A New York Lyft rider found fares quoted to her boyfriend were half what she paid for the same trip. She now takes the subway more often.
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Cynthia Everett, a New York ride-hailing customer, discovered Lyft was quoting her boyfriend fares roughly half what she paid for the same trip. The discrepancy pushed her to use public transit more often.
Everett works in group homes and commutes across Brooklyn. She had taken Lyft for years, especially at night, paying up to $20 for 10- to 15-minute rides. This spring, her boyfriend requested a ride home for her from his apartment. His fare was $24. Hers would have been $45.
"It doesn't make sense to me," she said. "I request rides more often, and I have so many rides racked up over the years."
Everett holds a 4.9-star rating on Lyft and has her account linked to DoorDash, which offers ride discounts. She said she feels penalized for being a frequent user.
She began comparing prices regularly. Every time, her boyfriend's quote was lower. "We'll be in the same place," she said. "It's always better for me to let him get the Lyft home."
Everett has since reduced her rideshare use. She takes the subway more, even at night, a choice she called "not ideal" but cheaper than the apps.
She cited a recent New York effort to stabilize supermarket prices. "If they can put a stop to that, I feel like they should be able to put a stop to it on rideshare, too."
Lyft did not respond to a request for comment. Uber and Lyft challenged a Consumer Reports investigation last month that found wide price variation for identical rides. The companies said comparing rides requested by different users on their platforms was not possible.
Business Insider verified the price differences Everett described with screenshots.
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