Uber accused of signing up and charging subscription customers without consent

Ridehalding will register people in its subscription service and then charge them without approval, which makes it difficult to cancel the service in the end, and the agency claims the case. FTC requires the court to submit a permanent judicial order that prevents Uber from continuing to register persons in the subscription program, as well as unlimited cash relief for alleged policy victims.

“The Americans are tired of registering for unwanted subscriptions that seem impossible to cancel,” Andrew Ferguson, FTC Chairman, said in a statement. “FTC Trump-VANCE is fighting on behalf of the American people. Today, we claim that Uber not only deceived consumers about their subscriptions, but also made it difficult for customers to cancel it.”

According to FTC, Uber used the text that is difficult to read deceptive savings to attract people to its subscription service. When subscribing to Uber, customers “wrongly promised” $ 25 per month, which does not represent $ 9.99 a month for the cost of subscription. The company also blocks material information about subscription, “including” using a small, gray text that consumers can easily miss it. “Many customers told FTC that they were registered without approval, as one of the customers said they were imposed despite the lack of Uber account.

After subscribing, Uber is alleged to impose fees on customers before the date of bills, and sometimes before the end of the free experimental period. And when customers try to cancel, make Uber “very difficult,” says FTC.

The agency says: “Some users have been told to contact customer support to cancel, but they are not given a way to contact them,” others claim that Uber pushed them to another bills course after they asked to cancel and wait for customer support. “

Uber claims that allegations are wrong, and that customers are able to cancel subscriptions without little friction. The company also refuses to register and ship customers without their consent.

“We are disappointed that FTC chose to move forward in this procedure, but we are confident that the courts will agree to what we already know: the subscriptions and cancellation in Uber are clear and simple and followed the rhetoric of the law and its spirit,” Uber spokesman Noah Eduard said in a statement. “Uber does not register or charge consumers without their consent, and cancellation can now be performed at any time in application and most people take 20 seconds or less.”

The company also provided data from the former FTC officials chanting similar feelings. Tim Meris, head of the Consumer Protection Office, and Director of the Competition Office, said, ” Now a great lawyer in Sidley, who represented Uber during the investigation period in this case.