Gett hits Uber on surge pricing; launches ad war

Gett, one of Uber's biggest competitors, launched Monday its first big campaign against its competitor, Uber, which claims is ripping people off through its surge pricing.

Gett is confident to announce the claims because it does not increase its prices during times of high demand, unlike Lyft and Uber. Jacking up prices during high demands is a strategy called surge pricing. Gett charges $10 in New York, no matter what time of the day. In one of Gett's campaign ads, it says, "The competition, who we shall not name, is über ripping you off."

Gett is an Israeli company that not only provides ride-hailing services in NYC but also in major European cities. It was launched in 2011. In 2013, it started offering its service in Manhattan, which is its only US market.

According to Gett CEO, Shahar Waiser, the surge is not a necessity. "We've found that people have this surge fatigue," he added. Gett makes most of its revenue through its partnerships, which is why it doesn't need to use the surge pricing strategy to make a quick buck. Gett works with half of the Fortune 500 by providing its employees rides. Uber's counterpart for this method is called, Uber for Business.

Gett has made $207 million so far and is targeting $500 million in revenue by the end of the year. According to Waiser, his company is growing 300% every year and is making money in 24 of its 50 markets all over the world. Gett is planning to use the money it has generated to improve its business in New York.

Waiser in an interview with iDigitalTimes said they're the number one cab-hailing company outside the United States. They launched Gett (formerly Get Taxi) in Europe about the same time Uber was launched in the US. 

Gett's ad slash smear campaign against Uber will be posted all over Manhattan. There will be a total of 500 ads that will be put up. It will be placed on newsstands, elevators, phone booths, buildings, bathrooms, and shelters.

At present, Gett has 2,000 drivers, which for Waiser, is not yet enough to meet the demand. He also pointed out that Gett pays its drivers more per minute compared to its competitor, Uber.