Reports that Uber will increase your bill if you use discounted services
Travel news blog View From The Wing reported that people with discounted Uber accounts are being charged more for rides.
Uber Caught Overcharging? How Having Credits in Your Account Might Be Costing You - View from the Wing
Gary Leff, a writer for View From The Wing, noticed the problem when he requested a ride through the Uber app in early September 2024.
At the time, Leff's account had a $15 (about 2,200 yen) credit from American Express every month. According to an explanation on the Uber official website, American Express Platinum Card holders receive $15 in Uber Cash every month as a member benefit.
When Leff looked at the fare estimate, the total fare including the $15 credit seemed higher than usual, so he decided to stop using Uber's ride-sharing service and use the credit on Uber Eats first.
A View From The Wing reader shared some more specifics: Charles, a reader of the site, said he always used Uber at the same time and in the same place, and that the fare was usually around $20.
However, when Charles bought a 20% discount gift card at Costco and charged it to his account, he couldn't use the amount he had charged for a ride to the airport that he had booked in advance. What's more, the fare for his usual parking spot jumped from $20 to $30. When he tried Lyft, a rival service of Uber, the fare remained at $20.
Furthermore, when Charles borrowed the phone of someone who didn't have any funds in their account to make a reservation, he found that he was still charged the usual $20.
It's unclear which areas or users are receiving the increased fares, but Leff said, 'This is just my speculation, but it could be that Uber is testing this out with a specific group of users to see how they respond.'
In 2017, Uber appointed Dara Khosrowshahi, who was the head of travel app Expedia, as CEO, and since then, drivers have been earning less and users have been paying more. In addition, when fares changed, the amount of the increase was clearly stated under the fare fluctuation system 'surge pricing,' but that has also disappeared and fares are now increased without any notice. Leff pointed out that the phenomenon he and Charles experienced was likely due to this trend.
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in Web Service, Ride, Posted by log1l_ks