Woman Accuses Uber Drivers of Running 'Cleaning Fee Scam'

A TikTok creator is calling out Uber and cautioning users about a new scam. The creator who goes by Bribaby (@bribaby1346) shared a story of their friend who was scammed out of 300 Canadian dollars ($219) on a recent Uber ride by their driver.  The creator claimed that several other Uber users have fallen victim to the same fraud and that people should avoid the particular rider or stop taking Uber rides.

Here's how the Uber 'Cleaning Fee' scam works

In the video with over 806,000 views, the creator says that their friend booked the Uber for a ride in Waterloo, Ontario. The user explained that the ride should have cost 42.39 Canadian dollars ($30.99) but after completing the ride, they discovered that Uber charged an additional  297.77 CAD, ($217.18) as a cleaning fee.

The user then goes on to say that there was no mess in the vehicle and that the Uber driver had just scammed the passenger. The user then explained that the amount was automatically taken off the user’s bank account as “Uber has all the information.” The creator claimed that Uber did not even consult the passenger and charged the money. The amount goes directly to the rider and Uber makes nothing off of it, the creator claimed. “So Uber doesn’t see that money except for this guy,” the creator says.

What’s Uber’s policy on cleaning fee?

Uber has defined policies regarding charging customers a cleaning fee. As per the official website, an Uber driver needs to provide evidence for requesting a cleaning fee. About “3 different clear photos of the mess” and “a receipt for the professional cleaning service for larger messes that require professional cleaning,” must be provided by the driver, says the website.

As per the comments on the TikTok video, there can be a workaround. One user (@katetbear) said the same thing happened to them when an Uber driver sprayed water on the backseat to get a cleaning fee. However, in this case, the user fought it and Uber sided with them and gave back the money.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of users said that Uber has gotten worse recently. Viewers shared various scary incidents where drivers behaved unprofessionally. One viewer (@kristen91957) shared their story in which an Uber driver claimed that they threw up in the backseat despite being sober. The user also alleged that the driver ended up stalking them with the excuse of returning a purse which the passenger never left.

Some users also shared other advice by which the customer can get their money back. One user (@beyondscrunchies) recommended the creator charge back the amount with their credit card company. The user replied by saying that the customer had already done so.

However, in a follow-up video, the creator revealed that their friend did get a refund. In the follow-up video, the creator said that their friend failed to reach Uber after the incident, so they left a bad review for the driver. This finally led to Uber reaching out to the customer and eventually, offered a full refund.

For more such lifestyle and entertainment content, follow Bribaby (@bribaby1346) on TikTok.