Estimated price of Uber ride shoots up to £52 from £12 in a matter of minutes says shocked woman
Updated: Sep 6, 2021
A woman was left in need of an explanation from ride-hailing giant Uber, after her request for a car left her in shock as the estimated cost of the journey jumped from £12.88 to £52.91 in a matter of minutes.
The woman took to Twitter to highlight the incident, saying: "Tried to order an Uber into Leeds yesterday! First price was £12.88, but nobody was picking up the trip.
"Next minute the price had shot up to £52.91! How can you seriously justify this?"
In response, Uber said: "Upfront pricing is dynamic, which means the price is worked out in real time to help balance supply and demand, grow trips and provide better earning opportunities.
"This helps to give the best price for both riders and drivers.
"When demand in an area is especially high and there aren't enough available cars, fares automatically rise to encourage more drivers to the busy areas. This is called surge pricing.
"Surge applies in very busy situations, while upfront pricing deals with day-to-day demand."
The would-be passenger didn't seem too impressed with the explanation, replying: "I understand about surge pricing thank you! I just think this increase was extortionate."