Quebec Superior Court authorizes class action against Uber over cancellation fees

The Uber app is seen on an iPhone near a driver's vehicle after the company launched service, in Vancouver, Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

The Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class-action lawsuit against Uber that accuses the San Francisco-based company of violating the province’s Consumer Protection Act with its cancellation fees.

Lawyers for the main plaintiff, Valerie Ohayon, allege the company is not explicitly stating in its terms of service that a fixed fee will be charged for cancellations. Uber’s terms of service, they say, only state that “cancellation fees may be charged.”

Quebec prohibits companies from charging fees not disclosed in contracts and terms of service.

Ohayon was charged $5.75 after her son cancelled a ride on the app in 2022. The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages and the refund of cancellation fees for all qualifying members of the class action. She is also asking Uber to stop its “misleading” practice.

Uber denies the allegations and told The Canadian Press in an email, “cancellation fees are clearly disclosed to users within the app before they proceed with the cancellation.”

Joey Zukran, one of the lawyers representing Ohayon, said in an interview that the case has struck a chord with the public and his office has been flooded with calls since it issued the class-action notice Friday morning.

“Anyone who’s used Uber anywhere in the world has experienced (these fees),” he said. “Because the fee is not disclosed in the agreement … what prevents them from charging (an extra) $10, $20 or $30?"

The lawyer said the company is taking advantage of its dominant position in the market to flout its responsibilities toward consumers, who entrust it with their credit card information.

Other than misleading users with its cancellation fee policy, Zukran said, Uber is also charging people when no service has been rendered. “If you ordered a taxi … and you don’t get in, they don’t charge you because they didn’t render you a service."

The lawsuit also targets Uber’s food delivery service. Some users who cancel their order — for example after realizing they had entered the wrong address — can sometimes be charged the full amount of the order and delivery costs, Zukran said. These fees are also omitted in the terms of service, he alleges, adding, it’s “completely unfair for the consumer because they didn’t receive the food, and the food wasn’t even delivered.”

Anyone in Quebec who has been charged after cancelling an Uber ride or Uber Eats order since 2019 is automatically included in the lawsuit.

Every province and territory in Canada has its own consumer protection agency on top of the federal safety, privacy and competition regulations. Lawyers say similar lawsuits could be launched in areas with similar rules to Quebec’s.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2026.