Following in the footsteps (or the wheel tracks, as it were) of Lyft, Uber will now also sell physical gift cards in stores. [More]
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Uber Implementing New “Selfie” Security Requirement For Drivers
By 9.23.16
In an effort to prevent drivers’ accounts from being compromised, Uber has announced a new security measure called Real-Time ID Check that will require drivers to periodically take a photo of themselves before they can sign onto the platform and accept rides. [More]
Using Uber Outside The U.S.? Make Sure You Don’t Pay $146 For An $11 Ride
By 9.23.16
One of the conveniences of Uber is that, rather than trying to figure out to flag down a taxi in every possible language and culture, you can use the same service to hail a ride in dozens of countries on every non-Antarctica continent. However, if you’re using Uber abroad, be sure to check your bank statement afterward to make sure that you’re not getting taken for a ride financially. [More]
Former Driver For Uber, Lyft Charged With Sexually Assaulting Several Female Passengers
By 9.22.16
A man who used to drive for both Uber and Lyft has been accused of sexually assaulting several women who hailed rides on the platforms, and investigators believe there are likely more victims that have yet to come forward. [More]
Woman Claims She Was Attacked By Uber Driver After Refusing Unsafe Dropoff
By 9.19.16
A Chicago woman is considering suing Uber after she claims a driver on the platform tried to force her out of the car at unsafe dropoff locations, a situation that she says eventually turned violent. [More]
Uber’s Self-Driving Pickups Start Today In Pittsburgh
By 9.14.16
The next time Pittsburgh residents hail an Uber, they could have a new option: the company is kicking off its self-driving car pickup service in the city today. [More]
Google Maps Adding Lyft, Gett To List Of Ride-Hail Options
By 9.8.16
The next time you ask Google Maps for directions, you’ll find a few more travel options: in Google’s recently-introduced tab dedicated to ride-hailing services, Lyft and Gett fares and time estimates will also be available alongside Uber, depending on where you live. [More]
Appeals Court: Sorry Uber Drivers, You Signed Away Your Right To Sue Company
By 9.8.16
Just like a growing number of companies are quietly stripping consumers of their right to a jury trial, so too are employers using workers’ contracts to insert clauses that prevent them from bringing lawsuits in court. Yesterday, a federal appeals court ruled that most Uber drivers signed away their rights to pursue legal action against the company, putting multiple lawsuits — and a potential $100 million class action settlement — at risk. [More]
Uber Driver Accused Of Creeping Around Outside Passengers’ Apartment
By 9.6.16
Another day, another story of an Uber driver going outside the bounds of a normal interaction with customers: police in St. Petersburg, FL say a man who uses the Uber platform was arrested for prowling outside the apartment of two female passengers he’d dropped off earlier. [More]
Guy Says He Was Charged $573 For A 45-Hour Uber Ride He Didn’t Take
By 9.2.16
If you took a 45-hour car ride, you’d probably remember it. Which is why a man in Chicago was confused to find he’d been charged a bucketload of money for a very long Uber trip that he never took. [More]
Judge Rejects $28.5M Uber “Safe Rides” Fee Settlement, Says Company Made $449M From These Charges
By 9.1.16
Not even two weeks after a court rejected a $100 million class action settlement in a dispute between Uber and its drivers, a federal judge has denied a second huge settlement in a legal battle over the nearly half a billion dollars in “Safe Rides” fees collected by the ride-hailing service. [More]
Uber Driver Accused Of Robbing, Assaulting Disabled Woman
By 8.31.16
It seems every week we’re reporting on ride-share drivers accused of mistreating the passengers they’re hired to take from point A to B, and this week is no different: an Uber driver in Massachusetts has been accused of stealing from an elderly disabled woman and assaulting her in the process. [More]
Google Launching Actual Ride-Sharing Pilot To Compete With Uber, Lyft
By 8.31.16
When Uber was new, it may have claimed to be a ride-sharing service, but these days it’s a high-tech, glorified, unlicensed taxi app. So Google’s planning to start competing against it in San Francisco, with… an actual ride-sharing service. [More]
Uber “Local Rewards” Program Offers Free Rides For Shopping, Dining Out
By 8.30.16
Two months ago, Uber launched a rewards program that offered free rides to users who used a Capital One credit card. Today, the company unveiled a separate reward program with Visa, providing free rides based on how much customers spend at local businesses. [More]
Lyft Dismisses The Idea That It Even Wants A Buyer At All
By 8.23.16
A day after Uber reportedly shrugged off the idea of acquiring ride-hailing rival Lyft, the latter company says it’s not on the market, you know, anyway. [More]
Massachusetts Will Tax Uber & Lyft, Give Some Of The Money To Taxis
By 8.22.16
Uber or Lyft will soon be supporting their biggest rivals in the Old Bay State, thanks to a newly signed law regulating the ride-hailing industry. In all, Massachusetts will tack on a $.20/ride fee for these newer companies, with the revenue being divided up between the state, cities, and the taxi industry. [More]
Uber Reportedly Shrugs Off Idea Of Acquiring Lyft
By 8.22.16
With reports circulating that ride-hailing service Lyft may be looking to sell itself, it makes sense to think of Uber, its most prominent competitor, as a potential buyer. However, it seems very unlikely that regulators would allow this merger, or that Uber is even interested. [More]
Judge Rejects $100 Million Settlement Proposal In Uber Drivers Class Action
By 8.19.16
The man who ended up as the named plaintiff in a lawsuit of Uber drivers in Califoria and Massachusetts is dissatisfied with the proposed settlement of $100 million to be shared among all class members, and it turns out that the judge in the case doesn’t approve of that offer, either. The judge in the case agrees with him, it turns out, and both sides have been sent back to negotiate a new settlement. [More]
