📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Uber Acknowledges Nasty Ploy to Sabotage a Competitor Employees at car service Uber ordered -- and then canceled -- over 100 cars from a New York competitor called Gett and then attempted to poach its drivers.

By Geoff Weiss

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Uber

Uber's voyage to revolutionize the modern transport model and topple a budding crop of competitors has lately been a bumpy ride.

Rival car company Gett says Uber employees in New York ordered and then canceled -- in some cases, at the very last minute -- more than 100 cars last week, resulting in a disruption of its service. After receiving the Gett drivers' cell phone numbers from the orders, an Uber employee texted the drivers in an attempt to poach them from Gett.

"Our local teams can be pretty determined when spreading the word about Uber," Uber acknowledged in a blog post, adding that its actions against Gett were "too aggressive." The company claims, however, that it paid cancellation fees and that Gett's drivers lost no time as the requests were canceled immediately. Gett denies both claims.

"We collected contact info and canceled within seconds," Josh Mohrer, Uber NYC's general manager told Entrepreneur. "This had nothing to do with sabotage."

Related: Uber Deepens Discounts on Its UberX Service

Gett, for its part, does not seem to be taking the incident sitting down. In a blog post on its website featuring a battle still from the movie Braveheart, the company -- which launched exclusively in New York last August -- thanked its users by offering them a discount code and pleaded, "We need your support now more than ever."

Gett said that it was evaluating its legal options.

This isn't the only bad press currently surrounding Uber and its polarizing co-founder and CEO, Travis Kalanick. In addition to a lawsuit by its drivers who allege the company is stealing their tips, the company will soon face its first wrongful-death lawsuit after an Uber car tragically struck and killed a 6-year-old girl in San Francisco on New Year's Eve.

Related: How to Outwit Your Competition

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

How to Harness the Power of Authentic Storytelling to Become a More Effective and Inspiring Leader

Storytelling enhances business leadership by inspiring a culture of authenticity and trust through sharing relevant personal stories.

Business News

Red Lobster Suddenly Shutters Dozens of Locations Without Warning Employees, Begins Auctioning Off Equipment

It's estimated that nearly 99 locations have been closed across 27 states, and restaurant paraphernalia is up for auction online — including tanks with live lobsters, furniture, ovens, refrigerators, bars, and more.

Franchise

'Not What Anybody Signed Up For': A Legal Expert Weighs In on the Labor Rule That Could Destroy Franchising

'Entrepreneur' spoke to labor attorney Jim Paretti to unravel the status of each of the legal challenges to the expanded Joint Employer Rule — and find out what comes next.

Business News

OpenAI Chief Scientist and Cofounder Ilya Sutskever Leaves AI Giant for Personal Project

Sutskever co-led the superalignment team at OpenAI, which ensures that AI follows what humans want it to do even as it gets smarter.

Side Hustle

These Coworkers-Turned-Friends Started a Side Hustle on Amazon — Now It's a 'Full Hustle' Earning Over $20 Million a Year: 'Jump in With Both Feet'

Achal Patel and Russell Gong met at a large consulting firm and "bonded over a shared vision to create a mission-led company."

Starting a Business

How Much Capital Does Your Startup Need? Here Are 7 Key Factors to Consider.

Here's what you need to assess when determining the amount of capital your startup needs — and how adequate funding can enhance your chances of success.