The woes of Uber continue to hammer their reputation and PR to the ground. From boycotts called through the #deleteuber hashtag campaign to sexual harassment claims, Uber just isn’t getting a break. Now, Ars Technica revealed a suit which was filed against Uber claiming that the ride-hailing company was using “sophisticated” software to manipulate both the driver and the passenger.
Nature of the suit pointed out that “this case represents a shocking example of an active, extensive, methodical scheme implemented worldwide specifically to defraud drivers”.
The suit claimed that whenever a passenger uses the Uber app to find a car available, the app shows the estimated fare for the passenger and it is based on a slower and longer route. The driver, on the other hand, is shown a quicker and shorter route instead. With this, the software charges the passenger a higher fee and the driver’s commission for the trip is paid for the shorter quicker route, which in the case is lower.
The Uber Defendants retain the difference in the fare charged to the User and the fare reported to the driver, in addition to the service fee and booking fee disclosed to drivers
The suit which was filed in California continues to state that Uber has breached the contract, as well as claims that unjust enrichment, fraud, and unfair competition on Uber’s part. Bold claims include “it is beyond dispute that the Uber Defendants knew its software would result in a disparity between the fares charged to Users and the amounts reported and paid to drivers.”
We shall see how this case progresses in court in the US. It isn’t the first time Uber has been accused of using software to cheat, just last month, a damning New York Times article unveiled that Uber used a tool called “Greyball” in its software to deceive authorities around the world.
