Uber is now offering guaranteed arrival times for its carpooling service - and they'll give you money back if they're late
Unlike normal Uber rides, UberPool matches you with other passengers traveling along your route.
The idea behind UberPool is that by sharing a ride with someone else going the same direction, you also share the cost of the ride and save money. In exchange for the savings, you face the uncertainty of not knowing exactly when you're going to arrive at your destination. You also have to share a backseat with a stranger.
Uber is trying to get rid of some of that uncertainty by giving an arrival time guarantee for Pool rides. Starting Tuesday, UberPool users in LA will see an arrival time, which UberPool senior product manager Brian Tolkin told Tech Insider is "fairly conservative."
"The time that we show you is a fairly conservative one," he said. "The vast majority of the time you'll get there earlier."
Even if you match the maximum number of people who can fit in the car and make multiple stops along the way, Uber's estimate is intended to be accurate.
If something unfortunate happens, and you get there later than the estimate, Uber will give you $2 off your next Pool ride.
Uber plans to eventually make its "Arrive By" guarantee available in not just LA, but the 36 cities around the world where Pool currently works.