https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...-and-won-4000/

Dane Wilcox had come to Boston for two reasons: hot sauce and Dota 2. Getting into a months-long courtroom fight with the world's largest startup was never in the plan.

The former IT consultant had become a hot-sauce entrepreneur in 2014, after a surprisingly successful Kickstarter campaign to launch his brand, "FYM Hot Sauce." He picked a quirky method of advertising that suited his own interests: Wilcox sponsored a team that played a popular video game, Dota 2. Wilcox played the game himself and had tired of seeing ads for gambling websites. So looking for a different and fun way to promote his product, he got a team on board and became its flagship sponsor.

After a long flight from his home in Portland, Oregon, Wilcox landed in Boston on December 5, 2016. He was looking forward to getting straight to the Airbnb he'd rented and getting some rest. But then he made a fateful decision?to use the Uber app to get a ride from the airport. It was the first Uber ride he'd ever taken.

Wilcox had two big suitcases as checked baggage filled entirely with hot sauce?more than 100 pounds of it. All of his personal effects?including his laptop, clothes, an extra cell phone, and blood pressure medication?were in his backpack. The Uber car was squeezed into the narrow Boston street between other cars, and Wilcox had to shimmy out. So he hauled out just the suitcases, telling the driver he'd be back in a minute to grab the backpack. But when he reached the curb, the Uber car immediately drove off with his backpack still sitting in the back seat.

"Initially, I just thought it was a mistake," Wilcox said. "I called the Uber support line and told them, 'I have to take my medications daily.'"

Uber gave Wilcox a number to call that would ring the driver's phone through a third-party proxy service. Wilcox waited a half-hour outside. Then he went inside and unpacked his stuff, continuing to call the driver every half-hour, until about 2:30 in the morning. He got a generic voicemail message and left messages explaining his situation. Ultimately, he got a message that the voice mail box was full. The next morning, he started calling again at 8:00.