Uber drivers were accused of sexually assaulting riders in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, and more.
“Upfront pricing” disputes
Uber “upfront pricing” nets out in Uber’s favor, increasing effective fees charged to drivers. Details from Rideshare Guy.
In screenshots and details at Quartz, drivers show some specifics. For example, on one ride, the passenger paid $31.02, yet Uber told the driver that the passenger’s fare was $26.96, which led to a net payment to the driver of $17.05 (net of Uber’s fee, tax, and other charges). In other examples, Uber charged the passenger $41.86 but told the driver the fare was $34.85; and $25.65 versus $22.03. In each of these examples, Uber’s statement to the driver about the passenger’s “fare” appears to have been affirmatively false, as the true fare was more.
Underpaid New York drivers
By retaining commissions 2.6% beyond the amount specified in the applicable contract, Uber underpaid drivers in New York. Jim Conigliaro, founder of the Independent Drivers’ Guild, called Uber’s actions “theft.” Engadget reported that the amount averaged $900 per driver, yielding a total overcharge of more than $40 million.
2015 contract revisions indicate that Uber knew it was wrongly taking commission on gross fares, thereby overcharging drivers, though the company denied that allegation.
Raised prices during public emergencies
After outcry about exorbitant fares, Uber agreed to cap surge pricing during emergencies. Yet the company faced criticism a few months later for temporarily raising fares during the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, then again for surges during London attacks.
CEO Travis Kalanick argued with driver
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick feuded with driver Fawzi Kamel (video) over changes at the company.
Kamel flagged Uber’s decision to cut prices and payments to drivers, complaining “I’m bankrupt because of you.” Kalanick replied that the driver was wrong to “blame everything in [his] life on somebody else” and “Some people don’t like to take responsibility for their own shit.”
Kalanick ended the trip by sarcastically wishing the driver good luck.
Kalanick later met with the driver again, reopened the debate, and ultimately made a payment to the driver from his own money.
CEO Travis Kalanick sent explicit email to employees
Ignored employee reports of sexual harassment
Former Uber software engineer Susan Fowler posted a 4,000+ word report of her experience reporting sexual harassment at Uber. Among other problems, she reported multiple senior managers failing to take action on the problems she reported — and retaining the employees who engaged in misconduct.
Managers taken into custody for running an illegal taxi company
When Uber operated in Paris in violation of applicable law, Uber France CEO Thibaud Simphal and Uber Europe GM Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty were both arrested. Details.
Continued operation when ordered to cease
In multiple cities, Uber continued operation despite duly-empowered regulators ordering it to cease.
For example, in litigation, the City of San Francisco and City of Los Angeles reported a 2010 incident in which the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency noted that Uber’s system for “measure[ing] time and distance” had not been submitted to appropriate regulators for testing and approval, contrary to applicable law. Four years later, Uber had still not done so and, the cities alleged, was in violation of the law each time it used its unapproved technology.
More details coming soon.
Untrue or misleading representations about safety measures
In litigation, the City of San Francisco and City of Los Angeles alleged that Uber falsely claimed to offer the “safest ride on the road” with the “strictest safety standards possible,” which, the cities argued, was “likely to mislead consumers into believing Uber does everything it can to ensure their safety” when in fact better methods were available.
The cities further alleged that Uber’s claim to be “doing everything we can to make Uber the safest experience on the road” was inconsistent with the company’s lobbying against certain safety requirements then being discussed in the California legislature.
The People Of The State Of California v. Uber Technologies Inc A Delaware Corporation Et Al – litigation docket