Uber driver charges his first passenger £750
It was a 20 minute journey
Jack CummingsAn Uber passenger was hit with a £750 Uber bill after making a short trip from a night out back home.
Jake Older, 21, booked an Uber from Forge Bar in London back to his flat near King’s Cross.
It was supposed to cost him just £20, so imagine his surprise when he got a receipt for a trip costing £748.96.
The driver’s phone had frozen, so the journey was kept running for 82 hours.
Jake told The Tab: “I got a call from my bank saying they had a huge payment just come through.
“I said no that’s ridiculous, I haven’t spent that much – then they said it was Uber.”
Jake had a £750 Uber bill, even though his journey was only five miles
Jake, who is a Financial Accounting student at Bath University, was on a year long industry placement as a consultant in London when he booked the £750 Uber.
He said: “The receipt says my journey was 82 hours long, which is from about New York to San Francisco if you go at about at 40mph.
“I’ve made a joke about it that I can get across America for less than what I paid.”
Jake was on his way back from a work night out and got an Uber just after 3am.
He said: “It should have been about 20-25 minutes and cost about £20.
“The driver was nice, perfectly nice and chatty, and said it was his first Uber ride.”
Jake’s Uber receipt
Jake added: “I didn’t get the usual journey complete receipt, but I went straight to sleep as I was drunk.
“Three days later I got a call from my bank and a receipt for nearly £750 came through.
“I didn’t really believe it, I thought it was a joke.”
Jake admitted: “Reluctantly I still use Uber, but haven’t had any problems since.
“That incident is something I’m going to remember for a long time because it’s was such a big bill.”
Jake’s corrected bill
An Uber spokesperson told us: “This incorrect fare was the result of a fault with the partner-driver’s phone, which froze leaving him unable to close the app and end the trip.
“There was no fare charged to the rider and our support team quickly responded to the rider and replaced the driver’s phone.
“Transparent receipts are one of the advantages of the Uber app, ensuring that users always have a record of every trip route and transaction so if there is an issue it can be easily resolved.”