Uber incident leaves passenger gobsmacked over backseat ‘mess’
- Replies 18
In our increasingly digitised and fast-paced world, ride-hailing services like Uber have become a modern convenience for many.
When booking an Uber, one expects the cost to be straightforward, your ride fare, and nothing more.
However, this shocking story from one commuter serves as a cautionary tale that comes with this new-age convenience.
The passenger, a student from Melbourne, claimed that a cleaning fee was deducted from their account two days after a supposedly uneventful Uber ride because they had left a 'mess' in the vehicle.
Narrating their experience on social media, this resident recalled that on March 6th, $80 was deducted from their account, ‘stating that I made a mess in the Uber, and the driver had to clean it’.
Perplexed, the rider immediately engaged Uber customer service, adamant that the car was pristine when they left.
They posted screenshots of an exchange from the Uber app, displaying a customer service message detailing the incident and explaining the reason behind the fee.
‘We have received a report that a mess was made that required your driver to have their vehicle cleaned,’ the message read.
‘To cover the cost of cleaning, $80 has been added to your fare for this trip.’
According to the message, ‘Cleaning fees are assessed on a case-by-case basis and when the driver making the claim can provide visual evidence of the mess that occurred in the vehicle.’
‘Hi, the car was clean when I left it,’ the passenger claimed.
'I don’t know why this charge is being taken from me. I am 100% sure that the car was as clean as when I came in as when I left the Uber.'
The plot thickened when the passenger requested photographic evidence of this supposed ‘mess’.
The photo shared by Uber depicted a black Tesla seat with a damp spot, and what looked like torn toilet paper pieces stuck to the leather.
The ride-hail service informed the resident, 'We’ve confirmed with the driver, and he mentioned that when he checked the vehicle seat, it was vomit.'
However, the passenger was firm in asserting that they did not ‘spit’ or ‘vomit’ in the vehicle, and expressed confusion over the imposed cleaning fee.
Significantly distressed over this accusation, the resident retorted, 'I am sure that the driver is just scamming me, or got the wrong person. Now I've learned my lesson the hard way to click before and after photos for Uber.'
Upon receiving the additional fee, the individual reached out to their bank, and initiated the procedure to contest the charge; however, they were advised that they ‘should give the Uber support at least a week before doing so’.
In defence of the ride-hail service, an Uber Spokesperson stated, 'Riders are able to dispute the charge, which is then reviewed closely by our team, and may be refunded.'
‘If riders have any issues, we encourage them to get into contact with our customer service team via the Help section in the app.’
‘Depending on the type of issue, after a report is made, it is routed to the correct team who will make contact with the customer. Reports of a safety incident usually prompt a phone call shortly after from our 24/7 incident response team,’ they added.
True to the social media’s innate curiosity and penchant for problem-solving, the digital detectives came to the defence of the accused passenger.
Users commented on the implausible notion that the mess looked like vomit, and highlighted the unusual 'physics' of it.
‘Neatest looking vomit I’ve ever seen,’ one commented.
‘It doesn’t really look like vomit. More like a small bit of clear drink that could be wiped,’ replied another.
‘Can Uber explain the physics of this vomit? Like, how does that hit the seat like that unless you were sitting in a baby car seat?’ a third asked.
Some argued that the evidence seemed to show the car's front or passenger seat—contrary to the passenger's assertion of sitting in the backseat during the journey, saying, ‘Didn't go anywhere near the front.’
A supposed Tesla owner also jumped in on the conversation, ‘I have a Tesla. [The] back seat is a bench seat; not a bucket seat. This looks like a front seat to me.’
‘Do we have to start taking photos after we get out of an Uber to have evidence if the driver claims you messed up their car?’ another asked.
Some people prefer ride-hailing service providers like Uber over taxi services because they are apparently more comfortable and efficient alternatives.
It also doesn’t help that there are also reports about some taxi drivers who do ‘dodgy’ tactics to scam passengers.
Have any of you encountered unexpected charges from ride-hail services? Share your stories, and help each other be more prepared in the comments below!
When booking an Uber, one expects the cost to be straightforward, your ride fare, and nothing more.
However, this shocking story from one commuter serves as a cautionary tale that comes with this new-age convenience.
The passenger, a student from Melbourne, claimed that a cleaning fee was deducted from their account two days after a supposedly uneventful Uber ride because they had left a 'mess' in the vehicle.
Narrating their experience on social media, this resident recalled that on March 6th, $80 was deducted from their account, ‘stating that I made a mess in the Uber, and the driver had to clean it’.
Perplexed, the rider immediately engaged Uber customer service, adamant that the car was pristine when they left.
An Uber passenger was charged $80 for cleaning fees after allegedly making a mess inside the vehicle. Credits: Reddit / u/Desi_Weeb
They posted screenshots of an exchange from the Uber app, displaying a customer service message detailing the incident and explaining the reason behind the fee.
‘We have received a report that a mess was made that required your driver to have their vehicle cleaned,’ the message read.
‘To cover the cost of cleaning, $80 has been added to your fare for this trip.’
According to the message, ‘Cleaning fees are assessed on a case-by-case basis and when the driver making the claim can provide visual evidence of the mess that occurred in the vehicle.’
‘Hi, the car was clean when I left it,’ the passenger claimed.
'I don’t know why this charge is being taken from me. I am 100% sure that the car was as clean as when I came in as when I left the Uber.'
The plot thickened when the passenger requested photographic evidence of this supposed ‘mess’.
The photo shared by Uber depicted a black Tesla seat with a damp spot, and what looked like torn toilet paper pieces stuck to the leather.
The ride-hail service informed the resident, 'We’ve confirmed with the driver, and he mentioned that when he checked the vehicle seat, it was vomit.'
The passenger shared screenshots of their conversation with Uber. Credits: Reddit / u/Desi_Weeb
However, the passenger was firm in asserting that they did not ‘spit’ or ‘vomit’ in the vehicle, and expressed confusion over the imposed cleaning fee.
Significantly distressed over this accusation, the resident retorted, 'I am sure that the driver is just scamming me, or got the wrong person. Now I've learned my lesson the hard way to click before and after photos for Uber.'
Upon receiving the additional fee, the individual reached out to their bank, and initiated the procedure to contest the charge; however, they were advised that they ‘should give the Uber support at least a week before doing so’.
In defence of the ride-hail service, an Uber Spokesperson stated, 'Riders are able to dispute the charge, which is then reviewed closely by our team, and may be refunded.'
‘If riders have any issues, we encourage them to get into contact with our customer service team via the Help section in the app.’
‘Depending on the type of issue, after a report is made, it is routed to the correct team who will make contact with the customer. Reports of a safety incident usually prompt a phone call shortly after from our 24/7 incident response team,’ they added.
True to the social media’s innate curiosity and penchant for problem-solving, the digital detectives came to the defence of the accused passenger.
Users commented on the implausible notion that the mess looked like vomit, and highlighted the unusual 'physics' of it.
‘Neatest looking vomit I’ve ever seen,’ one commented.
‘It doesn’t really look like vomit. More like a small bit of clear drink that could be wiped,’ replied another.
‘Can Uber explain the physics of this vomit? Like, how does that hit the seat like that unless you were sitting in a baby car seat?’ a third asked.
Some argued that the evidence seemed to show the car's front or passenger seat—contrary to the passenger's assertion of sitting in the backseat during the journey, saying, ‘Didn't go anywhere near the front.’
A supposed Tesla owner also jumped in on the conversation, ‘I have a Tesla. [The] back seat is a bench seat; not a bucket seat. This looks like a front seat to me.’
‘Do we have to start taking photos after we get out of an Uber to have evidence if the driver claims you messed up their car?’ another asked.
Some people prefer ride-hailing service providers like Uber over taxi services because they are apparently more comfortable and efficient alternatives.
It also doesn’t help that there are also reports about some taxi drivers who do ‘dodgy’ tactics to scam passengers.
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