Uber Accused Of Increasing Prices When User's Phone Battery Is Low: Report

Uber is allegedly increasing the prices for users if they have low phone batteries, according to a report in Belgian newspaper Derniere Heure. The investigation by the outlet pointed out how the ride-hailing application changed its pricing for customers in Brussels based on their battery percentage. 

According to the investigation, some users claim to have seen varied prices for the same trips. It is to be noted that Uber has denied any connection between battery levels and pricing. 

Derniere Heure investigated by calling a taxi from their office in Brussels to Tour & Taxis in the city centre using two iPhones, one with an 84 per cent battery and the other with 12 per cent. The outcome revealed a notable price discrepancy, with the smartphone with 12 per cent battery being charged 17.56 euros (Rs 1,585) and the phone with 84 per cent battery being charged 16.6 euros (Rs 1498) for the same trip.

However, Uber disputed that the payment is based on how much battery life is left in a phone. It further claimed that the app is unable to measure a user's battery. "Uber does not take into account the phone's battery level to calculate the price of a trip," the company said in a statement to Derniere Heure. 

They continued, "The dynamic pricing applied to trips booked via Uber is determined by the existing demand for rides and the supply of drivers who can respond to it."

According to Vice, Uber has been under scrutiny for taking advantage of users battery life. In a 2016 interview with NPR, Uber's former Head of Economic Research, Keith Chen, stated that the business had discovered that users with lower battery levels were more open to surge pricing. However, Mr Chen denied that the firm was explicitly hiking pricing for these customers, although other "commentators voiced scepticism about why the company was monitoring battery life at all".