Uber Might Be Getting Kicked Out of Massachusetts
Uber's license to operate in Massachusetts is under review after the ride-sharing company charged customers surge pricing during a state of emergency declared for a nor'easter blizzard in the state earlier in 2018.
During the early March snowstorm, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency. As part of those measures, the state's Department of Public Utilities, which oversees ride-sharing operations, sent notices to all ride-sharing companies alerting them to suspend surge pricing during the storm.
Uber allegedly charged passengers surge pricing anyway. If the ride-sharing company is found to have violated the regulation, its license to operate in the state could be revoked, and it could be charged fines based on its revenue from the storm.
"The intent was to avoid circumstances where companies would be jacking up prices during a state of emergency," Massachusetts State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, who wrote the original bill, told The Boston Herald. "The intent of the legislation was to avoid any company taking advantage of the consumer during a state of emergency."
Now the state's Department of Public Utilities is demanding Uber's data on its fares from just before and during the nor'easter, as well as its revenue and amount of riders it had during the storm.
Uber disputes the accusations, saying its surge pricing did not violate the state law. According to Uber, the law only precludes them from raising the base rate during a state of emergency. This is a different type of surge pricing charge than how Uber calculates its surge, the company claims.
TPG reached out to Uber for comment, but did not hear back by time of publication. The ride-sharing company did, however, tell The Boston Herald that it was "confident" it complied with the law during the state of emergency. "Our team was in communication with the DPU during the state of emergency," an Uber spokesperson told the Herald. "We look forward to working with regulators on a quick resolution."
Thursday is Uber's deadline to respond to the Massachusetts state government's request.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
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Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app