Ridesharing company Uber is worthy $18 billion thanks to its rider-friendly practices, but rival Lyft says it hasnt been so nice to competitors. The company supplied CNNMoney with data showing that 177 Uber employees in the US booked and then cancelled some 5,560 rides since October of last year. While not technically illegal, such a scheme can make Lyft drivers head to non-existent ride pickups, letting Uber cars swoop into the vacated areas. Lyft added that Uber recruiters are sometimes ordering legit, but low-paying short rides in order to pitch its drivers on switching to Uber. As proof, the company matched phone numbers to known Uber employees or contractors -- for instance, one known recruiter has used 21 different Lyft accounts to order 1,500 cancelled rides. In response, Uber noted that the problem could be coming from riders interested in earning credits by recruiting Uber drivers. But that doesnt explain the cancellations, and CNNMoney pointed out that Uber has used similarly underhanded schemes before. For instance, it told New York Uber drivers that city regulations prevented them from working for Lyft at the same time, which is untrue. Meanwhile, Uber, Lyft and other services are fighting taxis just for the right to operate in some cities -- so they might do well to cooperate rather than using dirty tricks. Filed under: Transportation Comments #SuperlotBiz
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 19:58:51 +0000
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