The BBB of West Michigan is warning people of a new scam involving Uber’s puking policy.  The scam is called “Vomit Fraud” and could cost you an extra $150 or more if you’re a victim.

Here’s how the scam works:  You take an Uber somewhere and don’t throw up in it, which like 90% of people do.  But after you get out of your Uber, the driver reports that you vomited in their car, and they submit pictures to go with it. This “evidence” as well as Uber just being a difficult company to contact in the first place, means it’s very hard to dispute the charges and get a refund.

According to the BBB of West Michigan’s Press Release,

Every complaint the BBB has received about vomit fraud has also consistently reported difficulties in dealing with customer service.

Uber told WZZM 13, the fee is usually a legit fee because of someone vomiting in the car.  But if they find fraudulent activity, they will remove the driver from the ride-share service.

The BBB of West Michigan gives the following advice on how to keep from being a victim of “Vomit Fraud”:

  • Check credit card balance history-- Extra fees sometimes go unnoticed as people do not check charges that incurred on their credit cards.

  • Read the reviews-- If an Uber driver has poor rider reviews, consider cancelling your trip and re-hailing another Uber.

  • Dispute wrongful charges-- To dispute charges on Uber’s app their website says: “To dispute a cleaning fee, please navigate to Trip Issues and Refunds > I want a refund > I was charged a cleaning fee."

The scam has been reported in Grand Rapids as well as other cities across the country.

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