How the Uber app [and website] work

Through the Uber app [and websites], Uber group companies (“Uber”) allow you to request services from third-party providers. These services are provided or made available under the brands of Uber.

Third-party providers are independent third parties, including transportation providers and/or providers of other mobility services.

The Uber app [and website] giving access to transportation services

How Uber app [and website] work

1. Overview

Uber BV, a company incorporated under Dutch law and part of the Uber group, offers a technological platform that allows users of the Uber app [and website] to request transportation services provided by independent transport service providers ("Transport Service Providers").

Uber BV provides the technological platform through which users looking for transportation services can connect to Transport Service Providers available to provide the requested transportation service. Uber is not itself a transportation service provider or a carrier. Any transportation services obtained via the Uber app [and website] are provided by Transport Service Providers.

1. Transport Service Providers

Transport Service Providers offering their services on the Uber app [and website] are independent professionals with a contractual relationship with Uber. They may provide transportation services personally and/or engage drivers to provide services in their name and on their account. In order to register to provide transportation services on the Uber app [and website] (to the extent Uber is available in their city/region), Transport Service Providers must meet the legal and regulatory conditions governing access to their profession (for example they must hold the passenger transportation licenses required by law). In accordance with its legal obligations, Uber verifies certain documents and information of Transport Service Providers before allowing the Transport Service Provider to access the Uber app [and website].

Failure by the Transport Service Provider to comply with its legal or contractual obligations may result in its suspension or deactivation. For example, if a Transportation Service Provider no longer has the necessary authorisations under applicable law to provide transportation services, the Transportation Service Provider will lose access to the Uber app [and website]. Similarly, our Community Guidelines, which all users of the Uber platform (including passengers and Transport Service Providers) agree to respect, specify certain safety, quality or compliance rules, non-compliance with which may lead to loss of access to the Uber platform.

Uber and Transport Service Providers may also exercise their respective right to terminate the contract that binds them by giving notice, which results in the deactivation of the Transport Service Provider.

In all cases, Transport Service Providers use the Uber platform if, when and where they wish and are not bound by any obligation of exclusivity. They can always choose to accept or reject a trip request and where they wish and are not bound by any obligation of exclusivity. They can always choose to accept or reject a trip request.

1. Allocation of trip requests to Transport Service Providers

When a trip request is made through the Uber app [and website], Uber sends the request to a Transportation Service Provider that is or is about to become available. For this, Uber selects a Transport Service Provider, with the aim of minimizing the waiting time for all passengers located in the same geographical area. The Transport Service Provider is free to accept or refuse the trip request. In some cases, Uber may offer to send your trip request to specific drivers. After a Transport Service Provider accepts your trip request, you may withdraw your request, subject to a cancellation fee.

When the journey is ordered from an airport, the request is distributed among the drivers according to an electronic queuing system which works on the principle of 'first come first served'.

1. Relationship between Uber and Transport Service Providers

In order to have access to the Uber platform, Transport Service Providers agree to pay Uber a service fee (usually, a percentage of the price of the trip) after the provision of their services.

Uber has no ownership rights over Transport Service Providers. Other than the service fee paid on delivered services, Transport Service Providers do not make payment of any kind to Uber to gain access to or to make their offers available on the Uber app [and website].

1. Service provided by Uber

Uber BV provides access to the Uber platform, which connects users looking for transportation services to Transport Service Providers available to provide the requested transportation service. This service of connecting users and Transport Service Providers via the Uber platform is provided free to you.

Uber BV does not provide, purchase or resell transportation services. These services are provided by the Transport Service Providers directly.

By making a trip request through the Uber app [and website], you agree to enter into a transportation contract directly with the Transportation Service Provider, to which Uber is not a party.

1. Payment methods

In the Uber app you can select which payment method you would like to use to pay for the transportation services used by you. This may include digital payment methods enabling you to pay the Transportation Service Provider through the Uber platform, such as credit card, Paypal or another digital payment method. Depending on the city in which you take your trip, you may also be able to pay the Transportation Service Provider directly in cash.

Digital payments are collected and processed by Uber in the name and on behalf of the Transportation Service Provider. These payment-related services are provided by Uber to the Transportation Service Provider and enable the Transportation Service Provider to receive payment under their contractual relationship with you.

1. Dispute settlement methods

Uber provides you with customer service to deal with questions or requests you may have with respect to transportation services acquired by you through the Uber app or website. Notwithstanding the existence of this customer service, the contract for transportation services is established between the Transport Service Provider and you directly. Consequently, any dispute concerning the transportation service will be settled directly between you and the Transport Service Provider.

With respect to the Uber service (i.e. the service that connects users with Transportation Service Providers via the Uber platform), Uber may make available to users acting as consumers a mediation scheme for consumer disputes related to the Uber service with a view to their amicable resolution. In accordance with the laws of Hungary, for any dispute of a contractual nature relating to the Uber service which could not be resolved in the context of a complaint previously submitted to Uber’s customer service, consumers may resort to mediators in line with the applicable legal regulations at no costs. Eligible consumers can also submit complaints about the Uber service to the European Commission’s online dispute resolution platform accessible here pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 524/2013 of 21 May 2013. Uber does not commit to using an online dispute resolution platform to resolve consumer disputes.

The provision of the Uber service (i.e. the service that connects users with Transportation Service Providers via the Uber platform) shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands, excluding its conflict of law rules, unless, if you reside in the EU, the regulations consumer protection laws in your country of residence contain provisions that are more advantageous to you, in which case those provisions apply.

You can bring a legal action relating to the Uber service in a competent Dutch court. If you reside in the EU and act as a consumer, you may also bring a legal action relating to the Uber service in the competent court of your country of residence.

Ranking of mobility options

Uber may use certain parameters on the Uber app [and website] to rank the displayed order of the different mobility options available. These parameters are selected to optimize the user experience. The main parameters used for mobility option ranking include transportation options previously chosen by the user,, popularity of products based on general demand, average arrival times for each available option, contextual factors (e.g. time of day and day of the week) and the availability of Transportation Service Providers. These parameters are subject to change at any time.

Ratings and reviews on the Uber app [and website]

Reviews

Uber does not display the individual ratings associated with a particular trip and neither the Transport Service Provider nor the user can contact a person who left a particular review. Ratings and reviews for a user or Transport Service Provider can only be left by the account performing or receiving the transportation service (as applicable).

1. By users

After each trip, users can rate the Transport Service Provider by giving a star rating ranging from 1 to 5 based on their trip experience. Individually awarded star ratings are not visible in the Uber app [or website]. Users can, if they wish, modify a star rating they have granted by consulting their trip history in the Uber app [and website]. A Transport Service Provider's average rating displayed in the app [and on the website] is calculated on the last 500 trips or all trips if the driver has made fewer than 500 trips.

If a user leaves 5 stars, they are invited to choose from a series of pre-recorded compliments which will be published on the Transport Service Provider's profile. The most frequently assigned comments are displayed first on the Transport Service Provider’s profile, in descending order. Users can add a pre-recorded compliment after the trip by consulting their trip history in the Uber app [and website]. Since these comments are pre-recorded, they are not subject to a review procedure.

In the past, users had the ability to leave a free comment about their trip experience. This was visible to the Transport Service Provider only, unless the Transport Service Provider chose to publish the free comment on their profile. Free comments are no longer available on the Uber app [and website]. As such, users can only leave a comment in the form of a pre-recorded compliment. Any legacy free comments published on Transport Service Providers’ profiles may still be visible.

Users do not receive any consideration in exchange for submitting reviews of their experience.

1. By Transport Service Providers

After each trip, Transport Service Providers can rate users by giving a star rating ranging from 1 to 5 based on the trip experience. Individually awarded star ratings are not visible in the Uber app [or website]. A user's average rating displayed in the app [and on the website] is calculated on the last 500 trips or all trips if the user has made fewer than 500 trips. Transport Service Providers can, if they wish, modify a star rating they have granted by consulting their trip history in the Uber app [and website].

Transport Service Providers cannot leave comments about users on the Uber app [or website]. Should Transport Service Providers wish to leave feedback about a user, other than a star rating, they can contact Uber Support.