Uber Technologies Inc. was sued by the US Federal Trade Commission, which claims the rideshare and delivery company hurt consumers through “deceptive billing and cancellation practices” as part of its flagship subscription service.
In a complaint filed Monday, the FTC alleges the company charged consumers for its Uber One product without their consent, misled users about the program’s savings and made it “unreasonably” burdensome to cancel the service. The agency found users can be required to navigate as many as 23 screens and take up to 32 actions to cancel, according to an FTC statement.
The company denied the FTC’s claims, saying the company doesn’t sign up or charge consumers without their consent, and that cancellations now take most people 20 seconds or less. “We are disappointed that the FTC chose to move forward with this action, but are confident that the courts will agree with what we already know: Uber One’s sign-up and cancellation processes are clear, simple, and follow the letter and spirit of the law,” a spokesman said.
UBER THREATENS TO LEAVE COLORADO
Uber is threatening to leave Colorado. Axiosreported:
A bill moving through Colorado’s legislature could force major changes to how rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft operate — and Uber says if it passes, it may have to shut down service in the state.
House Bill 1291 would require stricter safety measures for rideshare drivers, including mandatory dash cameras, audio recordings of rides, and a ban on driving after using marijuana. The proposal also includes increased driver accountability standards.
Uber officials say they support improved safety but argue that the bill, as written, is impossible to enforce.
Blinick also raised concerns about legal liability, saying the bill could make the company responsible for even minor driver actions, such as offering a passenger a water bottle.
Clear plastic bottle of water on black table; image bySteve Johnson, via Unsplash.com.
Legal experts say Uber’s concerns center on potential lawsuits.
Riders themselves are split on the proposal — some say additional safety measures would provide peace of mind, while others worry about losing convenient transportation options.
UBER & VOLKSWAGEN PARTNER TO DEPLOY AVS
Uber and Volkswagen are partnering up to deploy AVs. Bloombergreported:
Uber Technologies Inc. and Volkswagen AG have partnered to deploy thousands of electric ID Buzz vans in the US, marking the latest partnership to expand autonomous options on the ride hailing app.
The companies will begin testing the vans on roads later this year and plan a commercial launch next year in Los Angeles, they said in a statement on Thursday. During initial testing, a human operator will be inside of the vehicles. The launch will take place in stages and only proceed following necessary regulatory approvals. The partnership is planned to expand to other major US markets over the next decade.
Volkswagen has been testing its ID Buzz vans with human operators in Austin. Those vehicles are outfitted with autonomous driving software made by Intel Corp. spinoff Mobileye Global Inc. For deployment of the vehicles on the Uber platform, Volkswagen is using a system developed by its MOIA brand.
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