Two Uber riders planned to take identical trips at the same time across Brussels. A taxi rider with a low battery was allegedly offered a rate five percent higher. Uber denies that its taxi fees are impacted by battery level.
An investigation that was conducted by a Belgian newspaper called Dernière Heure revealed that the ride-hailing service Uber charges users additional fees depending on the battery capacity of their phone. As a result of this study, Uber is facing criticism. According to the findings of the investigation, two passengers who took the same trip in Brussels were given different price estimates for their UberX ride, despite the fact that they had selected the same exact options. One passenger's battery level was 12%, while the other passenger's battery level was 84%. Reportedly, the customer whose battery level was lower was charged €17.56 more than the other passenger in order to travel from an unknown office to Tour & Taxis, while the other passenger paid €16.60 more. In a similar manner, when given Uber Comfort, the phone with the lower battery capacity was charged €21.32 while the phone with the higher battery capacity was charged €20.19. The phone with the smaller battery capacity was charged €25.38 when it was offered Uber Black, whereas the other phone was charged €24.50 for a black car.
When confronted with the allegations, Uber responded by denying that the pricing of a journey was determined by the amount of battery life remaining on a user's phone. Instead, the corporation stated that the prices were determined by criteria such as demand and occupancy levels in a specific area. "During busy periods," Uber said in a statement to Dernière Heure, "when there are many requests for rides and few drivers available in a certain geographical area, this can have an impact on the price of the ride." Before the user submits his request, he is always given information regarding the cost of participating in the race. The inquiry, on the other hand, gives the impression that this explanation might not be correct. The fact that the two customers took the same trip at the same time and selected identical UberX options, but were still charged different costs implies that battery level was a component in the pricing algorithm. The fact that the two passengers took the same journey at the same time and selected identical UberX options.
The pricing approach that Uber utilizes, which includes the regular application of surge pricing during times of high demand, has been the subject of criticism in the past. The corporation has defended this practice by asserting that it promotes more drivers to come onto the platform during busy periods. The most recent allegations, on the other hand, are likely to spark worries regarding the pricing strategies utilized by Uber, in particular, because of the possibility the firm may exploit users based on personal data such as the amount of phone battery power. It is not yet obvious whether or not the allegations will result in regulatory action being taken against Uber. On the other hand, this occurrence serves as a timely reminder that ride-hailing applications are required to be clear about their pricing systems as well as any factors that influence the cost of a ride.