That Denver story is not true. You know before you get in the car how much it is.
The pricing you see on the app is what you pay when you push the button for the ride but it can go up and down significantly within a few minutes (surge pricing).
Not too long ago, I was going to Uber to LaGuardia and it was about $28 on UberX. Then it started pouring rain and the price suddenly went close to $100. A black car would have been close to $300.