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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Class Doubts Lyft’s|’Trust & Safety’ Fee

SAN DIEGO (CN) - A class action claims that Lyft charges customers a deceptive and fraudulent "trust and safety fee" of $1.50.

The San Diego Consumers' Action Network sued Lyft on June 12 in Superior Court. (The case is the Top Download today at Courthouse News.)

It claims that Lyft will make $130 million from the fee this year, based on the company's own figures. It began charging $1 for "trust and safety" in April 2014, then increased it to $1.50 in October, according to the complaint.

The class claims the fee is deceptive, as Lyft's background checks of drivers do not include fingerprints scans, so it cannot determine whether drivers have been convicted of violent crimes, sexual crimes or other felonies, nor even whether the background check it does provide is for the person applying to be a driver.

Nor is money from the trust and safety fee used to inspect drivers' vehicles, or train them, nor does Lyft require its drivers to taken "any type of substantial driver safety education program," the complaint states.

Lyft spokeswoman Chelsea Wilson told Courthouse News: "The lawsuit is without merit and we look forward to resolving it quickly and effectively."

The plaintiffs, who include a San Diego resident who says she has paid the fee 13 times, seek class certification, restitution, and damages for unfair competition, deceptive trade, and business and consumer law violations.

They are represented by Alan Mansfield with the Consumer Law Group of California.

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