My experience from Berlin is quite different. Taxis were reasonably priced and service was good, didn't see any foul play. I was using the "MyTaxi" app to book rides.
Order a taxi during "peak hours": 5 EUR.
Then they charge you with an "approaching fee". Basically, they make you pay for the distance they traveled on their way to pick you up.
So last time I took one, I jumped in and was already charged for 21 EUR before the ride even began. The ride itself just cost 10 EUR...
In North and South America, and in other European cities (though certainly not all!), my experience has been that Uber is 99% of the time
1. better UX, and
2. cheaper
than taxis, _generally_. In Berlin, taxi service is generally professional/clean/fine, but it's quite expensive, and when I travel to other places I get quickly spoiled by the Uber experience/cost. I understand why they ban it here, but from an end-user perspective, really wish they didn't.
