3 ms·

Does this change when the two options are perfect substitutes? As a rider, there's no "cost" to having both apps, so I'll just check both. Similarly, as a dri

by gjreda 8y ago

Does this change when the two options are perfect substitutes? As a rider, there's no "cost" to having both apps, so I'll just check both. Similarly, as a driver, I'll just sit with both apps open and see which one I get a rider on.

TylerE 8y ago
Makes you wonder why no one has built an app that interfaces with all of them, and finds you the cheapest rate, while taking a kickback.
- gregoryrueda 8y ago
  Saw a web app that did this a few years ago. Likely the companies made changes to their API’s. Would love to see it again though.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > Makes you wonder why no one has built an app that interfaces with all of them, and finds you the cheapest rate, while taking a kickback. They did (well, it at least has multiple Uber and Lyft services, and I don't know that they get a kickback); the app is called “Google Maps”.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- dzhiurgis 8y ago
  Such API’s should be mandated by government - after all road surface is limited resource hence its a natural monopoly.
- majani 8y ago
  Uber forbids price comparison in their TOS and actively threaten to shut down price comparison sites that use their API: https://www.wired.com/story/uber-and-lyfts-never-ending-quest-to-crush-price-comparison-apps/ https://www.wired.com/story/uber-and-lyfts-never-ending-ques... I guess the plan for Uber was always to use low prices to win the market and jack them back up later. Price comparison would interfere with this plan.
  - paulddraper 8y ago
    Did they make a buddy deal for Google Maps then?
dzhiurgis 8y ago
> As a rider, there's no "cost" to having both apps, so I'll just check both Sure, if you never left your country. I certainly didn’t want to register to Italy’s official taxi app - don’t wanna trust them my CC nor my life to horrible service I’ve received (same price as Uber, horrible car)
paulddraper 8y ago
Sure. If a competitor has managed to get good consumer market share, then switching is easy. The marketplaces are not exclusive. If, for example, HomeAway got a similar number of rentals to Airbnb (though in this particular case, it hasn't), then both markets could easily co-exist. Creating C2C marketplaces, however, is not an easy task.

by gjreda 8y ago

TylerE 8y ago

Makes you wonder why no one has built an app that interfaces with all of them, and finds you the cheapest rate, while taking a kickback.

gregoryrueda 8y ago
Saw a web app that did this a few years ago. Likely the companies made changes to their API’s. Would love to see it again though.
dragonwriter 8y ago
> Makes you wonder why no one has built an app that interfaces with all of them, and finds you the cheapest rate, while taking a kickback. They did (well, it at least has multiple Uber and Lyft services, and I don't know that they get a kickback); the app is called “Google Maps”.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
dzhiurgis 8y ago
Such API’s should be mandated by government - after all road surface is limited resource hence its a natural monopoly.
majani 8y ago
Uber forbids price comparison in their TOS and actively threaten to shut down price comparison sites that use their API: https://www.wired.com/story/uber-and-lyfts-never-ending-quest-to-crush-price-comparison-apps/ https://www.wired.com/story/uber-and-lyfts-never-ending-ques... I guess the plan for Uber was always to use low prices to win the market and jack them back up later. Price comparison would interfere with this plan.
- paulddraper 8y ago
  Did they make a buddy deal for Google Maps then?

dzhiurgis 8y ago

> As a rider, there's no "cost" to having both apps, so I'll just check both Sure, if you never left your country. I certainly didn’t want to register to Italy’s official taxi app - don’t wanna trust them my CC nor my life to horrible service I’ve received (same price as Uber, horrible car)

paulddraper 8y ago

Sure. If a competitor has managed to get good consumer market share, then switching is easy. The marketplaces are not exclusive. If, for example, HomeAway got a similar number of rentals to Airbnb (though in this particular case, it hasn't), then both markets could easily co-exist. Creating C2C marketplaces, however, is not an easy task.