SINGAPORE: On Thursday (Feb 26), a passenger took to social media to share that a Grab driver deliberately delayed arriving at the designated pickup point to charge her a S$5 waiting fee.
In a post on a local online forum, the passenger explained that she booked a Grab Premium ride because she was travelling with her baby and a stroller pram.
According to her account, the driver stopped at the entrance of the car park instead of proceeding to the exact pickup location indicated in the app. She said he remained there and did not drive further in until after the two-minute grace period had passed.
As a result, she was charged the S$5 waiting fee. “[I was]charged the waiting fee despite communicating in the app that he had in fact not arrived at the pickup location,” she said.
“I asked him to take back the charge, at which point he became angry and argumentative.”
She also alleged that he began texting while driving and handled the vehicle in a reckless manner. Feeling concerned for her safety and wanting to protect herself, she recorded a video of the incident.
“Is it worth bringing up a complaint to Grab? Anyone else’s complaints like this result in a refund? Has anyone else experienced Grab drivers intentionally stalling to claim a $5 waiting fee?” she asked other Singaporeans in the forum.
“Immediately file a complaint.”
Many locals shared in the comments that they have also experienced this as well.
One user said that they once experienced booking a driver who stopped across the road instead of at the pickup point. Sensing that they were being scammed, the user immediately cancelled the booking.
“I just took a screenshot, cancelled the trip, and disputed the cancellation charge—it was refunded in full back into my card,” they wrote.
“The annoying part was getting past the chatbot in the app and getting through to chat with an actual human customer service agent. Just make it clear that you are looking for a refund, not just to raise a complaint.”
Another recalled that they also had a driver parked on the main road before a traffic light, which is about 5 minutes away from their pickup location.
“I already waited 15 minutes for him,” they said. “I was late already, so I just ran all the way there, which is how I know he wasn’t just stuck at a broken traffic light. Had the cheek to ask if I had eaten yet and tried making small talk while I was panting from the run. Mr POS got a 1-star rating (0 if possible) and a complaint.”
A third shared, “I had one wait 5 mins and then mark the ride as complete instead of cancelling. Charged me S$30+, and Grab Support, who never understood the problem, just refunded me $5. My Grab expense this month dropped from $600 to $0.”
Others, meanwhile, advised the post author to never argue with the driver during the ride.
One user explained, “Whenever you observe the driver doing this, take a screenshot showing that the driver has ‘arrived’ but is not at the location. Do not argue with the driver.”
“After the ride ends, do NOT rate the driver. Immediately file a complaint (the ride > report an issue > fill in the details, describe what happened, and attach your screenshot). Grab will usually refund you in a few days’ time—your case is made stronger with the screenshot.”
In other news, a young diploma holder has confessed on social media that he feels lost and unsure of his next steps after struggling to secure full-time employment.
Writing on the r/singaporejobs forum, the local shared that he graduated last June but took a “gap year” to cope with grief and personal challenges that left him emotionally exhausted. The break, he said, was necessary for healing. Now that he feels more stable, a new worry has taken over. He has no clear idea what comes next.
