Make your voice heard and make Curb pay: These are your options!
Advanced technology has dramatically changed the way we move around major American cities. Instead of reaching out to taxi companies by placing a phone call, apps such as Curb Taxi allows us to connect to more than 50,000 taxi cabs by simply tapping a button on our cell phone. As a part of the Verifone family of companies, Curb Mobility operates the app called Curb Taxi that has a presence in cities like Miami, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
Quick access to taxi service is just one of the benefits of having the Curb Taxi app uploaded to a Smartphone. You also enjoy the flexibility of paying for taxi service directly via a cell phone app or by paying cash for a ride from a hotel to the nearest municipal airport. If a driver cancels a ride with a client on short notice, the Curb Taxi app automatically suspends the driver from delivering cab service for five hours.
The enhanced customer service features of using the Curb Taxi app does not mean the company operating the app, which is Curb Mobility, has not run into trouble with local, state, and federal governing authorities. In fact, Curb Taxi has faced numerous legal actions that include customers filing claims and complaints following one of four protocols established within the Curb Mobility terms of service policy.
If you have encountered a service issue using the cab service app, and contacting them directly isn’t helping, you should understand how to file a claim against Curb Taxi.
Class action lawsuits not only take a long time to resolve, the legal actions can also set back a company financially for years. This is why a rapidly growing number of companies have established a terms of service policy that prohibits customers from taking legal action by filing a class action lawsuit. Parent company Curb Mobility makes it clear that any customers dissatisfied with the Curb Taxi app have to follow a dispute resolution process that can involve participating in a binding arbitration hearing.
Here is what Curb Mobility says about its dispute resolution process:
“Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement, or the interpretation, application, enforcement, breach, termination, or validity thereof (including any claim of inducement of this Agreement by fraud and including determination of the scope or applicability of this Arbitration Provision), or its subject matter (collectively, “Disputes”), shall be determined by binding arbitration before one (1) arbitrator. The arbitration shall be administered by JAMS (Judicial Arbitration & Mediation Services) and conducted in accordance with the expedited procedures set forth in the JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules & Procedures rules. Those rules are available here: http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-streamlined-arbitration”
Binding arbitration is not your only option for filing a claim against Curb Taxi. You can also complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and/or the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A lawsuit filed in a small claims court is also a legal option.
Class action lawsuits typically enrich the attorneys litigating the cases, not the plaintiffs filing the lawsuit. Small claims court allows a single plaintiff to file a claim seeking monetary damages between $2,500 and $10,000. Although Curb Taxi does not permit customers to file class action lawsuits, you can file a claim against Curb Taxi in small claims court. However, the company prefers customers file a complaint directly with the dispute resolution department, before taking any type of legal action.
As the most powerful government advocates for consumers, the CFPB can fine a company that violates one or more federal consumer protection statutes. The CFPB also can put restrictions on how a company operates, such as mandating Curb Taxi inform customers anytime a driver expects to be more than five minutes late to pick up a fare. File a complaint with the CFPB by accessing the government agency’s website. The CFPB typically responds to consumer complaints in a timely manner.
The BBB receives and presents consumer complaints that involve businesses that participate in the consumer advocacy program. You can see the rating given to a business, as well as read the customer reviews published by the leading consumer advocacy organization. As of April 2020, Curb Mobility has not participated in the BBB consumer feedback program. However, you can still file a claim against the taxi service company to get the BBB involved in resolving a dispute.
Binding arbitration is often a better opportunity to get compensation.
Why? A small claims court decision limits how much money you can earn from a civil judgment. On the other hand, binding arbitration does not place a defined limit on the amount of money awarded as just compensation. A binding arbitration hearing includes evidence and testimony presented to a neutral arbitrator that is approved by both parties. The binding part of the hearing is especially beneficial to both parties because it avoids a protected court battle, as well as reduces the cost of litigation. Neither party can file an appeal after the conclusion of a binding arbitration hearing.
The cost of binding arbitration depends on the length of the process, as well as the fees charged by the representative handling your side of the story. Most terms of service provisions include clauses that address which party is responsible for paying for the cost of the binding arbitration process. You might have to pay the entire cost of the process, share some of the financial burden with Curb Taxi, or not have to pay anything at all to settle the dispute. Curb Taxi has not clearly defined within its terms of service the financial obligation of participating in the binding arbitration process.
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