Uber Is Spamming Seattle with Unwanted Phone Calls
Pending legislation could hamper Uber's ability to do business in Seattle. Rather than use some of its hundreds of millions of dollars to buy influence like every other company, the transit startup is trying to rally support in the most annoying way possible.
No, not getting Macklemore to pretend to care—robocalls. Tweets are streaming out of Seattle reporting the calls, one of which can be replayed below. But what's even more obnoxious is the story of Colin Bayer, who says he got a call from Uber's Seattle general manager right after he posted the following:
this is some AstroTurf faux civic action bulllllllshiiiiiit pic.twitter.com/EiMYtLFkBo
— Colin Normcore Bayer (@vogon) February 27, 2014
I snarked at a "Seattle, save UberX" flyer today https://t.co/9jyQJfLcWi
and an Uber Seattle GM just called me, unsolicited, on my cell
— Colin Normcore Bayer (@vogon) February 27, 2014
all they got out was "hi, I'm a GM at Uber Seattle" before I hit end-call because I'm at work, but that is impossibly gross
— Colin Normcore Bayer (@vogon) February 27, 2014
peace out, y’all pic.twitter.com/hG4sPH8bef
— Colin Normcore Bayer (@vogon) February 27, 2014
Bayer told me his cell phone number is "publicly posted on my Facebook, which has the same username as my Twitter."
I asked Uber for comment on the astroturf campaign, and haven't heard back. Meanwhile, this could end up doing more to jeopardize the Seattle market than any legislation.