Nora Kelly, a resident of Montreal, expressed feeling deceived by Uber upon discovering multiple unauthorized charges for a monthly membership called Uber One on her credit card statements. Kelly noticed five consecutive charges of $11.49 each dating back to February, despite never intentionally signing up for the membership. She described the experience as shocking and felt as though she had been misled.
CBC News spoke with five other Uber users from different parts of Canada who shared similar experiences. Each individual claimed they were enrolled in Uber One without their consent and only became aware of the situation when they noticed unexpected charges on their credit cards.
Leah Billard from Ottawa recounted receiving a $108.48 charge for Uber One in March, which she insists she never agreed to. Despite Uber disputing the claim, Billard’s bank sided with her and refunded the money, as she believed it was a fraudulent charge.
Following the initial report, CBC News received numerous additional complaints from individuals who alleged they were unknowingly signed up for Uber One and faced recurring monthly charges. The situation mirrored complaints in the United States, where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several states filed a lawsuit against Uber in December 2025, accusing the company of deceptive billing practices.
Toronto-based tech expert Ritesh Kotak suggested that dark patterns, subtle design strategies aimed at influencing user behavior online, might be responsible for customers unknowingly subscribing to services. These tactics can psychologically manipulate individuals into making unintended decisions, with reports indicating a prevalence of such patterns on various websites and apps.
Uber customers interviewed by CBC mentioned having no memory of actively agreeing to join Uber One, emphasizing the potential sophistication of dark patterns in deceiving users. Kotak highlighted instances where additional items or services are surreptitiously added to digital shopping carts, leading users to unknowingly approve purchases.
Uber Canada denied using dark patterns to enroll customers in Uber One, asserting that consent is required for membership sign-ups. The company’s spokesperson, Keerthana Rang, emphasized clear sign-up and cancellation processes for Uber One in the U.S., refuting claims of deceptive practices made by the FTC.
In a related matter, complaints surfaced about the difficulty of canceling unwanted Uber One memberships and obtaining refunds. Despite challenges faced by customers, Uber maintained that cancellations could be done swiftly through the app. However, some users, including Nora Kelly, reported struggles in canceling their memberships and retrieving full refunds, with Kelly expressing dissatisfaction over the refund process.
While Uber insisted that Kelly had actively signed up for Uber One, the company apologized to her following CBC’s inquiry and offered a refund for the charges, along with a service credit. This gesture came amid ongoing debates about the use of dark patterns and calls for legislative clarity on deceptive marketing practices in Canada.
