uber car not ordered

[ripper1]

I have an Uber app on my phone. I've had it for a few months now and have never used it. Low and behold today I got an email saying I was going to be charged 5 dollars for not being at a location for pick up. Funny thing I never ordered the ride. In fact I have never used Uber yet. How this happened...I don't know. Was it a butt dial? But then how was an address entered. No person to talk to but found I was not able to get refund but it would be given back in credit on a future trip. Has this ever happened to anyone?

 

[gayl]

I have an Uber app on my phone. I've had it for a few months now and have never used it. Low and behold today I got an email saying I was going to be charged 5 dollars for not being at a location for pick up. Funny thing I never ordered the ride. In fact I have never used Uber yet. How this happened...I don't know. Was it a butt dial? But then how was an address entered. No person to talk to but found I was not able to get refund but it would be given back in credit on a future trip. Has this ever happened to anyone?

Can you contest it with your bank?

 

[Souschef]

I think it is butt dial. I moved both my Uber and Lyft apps off my main page for that reason.

 

[Red Badger]

I think it is butt dial. I moved both my Uber and Lyft apps off my main page for that reason.

Dispute it with Uber. I had a small charge (same kind-different situation) that I got reversed. Then, They sent me a short survey that garnered me a $10 Amazon gift card. Win - win!

 

[ERD50]

Was it a butt dial? But then how was an address entered.

Could be, seems like it would take several actions to get to the point of actually summoning someone though. But I guess like monkeys at typewriters coming up with "War and Peace" it could happen (I always imagine some monkey typing the whole thing, but the title was "War and Piece", so close! ) .

But for location, it starts with your GPS information, and then you can adjust if needed. They know (cue spooky music for the paranoid).

Follow the previous advice, make it a bit harder to open the app, that should prevent future butt dials.

edit - OK, seeing the next post, I see now that you meant the destination address (not your current location for pickup) - then COcheesehead's explanation is probably it.

-ERD50

 

[COcheesehead]

An address can be "auto" entered by typing just a letter or two and the app tries to auto fill it. So for example, I could enter "e" and the app will suggest Empire State Building.

 

[CoolRich59]

I'm leaning towards this was some kind of scam or hack. I've used Uber a couple of times (on an iPhone) and I don't think it's possible to order a ride without going through a couple of screens.

 

[ERD50]

I'm leaning towards this was some kind of scam or hack. I've used Uber a couple of times (on an iPhone) and I don't think it's possible to order a ride without going through a couple of screens.

Made me look. It's easier than I thought.

1) Click on UBER app

2) It has my most recent destinations listed - one click to one of those and it takes it, w/o a search or anything.

3) Then I get choices, and a big "confirm" button - I won't go further, I think that actually kicks off requests to the drivers, but there might be another level to accept?

I think I will move UBER off the screen altogether, it's easy enough to go to the 'apps' tool and find UBER.

-ERD50

 

[RunningBum]

That's a good tip. I've removed both Uber and Lyft from my homescreen so it won't get accidentally launched. I do get some apps occasionally launched accidentally, probably when I turn the screen on. Somehow my screen got more touchy. I noticed when I have maps open, navigating while driving, if I grab the phone or move the screen to see more detail on my next turn, it has started putting an intermediate point somewhere I've accidentally touched. Really bad if I don't notice, as it directs me there first. And even if I do notice, it's a pain to remove the intermediate point while I'm driving, probably in an unfamiliar area.

 

[CoolRich59]

Made me look. It's easier than I thought.

1) Click on UBER app

2) It has my most recent destinations listed - one click to one of those and it takes it, w/o a search or anything.

3) Then I get choices, and a big "confirm" button - I won't go further, I think that actually kicks off requests to the drivers, but there might be another level to accept?

I think I will move UBER off the screen altogether, it's easy enough to go to the 'apps' tool and find UBER.

-ERD50

Thanks ERD. Based on your post, as they say in politics, I'm going to *walk back* my comment.

I did some online searches and found some interesting Uber and Lyft ripoff articles, but none of them match the OP's experience. (Some of the other scams are very ingenious. I am constantly amazed, however, at the creativity of scammers and their ilk.)

 

[RunningBum]

I haven't actually used Uber yet myself. Surely you have a record on your phone of whether you ordered it or not, don't you? I see "Your Trips" and "Past" under that.

 

[haha]

Made me look. It's easier than I thought.

1) Click on UBER app

2) It has my most recent destinations listed - one click to one of those and it takes it, w/o a search or anything.

3) Then I get choices, and a big "confirm" button - I won't go further, I think that actually kicks off requests to the drivers, but there might be another level to accept?

I think I will move UBER off the screen altogether, it's easy enough to go to the 'apps' tool and find UBER.

-ERD50

No, that is it. I use Uber fairly often, and that has always been the drill. I am not crazy about Uber or Lyft, but they do make it much easier to live carless in a central city, and I am so over with auto ownership after driving well over a million lifetime miles.

Ha

 

[Cobra9777]

...I noticed when I have maps open, navigating while driving, if I grab the phone or move the screen to see more detail on my next turn, it has started putting an intermediate point somewhere I've accidentally touched. Really bad if I don't notice, as it directs me there first. And even if I do notice, it's a pain to remove the intermediate point while I'm driving, probably in an unfamiliar area.

Same exact thing happened to me 3 days ago. Somehow Google Maps inserted an intermediate destination. This was right after I touched the phone (zoomed out to see what route it was taking me on). Didn't realize what had happened until I was 10 minutes off track. I couldn't figure out how to remove the intermediate destination point. I had to cancel navigation and restart.

 

[ERD50]

Even though a butt dial seems technically possible, it still could be a scam. Proceed with caution.

-ERD50