For those of you who have made use of the Uber service before, have you ever wondered just what the heck is going on when you see a slew of cars that are available, and yet you are still given a relatively long waiting period? Perhaps there is an explanation behind this riddle – the cars simply do not exist at all. Motherboard has picked up on this particular “scent” through a study, citing that the app’s map activity does not jive with what is going on in the real world. Now the next question to as would be, “Why?”
Just like in politics or scandals, the answer really depends on who you ask. An Uber spokesperson has insisted that the number and location of cars happens to be “generally accurate,” but that is in contrast with the rest of the company’s help staff. Perhaps there is a glitch that concerns map zooming, while others claim that the ‘ghost cars’ are there to dress up the app, basically, being eye candy. I suppose that can be deemed to be misrepresentation where us consumers are concerned, don’t you think so?
Uber would like to protect themselves by not handing out accurate data, since other rivals might make use of such maps to discover the various areas where Uber does not have strong coverage. As a consumer, how do you see this development – should Uber show off an accurate number of its cars on the map? After all, if rivals can handle those allegedly ‘weak’ spots that Uber does not service, isn’t that better and fairer for everyone? Perhaps when Uber’s dream of self-driving cars become reality, things might be more accurate for everyone.
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