Uber rides are supposed to be a convenient, reasonably affordable means of transportation, but for one customer, it would have actually been cheaper to buy a car to get to his destination.
Hisham Salama was charged $18,518.50 Canadian dollars for a 20-minute Uber ride. So, this “cheap” mode of transportation didn’t exactly turn out the way it was supposed to. In fact, this may be the most expensive Uber ride in the history of Uber rides—just saying.
So, how did Salama rack up this price? Well, it was definitely an error, and at first, Salama thought the mistake was kind of funny. But, when he saw the charge actually pending in his bank account, he began to get worried, naturally.
He reached out to the customer service team about the issue—but, the response he got was less than… satisfying, to say the least.
He posted about the exchange with customer service reps on his Twitter account.
@Uber @Uber_Support what turned out to be an honest mistake is now turning into the biggest blunder of 2017. I’m no longer laughing at wondering when #uber will get their act together. Can anyone help? Obviously, no 20 min fare is $18,500. pic.twitter.com/zBhtMSBy67
— Hisham Salama (@The_Hish) December 9, 2017
According to his tweet, an Uber representative wrote: “I double checked your trip and it looks like the destination of drop off wasn’t the destination initially entered in the app when the trip was requested. The upfront fares are based on the exact pickup and drop off locations that you input, so when that trip is changed, our system switches to charging based on the time and distance of the actual trip instead, using the rates that apply to the vehicle option you selected. I can confirm that based on the pickup and drop off locations of the trip you took, that fare is correct.”
Salama was not amused.
“What turned out to be an honest mistake is now turning into the biggest blunder of 2017. I’m no longer laughing at wondering when #uber will get their act together,” he wrote.
The tweet gained some attention online and people began retweeting and commenting on Salama’s Tweet to try and get Uber’s attention.
People were outraged for Salama and his situation, but obviously couldn’t help but make a joke or two.
“Unless the ride was in helicopter piloted by Luke Skywalker, this dude butter get a refund,” one person commented on Twitter.
I know mistakes happen, but seriously? The response from @Uber is ridiculous. Unless the ride was in helicopter piloted by Luke Skywalker, this dude better get a refund.
— Danielle B (@Nelliebobellie) December 12, 2017
Others joked about wanting to become Uber drivers after seeing how much money was in it:
https://twitter.com/SPORTSGURU77/status/939561469342924800
Salama later posted an updated tweet saying that he had been given an apology and had been fully refunded.
Thank you to everyone who tweeted and retweeted about my magical $18,500 @Uber ride. @Uber_Support has refunded the fare and apologized. I am hopeful that I will be able to speak to someone on their leadership team about my issue and timing of resolution next week.
— Hisham Salama (@The_Hish) December 9, 2017
An Uber spokesperson told BuzzFeed Canada,”There was an error and we have provided a full refund. We sincerely apologize to this rider for his experience.”
More Expensive Uber Rides
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. A couple was charged nearly $900 for a 30-mile ride in Milwaukee, the Daily Mail reports, and another woman was charged $16,000 for a 6-mile ride in Brooklyn, according to rt.com. So, be aware the next time you schedule an Uber ride.
And just for fun, we decided to see how much some incredibly long Uber rides would cost—you know, just so you can tell how to get your $18,000 worth.
To ride from Los Angeles to New York would cost roughly $3,000-$20,000, according to the Uber fare estimate tool on the company’s website.
And to get from Miami to Juneau, it’d run you upwards of $27,000. Just in case you are in the mood for a very expensive Uber ride.
We’re relieved to know Salama got a refund, but this can serve as a cautionary tale for all Uber customers.
About the Author
Augusta Statz holds a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She's an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. She feels the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what she spends most of her time writing about. More.
