A Chennai-based entrepreneur recently expressed dissatisfaction with the bike taxi service Rapido due to alleged overcharging and poor service. Ashok Raj Rajendran, CEO of AJ Skill Development Academy, detailed his experience on LinkedIn on October 30, sharing that he was charged Rs 1,000 for a 21-kilometre ride—nearly three times the app’s quoted fare of Rs 350. This significant discrepancy led him to question Rapido’s pricing practices.
During the ride, Rajendran challenged the driver’s claim that flooding along the route justified the increased fare, as he observed no such conditions. After negotiating, he ultimately paid Rs 800 but was dissatisfied with how the situation was handled.
Rajendran attempted to raise his complaint with Rapido’s customer support but reported that “Rapido simply closed the chat” without providing any resolution. He addressed this on LinkedIn, stating, “When we reported this issue to Rapido, they simply closed the chat without even enquiring about the driver’s actions. Rapido, if you’re not concerned about your drivers asking for extra pay, why have an option asking, ‘Did the driver ask for extra pay?’ Is it just for the sake of appearances? Your drivers are exploiting situations, and you are helping them, you’ll soon face the consequences of this neglect.”
The company later attributed the fare increase to “discrepancy in the drop locations,” as per screenshots shared by Rajendran. In a follow-up post, he mentioned that Rapido had since reached out, refunded the difference, and assured him that “action” had been taken against the driver.
Some users shared similar frustrations in the comments, with one noting, “This has happened to me many times, Rapido. And the worst part is that the money that is credited can only be used for booking bikes, not autos.” Another added, “What’s the benefit of getting money back in your Rapido wallet when you cannot use it in Cab/Auto booking?”
