Hidden Tax Fees
Class Action Lawsuits Against Curb Mobility & Others
Golomb Legal. has started legal action against Curb Mobility, Taxi Butler (Venue Butler), and Yaiks, Inc. for charging potentially tens of thousands of consumers—or more—hidden fees when hailing a cab. People that recently had a hotel, bar, or another venue hail a taxicab for them may have been charged an undisclosed fee that ranged from $1.90 to $2.50. Although this amount is a relatively small upcharge per taxi service, it could have added up to millions of dollars unfairly taken from consumers due to the widespread use of Curb Mobility’s taxi-hailing device.
Almost every taxi in these cities is hailed using Curb Mobility’s software:
- Philadelphia
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Washington, D.C.
- Fort Lauderdale
Our nationally recognized attorneys from Golomb Legal. have filed a class action complaint with nationwide reach and also proposed sub-classes in each state due to the significant size of the potential plaintiff class in this case. If you live anywhere that Curb Mobility is used to hail a taxicab and used that service as early as June 2022, then call (215) 278-4449 now. We would be happy to discuss your options and see if you can join the nationwide plaintiff class or a state-specific sub-class of plaintiffs, like the proposed class against Venue Butler here in Pennsylvania.
Curb Mobility’s Hidden Fees
Throughout the major cities listed above, people can ask for a taxicab to be hailed for them by clerks and front desk workers at hotels, bars, and other venues that host social gatherings. In nearly all cases, the clerk can press the Taxi Butler device located on or under the desk, which automatically arranges for a taxicab within the city to pick up the customer. When the ride is complete, a hidden fee is added to the price, but it is never disclosed.
No parties involved were ever made plainly aware of the hidden fee, including:
- Passenger
- Taxi driver
- Clerk or bellhop
The fee is not displayed on the screen to anyone throughout the ride or transaction. The name “Curb Mobility” isn’t even shown on the Taxi Butler device. The only evidence of the fee is that it is on the printed receipt that is only generated if the passenger specifically asked for it, most of whom do not. If the passenger pays for the ride using a credit or debit card, then the total amount charged won’t even match what is on the screen when swiping it.
How Hidden Fees Worked
For example: Taxicab customer John hailed a cab at his hotel in Philadelphia, and the front desk worker used the Taxi Butler device to hail it for him. When the ride was complete, the fare was $8.00 and he agreed to tip $2.00, bringing the on-screen transaction total to $10.00. He swipes his card to be charged $10.00 and asks for a printed receipt. To both his and the taxi driver’s surprise, the receipt total reads $12.50, and in the itemized receipt, there is a previously unmentioned “Service Fee” of $2.50. When checking his credit card statement later, John confirms he was charged $12.50, not the agreed-upon $10.00.
Accusations Against Curb Mobility
Hidden fees are not acceptable in any industry. Furthermore, the taxicab industry is heavily regulated nationwide, with specific clauses that prohibit undisclosed service fees, charging unreasonable fares, and so on. Using our extensive legal knowledge and experience with complex consumer class actions, we have started a complaint against Curb Mobility and the other defendants by citing various counts of violations.
Currently, we have cited these counts in our complaint:
- Violation of unfair trade practices and consumer protection laws (state-specific and nationwide)
- Unjust enrichment
- Conversion
- Declaratory relief
Join Us in the Case Against Curb Mobility & Others
The evidence against the defendants allows us to create the foundation for our complaint and the proposed class action lawsuits. However, the cases will gain in strength as more plaintiffs join the class of consumers. If you took a ride that was hailed using a Curb Mobility or Taxi Butler device since June 2022 and you paid with your credit or debit card, then you were likely charged this illegal fee, which would make you eligible to join a state-specific or nationwide class action. Please consider joining such a class action as soon as possible, so the effort to secure relief for the plaintiff class gains momentum.
If you'd like to read the filed complaint, click here.
For more information, contact Golomb Legal. and our hidden taxi fees attorneys online now. You can also talk to us directly by dialing (215) 278-4449.