Lawsuit Against Uber Over Deceptive Subscription Practices
December 16, 2025
Multistate Lawsuit Alleges That Uber Has Used Deceptive Enrollment, Billing, and Cancellation Practices in Offering Uber One Subscriptions
Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced today that his office, along with a coalition of 21 other law enforcement agencies, is joining a lawsuit previously filed by the Federal Trade Commission against Uber Technologies, LLC and Uber USA, LLC (Uber), the operators of the rideshare and delivery company. The lawsuit alleges that Uber used numerous deceptive and unfair practices in offering and selling its Uber One subscription service, which the company promotes as saving users money on rides and deliveries. However, the coalition alleges that Uber violated consumer protection laws in multiple ways, including by enrolling users without their consent, charging users for subscriptions before their free trials ended, preventing them from cancelling their subscriptions, and misleading users about savings. More than 100,000 DC residents are Uber One subscribers.
“Uber enrolled users into its Uber One subscription service without their consent and then made it nearly impossible for them to cancel,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “Particularly when costs of living are higher than ever, no one should ever be stuck paying for a subscription they do not want. We are joining this lawsuit to stop Uber’s deceptive and illegal conduct and to ensure that the more than 100,000 DC residents who are paying for Uber One subscriptions have an easy way to cancel if they no longer wish to use the service.”
The coalition’s lawsuit alleges Uber enrolled consumers in Uber One subscriptions without their consent and outlines complaints from consumers who said they found Uber One charges on their credit cards despite never knowingly signing up for the service. The lawsuit also details how Uber made it extraordinarily difficult to cancel Uber One subscriptions once enrolled, requiring users to proceed through a minimum of 12 different actions and navigate a maze of at least 7 screens to ensure they would not be charged again. The complaint also alleges that Uber charged consumers before their billing date, including users whose free trials had not yet ended, and that Uber improperly used “negative option” marketing tactics when it offered free trial subscriptions – a practice that automatically charges consumers if they do not cancel a free trial.
The Attorney General’s lawsuit seeks restitution for harmed consumers, as well as penalties, costs, and an injunction against Uber for alleged violations of local and federal consumer protection law. The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and trial is currently scheduled for February 2027.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
The coalition of State AGs joining the FTC lawsuit was led by Maryland, and in addition to the District of Columbia, it includes the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as the District Attorney for Alameda County, California.