In theory, the system that powers Uber is as simple as possible: passengers pay for rides, the company gets a cut, and drivers receive the rest of the money.
It’s that easy, and for many people worldwide, this whole system is the engine that powers their daily jobs, helping them make a living using their personal cars. But in reality, there are bugs that sometimes turn the whole thing into quite a nightmare for drivers.
Earlier this year, some of them reported an unexpected glitch in the app that caused Uber actually to charge them for the rides they offered to passengers. So instead of getting paid, they ended up losing money, with one driver telling BI recently they ended up getting charged no less than $50 for a single ride.
Some of these Uber drivers turned to social media to report their problems, with a screenshot shared on Twitter indicating they lost $2.20 after a 13.5-mile (21.7-km) ride. The fare was $9.05, but the driver somehow ended up being required to pay $2.20 to Uber.
In a statement on Twitter, Uber said it was just a bug, and it was investigating, though the company hasn’t provided any specifics. It simply promised to refund all affected drivers.
“We believe this is due to a technical bug, which we are actively investigating. We apologize to you and any other drivers who may be impacted, all of whom will be fully refunded,” Uber said in a May 31 tweet.
Others, however, claim they reached out to Uber to report the problem, but it took the company up to several days to investigate the problem and eventually reimburse them. While it’s hard to tell at this point how widespread this bug actually is, some of the drivers told the aforementioned source they ended up leaving the platform, eventually making the switch to a competing service.
Earlier this year, some of them reported an unexpected glitch in the app that caused Uber actually to charge them for the rides they offered to passengers. So instead of getting paid, they ended up losing money, with one driver telling BI recently they ended up getting charged no less than $50 for a single ride.
Some of these Uber drivers turned to social media to report their problems, with a screenshot shared on Twitter indicating they lost $2.20 after a 13.5-mile (21.7-km) ride. The fare was $9.05, but the driver somehow ended up being required to pay $2.20 to Uber.
In a statement on Twitter, Uber said it was just a bug, and it was investigating, though the company hasn’t provided any specifics. It simply promised to refund all affected drivers.
“We believe this is due to a technical bug, which we are actively investigating. We apologize to you and any other drivers who may be impacted, all of whom will be fully refunded,” Uber said in a May 31 tweet.
Others, however, claim they reached out to Uber to report the problem, but it took the company up to several days to investigate the problem and eventually reimburse them. While it’s hard to tell at this point how widespread this bug actually is, some of the drivers told the aforementioned source they ended up leaving the platform, eventually making the switch to a competing service.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention, @TheSofaaa. We believe this is due to a technical bug, which we are actively investigating. We apologize to you and any other drivers who may be impacted, all of whom will be fully refunded.
— Uber Support (@Uber_Support) May 30, 2021