Uber, Lyft criticized for surge pricing after downtown Seattle shooting

SEATTLE — After Wednesday’s shooting, several people looked for a way out of downtown Seattle only to find their rideshares were reportedly spiking in prices.

Moments after the shooting, riders reported that prices surged to more than $100 on Lyft and Uber. To get from downtown Seattle to West Seattle, one customer said it would be $122. Another customer tweeted that it was $103 to get from downtown to the Wallingford neighborhood.

@lyft what is generally a $25-30 ride from Seattle to Bellevue was charged at $149.23 during the time of emergency. Shame on you lyft #seattleshooting #shameonlyft #lyft
— Pulkit (@pulkit2911) January 23, 2020

People are trying to get out of Seattle because you know another shooting, and no buses are running right...but leave it to ⁦@lyft⁩ to come to the rescue...or not pic.twitter.com/9H9jBOm0ea
— lisa wilkins (@lisawilkins) January 23, 2020

$122 to get to West Seattle. Lovely, @lyft . So much for getting away from an active shooter while the buses are delayed/shut down. pic.twitter.com/rp5kaqA0wb
— Heather Szum (@HeatherSzum) January 23, 2020

One customer showed that surge pricing went back to normal after 6:30 p.m.

For those in downtown Seattle who got stuck near the area of the shooting like me, Uber and Lyft fixed their surge pricing mistake and are charging normal prices again. pic.twitter.com/5v4IPu3CCO
— ⁷ (@gachibam) January 23, 2020

KIRO 7 reached out to Uber and a spokesperson said the company capped trip pricing at 6 p.m.

According to Uber’s website, in similar emergency situations, Uber’s Global Security Center “assesses the situation and will immediately cap trip pricing in the area. We will review situations where unintended charges might have occurred during an emergency and work to refund them. Customers can always report issues through the app. We also follow local laws and regulations related to States of Emergency where they apply.”

Lyft released this statement to KIRO 7:

“The shooting in Seattle is tragic, and our thoughts are with the victims and their families. When we learned what happened, we implemented a cap on prime-time pricing, which is automatically enabled during periods of high demand. We plan to reimburse or credit users in the surrounding area who were affected by this increased pricing,” said a Lyft spokesperson.

Both companies stated that they will reimburse customers.

A woman was killed and seven people, including a 9-year-old boy, were injured in the shooting.

On Thursday morning, police identified two suspects who remain at large.

Police ask anyone with information about the shooting to call the Seattle police tip line at 206-233-5000. Those who were there and have video or photo evidence can share it directly with investigators by uploading it at this link.

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