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Uber was consistently charging me 20%-50% more than my friends. Same time, same origin, same destination, no discounts, regardless of who asked first or rider r

Uber was consistently charging me 20%-50% more than my friends. Same time, same origin, same destination, no discounts, regardless of who asked first or rider rating. Can't share screenshots without doxxing myself, though. After being gaslit by Uber support for weeks, they finally admitted to charge riders different prices, and that there was nothing they could do to reset my price multiplier[1]. I suspect it was because I added a Work profile with corporate credit card for a trip years ago. So I deleted my account, waited 30 days for the data to be expunged[2], and created a new account under a new email address and without my middle name. The prices are now normal! This plus drivers constantly cancelling rides, makes me avoid Uber as much as I can. - [1] Quoting Uber support: "The prices of the trips and promotions are unique to users, that is correct. [...] There is sadly nothing you can do personally to change the fare rate of the trips before any discount is applied." [2] After requesting to delete your account, I received an email asking to explain the issue and if they could help me. Replying "no" automatically reactivated my account and reset the 30 day timer.

napierzaza 2y ago
It was pretty insane that there was such a huge push with #deleteuber and there were so many stories about how terrible they were as a company for customers and employees. And now after just a few short years people somehow completely forgot or believe somehow it's all good because they changed their CEO.
jmward01 2y ago
I noticed this exact behavior between my wife and I. I avoid Uber like the plague but unfortunately they have destroyed the alternatives. We need a right to anonymity for services. Knowing who I am isn't a requirement for the actual service but they want it so they can make additional money off of you. There should always be an option 'remain anonymous' that requires the vendor to immediately delete any information on you and use nothing identifiable about you in their service. If they are found to break that then there should be severe penalties that are paid directly to the person impacted and all lawyer fees go to the company with no option for 'arbitration'.
- fragmede 2y ago
  > Knowing who I am isn't a requirement for the actual service Building a history that you won't assault the driver or puke in their car is actually material to them offering you rides. You might not be someone who would try and rob the Uber driver, but lets admit that such people exist, and that it's in Uber's best interest not to let people like that use their platform.
  - jmward01 2y ago
    This was not a requirement before Uber but it is now somehow an argument after. Reporting a crime or vandalism during a ride is grounds for being banned from the service, but the actual service, if you aren't banned, doesn't require knowing who you are, or were. If this is actually a valuable thing then you should get paid for allowing, with informed consent (opt-in, not opt-out and not dark patterns), that information to be used.
  - mschuster91 2y ago
    > You might not be someone who would try and rob the Uber driver, but lets admit that such people exist, and that it's in Uber's best interest not to let people like that use their platform. Not to excuse taxi robbers or taxi drivers raping female passengers, but... somehow humanity seems to have existed with that for decades just fine? What is different between now and back then, maybe other than that we're finally taking women seriously?
- CatWChainsaw 2y ago
  Know Your Customer is a cancer that is spreading from the financial industry to every other industry in the name of advertisements, subscriptions, and selling "insights" to other parties. And like so many other new regulations and like you mentioned below, it only ever seems to help the billion-dollar company and not its customers.
- ryukoposting 2y ago
  Anonymity should be a requirement, not an option. All that happens in an "optinal anonymity" scenario is those who use it see a 50+% price hike. Not to cover any costs, but to disincentivize anonymity.

napierzaza 2y ago

It was pretty insane that there was such a huge push with #deleteuber and there were so many stories about how terrible they were as a company for customers and employees. And now after just a few short years people somehow completely forgot or believe somehow it's all good because they changed their CEO.

jmward01 2y ago

I noticed this exact behavior between my wife and I. I avoid Uber like the plague but unfortunately they have destroyed the alternatives. We need a right to anonymity for services. Knowing who I am isn't a requirement for the actual service but they want it so they can make additional money off of you. There should always be an option 'remain anonymous' that requires the vendor to immediately delete any information on you and use nothing identifiable about you in their service. If they are found to break that then there should be severe penalties that are paid directly to the person impacted and all lawyer fees go to the company with no option for 'arbitration'.

fragmede 2y ago
> Knowing who I am isn't a requirement for the actual service Building a history that you won't assault the driver or puke in their car is actually material to them offering you rides. You might not be someone who would try and rob the Uber driver, but lets admit that such people exist, and that it's in Uber's best interest not to let people like that use their platform.
- jmward01 2y ago
  This was not a requirement before Uber but it is now somehow an argument after. Reporting a crime or vandalism during a ride is grounds for being banned from the service, but the actual service, if you aren't banned, doesn't require knowing who you are, or were. If this is actually a valuable thing then you should get paid for allowing, with informed consent (opt-in, not opt-out and not dark patterns), that information to be used.
- mschuster91 2y ago
  > You might not be someone who would try and rob the Uber driver, but lets admit that such people exist, and that it's in Uber's best interest not to let people like that use their platform. Not to excuse taxi robbers or taxi drivers raping female passengers, but... somehow humanity seems to have existed with that for decades just fine? What is different between now and back then, maybe other than that we're finally taking women seriously?
CatWChainsaw 2y ago
Know Your Customer is a cancer that is spreading from the financial industry to every other industry in the name of advertisements, subscriptions, and selling "insights" to other parties. And like so many other new regulations and like you mentioned below, it only ever seems to help the billion-dollar company and not its customers.
ryukoposting 2y ago
Anonymity should be a requirement, not an option. All that happens in an "optinal anonymity" scenario is those who use it see a 50+% price hike. Not to cover any costs, but to disincentivize anonymity.