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Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

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Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#231

Post by fudged71 »

TheCondor wrote: post #60
Analemma_ wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might come from the fact that they ragequit Austin rather than do background checks.

I thought it had something to do with the type of background check and what was included

Yeah, here in Alberta, Uber wanted to be able to do their own background checks, but they were forced by the government to have the local police run background checks as well. Presumably there were a bunch of criminals passing the Uber background checks in the states and this needed to be addressed to meet the regulations.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#232

Post by toomuchtodo »

mjevans wrote: post #224
henrikschroder wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some have already done it, Taxi Stockholm has a very nice app; enter pickup and destination, book it, track it, pay through it, etc. And they're marketing themselves by stressing all the things they provide that Uber doesn't. You get a licensed, properly insured taxi driver in a nice car.

One advantage Uber has over the app you mention is that it's in many (most) cities. You only need /one/ app and one place to go to get fulfillment. The network effect is not insubstantial.

How terrible. Having to spend 1-2 minutes downloading an app.

Expect Austin to occur elsewhere (Uber and Lyft leaving due to local regulation, and competitors filling the void).

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#233

Post by freyr »

stuckagain wrote: post #82
rubicon33 wrote: post #3

Also on track to have the first self driving car AND a ride hailing application to boot. That can't be cheap.

I don't know how people get this impression, unless it is by only reading the comments on this site and never reading any primary sources. Uber's "self-driving" tech is currently unable to do things that other companies were doing years ago. Google's car took a blind man to Taco Bell in 2012. Uber's car has two engineers in the front seat and still blows stop lights and can't make a right turn.

> Uber's car ... blows stop lights and can't make a right turn.

Just like my last few Uber drivers.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#234

Post by untog »

After the tens of articles outlining Uber's bad business practices I've been trying to use other apps as much as I can. What's amazed me is how many drivers on Lyft and the like are former Uber drivers who left the service. I'm sure that they've been able to replace those drivers but I wonder if they'll he able to keep this up for the time it takes to introduce self driving cars. I suspect not.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#235

Post by tn13 »

animex wrote: post #167

Uber will be a dead Unicorn in the medium future. They've got too many legal pressures, competitors with native advantages (i.e. the automakers), and their expansion plans have them overextended. Here in Edmonton, AB, Canada, regulatory changes have pushed the Uber prices to almost 2x during non-surge times over regular taxis. Taxi's have stepped up. Local competitors have sprouted. Carshares are abounding. It's all…

I am happy if Uber dies as long as that death comes because of other competitors doing a better job of helping us travel, faster cheaper and by making lesser impact on climate.

It will however be horrible if Uber dies because of government's protectionist (Trump like) regime trying to protect inefficient taxies.

Uber has helped us bring more fuel efficient vehicles as rides, helped us pool rides etc. making travel cheaper yet causing less pollution.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#236

Post by hackerboos »

TheSageMage wrote: post #196
animex wrote: post #167

Uber will be a dead Unicorn in the medium future. They've got too many legal pressures, competitors with native advantages (i.e. the automakers), and their expansion plans have them overextended. Here in Edmonton, AB, Canada, regulatory changes have pushed the Uber prices to almost 2x during non-surge times over regular taxis. Taxi's have stepped up. Local competitors have sprouted. Carshares are abounding. It's all…

... and that exactly what the Taxi industry should do, step up. Not just in price, but in technology. IMO the best feature of Uber is the app and transparency like features of taking a trip. If I can pull the app up, input where I am and where I want to go, how much it will cost, and when my driver will be here, I'm happy. The few experiences I've had with local Taxi systems, coming from a everyone-drives-a-car subur…

Meh in Liverpool, UK our local cab firm Delta had an app out before Uber/Hailo were on the scene.

Features were pretty much on par with Uber.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#237

Post by nopinsight »

colechristensen wrote: post #181
orthoganol wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think almost certainly their profitability is dependent on a future of driverless cars, and I'm sure that's what they are pitching investors. Fearfully, since their survival means going driverless and they are now losing $800 million a quarter, they will race to get driverless cars on the road, it will be rushed, and it could be reckless. I'm thinking the two driverless cars filmed blowing red lights in SF recently…

Reckless and non-viable in much of the world. Nobody is going to get an autonomous car working in a winter climate for a long time. Lines on the road can't be seen, there are potholes, driving through deep piles of snow are common, communicating with other drivers and accomidating and anticipating their actions in snow narrowed streets is necessary.... There are plenty of times of year where I'd be wary trusting a hu…

Your comment got me thinking that to tackle driving in rough and ambiguous terrains, like snow-covered or muddy roads, they need better integration of vibration and bodily balance sensory signals into the autonomous driving system.

I wonder if the most advanced autonomous vehicles already have those sensors installed and how well the signals are integrated into the prediction and decision making processes.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#238

Post by quickben »

jimmywanger wrote: post #218
quickben wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are assuming perfectly rational market. It isn't. Many people here would dodge Uber if they expect surge pricing (And something along these lines was said today on one of the popular for young people radios stations, here). Also, there are plenty of taxi just waiting around everywhere downtown. Many (older?) people, would never get Uber to go to the airport, which is a very good profit opportunity. So, I don't se…

> Many people here would dodge Uber if they expect surge pricing Notice that they've stopped displaying the surge price multiple on their hail screen. Previously I would have hesitated at 1.4x surge, but now "fares are slightly higher due to increased demand" just makes me shrug my shoulders.

Yeah, but slightly can be high. They had a bit of anti advertising here after 8.9x surge:

http://globalnews.ca/news/2430713/alberta-man-furious-over-1...

Ended up all over the news.

Not sure if Uber caps surge in Canada now.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#239

Post by pfooti »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #232
mjevans wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One advantage Uber has over the app you mention is that it's in many (most) cities. You only need /one/ app and one place to go to get fulfillment. The network effect is not insubstantial.

How terrible. Having to spend 1-2 minutes downloading an app. Expect Austin to occur elsewhere (Uber and Lyft leaving due to local regulation, and competitors filling the void).

Spend time: figure out what app, download it (possibly on data roaming), make a new account, use app once, be stuck wuth data breaches forever, and good luck figuring out which one is tracking you all the time and running your battery to the ground.

Uber is not an angel, but at least with one app we have a lot of people pointing out privacy violations. With two (say, Lyft in US cities), there's some choice. If Uber really fails and the taxis end up running the streets again, I don't see any real pressure to make good ride hail / pay apps.

Re: Uber's Loss Exceeds $800M in Q3 on $1.7B in Net Revenue

#240

Post by pfarnsworth »

antiviral wrote: post #51
ylhert wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber does background checks, not sure where the idea that they are skipping them comes from

By 'background check' I mean a process that the local govt. believes is necessary based on experience and past incidents, not something that someone at Uber came up with randomly. "News of assaults by ride-hailing drivers has been a frequent occurrence. Reports of rape, battery and harassment have grabbed headlines in California, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Washington, Florida and many other states. While some of these…

Have you bothered searching the incidences of taxi drivers attacking their customers? No, you'll just take whatever is spoonfed to you from the media, I guess.
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