Uber to pay $28M, adjust safety language to settle lawsuits
The ride-booking service will change its phrasing after claims that it deceived customers regarding its safety procedures and fees.
PR pros know the value words can hold—and Uber’s PR team recently got a heavy reminder.
Uber has agreed to issue refunds to more than 25 million customers to settle two lawsuits. The suits claimed that Uber used misleading language about fees for riders’ safety .
The Associated Press reports that if a judge approves the deal, the ride-hailing operation will pay a proposed $28.5 million to riders who made trips between Jan. 1, 2013 and Jan. 31, 2016, inclusive.
Under the settlement, Uber will also stop using “safety-related” language in certain advertisements. The service uses a private firm called Hirease to screen would-be drivers, which advertises its practices as “industry-leading.” The suits claim the opposite and assert that the brand’s word choice is misleading.
The agreement to update certain terminology includes changing the name of its “Safe Ride Fee” to “Booking Fee.”
Here’s how Uber described the fee in 2014:
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