Uber Accused of Charging More for "Faster" Rides That Aren't Faster

Uber is facing a class action lawsuit that accuses the company of overcharging riders for its UberX option by advertising precise arrival times it allegedly can't deliver.

The lawsuit, filed February 27 in California federal court, claims that when riders open the Uber app, UberX is preselected as the default option and labeled "Faster" with an exact arrival time down to the minute — like "3 min." A cheaper option called Wait & Save shows a broader time range instead.

The problem, according to the complaint, is that UberX rides allegedly arrive late just as often as the budget option. And when they do, Uber doesn't refund the difference. The lawsuit argues that riders are paying a premium for speed that Uber can't actually guarantee.

The complaint goes further, alleging this isn't a glitch — it's by design. According to the suit, Uber tailors its displayed arrival times and pricing to make certain options appear faster, even when they aren't. The lawsuit claims Uber knows that showing a precise arrival time (instead of a range) makes riders more willing to pay extra, and that the company capitalizes on the assumption that a higher price means a more reliable ride.

The suit also alleges Uber uses dark patterns in its app — things like preselecting the more expensive option, using visual cues to push riders toward UberX, and never disclosing that the arrival times are just estimates.

On top of the pricing claims, the lawsuit takes issue with Uber's Terms of Use, alleging the company has built an arbitration process designed to delay and ultimately extinguish consumer claims before they can be resolved.

The case was filed by plaintiff Lucy Ye and seeks to represent all U.S. riders who paid for a ride advertised as "Faster" or with a specific arrival time but weren't picked up within that window.

There's no settlement yet, but this is one to watch — especially given a similar lawsuit was recently filed against Lyft over its "Priority Pickup" feature.

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