Travel Troubleshooter: Uber credit card dispute should have been a last resort

Q: I’m trying to resolve a problem with my Uber One membership and recurring Uber Eats errors.

I’ve been trying to cancel my Uber One membership. Uber wouldn’t let me, so I disputed the charge with Amex and provided the documentation, and they gave me a credit.

One month later when I urgently needed a ride, I discovered I was locked out of my account until I paid $99. After hours on chat with the customer service department, a representative told me to pay the $99, and then it would be credited back to me by Uber. Only doing that would unlock my account.

I paid the $99, but upon getting a “pending” credit, later I reached out again and identified that only $56 had been credited back, not the full $99.

After a long back and forth, multiple contacts, and explaining the issue several times, I finally got a call. An Uber representative confirmed for me and documented that the $99 charge from earlier was voided, along with the $56 credit.

But today I discovered that the $99 charge actually did go through, and was — not voided. Uber now says it doesn’t do live calls and refuses to resolve my problem. Can you help me get my $99 back?

A: Uber should have refunded you without making you go through all that. This is some tangled mess Uber’s gotten you into.

Uber One is a subscription service that offers discounts on Uber and Uber Eats. A membership costs $9.99 per month or $96 per year.

You were experiencing problems with Uber Eats, so you decided to cancel your subscription. A representative told you that you would get a full refund for your annual subscription. But then you didn’t, so you disputed the charge on your credit card. After you won the dispute, Uber locked your account until you paid up, but promised to refund you — and then didn’t.

Everybody with me so far?

Credit card chargebacks are a last resort for billing disputes, for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons, which is not often discussed, is that it can lead to you being banned until you pay what the company says you owe. This is particularly problematic with ridesharing and car rental companies. You could win a car rental dispute and still lose because you’re banned.

I reached out to Uber. “It appears that there was a miscommunication regarding the refund process for Carl’s Uber One membership,” a representative explained. Uber refunded your membership fee, unlocked your account, and added a $25 credit to your account as an apology.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers. Contact him at chris@elliott.org or elliottadvocacy.org/help.