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‘Free trials should actually be free’: DC, Va., Md. sue Uber alleging manipulative subscription service

By Abigail Stuckrath

All three attorneys general in the D.C. region are suing Uber, accusing the rideshare app of taking advantage of consumers through its “deceptive” subscription service, Uber One.

Nineteen states, including Virginia, Maryland and D.C., filed a joint lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission against Uber on Monday. The complaint says Uber didn’t follow through on advertised savings, charged consumers during their free trial periods, and signed up users for Uber One without their consent.

The lawsuit comes after the FTC sued Uber in April 2025 for its subscription service. This new amended complaint requests penalties for the app’s alleged violation of the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, which ensures that consumers fully understand the terms of a subscription service before signing up.

The new coalition allows the 21 states and D.C. to seek restitution for these alleged violations.

The lawsuit says Uber not only charged people for subscriptions that they never signed up for, but didn’t deliver on promised savings supposedly included in the subscription. The FTC said in a news release that users have reported they didn’t receive $0 delivery fees and $25 in monthly savings, two key discounts Uber One advertises.

Another major complaint is that Uber One allegedly signed up and charged consumers for the subscription service without their knowledge.

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said these subscription violations are unacceptable, especially given the high cost of living.

“No one should ever be stuck paying for a subscription they do not want,” Schwab said in a news release. “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.”

Uber One offers a free trial, which the court filing claimed was breached. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said many users were charged for Uber One before their trial ended.

“Free trials should actually be free — not traps that lock Marylanders into unwanted monthly charges,” Brown said in a news release.

The lawsuit also says Uber made it extremely difficult to cancel Uber One subscriptions, stating that consumers had to go through 12 actions and seven different screens. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said these steps trapped consumers.

“Deceptive enrollment and billing practices have no place in the marketplace,” Miyares said in a news release.

In addition to D.C, Virginia and Maryland, the other states on the lawsuit are Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Former Brazilian au pair testifies her ex-lover plotted to kill his wife, though lacks some details

By The Associated Press
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A former Brazilian au pair testified on Wednesday that she turned against her former lover in a sprawling double homicide scheme involving his wife because she “wanted the truth to come out.” For more than a year, Juliana Peres Magalhães did not speak with officials about the 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, or about Brendan Banfield’s alleged involvement. But attorneys say that days before her own criminal trial, the former au pair changed her mind and began to talk. Now, Brendan Banfield is facing a trial in the aggravated murder of his wife and Ryan, and Magalhães’ testimony has become a key component of prosecutors’ case. Banfield, who has pleaded not guilty, could face life in prison if convicted. The way officials tell it, Banfield and Magalhães lured Ryan to their house. The two then shot him, staging the scene to look as if Ryan had been a predator stabbing Christine Banfield.
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