Matt Lindsay used Uber on New Year’s Eve to get himself and his friends home, but then he received an email notifying him of an Uber charge of $1,114.71.
Lindsay was picked up by an Uber driver in Edmonton, Alberta, and the driver informed the group of the New Years holiday surge pricing. The fare price was 8.9 times the standard fare, and Lindsay obliged to the price, but he says he thought the charge would only be a bit more than what he usually pays. Lindsay didn’t realize his mistake until after he got home and received the confirmation email from Uber.
Lindsay said he has taken Uber rides in the past and was charged a surge rate that was two times the regular amount, and he said normally he could get from the northside to downtown for under $20, but had paid around $70 at the surge rate. He added that he figured that was around the amount he figured he would pay because he was going a similar distance.
Lindsay said the price shocked him and if he received a final estimate for his trip, then he would have ended the ride earlier. He said he would have realized things were getting out of hand and he would have reconsidered the rate.
Lindsay said after people have been drinking, they are vulnerable and surge rates can leave them confused. He continued to say that the fare should be displayed in Uber vehicles, which is required by law in regulated taxis. He also said surge rates for long distance rides should be capped out.
Uber has agreed to cut Lindsay’s fare in half. The company said surge pricing is a way to ensure people can get a ride on a busy night. A spokesperson for Uber said surge pricing provides an incentive for drivers to offer rides when they are needed the most.
