A Chandigarh-based Uber user was recently compensated with Rs 10,000 after he was charged Rs 1,334 for an 8.83-kilometer travel on August 6, 2021.
Uber Indiia has allegedly been fined Rs. 20,000 by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission of Chandigarh.
The court further stated that of the Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 shall be used for legal expenses and Rs 10,000 must be given to the Chandigarh resident who filed the complaint, Ashwani Prashar, for overcharging.
Mr. Prashar, a Chandigarh resident, stated that he paid Ube Rs 1,334 for an 8.83-kilometer ride. On August 6, 2021, Prashar further claimed that the ride lasted only fifteen minutes, from 10.40 to 10.57 p.m. The complainant claimed that he had tried in vain to contact the company about his problem through numerous customer chats and emails made through the Uber App and Gmail.
What did Uber India & Consumer Courts stated?
As for Uber India, it said that although the rider was quoted an upfront charge of Rs 359, the total trip fare ended up being Rs 1334 because of several route changes made throughout the trip. It further stated that Uber India has not been able to figure out whether the driver veered off Uber's predetermined route or whether the customer requested the deviations.
According to the consumer disputes forum, the act of charging a fare that is higher than the contracted fare when making an advance reservation is an unfair trade practice that should be stopped.
As a result, the complainant is entitled to reimbursement for their legal expenses as well as compensation for their mental distress and harassment.
Operators must be forced to deposit at least Rs 10,000 as compensation in the Consumer Welfare Fund of this Forum, in addition to the amounts payable to the complainant as compensation and litigation expenses, in order to maintain a check on such unruly service providers who breach assurances, promises, and commitments at the most inconvenient times.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.