When Uber was fighting Didi to become the dominant ride-hailing app in China in 2016, its drivers reported receiving a text message that drove home just how cut-throat competition in the country could be.
The message appeared to come from Uber’s China headquarters. It contained the company’s signature “5858” number combination, which in Mandarin is pronounced “wubawuba”, not dissimilar in sound to the US company’s name.
The recipients were told that Uber China was shutting down and not to expect payment. The erroneous text, recounted in the book Super Pumped by Mike Isaac on Uber, sparked confusion with the expensive-to-hire drivers who worked with the US company. No company or individual has publicly admitted to sending the text but its existence has been confirmed by two Uber insiders and someone close to a rival.