Uber charges couple £85 for three-mile trip

Rob Wright said he would not be using Uber again

A couple have been charged nearly £86 for a three-mile taxi ride home after attending a child's funeral, prompting an investigation by Uber amid allegations of a scam.

Rob Wright, 60, was at a wake in Kingswinford, Dudley, with his wife Kay when he booked an Uber ride to return home to Stourbridge.

He said the 15-minute journey cost him £5.91, but the next day, the driver charged him an additional £80 for a cleaning fee.

Uber has apologised, and Mr Wright - who denies any mess-making - has been issued with a full refund.

Mr Wright, who is retired, told the BBC: "[The money] was taken straight out of my account without even discussing the matter with me.

"This was my first time using Uber and I will never use them again.

"Me and my wife were returning home after a little girl's funeral and [the driver] probably assumed, because he'd picked us up from [a] pub, we'd had one too many."

They took the trip on the evening of 15 November.

Mr Wright said Uber sent him photos of the mess he was supposed to have made

Mr Wright said he informed Uber that neither he or his wife caused any mess in the taxi but the company refused to listen and sent him photos which he believed the driver had faked.

"This is a scam," Mr Wright alleged, and added he had seen similar experiences described online.

In 2018, the Guardian reported that an Uber customer was charged £60 in cleaning fees after the company claimed the passenger had made a mess.

Uber said it was continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Wright's ride.

A spokesperson told the BBC: "For licensed drivers who use the app, their vehicles are their place of work and any damage or mess can mean they are unable to continue working.

"We are constantly reviewing our processes and technology and will take appropriate action whenever fraud is detected."

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