Mike Isaac’s Super Pumped (p. 262) reports a malfunction of Uber’s surge pricing system on Halloween 2014, wildly overcharging people on an especially busy night. Some riders were charged as much as $360 for rides that evening.
Charged passengers almost $900 for a single ride
Milwaukee passengers accepted a 8.6 surge and a quoted price of approximately $200 to get to the specified destination. When they asked the driver to make other stops, he agreed. Uber calculated the adjusted route at $898 — a price which the passengers were never told about and never accepted. When the passengers complained, Uber said the charge was correct. The passengers pointed out that they could have rented a limo for the whole night, getting better service at lower cost.
Raised prices during transit malfunctions
When trains were out of service Uber sometimes charged far higher prices.
For example, during an August 15, 2017 train service disruption in Chicago, Uber charged as much as five times its normal prices. A spokeswoman for Chicago’s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection department remarked: “It is unfortunate that at least two ride-share companies chose to take advantage of this morning’s difficult commuter situation.” Under pressure, Uber refunded passengers who paid a surge in this period.
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.