A TikToker recently went viral after claiming she was charged more $29,000 for a $54 Uber ride in Costa Rica due to a currency conversion mix-up.
Dominique Adams, who goes by @dominique.xo.xo on TikTok, shared her story in a now viral video on June 30.
In the video, which has since accumulated over 10.8 million views, the TikToker humorously writes an onscreen caption, “Take an Uber in Costa Rica they said. It will be fine they said.”
@dominique.xo.xo Trying not to let this ruin the remainder of my trip, but…. Yes! @Uber charged me $29,994 for a single ride! Correct conversion should have been $54, but was charged 600% more. Contacted Uber: They replied w/ “Do not worry”, but did not provide any further assistance 😩 I cannot find a customer service number anywhere. They have ignored my messages & I have only received pre-generated messages. Yes, I contacted my financial institution @Altura Credit Union immediately. They said there is nothing they can do about it at the moment as I have to wait another 4 days for the amount to possibly convert to the correct amount. Cannot believe they allowed a payment of this amount to process. Failed security measures & negligence. So now I am on a trip out of the county with no way to access my funds 🙃 Pray for me 🙏🏽 Just trying to enjoy my vacation 🌴 ##emotionaldamage##horrorstory##uberscam##uber##fyp##viral##travelhorrorstory##wtf##traveltiktok ♬ Song Oh no oh no oh no no no – Hip Hop
The video then transitions to a series of screenshots, the first of which displays a jaw-dropping pending payment to Uber, set at a whopping $29,994.
Consecutive screenshots then show the TikToker’s futile attempts to contact Uber, most of which go unanswered, and one reportedly automated response telling her “there is nothing to worry about.”
In the description of the video, the TikToker clarified that she also contacted her bank, writing “Yes, I contacted my financial institution @Altura Credit Union immediately. They said there is nothing they can do about it at the moment as I have to wait another 4 days for the amount to possibly convert to the correct amount.”
In the comment section of the video, users quickly started making fun of the bizarre situation.
“Did you Uber [from the] U.S. to Costa Rica??” one commenter wrote.
“Mine would have said..sorry card declined,” a second commenter added.
“Don’t forget to tip and give 5 stars,” another commenter quipped.
As first reported by the Daily Mail, Adams posted a follow-up TikTok, where she revealed the reason for being charged an exorbitant amount was a mistake with currency conversion. The actual cost of the ride was 29,994 Costa Rican Colón (CDC), which should’ve amounted to approximately $54. However, due to the mishap in currency selection, she was mistakenly charged the equivalent of $29,994 instead.
In the same video, the TikToker expressed her frustration with her bank, stating “I was going back and forth with the bank… they basically told me that it was my fault because I put a travel notice on my card.”
Uber support was reportedly equally unhelpful, as Adams revealed: “All that I was able to get from them is that it was my bank’s fault and that I needed to check with my bank on why they did not convert it or charge me in the correct currency.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dominique Adams, Uber, and Altura Credit Union for comment.
On July 5, Adams posted another follow-up TikTok. In it, she confirmed, “After about 4 days of having no funds, I wasn’t able to withdraw any money. All of a sudden, the charge was fixed, the charge was reversed, I ended up getting all of my money back.”
