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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Uber Let Drunken Driver Slide, Customer Says

LOS ANGELES (CN) - Uber canceled a passenger's account after he complained about a drunken Uber driver and won't refund his money, the man claims in court.

Rather than punish its intoxicated driver, who admitted that he was drunk, Uber closed Domenic Iniguez's for reporting it, Iniguez says in his Jan. 8 complaint in superior court.

Uber advertises that it "provide[s] 'the strictest safety standards possible,'" but Iniguez says Uber "not only allowed an intoxicated driver to service plaintiff, but they had also refused and denied ... any refund or other compensatory remedies."

Iniguez says that on May 9, 2015, he called Uber for a ride for him and some friends, and they were "picked up by an unsafe driver who was driving under the influence of alcohol."

He says, "the driver admitted to having consumed alcohol in excess" before picking them up, but when he filed a complaint, "Uber responded by deactivating plaintiff's account indefinitely" and refused to refund his money

Uber Technologies did not respond to an emailed request for comment Monday. Uber's safety policy bans its drivers from drinking while working.

The company's code of conduct, posted on the Internet, states: "Uber does not tolerate drug or alcohol use by drivers while using the Uber app. If a rider believes a driver may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, please request that the driver end the trip immediately and alert Uber Support at help.uber.com."

Iniguez says he did just that, then lost his Uber account, the money he spent on the ride, plus aggravation and inconvenience, due to Uber's misrepresentations.

He seeks statutory damages and civil penalties for violations of California's Legal Remedies Act and Business and Professions Code.

His attorney Todd Friedman of Beverly Hills could not be reached by telephone Monday night.

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