Indian company Rapido’s reply to fraud complaint fails to quell customer backlash on LinkedIn
by Piyush Mathur
A LinkedIn post by a veteran Indian communications professional alleging fraud during a late-night Rapido airport ride in Bengaluru triggered a broader outpouring of customer frustration, with dozens of users recounting their own experiences involving disputed fares, poor vehicle quality, aggressive drivers and ineffective customer support.
This is a screenshot of Pai’s LinkedIn post of May 26, 2026.
(Screenshot credit: Thoughtfox)
The original post, published on 26 May 2026, describes how B. Ganesh Pai— a communications industry professional with more than three decades of experience—booked a Rapido cab from Kempegowda International Airport at an estimated fare of INR 1,221. According to the post, the driver, Mr. Paigambar Tamboli, allegedly demanded INR 1,441 on arrival, claiming that the difference represented airport charges.
Pai writes that after paying the revised amount, Tamboli insisted that the transaction had not been received, prompting a second payment at around 1 am. Pai later discovered that both the payments had been debited and transferred to two separate bank accounts. ‘I realised it was fraud,’ the post states.
Pai further alleges that despite repeated follow-ups through the app and email over the following month, Rapido support failed to resolve the matter. According to the post, Pai was repeatedly assigned new representatives before eventually being told that his account details ‘can’t be located’.
A screenshot attached to the post showed the ride marked ‘Completed’, with an estimated fare of INR 1,221 and a ride ID beginning ‘RD17729077151590136’.
Rapido’s public response
In a public reply beneath the post, Rapido Support apologised and requested that Pai share the ride’s details and his registered mobile number via direct message on LinkedIn so that the company could ‘thoroughly investigate and provide’ him an update.
However, the response appeared to do little to calm criticism from other LinkedIn users, many of whom claimed they had experienced similar problems with Rapido, with some claiming that Uber was way better.
One user responded bluntly: ‘Never reply in DM. This is new technique to put you in freezer.’ Another wrote: ‘Worst app experience ever. Unprofessional drivers/captains and pathetic customer support. No accountability, poor service, and unresolved issues.’
Several commenters alleged that social media visibility was often the only way to get attention from customer support teams.
‘It’s good to raise [complaints] in social media otherwise they simply leave out common people,’ one person commented. Another observed that the issue appeared to gain traction only after becoming visible on LinkedIn: ‘This issue got addressed or heard in 24 hrs, for which [the customer] was chasing for three months.’
Complaints around airport rides, cab conditions, drivers’ conduct, and customer service
A recurring theme in the discussion involved airport journeys in Bengaluru, particularly late-night rides. One commenter claimed: ‘In Bangalore, I too was looted many times by 4 wheeler cab drivers.’ Another alleged that Bengaluru airport drivers were ‘more crooked and less well behaved’ than counterparts in Mumbai, describing incidents involving route manipulation and demands for extra cash beyond the app fare.
This is a screenshot of Rapido Support’s response to Pai’s post on LinkedIn. (Screenshot credit: Thoughtfox)
Some users said they had abandoned Rapido entirely following unresolved disputes. One commenter wrote that they stopped using the platform after support failed to address a safety issue. Another described booking premium vehicles twice but allegedly receiving smaller cars unsuitable for an elderly parent who used a walker.
Vehicle quality also emerged as a repeated grievance. One user complained that Rapido cabs were often in ‘shabby condition’, with cigarette odours, poor air conditioning and vehicles that felt as if they were ‘about to fall apart’. Another user expressed her deep resentment at Rapido drivers’ refusing to turn on air-conditioning altogether in scorching heat despite having included its cost in the fare.
In a particularly galling example of Rapido’s insensitivity toward its customers, a highly placed financial consultant described in her comment how the company has been giving her a complete run-around regarding its promised payment of INR 8000/- per month toward her husband’s 5-month long recovery from an accident he had as a passenger. She claims to have raised her issue on LinkedIn, and even ‘sent legal notice’ to Rapido, but Rapido has yet to make good on its promise.
Broader distrust of online cab services; somewhat better opinion of Uber
This is a screenshot of Pai’s receipt for his ill-fated Rapido ride; he shared it as part of his original LinkedIn post. (Screenshot credit: Thoughtfox)
While Rapido was the immediate focus of the discussion, several users argued that the problems extended across India’s ride-hailing sector, including Uber and Ola. ‘It’s not with Rapido only!! You will find same disappointment with Ola & Uber as well,’ one commenter wrote.
Others defended competitors. One user described Uber in Pune as ‘most reliable and trustworthy’, citing faster driver responses and easier refunds. Another commenter suggested that the underlying issue lay less with the platforms and more with driver behaviour: ‘Every cab driver asks for more money for airport drop.’
Several users also criticised what they viewed as the increasing reliance on automated customer support systems. One commenter remarked that many support apps now offered ‘only AI agent good for nothing and increasing the frustration of the customers’.
Calls for escalation and legal action
Some LinkedIn users urged the passenger to escalate the matter further, including by filing a police complaint against the driver and naming Rapido in an FIR; others suggested directly confronting company leadership at Rapido’s office.
The thread also featured direct tagging of Rapido founders, including co-founder Aravind Sanka, with one commenter asking: ‘Is this the way you guys operate?’
The discussion reflects growing public dissatisfaction with India’s ride-hailing companies over fare transparency, airport surcharges, driver conduct and customer grievance handling.
Social media appears to give some space to bitterly frustrated customers to highlight their grievances, but it seems that India’s transportation authorities have so far been neglecting to even notice these problems—leave aside enforcing any systemic changes to improve the situation.
As of June 30, 2026, Pai’s post and the feedback it received can be accessed on the following Unique Resource Locator (URL):