Uber Technologies

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/09/23) */
Uber appreciates the chance to respond to this issue, as we are adamant about being upfront and transparent about our fare pricing.
Uber's fares are determined by the app, not the driver. Please find attached a picture of a surge...

notification in the Uber app. During periods of surge pricing, it is not possible for an Uber passenger ** request a ride without first approving the current rates and tapping the 'I ACCEPT HIGHER FARE' button. In addition, we require all riders to manually type in and confirm the surge rate when it is over 2.0X. The Uber app features a fare estimator, and estimates received during surge periods will always factor in the rate increase in effect at that time. The app also has a surge drop feature in place, so riders can choose to be notified when the surge pricing ends. A reminder of the rate increase is also included in the driver's confirmation notice, should the rider choose to cancel the trip at no charge and seek an alternative ride. Our records show that the customer was shown the surge notification twice, then accepted the surged rate of 3.9X at 11:16 p.m.
The driver for this trip was not the same driver who cancelled the initial ride request. Surged pricing was also in effect at that time. Since it was the driver who cancelled, no cancellation fee was charged per our policy.
Our Community Support Team has corresponded with the complainant to explain dynamic pricing and why Uber implements surged fares during especially busy times. Because this was his first surged ride, we have adjusted the fare down by 25% and refunded the difference as a courtesy. Again, thank you for the chance to reply.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/12/17) */
Uber is grateful for the chance to respond to this issue. Our Driver Ops team has worked directly with this partner driver to address his concerns. We sincerely hope that the matter has been resolved to his satisfaction.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 15, 2015/12/21) */
Uber is grateful for the chance to respond to this issue. For UberTAXI service in Toronto, all metered fare rates are set not by Uber, but by the City of Toronto. Uber has no control over that pricing, nor do we have any legal ability to adjust...

a fare after the fact. Also, Uber's fares are determined by the app, not the driver. For this trip, the rider selected the UberTAXI option on the vehicle selector. The Uber app features a fare estimator, and the fare for this trip is in accord with an estimate for the route with the UberTAXI option. Again, thank you for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 17, 2015/12/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have read their response carefully. I understand their position. But I still want to receive my money back - which is around $70. In spite of above information, and I no longer wish to repeat myself, I feel I was misinformed about UBER services, and as a result was ripped off.
Please issue the full refund.
Kind regards
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: deduction occur from July 18 to July 25 week earnings, I clearly stated this in my first emailSincerely,[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/10/31) */
Uber appreciates the chance to respond to this issue, as we are adamant about being upfront and transparent about our fare pricing.
As we have explained to this rider, as of August 4, 2015, all trips starting and ending at Newark Airport...

will be calculated at standard rates (time + distance) instead of a flat rate. In order to avoid surprises, any rider opening the app in the airport for the first time since the change will be shown an informational splash screen. Riders may also always run a fare quote in the Uber app before their trip in order to see an estimated fare.
While rates for trips originating in New Jersey and ending at Newark Airport have not changed, the rates for trips from the airport to destinations in New Jersey have been adjusted to match rates from other New York City area airports. Newark Airport, while in New Jersey, is considered a NYC airport, and the rates for trips from Newark are now aligned with the rates for trips from LaGuardia and JFK. Now that the rates are in line, we can offer more available vehicles, shorter wait times, and better-compensated drivers. This change has been posted to our website and app, and is reflected in all fare quotes.
As the complainant has stated, we have added a $20 credit to his account as a sincere apology for the confusion. Thank you again for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/11/06) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This response is unacceptable. If I go into a restaurant one day with a menu price of $100, the next time I am going to assume the price is $100 unless I am notified otherwise. If the restaurant without warning me then decides to make the price of the same meal $200, that would be considered fraud.
Uber claims that I was given a new "splash screen" that displayed this new pricing, I am claiming that I never received this screen, so possibly there was a glitch in their system in how this was displayed. All I received was a message that said "Welcome to Newark Airport" when opening the app. Due to the fact that the prices typically are a flat rate, I had no expectation that I would need to use the "Fare Estimate" calculator since in the past, the price point covered the entire NJ state.
Uber claims "by changing the price we can offer more available vehicles, shorter wait times, and better-compensated drivers." that's great, but if you do not let your customers know that you are changing the price, you are flat out committing price gouging, or "gotcha" pricing, which is considered "price fraud" I would love to tell people i'm going to charge them $50 for my product, and then charge them $100 and then state "Well that's the average price for the product that i'm offering, it lets me use better materials" the point is that I told my customer the price was $50, so by double charging them without warning I am fraudulently taking funds from them.
I tried to be nice here and allow Uber to make this right by offering the equivalent amount as a credit, so the money will still go to their service, however they appear to be taking a "non-friendly" stance on this issue, so I will do the same. If Uber does not issue a credit for the amount of $33.99 in response to this complaint, I will be initiating a chargeback with my bank for the amount of $33.99. I will then use this money for "non-Uber" products, so they will lose this money.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/11/04) */
Uber is grateful for the chance to respond to this issue. While we hope to provide phone support in the future, we currently handle all support requests via email. When this rider initially contacted us about this non-trip, our Community Support...

Team found that the driver had mistakenly tapped "begin trip" instead of "cancel," so a fare was incurred. They immediately refunded the fare and sent an updated receipt, and have issued an additional $20 ride credit as a sincere apology for the inconvenience. Our Driver Ops Team has also followed up with the driver about the error. We truly hope this issue has been resolved to the rider's satisfaction and that he will ride with us again soon. Again, thank you for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/11/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The lack of phone support makes no sense at all. Uber went to the effort to set up an elaborate "don't [redacted] us email instead" voice response. Additionally every listed number I could find for Uber has had the effort time and cost of having another elaborate voice response of "your [redacted] can not be completed because the number is busy". This I find to be complete deception from my view point. If Uber is going to those lengths to avoid voice contact, I question the integrity of the company. Let's get real... how hard is it to [redacted] and answer my questions directly as opposed to how hard is it to set up an extensive voice avoidance system?
Just pick up the phone and do what your customer want. [redacted] them back.
Still waiting for that [redacted]. Go read your email and pick up the phone.

Uber is glad for the chance to look in to this concern. On November 19th, one of our agents reached out to this rider, in order to provide more information about the credits added to their account. If this rider has any other concerns about these credits, or anything else, we encourage them to reach...

out to us via our in-app support options.

Uber is glad for the chance to look in to this concern. We have reviewed this rider's conversation with the agent they spoke with in July. We are...

sincerely grateful for the feedback that this rider has provided, and deeply sorry to hear about the negative experience that they had on the journey. When this rider first wrote in to us, we refunded the fare of this trip for them. As the previous agent stated, we cannot, per our policies, provide any additional compensation for this concern.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/10/14) */
We are grateful for the chance to respond to this issue.
Uber implements dynamic pricing to ensure that riders always have a ride available when they need it. As we've explained to the complainant, when the supply of cars gets tight, we...

choose to raise rates incrementally as a means of making sure that enough drivers are available to accommodate the demand in the area. We are adamant about being upfront and clear about our fare pricing during these surged periods so that riders can make an informed choice whether or not to use Uber.
Please find attached a picture of a surge notification in the Uber app. During periods of surge pricing, it is not possible for an Uber passenger ** take a ride without first approving the current rates and tapping the 'I ACCEPT HIGHER FARE' button. In addition, we require all riders to manually type in and confirm the surge rate when it is over 2.0X. The Uber app features a fare estimator that provides fare quotes for all available vehicle classes, and estimates received during surge periods will always factor in the rate increase in effect at that time. The app also has a surge drop feature in place, so riders can choose to be notified when dynamic pricing ends. A reminder of the rate increase is also included in the driver's confirmation notice, should the rider choose to cancel the trip at no charge and seek another ride. Our records show that the rider confirmed the surge notification, then accepted the surged rate of 3.9X at 11:29 p.m. local time (4:29 a.m. UTC).
Because this was the rider's first surge experience, we have adjusted the fare down by 25% as a courtesy and refunded the difference. Again, thank you for the chance to reply.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/12/02) */
Uber appreciates the chance to respond to this issue, as we are adamant about being upfront and clear about our fare pricing. When the rider initially contacted us about this trip, our Community Support Team reviewed the details and found that...

the fare was correct based on the time and distance travelled and vehicle type selected (in this case, a Black 2015 Chevrolet Suburban fulfilled the request), then sent a detailed breakdown of the fare. When the Uber app is installed, the vehicle class selector is set to UberBLACK; thereafter it automatically defaults to the rider's last vehicle choice. Only the rider can change this setting. Since UberBLACK and uberX operate on different platforms within the system, it is not possible to receive a premium black vehicle when uberX is requested. Our team did realize that this rider regularly rides with uberX and the selection was made in error, so they credited the rider's account with the difference in cost between uberX and UberSUV for this trip. We hope that this matter has been resolved to our rider's satisfaction and that he will continue to ride with us. Thank you again for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/12/03) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The calculation by Uber was incorrect for the time and distance charged for a Uber X car. I have never ordered an Uber SUV nor did I have this option set on the application. In fact when I did a fare rate request, it was noted as Uber X. Either the company's application provided the wrong car or the driver switched the fare over to Uber SUV.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/10/19) */
Uber is grateful for the chance to respond to this issue. The complainant has contacted us to let us know that upon further investigation, he has verified that this charge is correct and he has authorized his credit card company to process the...

payment. We truly appreciate him letting us know, and we're so glad to hear that the matter has been resolved. We welcome him to reach out to our Support Team again with any other questions or problems at all - we're always happy to help. Thank you again for the chance to reply.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/12/06) */
Uber is grateful for the chance to respond to this issue.
Unfortunately, because a passenger [redacted] in the driver's vehicle, a cleaning fee was added to the fare. Immediately following the completion of this trip, the driver contacted us...

with photos documenting the mess on the floor and upholstery of his car, the trip number and a description of the incident per our policy. He was unable to resume working until the mess was professionally cleaned and deodorized. The rider's mom was immediately sent an updated and itemized receipt, then upon request provided with the driver's photos and a statement of our Cleaning Fee policy.
A cleaning fee covers required cleaning, deodorizing and sanitizing the car. These vehicles are a driver's livelihood and their source of income. If a rider vomits in their car, they are out of business until the mess and smell are gone. Drivers pay out of their own pocket to have their vehicle cleaned on their own time, and they should be fairly compensated for the cleaning required in order for them to continue to drive and pick up other riders in a safe and sanitary condition. The cost of a full detail is usually in excess of $150 and the presence of biological waste is usually met with an additional $100 charge.
Uber's policies are in place to protect the drivers we partner with and provide their passengers [redacted] a clean and comfortable ride. Uber's Cleaning Fee policies are clearly stated in our Terms of Service (http://www.uber.com/legal/usa/terms) and on our Rider Support page (https://help.uber.com/h/079c30a4-5bXX-XXXX-b518-3ec9c4310e33). When Uber riders sign up for an account, they agree to abide by the Terms of Service, including our right to assess a discretionary cleaning fee when they accept these Terms. The section header "Repair or Cleaning Fees" states the following:
"You shall be responsible for the cost of repair for damage to, or necessary cleaning of, Third Party Provider vehicles and property resulting from your use of the Services in excess of normal "wear and tear" damages and necessary cleaning ("Repair or Cleaning"). In the event that a Third Party Provider reports the need for Repair or Cleaning, and such Repair or Cleaning request is verified by Uber in Uber's reasonable discretion, Uber reserves the right to facilitate payment for the reasonable cost of such Repair or Cleaning on behalf of the Third Party Provider using your preferred payment method designated in your Account. Such amounts will be transferred by Uber to the applicable Third Party Provider and are non-refundable."
Our Rider Help page states:
"The drivers that we partner with work hard to maintain clean vehicles. A clean up fee for cosmetic or physical damage to the interior or exterior of the vehicle incurred as a result of events such as vomiting or pet accidents will be assessed and charged when applicable. In most cases, this fee will be between $50 and $200, but the exact amount depends on the extent of the damage. You will always receive an updated receipt with an explanation when this fee is being charged."
We are sorry that this situation occurred, and again, thank you for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/12/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have 4 witnesses in that taxi car which they will testify that the pictures are not from his car and he stopped the car and they volunteered to wipe the small amount up that was projectiled and he carried on. They all volunteered to wipe up leather seat and spoke very little English only saying "get out" so the ones in back seat got out and the girl stayed up front and then everybody got back in taxi and they proceeded to their destination. The driver said nothing about an additional charge. I totally understand cleaning the car but not 200.00 and such a small amount. Maybe uber needs to do more research because the pictures sent DO NOT pertain to the incident that night. Not a happy customer

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/02) */
Uber appreciates the chance to reply to this issue, as the privacy and security of our customers' account information is of the utmost importance to us. A senior manager of our Community Operations team has reached out directly to this rider in...

response to her request.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/06/29) */
Uber is grateful for the chance to address our service issues. HyreCar's business model is very new and we are still evaluating it. At this time, HyreCar vehicles are not accepted on the Uber platform. We apologize if our Driver Support Team did...

not make that sufficiently clear to this prospective driver, and we appreciate his interest in partnering with Uber. Again, thank you for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 9, 2015/06/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
uber must contact CNN and demand a retraction on the following story...
[redacted]
Want to make extra cash driving for Lyft or Uber but don't have a nice enough car? Have a sweet ride you're not using and want to earn extra money? If only you hustlers could find each other.
HyreCar is a startup that mashes up the sharing economy and on-demand economy. It lets individuals rent out their personal cars to anyone who wants to work as a driver for Uber, Lyft or any other ride-sharing service.
Yes, it's an Airbnb for Uber cars.
Co-founder [redacted] came up with the idea after he tried to sign on as an Uber driver only to discover his car didn't qualify.
Car-sharing companies have rules for what types of cars can be used. For example, if a driver wanted to become an UberBlack driver in [redacted], he or she would need an all-black car that was less than five years old, and it would have to be one of the 83 approved models.
Instead of buying a new car, Bansal decided to make a matchmaking site for car owners and wannabe drivers.
Related: How [redacted]t's buses can make your city better
The setup is similar to RelayRides, which lets regular people rent out their cars when they're not using them. However, that startup is targeted more toward leisurely drivers people who want to run errands or take short trips.
The HyreCar owners tend to rent out cars for longer periods of time, like weeks or months. One driver has rented the same car for more than three months.
"We focus on helping unemployed/underemployed and lower income people obtain work," said HyreCar co-founder [redacted]
Ruhle says in San Francisco, an Uber driver can take home around $200 for a full 8 to 10 hour workday, after gas and commission. He or she can probably find a suitable vehicle for around $40 a day on HyreCar, where owners set the prices (which range from $15 to $200 a day).
"Using HyreCar gives a flexibility to meet people's financial position. If they can't afford a subprime lease, don't want the contractual obligations or don't want mileage caps ... HyreCar provides a solution," said [redacted]
Since it launched in December, the company has signed on 700 cars, primarily in San Francisco, Los Angeles, [redacted] and Dallas. The rental cost through HyreCar includes liability, collision and comprehensive insurance. The company is currently working on getting an additional $5 million policy for catastrophic events.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2016/01/03) */
We appreciate the chance to respond to this issue.
Uber implements dynamic pricing to ensure that riders always have a ride available when they need it. When the supply of cars gets tight, we choose to raise rates incrementally as a means of...

making sure that enough drivers are available to accommodate the demand in the area. We are adamant about being upfront and clear about our fare pricing during these surge periods so that riders can make an informed choice whether or not to use Uber for their trip.
Please find attached a picture of a surge notification in the Uber app. During periods of surge pricing, it is not possible for an Uber passenger ** request a ride without first approving the current rates and tapping the 'I ACCEPT HIGHER FARE' button. In addition, we require all riders to manually type in and confirm the surge rate when it is over 2.0X, as was the case here. The Uber app features a fare estimator, and quotes received during surge periods will always factor in the rate increase in effect at that time. The app also has a surge drop feature in place, so riders can choose to be notified when the surge pricing ends. A reminder of the rate increase is also included in the driver's confirmation notice, should the rider choose to cancel the trip at no charge and seek an alternative ride. Our records show that the customer was shown the surge notification twice, then accepted the surged rate of 5.3X at 11:56 a.m. est.
Our Community Support Team has corresponded with the complainant to explain dynamic pricing and why Uber implements surged fares during especially busy times. Because this was his first surged ride, we have added credit to his account in the amount of 25% of the total fare.
We also add that potential Uber driver-partners are required to undergo an extensive screening process, which includes a driving and criminal history check that covers county, federal, and multi-state databases (https://www.uber.com/safety). Again, thank you for the chance to reply.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/11/10) */
We are grateful for the chance to respond to this issue. Uber makes every possible effort to reunite riders with lost items (please see our Rider Support Page here: https://help.uber.com/h/cXXXXXXX-Xa85-4e1e-bcf4-a0b2ab2642e3). Drivers partner...

with Uber as independent contractors, but if a rider leaves an item behind, Uber does everything it can to help retrieve it and facilitate a return. If a rider believes a driver is in possession of their property but will not return it, they have the right to seek formal litigation via the appropriate authorities, and Uber will always comply with any investigation. Uber has made an earnest effort in good faith and done everything possible to help this rider recover his missing phone, and we regret the frustration and inconvenience he experienced. However, riders are ultimately responsible for their personal items, and Uber does not compensate and cannot be held responsible for lost property, nor for expenses incurred as a result. Thank you again for the chance to reply.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/10/22) */
Uber is grateful for the chance to address this issue, as the security of our customers' personal and payment information is of the utmost importance to us. Our Community Support Team has been working directly with this rider to resolve the...

problem with his account, and we truly apologize for the trouble and inconvenience he has encountered. We have issued additional ride credit with the sincere hope that he will ride with us again. Thank you again for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2015/10/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have no interest in using this business again and they still haven't deleted my account.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2015/10/28) */
tWe can confirm that this account and all personal and payment information have been deleted in accordance with our privacy policy.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 13, 2015/10/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
Complies with my request. Absolutely, unacceptable it takes 1 month and the Revdex.com to get Uber to respond to a customer.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/04) */
We are terribly sorry to hear of the unauthorized charges to the writer's debit card. Our Community Support Team has found that someone gained access to the writer's payment information and created an account using her payment method. We have...

suspended this account and blocked the payment method in our system. Due to the severity of this violation, we have advised the complainant to reach out to her financial institution, who should be able to assist with the fraudulent charges. We regret that we are unable to be of further assistance, and we sincerely hope the writer is able to reach a resolution.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/07/07) */
Uber appreciates the chance to respond to this issue. Our Community Support Team has advised the complainant to reach out directly to her bank to investigate and resolve the unauthorized charges.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/11) */
Uber appreciates the chance to respond to this issue. The contact phone number on this complaint is associated with an existing Uber account that is not in the complainant's name. We ask that he please reach out to our Community Support Team at...

[redacted]@uber.com so we may investigate this issue further. We hope to reach a resolution soon, and again, thank you for the chance to reply.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/08/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The website listed [redacted]@uber.com does not exist. I tried multiple times to gain access and it says it is not found. I feel that I have given plenty of information for Uber to resolve this issue, and to remove my number from their system; therefore I should not have to contact them through a website that does not exist.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/08/17) */
"[redacted]@uber.com" is an email address to contact our Community Support Team.