Uber charged 2 U of T students $150 to clean up dog poop, but they say they don't even own a dog
Mike Smee | CBC News | Posted: June 9, 2017 9:00 AM | Last Updated: June 20, 2017
Uber says it's investigating after 2 students say the company charged them $150 to clean up the mess
After CBC Toronto's story, Uber looked into the situation and has refunded the $150 cleaning fee to the students.
An Uber spokesperson said in a statement that the investigation showed the company could not be certain the students caused the mess.
Two foreign students in Mississauga are complaining after Uber accused them of dragging dog feces into the back of one of its cars.
To add insult to injury, the pair says, Uber charged them $150 for the cleanup.
And they say they don't even have a dog.
"We're new to Canada; we don't keep pets," John Feng said Thursday. "Perhaps it was a mis-report by the driver."
Feng said he has asked Uber for a refund and an explanation.
The company told CBC Toronto Thursday it's investigating.
"At this point I don't have a ton of information but I can tell you that we are looking into it," an Uber spokesperson said. "We'll follow up with both the rider and the driver to find out what happened."
Ride went wonderfully
Feng and his housemate Dwight Wu arrived from China three weeks ago to study accounting at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus.
Everything had been going wonderfully, the pair told CBC Toronto Thursday, until this past Saturday when they decided to take an Uber car from the house they share on Jarvis Street in Mississauga to the Premium Outlet Mall in Halton Hills.
"The whole trip was very pleasant, without any hint of conflict. But like four hours after we got off the vehicle we received the notice that we were charged a $150 extra fee. We asked Uber what this fee is about, and Uber replied it's a cleaning fee, Wu said.
"We asked them to show us a picture, and the mat of the car was covered with dog [droppings]. But we didn't bring any dog into his vehicle and actually we don't keep any dogs in our home."
Wu said he's also reported the incident to Ontario's Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, which he's hoping will also look into the incident.
"Our trust in Uber has declined a lot," Wu said. "We are seeking other apps."