Toronto Woman Says She Was Charged $206 In Damages For Rolling Down Her Uber's Window
She says it raises concerns over COVID-19 safety.
A Toronto woman has won her battle with Uber after alleging one of its drivers charged her over $200 in damages for rolling down a window in the interest of COVID-19 safety earlier this week.
The rider, whose name is Alyssa Schwartz, took to Twitter on Monday to share her experience and screenshots of her interactions with the ride-sharing app's support team.
In the thread, Schwartz accuses the driver of refusing to comply with Uber's safety protocols and fraudulently reporting $206 worth of damages.
My @uber driver last night refused to let me open my window for covid safety reasons and then after I did, apparently poured some water on a seat and charged me $206 for making a mess.
Uber is standing by this charge. Anyone have any ideas on how I can get it reversed? https://t.co/L7pl6j6rpA
— Alyssa Schwartz (@alyssaschwartz) January 11, 2022
"My Uber driver last night refused to let me open my window for covid safety reasons and then after I did, apparently poured some water on a seat and charged me $206 for making a mess," she wrote.
In the thread, Schwartz also included a photo that was submitted as evidence of the damage, showing a small puddle of water on the seat where she was sitting.
TL;DR @Uber driver refuses to comply with Uber’s safety protocols and then drives up my fare and fraudulently reports damage to the tune of $206 as recourse. pic.twitter.com/rqnnHaUEEf
— Alyssa Schwartz (@alyssaschwartz) January 11, 2022
Schwartz said she initially wrote Uber to complain about the driver's lack of concern for COVID-19 protocols, and then the charges came to her attention.
"I submitted feedback to Uber about my concerns about the driver's violation of their covid policy when I got home Monday night," Schwartz told Narcity. "It was very disturbing that they unilaterally accepted the driver's account and questionable photo as evidence and closed the file," Schwartz told Narcity.
Hey @Uber, a driver who locks the windows because it’s cold outside and says covid is “just a cold” when you ask for them to be open is more than an inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/JHwSPQjyvj
— Alyssa Schwartz (@alyssaschwartz) January 11, 2022
Although Uber did end up reversing the charges, Schwartz said she doesn't believe it would've happened without Twitter's help.
"They closed the file and only responded after my Tweets started getting some attention. Without that, there's no doubt in my mind that they would not have treated this issue as the actual fraud that it was and reversed the charge," Schwartz added.
Narcity reached out to Uber and received the following statement:
"The rider's experience did not meet our expectations. Uber's committed to the safety of riders and drivers and is constantly educating users on the best COVID-related safety practices while on a trip. We are reaching out to the rider and are working to resolve the issue."
According to Uber, the rider has been refunded and the company encourages riders and drivers to wear a mask, wash their hands before and after the ride, and open the window to improve ventilation when possible.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.