It’s already being described as an “uber rip off”
We’re all guilty of giving apps too much information about ourselves. But when you hit accept and download Uber you give the company the permission to know far about you than you’d think.
Uber’s head of economic research Keith Chen, openly admitted this week in an episode of NPR’s The Hidden Brain that Uber tracks customers battery level and increases surcharge when they know you’re running out of juice.
Uber also knows users are more willing to accept a 2.1x surge than 2.0x one, this is because of phenomenon called “charm pricing“; the same reason that loo roll costs £2.99 instead of £3.00.
Chen called it an “interesting kind of psychological fact of human behavior,” but promised that the company is not using that data to price gouge riders.
Meanwhile, “everyone’s personal driver” has also admitting to experimenting with the possibility of Driverless Cars over the next few years, which could see them reducing their number of employees and letting go of a lot of drivers.
https://twitter.com/Khanoisseur/status/733545263348875264
If you too are feeling a little exploited, don’t worry. So is the whole of Twitter…
Also shouts to @uber with the very well timed surge as every east side train rider attempts to get home
— Desus MF Nice💯 (@desusnice) May 17, 2016
Uber knows when the battery on your phone is running low – and that you are more likely to pay higher “surge” prices for a car as a result …
— JohnLawrence (@johnlawrenceusa) May 23, 2016
https://twitter.com/omgofinternet/status/734650440265142272
That $10 power bank will pay for it self!
Uber knows dying batteries makes you accept surge pricing https://t.co/tTo6jOTQZh— Hans Eric Melin (@hanseric) May 23, 2016
https://twitter.com/rohancs/status/734616389806399488
How do you feel about the latest Uber news? Let us know at Hello@JOE.co.uk or message us on Facebook.
