consumer protection. Uber may well have a case for some of the regs to be reviewed, but you can't just blithely dismiss every rule as protectionist.

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Re:Uber operating at big losses, suggests document leak by mgkimsal on Thursday August 06, 2015 @09:48AM (#10016333)

how can something be 300% cheaper? do they pay me to take rides?

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