You might soon see an email from Uber letting you know you’re entitled to some money. The company settled a class-action lawsuit that claimed Uber misrepresented itself when it said driver background checks were “industry leading,” the New York Times reports.
Uber will pay $28.5 million to settle the suit, and as part of the terms, the on-demand taxi service is required to pay 25 million riders across the country. If you took an Uber ride in the U.S. between Jan. 1, 2013, and Jan. 31, 2016, you’ll receive an email from Uber and can choose whether to accept ride credit or a refund.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California, alleged Uber’s background checks weren’t up to par with the rest of the industry. The companies both Uber and Lyft used for quick turnaround on background checks were reportedly less scrutinizing than traditional taxi cabs.
Uber charged users extra for a “safe ride fee,” which it now has to rename as a “booking fee.” Uber told the New York Times the fee will “cover safety as well as additional operational costs that could arise in the future.” Lyft, Uber’s biggest competitor, has supposedly done something similar.
It’s unclear how much each individual customer who used Uber within the timeframe will receive from the company. But riders should keep an eye out to be sure to collect what Uber owes them for misrepresenting its safety.
Photo via Oregon Department of Transportation / flickr (CC by 2.0) | Remix by Max Fleishman
