One of the most attractive features to use Uber instead of taxis of a lifetime is usually the peace of mind offered by the closed price. In other words, being able to know in advance how much a race will cost you and not having a scare at the end of the journey. However, all that glitters is not gold and, depending on how much battery you have left on your mobile, that amount can vary considerably.
There are several Uber users who have publicly denounced that the VTC company takes advantage of the urgency and problems that users suffer in their day to day to charge them more or less for the same service.
For example, Twitter user @NerdyAndNatural explained that when the battery of his mobile was at 18%, a trip that normally costs between 20 and 25 euros went up to 70.
A year ago, Keith Chen, Uber’s head of economic research, revealed in an interview on NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast that apparently Uber riders are more likely to pay more if their phone batteries are low. This is due to the fear of being “struck” somewhere. Especially at night, so they are much more willing to spend more.
However, users with charged phones have leeway to wait and see if prices change after 15-20 minutes. That is how the system’s algorithm takes advantage of data such as the mobile’s battery level of customers.
Although Uber has denied that it looks at these parameters to calculate prices, In Uber’s privacy statement, the company explains that it collects certain types of data from its users’ devices. This includes hardware model, operating system, preferred language, and mobile network information. Similarly, Uber can also detect battery information to determine if it should go into power saving mode.
The reality is that the VTC platform It has been inflating its prices for years depending on what situations. For example, when the demand for travel exceeds the supply of vehicles, when there is an unexpected change in the weather (such as a thunderstorm) or on days of celebration (such as Pride or a World Cup).
So, the next time you need to use this service, you can save a lot of money taking into account the context from which you request it and, above all, having a charger handy.
Cover photo | Driving Home 2U
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