The Federal Trade Commission, joined by 21 states and the District of Columbia, has expanded its lawsuit against Uber, accusing the ride-hailing company of enrolling consumers in its subscription service without consent, failing to provide advertised benefits, and making cancellations excessively difficult.
The amended complaint, filed this week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, builds on the FTC’s original April action. It seeks civil penalties for alleged violations of the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act and state laws.
Uber One, priced at $9.99 monthly or $96 annually, is marketed as offering discounts, including zero delivery fees on Uber Eats and potential monthly savings of $25. Regulators allege some subscribers did not receive those savings or still faced delivery charges.
The filing claims Uber automatically charged users after free trials ended prematurely or billed individuals who never signed up, including one without an account. Cancellation could require navigating up to 23 screens and 32 actions, with the process becoming more complex within 48 hours of billing. Even standard cancellations demand at least 12 actions across seven screens, and some users had to contact support.
The bipartisan group of attorneys general represents Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, plus D.C.
Uber disputed the claims in an April statement, saying its sign-up and cancellation processes are clear, simple, and lawful, and denying any unauthorized charges, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
