Probe into taxi firm accused of charging hundreds for short trips from Akl waterfront

NZTA has launched an investigation into a taxi company accused of charging customers hundreds of dollars for short journeys from Auckland’s waterfront. 

Two customers who recently used Townline Cabs told the Herald they felt “stupid” and had been unable to recover their money. One paid $187 for a journey of less than 2km. 

An NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) spokesperson told the Herald the matter was under investigation following three complaints about alleged overcharging by Townline Cabs. 

‘We’ve always trusted taxi drivers’ 

Earlier this month, a customer who did not want to be identified was charged more than $380 for a 16km trip home from Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. 

The Beach Haven resident had been celebrating a 50th birthday when he decided to go to the Viaduct taxi stand about midnight to get a ride home after a few drinks. 

His wife said he saw a white taxi with a blue light on top and “assumed it was legit”. 

“I know there’s scams and stuff. We’re really aware of online stuff, but we’ve always kind of trusted taxi drivers,” she said. 

His wife said he had agreed on a $60 fare with the driver. 

She said the driver held out an Eftpos machine and her husband paid via PayWave. 

At the time, he did not realise he had paid $196.90. 

“My husband didn’t even think to look at the screen.” 

She said her husband described the driver as “friendly” throughout the 16km journey across the Auckland Harbour Bridge. 

“He went to get out, and he [the driver] said, ‘Oh, your payment declined. Can you try again?’” 

Customers said they saw a white taxi with a blue light on top alongside a queue of other drivers and “assumed it was legit”. 

She said her husband was confused because he knew there was money in his account. 

He tapped his card again, and $184.58 was taken by a different business than the first transaction. 

The next morning, the man’s wife was checking whether a payment for something else had gone through when she made the startling discovery. 

She asked her husband why more than $300 had been spent on taxis and where he had gone. 

Her confused husband said: “I just came home.” 

“At first we were like, ‘Oh, is this a mistake?’ And it’s like, ‘Oh, no. This is a full-on scam.’” 

She said that, in an attempt to stop the payments, they contacted the bank. 

The couple were told to check that the double payments were not a mistake made by the company, and they were also advised to cancel the card. 

“It’s kind of a horrible feeling when you’ve been scammed by someone. You sort of think, ‘I should have been more on to it’.” 

After they Googled the company, they found a social media thread in which multiple people claimed to have had similar experiences. 

The couple said they could not find contact details for the company online. 

“I would never get a taxi again. I probably would always do Uber,” she said. 

The couple reported the incident to police and NZTA. 

Multiple Aucklanders claim a taxi company is scamming them, leaving them up to $380 out of pocket for a short trip home from the Viaduct. Photo / Hayden Woodward 

‘Surely that extra zero’s an error’ 

In a second incident, a Hamilton man visiting Auckland for an event said he initially wondered whether the driver had accidentally added an extra zero to his fare. 

He said nothing appeared untoward when he caught a taxi near Danny Doolan’s on Auckland’s Viaduct on September 25. 

He was charged $187 for a 1.8km drive. 

“I thought $18.70 would be a fair kind of charge from there,” he said, initially dismissing the fee as a mistake. 

“Surely they’ve just added an extra zero by error.” 

His bank advised him to contact the company, but he said he could not find its contact details online. 

Seven other people have contacted him and said they had a similar experience. 

Auckland rideshare driver Paul Strand said situations like these were giving the industry a bad name. 

“It’s doing a lot of damage to the industry. 

“From a ride-share perspective, you see these taxi companies or other drivers independently who are making it unsafe.” 

Strand said he understood other small groups were doing similar things, such as “consistently ripping people off” and not agreeing to a fee upfront. 

Checks underway into Townline Cabs 

NZTA said Townline Cabs did not hold a Transport Service Licence (TSL). 

A TSL is an official authorisation issued by NZTA allowing individuals or businesses to operate commercial transport services. 

However, the spokesperson said there was a Small Passenger Service (SPS) TSL holder associated with Townline Cabs. 

“Further checks are underway.” 

Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton from the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit said they have received two recent reports from people being overcharged for taxi rides. 

“Both reports concern the same Toyota Prius, with complainants being picked up at central Auckland locations,” Bolton said. 

He said police have made initial attempts to contact the vehicle’s registered owner to discuss the reports. 

“For police, these types of complaints are difficult to investigate. It is difficult to prove who was driving at the time, as it is not necessarily the registered owner.” 

He said any criminal complaint requires police to consider the Solicitor-General’s Guidelines. 

“These guidelines include an evidential sufficiency test. Based on information that we have available at this stage, we have assessed that threshold is not met to prove a charge beyond any reasonable doubt,” Bolton said. 

He said being overcharged is the last thing anyone wants after a night out, and acknowledged the customers’ frustrations. 

“It’s timely to warn the public about this fraudulent behaviour. 

“While you can agree a fare with a taxi driver beforehand, you should never swipe or tap your card before the journey begins,” Bolton said. 

He said swiping your card before a journey with no agreed price can also mean the matter becomes civil with any disputes. 

“If a driver insists on you doing this prior to the journey beginning, we strongly advise that you walk away.” 

Townline Cabs could not be reached for comment.