Uber’s surge pricing is somewhat controversial, especially when you consider how much more expensive it can get. However in the past the company has gotten major backlash when the company implemented surge pricing during emergency situations, like in Sydney during a hostage crisis, or in London earlier this year during the terror attacks.
However it seems that despite how expensive surge pricing can get, we’re pretty sure no one would have ever expected to be charged close to $20,000 for a 20 minute ride, right? Unfortunately that’s what happened to Uber rider Hisham Salama who claims to have been quoted $18,518.50 for a five-mile ride, which he expected would have cost him around $20. Initially believing it to be a joke, he decided to check with his credit card company and discovered that the money indeed had been earmarked.
@Uber @Uber_Support what turned out to be an honest mistake is now turning into the biggest blunder of 2017. I’m no longer laughing at wondering when #uber will get their act together. Can anyone help? Obviously, no 20 min fare is $18,500. pic.twitter.com/zBhtMSBy67
— Hisham Salama (@The_Hish) December 9, 2017
Salama then tried to get in touch with an Uber support rep who confirmed that the fare is correct, suggesting that Uber was standing by its charges. Unsurprisingly Salama wasn’t going to pay this amount, and together with his friends they took to Twitter to pressure Uber into justifying the costs, which ultimately resulted in Uber backtracking and claiming it to be an error, according to The Canadian Press, where they said that the driver had entered the wrong fee.
The company has since refunded Salama and given him $150 in credit. Uber has also provided a statement to Slate which reads, “We have provided a full refund to this rider and apologized to him for this experience. We have safeguards in place to help prevent something like this from happening, and we are working to understand how this occurred.”
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