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Ola, Uber get notices over price disparities on iPhone, Android
Ola and Uber get CCPA notices for allegedly charging consumers different prices depending upon whether they used Android or iOS phones
Cab aggregators Ola and Uber have both gotten a notice from the Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for allegedly charging customers different rates based on their mobile's operating system.
Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi announced this in a post on X (Formerly Twitter) on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
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“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 responses,” he wrote.
This comes after Joshi had said last month that there would be “zero tolerance for consumer exploitation,” asking the CCPA to conduct a thorough enquiry into the allegations, according to a report by news agency PTI.
He had even described the alleged practice as a "prima facie unfair trade practice" as well as a "blatant disregard" for consumers' right to transparency.
Spokespersons of both Uber and Ola denied the allegations.
“We do not set prices based on a rider's phone manufacturer,” Uber's spokesperson told HT.com. “We look forward to working with the Central Consumer Protection Authority to clear up any misunderstanding.”
Meanwhile, Ola Consumer's spokesperson said, “we have a homogenous pricing structure for all our customers and we do not differentiate based on the operating system of the user’s cellphone for identical rides. We have clarified the same to the Central Consumer Protection Authority today, and we will work with them to clear any misunderstanding in this regard.”
