Tada driver holds on to passenger's laptop, demands $100 'safeguarding laptop fee' for safe return

To be able to find a lost item is like a blessing. 

But for a Tada passenger, her relief upon locating her missing item in a driver's car did not last long. 

This passenger, who only wanted to be known as Isabella, shared on Complaint Singapore Facebook Page on May 22 about how she was asked to pay $100 in ransom to a Tada driver for her laptop that she had left in his car by mistake. 

In her post, she shared a screenshot of her trip from Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' Secondary School to Ai Tong School over at Bishan at about 2pm.

After realising that she might have left her laptop in the car, she contacted the driver via the Tada app, she said. 

Instead of returning the laptop Isabella shared that the driver asked her how much she was willing to pay him for helping her to "safeguard my laptop and for his time".

She added that she was willing to meet the driver at his place of convenience and pay him $10 as well, but he refused and complained it was too little.

"He gave me his private number to contact him so that he could think of how much I should pay him," shared Isabella. 

In a screenshot shown in her post, the driver wrote a message to Isabella via WhatsApp which said: "Don't worry your property will be safe and in same order when you collect them, you should at least be appreciative."

Isabella mentioned that the driver knew that she needed the laptop the following morning and that he took advantage of the situation.

She wrote: "I called his handphone twice, only for him to tell me to give him $100 to get the laptop back. He never shared with me his whereabouts for me to collect my laptop."

In their last conversation, Isabella said that the driver finalised on $50 “for safeguarding laptop fee” and threatened that if she did not pay as promised, he will take this own sweet time to drop the laptop at a police station without guarantee of the things inside her laptop to be safe.

Helpless, Isabella said she contacted TADA Singapore for assistance and that a Tada specialist told her to make a police report.

But unsatisfied with the response, Isabella sought advice from netizens asking what she should do next. 

Appalled by the behaviour of the Tada driver, netizens agreed with Tada that Isabella should make a police report. 

On the other hand, a user commented that this passenger should have been more cooperative and paid the driver what he asked for. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, TADA said that the rider contacted them on May 22 at about 4.30pm. 

And after TADA had followed up with the driver, the lost item was returned to a police post on the same day at around 9pm. 

"The rider was informed accordingly as well," said the company.

"The TADA app automatically sends in-app reminders when the ride is close to the destination. To avoid unnecessary inconveniences, we also urge our passengers to be extra mindful about leaving their belongings behind on their TADA rides."

The company said that to prioritise the security and safe return of lost items, their drivers are advised to return the item to the nearest police post, TADA Station at Midview City, or directly to the passenger if convenient or when agreed.

Passenger challenges driver after evading $25 fare

In a video posted on May 21, a TikTok user Tingtingagalia described how her father met a rider who absconded without paying the $25 ride fare from Woodlands to Ubi, and shared screenshots of their conversation on the Tada app. 

"This man told my father in the car that his PayNow isn't working and he didn't have enough cash. My father was kind enough to let him go up to get some money," the daughter shared. 

After waiting for quite some time, her father texted the rider via the app: "Hello bro, how long do you want me to wait?"

To which the rider replied: "I PayNow you."

Her father then requested the rider return to his car and pay in cash for the fare. This is because the passenger didn't have the driver's mobile number, so there was not way he could have made that PayNow transaction. 

After no responses from the rider, the father texted the rider again: "I want to report you if you don't come back".

Instead of coming down from his flat to pay for the fare, the rider boldly retorted:" Just report bro. I will handle Tada".

ALSO READ: 'So close yet so far': Student tracks lost AirPods to Pasir Panjang condo, begs finder to return them

 

ashwini.balan@asiaone.com

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