Canadian Uber customers feel duped over surprise Uber One charges

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:01]Nora Kelly was surprised to find an $11 charge from Uber on her credit card bill for May 11th. After all, this is how she got around that day.

[00:00:10]I said, "This is crazy. I was biking all day."

[00:00:13]Next, Kelly uncovered four more Uber charges for previous months, totaling almost 60 bucks. Uber One, a member >> Turns out, she was enrolled in Uber One, a monthly paid membership that offers discounts.

[00:00:27]The problem, Kelly says, to her knowledge, she never signed up for Uber One. You feel like you've been scammed.

[00:00:35]CBC News heard from more than a dozen upset Canadians who said they were signed up for Uber One without their knowledge and hit with one or more monthly charges. The Federal Trade Commission is now suing Uber. In the US, similar complaints prompted the Federal Trade Commission to sue Uber, alleging deceptive billing and deceptive cancellation practices, as many people say they had difficulty canceling their unwanted membership.

[00:01:02]This tech expert says Uber may be getting people to sign up for Uber One by incorporating what are known as dark patterns, subtle design tricks embedded in websites and apps. Dark patterns are used to nudge individuals psychologically, nudge them into clicking on something. You may not even realize that you clicked on it and agreed to it. In an email to CBC News, Uber denied using dark patterns and said it does not enroll or charge people for Uber One without their consent, and that canceling typically takes less than 20 seconds.

[00:01:36]But Kelly communicated with Uber over the course of two days before she got her membership canceled, and she failed to get all her money back. It feels like like you've been taken for a fool.

[00:01:49]After CBC News reached out to Uber, the company told Kelly it would refund all her Uber One charges, plus issue a $30 credit.

[00:01:58]However, Uber still insists Kelly signed up for the program.

[00:02:02]Sophia Harris, CBC News, Toronto.