Consumer Confidential: Uber charged him $236 for a ride he didn't take to a place he didn't want to go

Automated online services are totally convenient and totally great - until they're not. That's when consumers are reminded that the robot takeover is upon us and resistance is futile.

At least that's what was going through my head when I chatted recently with Silver Lake resident Steve Robinson, who was billed $236 by Uber for a trip to San Luis Obispo that he never requested and thought he'd canceled.

That alone is sufficiently hinky to merit a closer look. Robinson's total inability to reach anyone at Uber by phone or email to address the problem ices the cake.

Picture astronaut Dave Bowman in "2001" locked