Ola and Uber Get Notices for Alleged Differential Pricing Linked to iPhone and Android Devices

Ola and Uber Get Notices for Alleged Differential Pricing Linked to iPhone and Android Devices.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has sent notices to prominent cab aggregators Ola and Uber due to concerns about differential pricing, where customers receive different fare quotes depending on whether they use an iPhone or an Android phone to book a ride.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi stated, “In response to previous observations regarding apparent differential pricing based on the type of mobile device—iPhone or Android—being used, the Department of Consumer Affairs, through the CCPA (Central Consumer Protection Authority), has issued notices to major cab aggregators Ola and Uber, requesting their explanations.”
Check out the tweet here
As a follow-up to the earlier observation of apparent #DifferentialPricing based on the different models of mobiles (#iPhones/ #Android) being used, Department of Consumer Affairs through the CCPA, has issued notices to major cab aggregators #Ola and #Uber, seeking their…
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) January 23, 2025
Ola and Uber have been asked to respond to the notices they received. Last month, Joshi cautioned the companies that there would be “zero tolerance for consumer exploitation” and requested the CCPA to perform a detailed investigation. He remarked that if differential pricing is occurring, it would show a “blatant disregard” for consumers’ rights.
In a post on X, he mentioned, “This, prima facie, looks like unfair trade practice where the cab-aggregators are alleged to be using differential pricing based on the factors mentioned in the article below. If so, this is blatant disregard for consumers’ rights to know.” Additionally, Joshi stated that he has also initiated checks in other sectors, such as food delivery and online ticketing apps, to see if similar issues are present.
Last month, there was a lot of talk online about cab companies possibly charging varying prices, with some people suggesting that they might charge more for bookings made on iPhones compared to other devices for the same journey. The controversy started when a user named @seriousfunnyguy shared a screenshot comparing rates for an Uber trip on an iPhone and an Android phone, both showing different fares for the identical ride. The user pointed out that despite having the same pickup location, destination, and time, the rates differed between the two phones. The user mentioned experiencing higher fares on their Uber app than on their daughter’s phone and often had their daughter book the ride to get a lower rate. They asked if others had encountered similar situations.
See the post here:
Same pickup point, destination & time but 2 different phones get 2 different rates. It happens with me as I always get higher rates on my Uber as compared to my daughter’s phone. So most of the time, I request her to book my Uber. Does this happen with you also? What is the hack? pic.twitter.com/bFqMT0zZpW
— SUDHIR (@seriousfunnyguy) December 23, 2024