The contract is not attached so I don't know if this is applicable, but the claimant can probably find a lawyer interested in reviewing the contract. Uber recently had to settle with the FTC over earnings representations and car costs.
The claimant leased a 2015 Chevy Malibu for $585/mo ($135/wk x 52 divided by 12) PLUS mileage for personal use. In Jan 2015 a brand new Malibu cost $189/mo to lease. Obviously there might be some adjustments upwards for 0 down payment, bad credit etc. And then there'd need to be adjustments downwards for the age of the car.
In my view, the payments plus mileage charges appear to be extortionate for a 2 year old car. I would be very interested in seeing what Lyft told her she might make per week driving for them. I would be even more interested in seeing what the FTC and /or class action lawyers would make of this.
Here is the salient part of the FTC announcement of the settlement with Uber.
"According to the FTC’s complaint, in its efforts to attract prospective drivers, Uber exaggerated the yearly and hourly income drivers could make in certain cities, and misled prospective drivers about the terms of its vehicle financing options.
The FTC alleges that Uber claimed on its website that uberX drivers’ annual median income was more than $90,000 in New York and over $74,000 in San Francisco. The FTC alleges, however, that drivers’ annual median income was actually $61,000 in New York and $53,000 in San Francisco. In all, less than 10 percent of all drivers in those cities earned the yearly income Uber touted. The FTC also alleges that Uber made high hourly earnings claims in job listings, including on Craigslist, but that the typical Uber driver failed to earn those advertised hourly amounts in various cities.
The complaint also alleges that Uber claimed its Vehicle Solutions Program would provide drivers with the “best financing options available,” regardless of the driver’s credit history, and told consumers they could “own a car for as little as $20/day” ($140/week) or lease a car with “payments as low as $17 per day” ($119/week), and “starting at $119/week.” Despite Uber’s claims, from at least late 2013 through April 2015, the median weekly purchase and lease payments exceeded $160 and $200, respectively, the FTC alleges. Uber failed to control or monitor the terms and conditions of the auto financing agreements through its program and in fact, its drivers received worse rates on average than consumers with similar credit scores typically would obtain, according to the FTC’s complaint. In addition, Uber claimed its drivers could receive leases with unlimited mileage through its program when in fact, the leases came with mileage limits, the FTC alleges.
In addition to imposing a $20 million judgment against Uber, the stipulated order prohibits the company from misrepresenting drivers’ earnings and auto finance and lease terms. The order also bars Uber from making false, misleading, or unsubstantiated representations about drivers’ income; programs offering or advertising vehicles or vehicle financing or leasing; and the terms and conditions of any vehicle financing or leasing."