Small consolation: $4,000 in refund.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Uber customer Jaime Hessel was stunned to learn that not only had she endured a nightmare Uber ride last March, but she had been charged $16,000 for the 7-mile journey across New York City.
According to the Daily Mail, Hessel claimed her driver had been on his phone, cut across lanes, and even driven down a bus lane during the 35 minute “trip from hell” from her East Williamsburg apartment to Midtown East.
As originally posted on Reddit, after receiving her initial bill of $56.40, Hessel e-mailed Uber support to complain she had been overcharged and to complain about the driver.
Within a few days, Uber informed Hessel the company agreed the journey was “inefficient” and she would get a refund of $15. But the following morning, she received an email informing her she owed Uber more than $16,000 — with a refund of $4,000, to bring her total to $12,251.49.
“It freaked me out,” she told DNA Info. “I have bad eye sight and I thought maybe I wasn’t reading it correctly.”
Uber has since wiped the bill and offered to pay her the original $15 refund but Hessel said she now feels she can’t trust the company with her new card details.
The ride hailing service says it was a clerical error and that she was never actually charged the $16,000, and has since pledged to refund the entire cost of the ride.
Per a spokesperson for Uber: “We apologize to this rider for any inconvenience and we have provided them with a full refund.”