FTC sues Uber over premium service

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Uber on Monday, alleging that it enrolled consumers in its Uber One subscription program without their consent and made it too difficult for them to cancel the service.

Uber One members pay $9.99 per month or $96 per year for a range of services, including fee-free Uber Eats food deliveries and cash back when they take Uber rides.

In its lawsuit, the FTC said multiple customers complained that Uber signed them up for Uber One without their permission or charged them for the service before a free trial period was over. In at least one case, a person was charged $9.99 per month even though they didn’t have an Uber account, the lawsuit said.

The FTC said Uber also made it extremely difficult for subscribers to cancel Uber One. The agency said Uber requires customers to take at least 12 different actions on at least seven screens to cancel the service. Cancellation gets even harder for consumers within 48 hours of their billing date, the FTC said, requiring them to navigate as many as 23 screens and still contact customer service.

In a statement, Uber said it was disappointed that the FTC chose to move forward with the lawsuit. Uber said its sign-up and cancellation process is clear, simple and lawful.

Walgreens fined $300M over opioids

Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $300 million to settle allegations that it filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and illegally billed federal programs such as Medicare for those medications, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.

The federal government had alleged that Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens filled prescriptions with “egregious red flags,” according to an amended complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The government alleged that Walgreens filled prescriptions with high dosages of opioids, filled prescriptions for the drugs too early, and filled prescriptions for a dangerous combination of three drugs, from late 2013 to early 2023, according to the complaint.

The government had alleged that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill the prescriptions quickly, without giving them time to check if the prescriptions were valid.

The government also alleged that Walgreens submitted the invalid prescriptions to federal health insurance programs, including Medicare for reimbursement, in violation of the federal False Claims Act.

Chipotle opens first Mexican location

Chipotle Mexican Grill is coming to Mexico.

The California-based chain said Monday it’s planning to open a restaurant in Mexico early next year, its first location south of the border in its 30-year history.

Chipotle is partnering with Alsea in Mexico City, a company that operates Domino’s, Starbucks, Burger King, Chili’s and other brands in South America and Europe.

Alsea plans to explore additional expansion in Mexico and other locations in the region. Nate Lawton, Chipotle’s chief business development officer, said the company is confident that its menu will resonate with Mexican diners.

But at least one U.S.-based Mexican chain has struggled to make it in Mexico. Taco Bell opened a few outlets in Mexico City in 1992 but they closed within two years.

The brand opened another store in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2007 which also didn’t last.

— From news services