Yahoo Finance $990 reason not to fall asleep in your Uber
After a big night out, an Uber home can seem like a no-brainer.
But London woman Ashleigh Cooper learnt the hard way that there are certain financial dangers associated with taking an Uber while exhausted.
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The 27-year-old accounts manager shared on Twitter how she had fallen asleep in the Uber, only to be taken on an extreme - and expensive - 143km detour for what should have been a 65km journey.
“Thanks Uber for taking me on the wrong route home, 89 miles instead of the 40-mile journey it should have been, charging me £529.77 (AU$990) and not refunding a single penny,” Cooper said.
“Your ‘compensation’ offer of Uber credit to use for future rides is insulting.”
She said the journey should have taken around an hour at that time of the morning, but ended up taking two hours.
Thanks @Uber for taking me on the wrong route home, 89 miles instead of the 40-mile journey it should have been, charging me £529.77 and not refunding a single penny. Your ‘compensation’ offer of Uber credit to use for future rides is insulting. #uberruinedchristmas @Uber_Support pic.twitter.com/qa2D37TCkd
— Ashleigh Cooper (@Ash_C00per) December 20, 2019
Tagging the complaint with #uberruinedchristmas, Cooper said she even woke up at one point at a petrol station wondering why she wasn’t home yet.
“So much for taking care of solo female riders.”
The journey should have only taken just over an hour in those early hours of the morning and I was taken on a 2 hour trip, at one point waking up in a petrol station, alone not knowing why I wasn't home yet. So much for taking care of solo female riders @Uber #uberruinedchristmas
— Ashleigh Cooper (@Ash_C00per) December 20, 2019
She said her bank was trying to dispute the transaction, but Uber - while admitting the fault - said they couldn’t refund her due to rules set by the city’s transport network, Transport for London.
When Uber responded to her complaint, she said the company has “washed their hands with my case”, noting that the credit was useless given she would “never” use Uber again.
“The funds have left my account and I am £529.77 worse off.”
But it could have been worse.
Fellow English man, Chris Reed, got taken for a $2,700 ride in October when he also fell asleep.
Reed received the extreme bill after his driver took him for a 480km ride around England, with the 5 and a half hour ride also charged surge pricing.
“Spent this week trying to get answers from Uber as to how my driver managed to drive me halfway up the UK while I dozed off thinking I was headed from Fulham to Croydon. Woken up in the Midlands! Didn’t hear a peep from my driver. £1453.86. 5 1/2 hrs on surge price x2,” Reed wrote on Twitter.
“Don’t drink & drive but also, don’t drink and get in an Uber as this could happen to anyone. If I am forced to pay this ridiculous fare in its entirety then I at least hope it saves people reading this from the same happening to them.”
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