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11 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

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There are a lot of great reasons to be a rideshare driver, but at one time or another, we’ve all been frustrated by at least one of Uber’s policies.

Personally, I’ve always had problems getting reliable answers from Uber customer support (although they did call me once!). Not only is it tough to get an answer, but it can also be tough to get a straight answer.  But if you’re reading this, you’re probably already well aware of all the positive and negative aspects of driving.

Drive with Uber 1
10 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

11 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

Regardless of where you stand on the Uber experience, at the end of the day, driving for Uber is still a lot better than many other jobs (that’s why so many people do it, right?).  Anyone who’s worked in a corporate environment can tell you that clocking in at 9 am and out at 5 pm really does suck.  And although you’re not completely your own boss with Uber, it’s pretty damn close.

I know that many drivers (myself included) like to complain about certain aspects of driving, but that doesn’t mean we want to stop working for them.  Unfortunately though, Uber does control most of the cards when it comes to whether you’re allowed to stay active on the platform or not and it’s often a challenge to make sure you stay within compliance.

Today’s article isn’t meant to scare you but to let you know about situations where other drivers have been deactivated and how to avoid it happening to you..  Some of the situations below obviously warrant deactivation but some might just surprise you.

The Obvious Ones

There are certain situations and reasons that I think we can all agree on that drivers should be deactivated for:

#1: Safety Issues

Any time you put a passenger’s safety, or even your own safety at risk, you will be deactivated.  So if you’re out driving passengers around drunk, molesting/harassing passengers or just a maniac on the road, you’re going to get deactivated.

Passengers won’t always leave comments for their drivers after the ride is over, but you bet if you put the passenger’s life at risk, they are going to let Uber know about it.  Additionally, any type of comments related to safety will get flagged/reviewed by Uber staff so expect a swift and quick deactivation if you do anything dumb like drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

#2: Low Ratings

There are plenty of problems with Uber’s rating system but at the end of the day, it does do a decent job of getting rid of drivers who are not up to par.  According to Uber, the average driver rating is 4.8 and if you fall below 4.6, you will be deactivated.  However, you can pay for a customer service class to get reinstated and given a second chance.

Uber does not do a very good job of providing feedback about your rating, but more often than not, a low rating has something to do with poor navigation skills.  New drivers are given some slack on their rating, but it’s best to tackle this problem before your rating starts to drop.

I also recommend that drivers take rides as a passenger so they can experience the app from the customer’s point of view, and we also have ample resources available here if you’d like to educate yourself.

More Reading: Boost Your Driver Ratings

The Not So Obvious Ones

Remember, these are all real situations where drivers have been deactivated by Uber, and they’ve subsequently contacted me about it.

#3: Promoting Competitor’s Services (Including Your Own)

At one point in 2014, drivers were getting deactivated (or at least threatened with deactivation) for this.  But due to recent W2 vs 1099 issues, Uber has become a lot more lenient with issues like this.  The most common thing that I saw drivers getting deactivated for was passing out Lyft referral cards to Uber passengers.  I don’t think Uber has a problem with you promoting other services like Doordash or Airbnb, but Lyft is obviously a direct competitor so they don’t like that.

I actually reached out to an Uber customer service rep about this and he gave me an interesting answer.  Here’s the question I asked and the answer I got.  It would seem to imply that Uber probably doesn’t want drivers promoting Lyft but they may not be deactivating drivers for this anymore.

Does Uber Deactivate Drivers For Promoting Lyft?

Does Uber Deactivate Drivers For Promoting Lyft?

You can’t always trust the answers you get from Uber’s CS reps but this seems to imply that drivers won’t be deactivated for promoting competitors.

#4: Giving Too Many Rides To Friends, Family or Yourself

On the surface, this may seem innocent enough but behind the scenes, Uber is fighting a constant battle against fraud.  They even have a team at HQ that looks for and deactivates drivers and passengers who are caught taking advantage of the system.

Some drivers use friends, family and even their own passenger account to meet ride minimums during guarantee hours or even just to stay active on the platform.  It depends on the severity of the infraction but Uber could deactivate you for doing something like this.

A one off ride to your friend or family member probably won’t be a problem, but a pattern or system of rides is how you’ll get caught since Uber uses algorithms to check for fraud, and then a human reviews each case.

#5: Updated Background Check

This is a tough reason to get deactivated but it’s happening more and more these days as certain states/cities impose new regulations that require Uber to go back and run more stringent background checks.

I’ve gotten several e-mails from drivers across the country who were active drivers with thousands of rides under their belt, but they were suddenly deactivated due to Uber processing an updated background check.  There’s not a whole lot you can do in this situation other than try to keep a clean driving and criminal record (even after you become an Uber driver).

#6 Low Acceptance/High Cancellation Rates

Uber now includes a section about acceptance and cancellation rates in their deactivation policy.  The good news for drivers is that you will no longer be deactivated for low acceptance rates but you may be put in ‘Uber time-out’ if you ignore 2 or 3 requests in a row.

However, the wording on the cancellation rates is still pretty vague.  The policy states that each city has their own maximum cancellation rate, and that each city has their own requirements.  So I’d be careful that you don’t accept and then cancel too many rides – basically save your cancellations for when they matter!

I’d recommend trying to keep a cancellation rate below 10%.  And if you’re going for one of Uber’s incentive programs (Power Driver Plus, Guaranteed Hourly Fares), they usually have an 80-90% acceptance requirement.

#7 Not Giving At Least One Ride Per Month

The new deactivation policy does not mention a ride requirement, but they have ‘temporarily deactivated’ drivers for this in the past. This requirement is straightforward and easy. To keep your account active simply give at least one ride every month. Also, Uber gives plenty of warning about this type of deactivation and they make it easy to get back on the road if you’re kicked for inactivity.

The Borderline Ones

#8: Speaking Out Against Uber

To be fair, I’ve only heard of one instance of this happening (and the driver was re-instated eventually) but in today’s day and age of social media, you always have to be careful with what you say.

Even if you’re posting in a private Facebook group, just assume that anyone could read what you write.  Now that doesn’t mean you should censor what you say, but just understand that businesses don’t like having negative things said about them.

Obviously it’s ridiculous for a driver to be deactivated over a tweet and I doubt Uber would ever do this again, but if you really are causing a lot of trouble for a company on social media, that could affect their image and, in turn, your status with the company.

The Ones That Make Sense to Me But Not Other Drivers

Hopefully that title isn’t too confusing, but these are all situations that drivers have been deactivated for but the drivers were not aware that this was against Uber’s policy.

#9: Having Someone Else In Your Car

There is literally not a single situation in which you can ever have another person (other than your passenger) in your car while driving.  I totally understand why some drivers would feel more comfortable or safer with a second person in the car but from a rider’s point of view, this is not acceptable.

There are no exceptions to this rule and if a passenger leaves feedback or an Uber employee happens to take a ride in your car, you will be deactivated immediately.  If you don’t feel comfortable driving by yourself, I have some tips for you in this video.

Related Video: Can Another Person Ride With Me While Driving?

10 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

11 Things That Can Get You Deactivated As An Uber Driver

#10: Canceling on Airport Passenger Like Me

After my Ireland trip, I landed at LAX and called an UberX from the airport and as soon as the driver accepted my request, I got a text asking for some information.  The text actually seemed pretty legit but shortly after texting back, the ride was cancelled.

I can only assume that since my destination was ‘only 15 minutes away’, this driver cancelled on me because it wasn’t far enough.  Can’t say I blame him but I can also tell you that this makes Uber look very, very bad.  I didn’t report this driver to Uber but I’m sure that a future passenger did.

Some drivers do this though, and if Uber finds out, you will be deactivated.  It’s not that hard for them to figure out what you’re doing either, since it only takes 1-2 pax to report you and then you’re done.

#11: Switching Vehicles

This seems pretty obvious to me but I’ve gotten e-mails from several drivers who were deactivated for driving different vehicles than what was listed on their account.  There are lots of reasons why this may happen but keep in mind that passengers can see which vehicle is supposed to arrive and they’ll obviously be thinking ‘WTF?’ if you pick them up in a different car.

If you have multiple vehicles that you’d like to use, then a simple solution is to just get them added on to your account.  Uber is even offering free vehicle inspections in most cities these days if you’d like to add another vehicle.

Related Article: How To Find Free Vehicle Inspections For Uber and Lyft Drivers

Bonus: Things That Won’t  Shouldn’t Get You Deactivated

Soliciting Tips From Passengers

As of April 2016, Uber drivers can now post a sign encouraging passengers to tip. This is the result of the class action lawsuit in California which Uber has settled. The settlement must still be approved by a judge, but Uber has clarified this policy.

Related Article: I Added A Tip Sign To My Uber: Here’s What Happened

Before this settlement some drivers were threatened with deactivation for soliciting tips from riders. The good news is there is growing support for tipping drivers.

Personally, I don’t ever bring up tipping unless the passenger does, but I think drivers should be free to talk about whatever the hell they want.  If a driver truly is soliciting tips from every passenger, I suspect his/her rating will eventually reflect that, and they’ll be kicked off the platform for low ratings.

Rideshare Advertising With Vugo

After posting about Vugo’s new tip option, I received many questions from drivers who were worried about getting deactivated by Uber for displaying ads.  Luckily, Uber actually came out with an official statement on rideshare advertising and while they aren’t happy about it, drivers can’t be deactivated for using it.

“It’s not against our policy, but we reserve the right to assess situations on a case-by-case basis to ensure a positive rider experience.”

This isn’t a full list of all the reasons drivers can get deactivated for, but it is some of the most common situations I’ve seen in my experience dealing with thousands of drivers.  Are there any other common situations you’ve seen drivers get deactivated for that were obvious to you but maybe not so obvious to others?  Please share your feedback in the comments section below.

Rydar: The Ultimate Assistant For Rideshare Drivers

Rydar is like radar for finding the best rides. Optimize your routes, increase earnings and effectively manage your finances. Check it out here!

-Harry @ RSG

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Harry Campbell

I'm Harry, the owner and founder of The Rideshare Guy Blog and Podcast. I used to be a full-time engineer but now I'm a rideshare blogger! I write about my experience driving for Uber, Lyft, and other services and my goal is to help drivers earn more money by working smarter, not harder.
  • Keisha Wright

    White people not liking black drivers and not wanting you in there neighborhood so they automatically rate you lower but if you refuse to pick them up you lower your acceptance rate

    • Reggie Green

      Thanks for sharing

    • Diana Becker

      Wow. I don’t know where you are living, but that’s just sad!

    • Mickey Sullivan

      While I just started for Uber, and run an XL service, I don’t agree. I did about a dozen drives yesterday, and picked up all sorts of people from all different parts of Boston. A rider’s attitude before he or she gets in my vehicle tells me all I need to know. That is why I always get out of my vehicle when picking somebody up. Not only do they like having the door opened for them, I can access them before they get my vehicle. Works great for everybody.

    • Jocelyn

      HI Keisha, I know what you mean. I live in Orange County as well and I noticed a HUGE difference between the riders in OC than in LA as well as another black driver who comes down from LA whenever he has a fare from there. My ratings always go down in Newport Beach or San Clemente area because the people are extremely mean and disrespectful (at night anyway) lol. I have been called “Black bitches, cunts” and the whole 9 yards just because I politely asked if the passengers could wait until they arrive at their destination to eat their food. They have literally reached over from the back to turn the music up without asking and God forbid I ask them to close my door while waiting for their party or white they are still talking on a cold night. My Uber XL friend says every time he comes to OC and drives, his ratings go down and he is VERY KIND AND COURTEOUS…except he’s black. When he sticks to LA, they seem to rise again. I have been frequenting the LA area just because the vibe is so different and the people are welcoming and nice. It really depends on the area you are driving in and the amount of diversity and respect the people around you have. I have a friend who drives in the Bay Area and she never has any problems as well.

      I have driven about 5 Uber drivers who were white male and they have NEVER encountered the types of problems I have even when asking the passengers to close the door while waiting or not to eat in their cars. Their ratings are higher and they really seem to have a different outlook on things. Just my $.02 cents.

      • vacuumation

        I am not Black, yet I’ve experience many of the unpleasant things you just mentioned. (I do however have a funny “foreign” name that makes me seem/look ethnic, but that’s about it.) Those annoying riders you get in the O.C. come are mainly because they’re more uppity and snobby, with a sense of entitlement.

        • Jose

          If they are uppity and snobby they should have their own driver. Why use Uber. I drive in NJ I’m Latin, look white but my name is Jose. I really haven’t had any issues I have a 4.83 rating but to be honest I think the bad stars I did get were from snobby white folks in Hoboken when I first started driving a year ago.

          • Danz Haagen

            oh yeah, those jersey whites….

        • Danz Haagen

          been there

      • The Rabid One

        I’m Latino, I drove in the OC for only a couple of days because I drove there with a pax from LA. I had no problems, everyone was pretty chill, and the white pax were super nice to me. Must be that I remind them of their gardener. 🙂

    • Danz Haagen

      if you are in philly, subrbia people moving in. very likely to rate low because of racism.

    • bobfairlane

      You should move to a black country. Surely you’ll be a big hit with your plastic hair. With even a rickshaw you should rake in millions.

  • Keisha Wright

    And please don’t tell me this doesn’t happen because I’ve had passengers tell me this that they know people who would never give a black person a high rating as a white driver

    • John Delaje

      I don’t know about that Keisha, I live in Republican white Orange County and I e picked up plenty of 5 star Black folk. They got a 5star from me too because they were ready when I pulled up and they were very nice. Follow those 2 things and you’re guaranteed to get a five star from me or most drivers.

  • KeJorn

    @keishawright:disqus Of course racism and all kinds of prejudice still exist. And yes, it exists on all sides of the spectrum. No one group holds the template on hatred. However, that said, not all white people hate on black and vice versa. It boils down to the individual and their own hang ups and bias. Assuming a white person will give you a low rating because you are black [insert any other difference here], may not be the best way to look at the world in general. Many drivers give low rating just because a passenger leaves a mess, has a bad attitude or is rude. if the address is wrong or not provided, or even if they do not tip. Any combination of those may be the reason for the low score. Is it fair? Well that depends on what the reason was, but you will not likely know the reason, same as the driver has no idea why someone left a 1 star. The rating system is ONLY useful to Uber. Everyone else is along for the ride.

    • well said.

    • Danz Haagen

      even though, if you are colored, you are mooooore likely to be rated low. i keep track of my weekly rating. whenever i have more whites, my rating falls from cliff. but when i have blacks or others, my rating goes up…

      • bobfairlane

        Yeah, the ratings system sounds like a grudge fight, but of course 9ers are going to rate other 9ers higher, and whites like being with other whites. I’d rather ride a bicycle than have a 9er drive me anywhere, but sometimes making appointments is critical, and renting cars is a serious pain in the ass.

      • bobfairlane

        9ers are pretty depressing. hhhahaha. I wonder why they sack your rating though. Do you speak Ebonix or did you “pimp out” your car? The rating system should be more clear that 5 stars is basically required rating if they don’t want to cripple a driver, and not about their personal opinion on the experience or decoration.

        • KeJorn

          A more effective rating system would make rating a 5 star the easiest and fastest response… anything less than 5 stars should require feedback.. however a rating should be mandatory in order to make a new request. That way the lazy / indifferent people do no harm.. and the ones that have legitimate complaints, would leave feedback and lower rating.

      • KeJorn

        Or they may be grading something else that others do not. Simply saying that you had X number of whites in your car and then your rating dropped, doesn’t tell you WHY they rated you lower. You are assuming it is due to color. It could be for something else even more petty and biased. The point is, you can choose to focus on that and make those assumptions… and guess what.. your attitude will change whenever you deal with a white person. You may have less patience, you may be a bit more rude or indifferent to their concerns… you essentially begin to help “prove” your theory, despite the fact they are grading you for those other reasons, not your color. In other words, do not feed that wolf. You have a choice. Feed the wolf that helps make you a better person / driver / human being. Do not feed the doubt, suspicion and poison yourself in the process. Peace.

      • KeJorn

        The Wolves Within
        A Cherokee Legend

        An old Cherokee Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story…

        I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison into your own body and then wishing your enemy would die of it.

        I have struggled with these feelings many times.”

        He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

        But the other wolf, ah… he is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.

        Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”

        The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”

        The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, “The one I feed.”

      • Ruven Golan

        So pick up blacks only

    • Ruven Golan

      Riders can give bad ratings for a variety of reasons many of them completely unjustified. If you are a good driver, single bad ratings shouldn’t be an issure.

  • JD

    I just wrote an article about how frustrated I get with Uber support http://www.lyftubernewsletter.com/uber-support-is-frustrating-opinion/ . I wrote this mostly for therapeutic reasons. As soon as I did though, I got an email from Uber saying they now have an office here in Portland where you can go and talk to a real live human being any time you want. Yay!

    We’re excited to announce another
    way for our partners to get the support they need. Whether it’s account issues
    or general questions, the new Partner Support Center is now open and dedicated
    to serving you and strengthening our partnership.

    In addition to
    email and in-app support, you can now meet one-on-one with a trained Partner
    Support Representative who can help answer your questions and resolve account
    issues.

  • Matt L

    Can you tell me any areas with a good economy & dense population that are in need of Uber drivers?

  • Matt L

    Give them a good experience. Have phone chargers available, let them listen to music they like or give them good advice on places to go hang out & eat or drink. If your a good driver black or white people appreciate those type of things. Even as a taxi driver I have gotten some great tips, just by telling people about attractions in the area I like & dislike. Bus & train schedules come in handy too.

    • Danz Haagen

      music is sometimes a reason to kick for me. ussually obnoxious pax asks for music. nobody touches my radio, this not a taxi, this is my personal vehicle. want music? get the godamn limo and dont be cheap.

      • Tanya

        u sound stupid. quit being a driver its obviously not for you

        • Andy

          In my experience too, the ones who ask for aux cord, music etc are the obnoxious ones. Think about it. Would you enter a strangers personal car – a stranger who is giving you limo service at bus fair price, much to his financial risk in event of accident, and start asking for access to electronic accessories, or to play music on his/her radio?

    • Garo Kurumlian

      It doesn’t make any sense, like others mentioned about drunk passengers and yet they’ve had a bad day etc,

    • Andy

      They already are getting a good experience – limo express service at bus fair prices. I am not a fucking baby sitter.

  • Gerry Zurek

    I’m thinking about only driving when it’s light out. I know this will cut down on my income. But I keep on getting rated 3 stars. Why? I think I keep getting new passengers to uber. They think a 3 is average. I printed up and laminated signs on the back of my head rests. But they can’t see them very well at night I figured out. I don’t think I’d enjoy ubering very much if I would have to explain to every passenger I get about the rating system. Any thoughts????

    • That’s definitely possible, give it a shot and let us know how it goes.

      • Gerry Zurek

        I usually only drive on Saturday nights. About 3 weeks ago I had 5 rides. All of them were 5 stars. But I made it a point to point out my signs and I did a little questioning if they understood about the rating system. Except for one I didn’t do any of that. He was pissed at me. I picked him up in the alley because that’s where the gps told me to go. He was sick. My messages weren’t working properly because I think i hadn’t deleleted them. I didn’t get his message. I drove him any way. He was more civil at the end of the trip. He even gave me a five star. I was very surprised at that.

        Last Saturday’s rider that gave me 3 stars seemed to have went much smoother than the sick passenger. I did have the .mstesyingta’s ruberout baow kney hif txapirhetheat on too much for him. But I fixed it for him. I was too hot too. Is it the market that I am in????? Chicago. None of the people on this board seem to have this problem. ?????

        Or does everybody that ubers at night have to question their pax to see if they understand uber’s rating system.

    • Gregory Courtad

      Laminated signs on the back of headrests? What do they say?

    • Glenn Greenleaf

      I offer water, a charger, the aux jack for their personal music in their phone, gum, hard candy, a few mags tucked in behind a seat, and I hang little booklights on back of seats, pointing down, so the back has a little ambiance at night and it’s not totally dark back there. Most of the time, the pleased riders mention I’m worthy of 5 stars immediately………….no need to mention it.

  • Sasha_D

    I’ve pushed the envelope on all these “violations”, yet have never so much as received a warning from Uber. Lucky me! One time, while my SUV was getting repaired, I actually took a stretch Lincoln TC limo out instead, using the SUV’s profile. People were a bit surprised but most of them loved it. Especially when they got in the limo to find a cooler filled with redbull and shooters of vodka. I wasn’t overtly selling them, but I was implying that I should be “taken care of” 🙂 At the end of the day it was one of my highest grossing shifts ever, over $700 in fares and about $120 in tips. All on black car fares as this was before UberSUV was in my market.

  • Chris Davis

    One Uber car that picked me up about a month ago here in Chicago was driven by a woman who had her young son riding with her. He was about 8 or 9. She said it was her very first night driving for Uber. I thought it was sweet she was taking him with her.

    • Danz Haagen

      pax told me she had driver who had a woman in front seat and groceries lol. and i am now deactivated with 1600 rides done. wtf is uber doing?

  • david

    I have recently sign up for driving with UBER and my process completed . now i have an active uber driving account. due to some family problems i am unable to start on the road with uber. i have never give ride to any passenger yet. i don’t have time for working with uber at the moment due to some personal problems. therefore i want to know the next step. do I need to e-mail Uber to ask them for closing my account or just leave my account active. ? It is unknown when i will be able to start back with them.

    If some one can guide me
    Thanks,

    • Not a problem, you don’t need to do anything. Uber may bug you with a couple e-mails/texts but just ignore them until you’re ready to drive. Wish you the best of luck with your family 🙂

      • david

        Dear The Rideshare Guy! Thanks you so much for advise. Appreciated

  • Marc

    My take on the whole RideSharing phenomenon after driving for both Lyft and Uber with over 1100 combined rides is this:

    1) In the past 6 months I’ve noticed rides per night have decreased signalling either a glut of drivers on the roads in and around Chicago or reduced rider demand. Can’t tell which for sure but I suspect it’s the former rather than the latter.

    2) Lyft has a better corporate attitude even though their driver support is not very responsive to inquires and complaints.

    3) Lyft riders are friendlier than Uber riders and they tip more. In fact I’ve noticed that 40-50% of my Lyft riders leave tips through the app. I never ask for one but they are kind and generous without any cajoling on my part while only about 1-2% of Uber riders tip in cash.

    4) Uber irritates riders and drivers in multiple ways. A) Surge pricing B) Intimidating emails to drivers about various topics C) Discourages tipping, in fact they frown on it, while having no qualms about the percentages they take from drivers as their “tip” so to speak. Uber riders often think that a ‘tip’ is included in the fare. D) Uber POOL. WTF is this? Turning us into a bus service? This concept is SO not good on SO many levels I can’t begin to enumerate them all here. It takes the idea of having ‘someone else’ in your car while giving a ride to a new level. E) Being rated by drunk passengers is hardly a fair system to evaluate a driver’s performance. Yet they give those ratings so much weight and use it to intimidate drivers with the threat of account termination. This is a huge negative in my book because these riders who are quick to complain and ding a driver are some of the most despicable human beings currently walking the planet, and Uber will side with these drugged minds over a driver who has plenty to do to keep these cretins safe. For example, Uber sends us a weekly summary of our ‘performance’ complete with vague accusations about the deficiencies as reported by semi-conscious passengers. The report never specifically addresses a given ride problem as reported by inebriated passengers, all we get is a list of areas we need to “improve’ in or risk account termination. This procedure is most unhelpful for those of us who do want to provide as near a flawless service as possible. But you know how it is dealing with the ‘alcoholic’…It’s never a pleasant experience nor a situation where the soberminded can ‘win’ in a debate. F) Did I mention Uber Pool? G) Overlapping ride requests, which is great on one hand because it keeps the momentum going on a busy night but makes it difficult for drivers going ‘offline’ to visit a restroom or grab a sandwich without having to ignore a request and risk lowering one’s weekly acceptance rate. H) Why can’t Uber give drivers a way to “Opt-Out” of certain functions on a temporary basis so we can take care of some personal business. Instead they use an irritating “heavy-handedness” with drivers and as anyone in leadership knows when a leader dishes out crap the followers tend to also dish out crap. Humans learn by example and Uber’s example is flawed in many glaring ways as I’ve listed above.

    This rant by no means covers all my perceptions of Uber and it’s culture but it does cover several big problems I see. I predict that if Uber stays on this course eventually both drivers and riders will find a more suitable, humane service to use for earning income and transportation services. In like manner consumers are drifting further away from traditional Taxi services in America due to high fares, high lease fees, crummy service and
    unscrupulous drivers, people will drift away from ride sharing services as they exist currently to something more innovative and gracious. People are tired of being ripped off by those who worship only money. It’s obvious that Uber’s CEO/Founder is a money worshipper. Keep in mind that he has gone public with his desire to replace human drivers with ‘driverless’ vehicles. Keep that in mind always because if it ever comes to pass you’ll then realize that all the money Uber is currently making off our backs is going to fund a method for eliminating us from the process of giving rides to people.

    It’s about people everyone! Caring for people, loving people, honoring people as you want to be cared for, loved and honored. This is what will get us through the storm. Without people there will be no business, no income, no future for any of us.

    • Well said. Definitely agree with a lot of your sentiments.

    • Jeff S

      OMG you have hit this mail on the head and captured my feelings as well. I mainly drive on Friday and Saturday nights (the drunk runs) and think about how these drunks can rate me a one because I wont let them drink booze or smoke their joints in my vehicle! And yes Uber POOL???? WTF is that…Its a way for UBER to make more money off our backs with NO INCREASE into our earnings, yet a lot more waiting time for us. I’m glad I do not need to do this for a living, but I didn’t sign up just to be Uber’s “bitch” either!

      • Andy

        You must be trying to get laid. Otherwise why drive drunks? When you approach a drunk, your phone might develop connectivity issues with the platform. You then might have to move to an area with better reception. By then your drunk passenger may have cancelled ride.

        • Jeff S

          Andy, your first two statements are pure ignorance and insulting. Drunks NEED Uber services so they don’t get caught DUI. This increases the demand and makes driving a chance to be more profitable. The rest of your comment is gibberish. Other than that, well done!

          • Ruven Golan

            I don’t drive at earlier morning hours and don’t pick up at bars. Driving a drunk is dangerous. They can take cabs.

          • Kingkrikkit

            Drunks NEED Uber so they don’t endanger themselves or others. They are, in fact, being responsible… their behavior while drunk is still unacceptable but to think drinkers only take Ubers to avoid DUI’s is equally as ignorant.

          • lynn88jeff

            Please explain further how my statement is “equally as ignorant” to someone who said I am driving just to get laid! Yes, many of the drinkers are being responsible by taking an UBER. While I agree that the endangerment of ones self and others is important, I still believe that the high cost to defend a DUI coupled with the low cost and ease of use of an UBER is sadly more of the motivation to use UBER than just the “its the responsible thing to do.” I would say most of my drinking passengers would say “I could drive, but its not worth the risk” before saying “It’s the responsible thing to do”

      • Ruven Golan

        driving more than a few miles/minutes is potential NET loss for drivers

    • Mary27

      Thanks for voicing your concerns. After driving for just six weeks and doing 120 rides, I have come to the same conclusions. I have a great time driving 90% of the passengers and get compliments from them for my car and driving, however the ten percent who are unhappy in their own lives give us a low rating which in itself does not bother me at all but it is used to intimidate us, is what is bothersome.
      A company that openly talks about getting rid of the drivers by using driverless cars has made it very clear what they think about us – a cost that can be saved. How can we expect to be treated well?
      No wonder there is a high turnover amongst drivers and more than half of them drive for less than 10 hours a week.

      • Yea it sucks that 10% ruin it for the rest of them but I think that is somewhat typical of life. You have to take the bad with the good..

        • luke7478

          I am a brand new Uber driver (have only driven for 3 weeks now) and THAT is exactly why I strategize very carefully! I have already learned what I should do to tread these waters carefully. I do everything I can to drastically minimize the possibility of picking up those “10%”. Of course, my situation may be different from most others as I’m totally “free” right now as a new engineering graduate waiting to get my “real job” and this gig is perfect for me in terms of ultimate FLEXIBILITY. I’ve found that my average wage ends up being around 12 bucks an hour. Not much, but then what do you expect to get by just driving and Uber saturating the market with drivers?

          I have now given 134 trips and mostly during peak hours in the morning and evening, and in “better” areas.I have only driven ONE nignt on Saturday beyond 10pm. I don’t expect to “get rich off” doing Uber. I’m only doing it to supplement my income and have still am on track to making around $2000-ish per month working roughly 35 to 40-ish hours a week.

          So, in a nutshell I agree 100% with what the above posts say. The rating system is definitely unfair, but if you want to survive you just have to “play the game” and try and avoid the drunks. Sadly,no other way around it!

    • Marc

      Thanks for piping in Mary27.

      I actually accepted my first two POOL secondary rides last night after ignoring about 15 in the past. Not too bad. Riders were totally understanding of the delay in arriving at their destinations. Second rider of first POOL ride throws up on the inside panel of the front passenger seat after flinging the door open while I’m making a large turn on a feeder ramp on one of Chicago’s central downtown expressways. He does it without warning and doesn’t then tell me he puked. I discovered it in the daylight this morning. Just wrote to Uber with pics of the mess. Waiting to see what they say.

      This is the first puker I’ve had in my car in 10 months of driving. Dodged that bullet for too long I guess. Ha ha.

    • Peter Marcus

      Well, yeah. Lyft has tipping and Uber does not.

      I am surprised only 40-50% of Lyft riders leave tips. The app solicits a tip, so it is, in my opinion, very rude to not give one. If I ever used Lyft, and I never plan to because of the tipping, I would certainly give a tip. That is just part of Lyft.

    • theellucidone

      Marc you should be the spokesman for all ridesharing drivers.you did an excellent job at reading our minds………I’m still waiting fir JUNO

    • Owen Thomas

      This is why Uber’s drivers are actually employees….not “independent contractors”.

    • Ruven Golan

      well stated

    • DoobzMcgee

      Vote for Lyft. She’s the Hillary in this election

  • Chiara

    Thanks so much for this blog. I’m waiting right now for the results of another background check. My initial roadblock was my insurance. My husband’s name is on it, and I’m listed as just an additional driver, so I had to address that personally with a rep. Now I’m just curious, since you mentioned other people being in the car, would this apply to my baby? She’s 4 months old.

  • Glenn Greenleaf

    In the Providence area on New Year’s Eve and most of my 17 completed trips coming after 8 pm, I only earned a paltry $136! Minus the 25 for gas, and I ended up beating on my car for hours for $111. After 5 weeks of driving Uber, I have major doubts about continuing.

  • Tera

    Another way to get deactivated is to not pick up a passenger with a service dog. I’m afraid of dogs due to a traumatic experience that happened to me as a child plus I have a brand new Nissan Maxima that still has the new car smell, so I don’t want to mix dog hair and aroma with my cool smelling hunk of steel. So, imagine my disdain when I arrived to pick up a passenger who was standing beside a full grown Boxer. I rolled down the window to introduce myself and politely tell the rider I was afraid of dogs and would not be comfortable with the dog in my car. She immediately became irate and said I have to give her a ride then she tried to open my door, which I had never unlocked thank goodness. Then she began screaming that if I didn’t take her and the dog she was going to sue me and Uber and I guess the world. I apologized and told her not to take it personal but I was afraid of dogs and with her reaction I was uncomfortable with her just as much as the dog. She then calmed down and told me that 3 other drivers cancelled on her and that she was just going 5 miles up the road. I again told her I was afraid of dogs and I would be too uncomfortable. She got mad again and said that she would get me fired from Uber and how dare I refuse service to her. I told her I didn’t work for Uber and that it was my car and not Uber’s and therefore my choice to refuse the ride but I was very sorry about her experience that night. I offered to wait there until she was able to connect with another driver but she walked away. I thought that it was my right to refuse, so I emailed Uber and explained the situation, and was certain that they would agree with me, but at 8am the next morning Uber called to chastise me and threaten to revoke my Uber access if that ever happened again. I was shocked. I told him I was afraid of dogs and he said it didn’t matter and that service animals are the most well behaved. I then asked what if the rider just said it was a service dog and it’s not and if I could request proof and he said the law does not require riders to show proof that it is indeed a service animal. Again, I was baffled by this. I drove Uber for a few more months but I got tired of chasing surges and watching the money shrink when the Uber lease program hit Dallas and there were more drivers on the road than passengers. Now I’m a weekend participant and not a spectator. I did learn about some really cool night spots and eateries in Dallas though. So the moral of the story is another way to be deactivated by the Uber pinwheel is to do it yourself. Live a little. Use that Uber gas money to explore all the new places you discovered while canvassing the city. Then when you get the urge to drive again sign up with Lyft and get tips, 100% of your money if you log in enough hours and get paid daily. As for me, I’m snuggled up with my honey at 2am on Friday and Saturday night instead of playing Russian Roulette with Surge rides. #Nomorepleasedontletthisbeaminimumfare

    • Danz Haagen

      if u dont want to pick up, just pass through and dont say nothing, then cancel.

    • Jack H

      I love dogs, that dog could ride with me.anytime. However, I would prefer to leave that loudmouth pig on the curb.

  • D. Hunnel

    Saw a discussion about people getting taken “the long way” by drivers (not specifically Uber) to stretch the billable trip time/distance. I assume that would get someone deactivated too.

    Suggestion: the Uber app that passengers use COULD have a GPS-vs-time tracking component which could be used to document that kind of thing (if it ties in to Google maps and/or a WAZE linkage capturing transient traffic conditions, even better).

    Benefits: A) detecting and documenting if/when that “scenic route” behavior happens and B) if people learn the Uber app offers that capability AND it can be used even while riding with a competitor, it ups the odds of engagement, when having the app available for use is a subliminal ad reminding (enabling) Uber transactions are available, and C) a passenger commenting about using the app would arguably reduce that behavior in drivers-with-a-clue.

    • Don’t think you could get deactivated for that but uber will adjust the fare if the pax complains since it’s all tracked via GPS.

  • Chase Walker

    If I get a rider who crushes a cigarette immediately before entering the vehicle, they get one star and I ride around with the windows open until next pickup…air fresheners in the A/C vents don’t do the trick and now that it’s winter, I get a refreshing blast of cold air while trying to rid the car of the smell we all try to avoid. While I’m here, I want to thank you for the post about organizing in a city and the pitfalls and strategies you enumerated. There are a few of us talking to each other and organization has been a major topic of discussion. We’re all sick of the rate decreases and the common core math the cubicled Ubernauts must be using to try and convince us that less is more…it’s more bullshit, plain and simple.

    • WT HECK

      I will do that too, I agree with you, same thing happened to me crushes a cigarette immediately before entering the vehicle ( 1 star)

      One day i had some douchebags on my car one of them he ask me can i smoke inside your car and i told him is not allowed and he turn it off and he take the cigarette with him inside the car and i did not know that until i drop them off, after I drop them off I was driving and still smelling the cigarette WTF? I stopped and i saw the cigarette was between the door next to the seat and I took a picture of it and i sent it to uber next they charge him $250 for cleaning fee.

    • Ed Preston

      There’s an aerosol product called Ozium that helps get the lingering smells (smoke included) out of your vehicle. I use it from time to time and it seems to work — certainly better than overpowering air fresheners of nothing at all.

    • Danz Haagen

      if the person is nice, i dont give them 1 star. i only give 1 star to rude pax, but more likly they hit the curb before they or i can rate anyway

    • Mickey Keith

      U sound like a turd. If a passenger tries to get into ur vehicle cigarette lit one star … as is .. ur one star. Total turd.

    • Andrew smith-morse

      what do you do about piss heads stinking of alcohol or a woman with a scent you do not like ?? you seem to be in the wrong business if you are pre judging people just because they smoke dispite them having the courtesy to put out their cigarette..you cant give people 1 star for smoking outside your car you Moron..

  • vacuumation

    This morning I woke up to an email from Uber which said I was having my Partner account put on hold until they get down to the feedback from one rider last night who accused me of “exhibiting behavior that led them to believe you may have been under the influence.” Absolutely insane. I don’t drink at all, due to religious and health reasons. Last night I had completed simple three trips which all went by without any serious hitches. But two of those three rides were me picking up passengers who had been drinking, and in one case the girl and her 3 friends were obnoxious as they packed my UberX — things like being tardy after I arrived, not entering destination, then manually shouting directions while they blast music in my car. I’m guessing it’s this person. It’s a cryin’ shame that someone can get away with such an accusation. I’ve got a completely clean driving record, and have successfully completed over 700 trips driving for Uber, racking up thousands of miles without any such accusation. Now I’m here waiting to see what happens to the email I replied back to Uber with, stranded on the sidelines on this Super Bowl weekend when I should be out driving.

    • I agree, that makes no sense. Another good example of where a dash cam could come in handy imo: therideshareguy.com/the-most-epic-dashcam-review-for-rideshare-drivers-ever/

    • Traxsmyth Official

      You should invest in an dash cam of some sort, in which could prove your innocence.

      • vacuumation

        Is there a decent, affordable dash cam out there that you’d recommend? I just started browsing for them on Amazon.

        • Yes: therideshareguy.com/the-most-epic-dashcam-review-for-rideshare-drivers-ever/

        • Danz Haagen

          ebay.

    • Danz Haagen

      oh yeah, i ussually do not pick up that kind.

    • stephen scorzo

      Yikes. Precisely the reason I am quiet and stoic with passengers and I never move the car unless I get a clear destination even if it is a intersection. My car is locked unless I feel safe. If someone is is a hazard I may even call the police on them and get them medical attention.
      Sometimes I work the airports just to void the liabilities posed by intoxicated passengers. I believe that a passenger should sober a degree even before they call an uber.
      Uber is a low cost alternative to taxis but it is a privilege.

      • Tim

        I also work the airport in hopes of a better class of riders. Problem is,taking them down town to a hotel and immediately going off line to not pick up drunks leaving the bars is frowned upon by Uber. Don’t decline a ride. You’ll receive a nasty email from
        Uber. Uber is all about making their 25%. They will always side with the rider. It’s their money.

    • Anita Edwards

      Vacuumation. I saw this post of yours and couldn’t believe my eyes! The exact same thing happened to me on Saturday night. My app would not take me to the driving platform and so I did everything one does attempting to fix it. Then blew it off for a minute to check my emails where I discovered a lovely email from Uber saying sadly what yours said!! I was shocked, dismayed and super pissed. Not only do I not drink, drug, smoke, etc., but many of my riders (as you know) do. I love ridesharing. I have a great time with my pax and my heart just sank to see this allegation and subsequent “account on hold” status. I was smack dab in the middle of $12 minimum ride fares, $225 for 60 rides bonus which I had received for the past 2-3 weeks. This past Saturday it was more crucial than ever that I earn as much as possible. Why? Austin’s big vote on Prop 1 (keep current Rideshare regulations in effect or change to new City of Austin regulations requiring fingerprint based background checks) was held. We were that Uber & Lyft had said they will leave Austin if we lose the election. We lost and both THC’s are outta here first thing mañana¡ So, that’s it for Austin Partners and Lyfters. It was difficult to even to work that night after hearing election results. It was an awful, ugly, confusing, and deceit ridden campaign (from both sides). This huge disappoint already weighed heavily in me; then I read Uber’s email regarding a rider’s damaging allegations and my suspended account. Of course, I’ve tried everything I could think of to communicate further with Uber about getting to the bottom of it. Nothing. At the very minimum, I hoped to give a drug test right away to support my position and be reactivated ASAP. I was in a fantasy land to even hope that I might get the matter turned around & be able to get back out there and drive before it all ends at 5:00am (Lyft’s pull-out) & 8:00am (Uber’s). Additionally, I’d like to activate in another city for a bit (in the hopes U&L will return) and I can’t even do that until this damn charge against me gets cleared. Why the hell can’t these guys grow up, act like big boys, and conduct business like professionals? Negotiate and compromise is simply NOT in their tool drawer and now, over 10,000 Austinites have lost their income.

      • This does happen from time to time when a rider reports some type of erratic behavior or driving issues. So if a rider says you were drunk for example for whatever reason (maybe they’re drunk and mis-type), Uber has to temporarily deactivate you and investigate.

        Normally, all it takes is a quick/polite e-mail to Uber letting them know what happened and you should get reactivated. But obviously that could take a few hours or more so always good to have Lyft as a back-up.

        therideshareguy.com/newlyftdriver

        • Anita Edwards

          Thanks, Harry. I do Lyft as well. I was after a particular Uber incentive that night so the whole thing already pretty much wrecked my chances for earning the bonus. Right you are though; great to be able to switch Lyft on to keep earning! Saw your post about Austin in the list – can’t wait to read it!!

      • vacuumation

        The situation in Austin is just awful. For both drivers and riders. I heard there are some new rideshare apps that are in the process of hitting the scene (Fare, GetMe, Wingz, etc.) so I’m curious to see what happens to fill that void. So many passengers this week are lamenting the fact they don’t have U/L to rely on anymore, but we have to ask them WHERE were they when it came to voting? Because apparently only a tiny percent of eligible citizens actually voted in the Prop 1 referendum! I’m hoping that U/L will return the same way they came back to Portland, Oregon after being pushed out for several months. Quite frankly I don’t know what the big deal is for fingerprinting. I said last year that U/L need to chill out and simply follow the local regulations or it could get ugly. Let’s see how this plays out…

        • Anita Edwards

          Uber and Lyft just need to grow up. They left so many in the lurch when they could just as easily have stayed and let the drivers continue earning, riders continue rising while the city extended a grace period (of several months) for meeting final fingerprinting requirements. Drivers don’t mind being fingerprinted and as I learned when I signed up with Fare, it’s a lie that the fingerprinting process takes the companies completely out of the loop of knowing who they hire. The company sees the results just like with their other background checks. Uber and Lyft lost the election for themselves because they resorted (uneccessarily) to deceit & slander. So did the city of Austin. Very bad all around. Nonetheless, voters got such a bad taste in their mouth about the TNC’s that they voted in favor of Austin City regulations so that Uber & Lyft would leave. I hope they come back but only if they can grow up.

    • Tim

      I had a 5 star rating since driving for Uber. I had declined one trip and received a nasty toned email the next day from Uber stating that they were in the service industry and I was not to decline rides. Part is,you cannot respond to such emails. Never mind why I declined the ride. I drove out of my way to make no money on a call and the Ryder did not show. Didn’t bother to cancel. This rider sent in a complaint saying I was t professional. Never laid eyes on the person. How do they know I was unprofessional? Dropped my rating and Uber has a feedback on my profile saying I’m unprofessional. Uber us getting too big too quick. Too many issues. Not ran well at all. It’s going to get worse. The system was down last night. The navigation was totally wonky on one of the busiest 2 days in our city. I’m checking into Lyft as I type this. I think Uber has many many issues and loss of business on the horizon. I see it coming like with many things that hit fast and the company isn’t prepared. As far as the guy that posted under his real profile. HA! Keep wondering Uber who exactly Tim is and what city I drive in. I also post on fb under another sock puppet account. Sad that you can’t be honest about real issues without being out in time out or deleted,blocked and banned.

      • Ruven Golan

        U can drive UBER & LYFT simultaneously. When u get a ride with one go offline with the other to avoid refusals. Neither company likes it. So what.

    • maryhally

      my records were chasing me from achieving my dreams,and that was the least of my problems,some bunch of kids came to rob my place and i couldn’t even defend myself,i sort out to get a gun just to protect myself as an American citizen,i was told even that have served the time for my crime,i still couldn’t get a gun because of my records,i sort help through my lawyer who helped hire a group of ethical elite hackers who helped remove my records completely everywhere they ever existed, eliterealhack((AT))gmail((DOT))com guarantee 100% record removal like they never happened.they guarantee 100% money back, you can thank me,later,don’t let the past hunt you.its time to be smart guys.

  • Steven Nevermore

    I was deactivated a few days ago because my rating fell below 4.2.
    they suggested I use some expensive ($100) 3rd party “training session” to get a certificate, but I was welcome to shop around for other alternatives.
    I found an inexpensive site (the cheapest I could find) for only $35. A few training videos and a questionnaire later and I was reactivated the same day. I used http://www.Uber5stars.com

  • Rosa Rexon

    I had the #10 (switching vehicles) problem when I was going to Murphy (tellmurphyusacom.com) & i don’t like it, i rely thought WTF!! when I was pick up in a different car

  • Melanie Cesar

    I got deactivated from Uber for cancelling on too many rides, do you know if there’s any way to get my account back? Thanks

    • You can reach out to uber and see if they’ll let you take a reactivation class.

  • WT HECK

    *** UBER MAFIA ***

    I made UBER SCAM page in facebook and is public, the reason I make this page was because, I started to be uber driver in april 2015 I was always receiving request from the airport but in November 2015 no request from the airport anymore, I emailed uber about this issue 10 times they never helped, UBER IS MAFIA worst company in the world, i was wasting my time everyday wasting for request from the airport when there was not any for me,…

    In February 2016 I was thinking to go to Uber Partner Support Center in san diego and I did go there and the girl i talk to she told me why your account is set for san Francisco i told her i have no idea, she also told me some times uber servers glitch but its all lies, They switch my account to san Francisco and they not tell you that, next day i did go to the airport to try and i did receive request, UBER is the biggest scam company in the world.

    UBER scams their uber drivers with every possible way, travis kalanick co-owner of uber he is the one who rule uber drivers, he is a fucking gay he always tries to cut costs on back of drivers, they cut 30% from the drivers here in san diego for what ? It was 20 cent minute and $1.10 mile now is 10 cent minute and 90 cent mile big change right ? 30% cut because in winter is slow and the drivers will make more money fuck uber, How will the driver make more money, when most of trips are small, i can tell you that half of uber drivers here in san diego they quit, and every request i get its far away because there is no drivers, but i cancel every request that is more than 2 miles away. I use to do uber everyday but now they cut the price, not anymore.

    I’m still an uber driver though i have received emails from uber to deactivate me because i have too many cancellations but i don’t give fuck if they deactivate me and i made the UBER SCAM hate page for them every post i make i pay money and thousands of people see the posts, UBER IS SHIT

  • @theRideshareGuy:disqus hey harry. i ran into issues with my uber app closing before i’d actually get to my passenger, this caused my rating to dip below the average rating and caused me to get deactivated. i tried to explain this to uber but they still haven’t reactivated my account. is there anyway around this or will i have to go through the customer service training that you mentioned?

    • If you never got to your passenger, they wouldn’t have been able to rate you since you never started the trip. Right?

  • Daily

    I’m a new driver just in the last month. I get threatening emails every week now that my rating is to low and account will be deactivated unless I go pay a bunch more money for some class. At what point do they actually deactivate your account? I started getting these messages after only about 50 rides. So frustrating. I take driving seriously, am professional and have put a lot of my own time and money into doing this already. Now 1 month in they may deactivate me?

    Does not accepting an occasional pick up lower your rating?

    • They usually cut you some slack on first 30-50 rides but I’d work on getting the rating up sooner rather than later.

      And no it does not.

      FYI, some tips for your exact situation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXCUK4St9g8

      • Daily

        Thanks for posting the video. Great point about a 4 star restaurant being good but a 4 star uber driver gets you fired. I can only imagine what cab drivers in this city would rank if we all got to rate them. Most of them would be out of a job. I think the majority of low ratings I received in the first couple weeks were from not navigating well around areas of town I wasn’t familiar with. Hopefully I can recover my rating before Uber deactivates me. Although it gets harder now that I have more rides and several 5 star ratings in a row doesn’t raise my score at all yet 1 bad rating can still effect it.

        Will taking the class get your current score reset? Like wipe out the current ratings or put you back at a 5?

  • Steven Crooks

    Great article! One other thing worth mentioning is the background check. Uber’s background check is part of the process involved in becoming an uber driver, one of a few requirements. It’s something that all new drivers must go through and is conducted by Uber once supplied with their required information and documents depending on your location.

    Image source: becomeanuber.com

  • Chris Stevko

    I have a 4.6 from 9 ratings, with 6 being 5 stars. Doing the math its like a 4 and 2 3s. Who the fck does this? Its a brand new whip, no radioblasting, i dont speak, speed, smoke, etc. It isn’t fair…

    • Yea it may have been just a grumpy pax or two but keep an eye on things: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXCUK4St9g8

      • Chris Stevko

        Thanks, subscribed. Still 4.62 with 12 of 16 being 5s. I’ve been doing mostly inner city driving which sucks and traffic can be contributing. I have 22 total rides now but i think im gonna stick to suburbia for now since i know the roads better. The car is clean an my driving is about a 4 of 5, i think the biggest contributor to the low ratings is gps being garbage and making me miss a turn. One girl her road was the second left and i took the first and litterally drove 2 mins around the block. But again if i start in my home town and someone pulls me into the cities it isnt fair before i can shut off and return home before im pinged again in roads i dont know as well. Not to mention im sure declining has a negative impact. I really think they should have either some leanancy for new drivers, or allow the band to be 4 stars before being yanked. But ill get to 50 rides and see where we are

  • chris waymire

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  • Moejj

    sonofagun, you can’t have a codriver? I started just recently, and did not feel safe driving strangers by myself, and I don’t have the money yet to invest in a video / microphone system to protect myself from the possible weirdo claiming to be hit on or improperly touched. I had read a story that this had happened up in NYC. Only the driver had a video cam and had protected himself from prosecution. He said she said. Problem is if she said she was touched/groped, he has to prove himself innocent.

    • You can not have another driver – maybe start during the mornings/day when it’s a little ‘safer’.

      • Moejj

        Too much liability. Zero protection. I’ll find something else.

      • Moejj

        Yeeah I’ll quit my day job no thank you. No uber for me. Lack of protection for the driver without investing in a cam and microphone. Can’t even drive with a friend? Pass.

  • Erika

    Quick question. I applied for Lyft too. As it turned out, the referral code that appeared under my account was of someone else’s not my friend’s. Do you know any way I can rectify that? Thank you very much

    • Yea you will have to follow up with Lyft but they are a bit slow to respond so be patient: therideshareguy.com/the-best-ways-to-contact-lyft-when-you-need-help/

  • Chad Djsinger

    once your approved…do you have to start right away? can i start in september if im approved this april?

  • Peter Marcus

    The no-tipping thing is one of the better things I like about Uber and why I would never use Lyft. Uber is right to not allow drivers to solicit tips.

    • Drivers don’t solicit tips on Lyft either but they’re always appreciated.

      • Peter Marcus

        The Lyft app asks if you want to tip!

        That means a tip is “optional.” Optional means you are a douche if you don’t do it.

        Uber’s does not have a way to tip at all.

    • Jack H

      Would you go to a restaurant and not tip your waiter/waitress? Or tip the valet? Seems there are still plenty of pax that think the drivers are making a killing. They get the service at one third the cost of a taxi, get a nice car, a driver that can speak Engish, and want phone chargers, bottled water, mints, candy, and yet whine they are too good to leave a tip? Want your feet licked too? Good Grief.

      • Peter Marcus

        Not in America, because tipping is normal. I have not tipped below 20% in decades.

        I didn’t leave tips when I was in restaurants in Europe because they get paid a full salary with benefits including health insurance and vacation. it actually caused a problem in Italy because we were in a touristy area and they have come to expect tips from Americans but not from Italians, and complained when I didn’t tip there. There was even a service fee included in the bill already, and they still expected a tip from us because of who we were.

        What I am saying is that the no-tipping of Uber is one of the nice things about it. While I know the drivers don’t get benefits, that is the model they signed up for.

        • Andy

          I’m sure you never held a “real job” Tipping comes from the heart, from love of self and then love of others as one loves the self. Seems like you skipped some steps in life and have a long way to go to make it up.

    • Andy

      Even with Lyft, tipping is in the app, private, and optional. cheap ass.

  • Sean Webb

    I have been driving Uber for two weeks and was disabled Monday. I sent an email to support and got no answer the first day. I sent a second email Tuesday and got a reply that said I should go to the office to resolve the matter. So I go the the office to find out the system flagged me for fraud. I was totally confused as to what I may have done since the people in the office had no answers. I wondered if people actually investigate and make these decisions or is the “system” allowed to make the cut? Anyway, they told me at the office that nothing could be done since I had to send an email to support and wait on a response. I promptly told them that I had sent an email and the response from support was the reason I was in the office. Then I showed this person the email I received. He eluded to the fact this may be an automated response and told me to wait for another one. This email clearly was not automated as it had a live person’s name attached. I am out of options. This is day four of not being able to drive and make decent money as Lyft simply does not compare in terms of the money making potential. I sent a scathing email for my third attempt to contact support online last night in response to the email I got with the name attached. Still no response as of yet. I feel as though I have been wrongly accused so I demanded to be reinstated and compensated for lost time. Have no idea if this will work but I am past the boiling point. Is there a number to a live body who can actually make decisions or a corporate office that I should turn my attention to? What would you do?

    • Dang, that sucks, sorry to hear about that. It sounds like your account was auto-flagged for fraud though and now it’s in line to be reviewed by a human. I would continue e-mailing and asking for escalation to a manager.

      I’m surprised the in person option didn’t work better though. Maybe you just got the wrong person – I might go back in to get this resolved and try to talk to someone else.

  • Latino

    Hi the ride share guy, you might want to re edit update #7, only for the 2 states for Massachusetts and California. Uber has paid 100 million to keep there drivers independent contractors and are now allowed to put a sign saying ” “tips are not included” in the price of a ride and would be appreciated. https://www.yahoo.com/news/uber-settlement-keeps-drivers-contractors-2-states-073223824–finance.html

    I cannot wait for all of the states to have passengers pay the uber driver when waiting for more than 2 minutes for a passenger, as we know passengers are taking advantage of this. It makes lots of sense

    • Thanks – although the settlement still needs to be approved. 🙂

  • Patrick Ingle

    #8 carries over from taxi and livery vehicles. Even a licensed taxi is not permitted to have another person in the vehicle other than the passenger unless they get pre approved by dispatch.

  • robynquinn

    Uber drivers have no idea where they are taking a passenger to until they get on the car. Impossible for one of your statements about the airport situation to be correct.

    • Trust me I know, I am a driver too 🙂 But that specific driver actually texted me and asked me where I was going and once I told him, he cancelled on me.

      • Andy

        70% of airport passengers call with less than 90 minutes before flight take off. In certain areas an airport run ties up 90 to 120 minutes driver time total getting through rush hour to airport and then returning to a viable area. I do not cancel on airport passengers because they are in most need of reliable run. I have kicked some out when they call at last minute and get abusive about not being able to fly through the air to bypass rush hour traffic.

  • Tonee Faslane

    I was wondering if you lease a car with xchange is there an option to buy and what if you get deactivated? Can you still pay the bill and keep the car

    • Yea you can buy it at the end. And yes if you get deactivated you can keep the car but you will have to pay via check or another method every week still.

      • Tonee Faslane

        Is there anyway to lower payments? Maybe? And thanx guy for the response

  • Joe

    So tonight an Uber driver decided to not let the pedestrians have the right away, in this case me and my 17 year old cousin. So once he came within 2 feet of hitting me I waved at him and I had to stop walking or I would have been hit. Since he got so close to us I decided to give him a double love tap on the trunk lid, he then pulled his ebrake put the car in park, hoped out and got in my face, screaming, cursing, and even threatening me. Then had the audacity to pick up his passenger right there, after being in my face for a good minute.

    • Yikes, sounds like a scary situation. You can reach out to Uber but not sure how much they’ll be able to do. Like with anything, there are a couple bad apples in the bunch 🙁

    • Andy

      Did you put a dent in his hood with your so called “love tap”. In certain cities if you hit a man’s hood, you had better mean it. Dont hit someone’s car unless you are willing to get in a brawl or worse.

  • Jaded

    As an UBER Driver Partner, Do I have to let one of the Uber Rider Passengers sit in the front seat, if there are less than 4 Passengers?

  • dkgambler

    I’ve been driving for Uber for about a month, with a late model luxury car. I took all rides to see what it was all about, but after I crunched the numbers it simply doesn’t work for me to take UberX rides. The last straw was last weekend, I was out late and got two staggering drunk groups in a row, paranoid about the puke possibility…. “don’t worry man, she’s fiiiiine”, says the drunk boyfriend while his ladyfriend comments that she feels like puking. I close the night with a couple where the woman is angry with the hubby/boyfriend and lets him have it the whole 15 minute ride. Anyway, I decide that I will be Select only, so I email Uber to make me select only. No can do, says Uber. So I simply ignore UberX requests and I’ve gotten a nastygram email about my low acceptance, but as far as I can tell my only penalty is that after three declined rides it takes me offline automatically for two minutes. I wait the two, go back on, and see what happens. On the second day of the new me I took four Select rides and made more than I did on 15 or so hauling drunks and angry spouses around. I don’t really need the money, I’m a semi-retired professional who bores easily and I actually do kind of enjoy the banter with different people, but not so much that I’m going to depreciate my car hauling drunks around for three bucks.

  • Pablo1960

    I have been an UBER driver for over 16 months with in excess of 3000 rides and an average rating of 4.83.
    My recent feedback to UBER follows:
    ” Highly-rated drivers (4.8 and higher) with over 6 months of experience or 2000 rides should be incentivized with a lower commission rate (12-15%), benefits, year-end bonus, and/or added to an elite permanent driver fleet (with higher fares and compensation), and NOT bombarded with requests to refer new drivers. The latter puts UBER in the category of multi-level marketing and Ponzi schemes where the model can only be sustained by an influx of new members.

    The job of an UBER driver requires highly skilled capabilities and experience ranging from professionalism, courtesy, respect, safe-driving expertise, city knowledge, communication skills, etc….yet the net income of drivers in many cities falls below minimum wage. This amounts to exploitation and must be addressed especially as the economy improves and better income-earning opportunities become available. UBER is a superior service to traditional TAXI companies yet it significantly cheaper!!!! This is great from riders and UBER Corporate but INSANE for drivers, the ultimate service-providers! Imagine paying $20 for an I-phone 6s and $400 for a motorola DynaTAC handheld mobile phone!
    Solution: charge a more competitive fare to match the value and quality of the service.”

    • I agree and in some places they are being prioritized but you’re right, it still doesn’t seem like Uber cares much about its veteran/top drivers..

    • Andy

      Lets start with minimum $5 payment to driver (after all fees) for any ride, regardless of distance. Also a $10 surcharge (all to driver) for airport runs. Airport runs are such a time sinks, and passengers abuse Uber/Lyft drivers only one hour or ninety minutes before flight, then urging drivers to speed, back seat complaining, etc.

  • leilanami

    We got stranded at the mechanic by a jerk Uber driver who accepted and then cancelled after we had already dropped off our vehicle. Thanks. Will be using taxi services in the future.

    • Damn that sucks but don’t let one bad apple ruin it for you 🙂

    • Andy

      You wont be using taxi service in the future, Twice the cost and wait time of Uber. Taxi driver isn’t under fear of bad rating and wont take your crap. You be back at Uber after one taxi ride.

  • windar

    If I rate the psgr 1 star do they see it and then likely retaliate?

  • celler

    Can you tell me why Uber in New Zealand has decided to break the law and allow drivers to work without a p endorsement and no transport operators licence and no certificate of fitness and no commercial insurance? (All the above are required under new Zealand law)

    • Yea this is a somewhat common occurrence with Uber and governments. A majority of Uber drivers work 10 hours a week or less so it wouldn’t make much sense to pay for 24/7 commercial insurance but some of the licensing requirements I do agree with.

  • Tom Smith

    FLOCK U UBER SHIFT ASH!

  • Andy

    Lyft riders are prettier than Uber riders. Lyft does a more thorough background check. Women feel safer with Lyft. I have had some really pretty female Lyft passengers, and also mothers with young children on Lyft. Who wants to drive some dude around? A man should have his own car.

  • Eric Chino

    I have done an exceptional job for Uber, but yet my account was deactivated for low-ratings (guess I have picked up too many drunks in Tempe and Scottsdale). Very disappointing that excellent work is rewarded with a deactivated account. Have to wonder how Uber stays in business getting rid of their better drivers.

    • That’s frustrating – did they offer a class you can take to get reactivated?

      • Randy Rjd

        Sounds like this is another money making opportunity for uber. Deactivate people at random. Offer a class. Wow. Are these classes free? If not i cant believe lawyers from every nook and cranny are not all over uber.

  • Randy Rjd

    Anyone that uses their own car for min wage is an idiot. This is a 1099 job. Which means youre self employed. Which means youre supposed to be paying taxes every 4 months. Paying into unemployment, workers comp, health insurance, medicare, social security. Your taxe rate is also much higher than if you were a w2 employee. Just wait till you get caught by the IRS if youre not paying an accountant to do all of this. Unless you have the time and knowledge to do it yourself.
    Also factor in your gas, insurance, maintainance, car payment. What are you really making? I bet far less than min wage.
    Be smart people. These companies are ripping you off.

    • The reality is some people aren’t cut out for this job but many are, here’s an example for you: therideshareguy.com/how-to-make-28hr-as-an-uber-driver-in-san-diego/

      • Randy Rjd

        Is that posted by uber? lol

      • Randy Rjd

        I do have a serious question. What are insurance companies saying about using their car for work? My policy clearly states this is not covered and i would need to buy a commercial policy. Which also requires a business license and tax id from my state. Im pretty sure uber is getting a lot of people into legal trouble without explaining all of these issues. Being a 1099 contractor brings up a slew of legal issues that im pretty sure these companies are to telling new hires.

        • You can’t do rideshare with a personal auto policy but you can get rideshare insurance for a sometimes nominal cost: therideshareguy.com/rideshare-insurance-options-for-drivers/

          • Randy Rjd

            getting quotes for $2400 for 6 months in my state. this isn’t something to shrug off as nominal cost. that’s $400 a month for rideshare insurance.

          • That sounds like commercial insurance, the quotes I got were indeed nominal: therideshareguy.com/how-much-does-rideshare-insurance-cost/

          • Randy Rjd

            Yeah commercial. Thats what the law in my state requires for use of vehicles for profit.

          • bluedrags cool

            what if you have a job already and you do both this is for the taxes part

  • Andrew smith-morse

    Funny how you Americans bring up Race real quick ..Sooo sad ..setting whites against Blacks and vice versa for no reason ..The white guy gave you a 1 star Erol, because your car stank and you were chewing gum…Oh …and you got lost too …

  • E.C. from D.C.

    Tbh most of these seem just fine to be as a reason to get nixed except maybe 8. Actually to a degree 8 might not be so bad either (that guy who tweeted than story even though he didn’t write it was not a bright person).

  • David Rusch

    I have been deactivated from lyft for allegedly seeming to be “under the influence”. This is untrue and I would like to know of class-action lawsuit(s) against lyft/uber for deactivating my account. Can I get bonus money for drivers I referred if I have been de-activated?

  • Navdeep

    I was driving with Uber for about six months, Now I wanted to drive again but I’ve a peace bond signed with my wife and it appears on my background check. There are no criminal charges against me. Do you think Uber would allow me to drive.

  • ogdenlincoln

    WOW… Talk about making it convenient for people to drive for Uber on their way to and from work. DriveUberCommute.com. They can make $100 right after their first trip. It’s kinda nuts.

  • Amu

    UBER
    MAKE EXTRA MONEY WITH YOUR CAR
    Start earning money on your schedule
    DRIVE WITH UBER

    https://partners.uber.com/i/gjcwbycgue

  • Philip Morgan

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    Please ensure to tell him Philip Morgan referred you. Good luck.

  • Ricky J Courville

    Yesterday was my first day driving for Uber, and today I got a call from Uber support asking about a wallet a lady says she left in my car. While on the phone I went outside and searched for it and came up empty. What now?

  • derlla317

    Hey anyone have any issues with minors? A few weeks ago I pick up some girls and they looked young but the one that requested the ride could’ve been at least 18 or 19. Anyways halfway through i find out the are 16 and didn’t even have their parents permission to be out that late at night. I dropped them at their location but reported to uber immediately. Luckily they didn’t punish me since i reported immediately. Anyone else have this issue? Do you request ID from anyone that looks young?

  • Kingkrikkit

    I live in the suburbs of Chicago, on two occasions I ended up taking passengers on rides downtown resulting in sitting in traffic for 2-3 hours. I normally wouldn’t mind this but I when I’m accepting rides at 2pm but have to be home or somewhere by 4pm this is difficult.
    I once was taking a few trips knowing in an hour I had to be at the airport to pick up my Dad (non-Uber ride) and ended taking an entire family on a 2-1/2 hour ride.
    This isn’t something that would normally be an issue, I understand I have made a commitment to being available, but I have to ask do I really need to allow a minimum 3 hour window per ride? If it did happen on occasion can I inform the rider that I wouldn’t be able to take that ride and ask them to re-request?

    • Agreed – it would be nice if you could set a max. radius you’re willing to drop off within for example.

  • Freeway

    As long as Uber keeps fares low the quality of service will reflect that.

  • QuickshooterMk2

    the whole rating things seems rather… sketchy
    i feel like Uber drives NEED to cheat in order to stay at the 5 star ratio

  • Christina Goerlitzer

    So if you have a child and are looking into doing this but would need to take the child with you it’s not acceptable? I’m a stay at home mom hes almost two but I was looking into this to make extra money.

    • No but you can/should look into delivery as I know you can bring your child there 🙂

      • g n

        Right. Leaving a baby in the car while in the business or making a delivery. I can see how that might not go well.

  • Joe

    I was de-activated for “fraudulent reasons” and the expert at the hub who I have spoken to many times is telling me that he can’t re-activate me. I’ve been a partner for years with a clean record and now it seems there isn’t an avenue for me to ask for one last chance or express myself and be heard. I did not do anything that would affect the rider experience in anyway. Any advice please?! I accept full responsibility but was not warned in anyway either.

    • Depends on what you were deactivated for. You could try and keep e-mailing/talking to them at the hub but if they say no, not much you can do 🙁

      • Joe

        Do you know of any avenues to reach them by email that most people might not? Thank you.

  • Eat

    Hey quick question, I got deactivated till further notice for banging a chick after a ride. Can I be permanently deactivated even though I turn the app off when I do stuff like that?

    • That’s a new one to me…were you that bad that she reported you? 🙂

      • Eat

        Ha ha I guess so, I still have no clue what exactly is in the complaint.

  • Eat

    I see a lot of complaints about Uber customers and tipping. Yet I’ve never experienced that, Uber customers tip me in cash from $2 to $50 in the suburbs. The hood never tips but I never have to wait outside long or get the wrong pickup location so I’m still greatful 🙂

  • Ne0

    Do you know when will Uber start taking seriously on your rating ? Like how many trips, I had 4.6 and worry about but havent got email from uber since I only has about 60 tips so far. Problem was about 2 or 3 rider give me unfair 1 star. This due to one wrong freeway exit, taxi driver do this shit all the time and they definite was doing in purpose. A lot driver go to place that they never go before, rider should be more understand this situation consider they are paying far cheaper fare than taxi most of the time.

  • Beth Bent

    Hi Harry and anyone else that might now. I have a customer that I pick up a couple of time a week just down the street from me. She is an older woman, very nice but confused. She has asked and given me the times that she would be at her location if she could ping me. Is this against the rules?

    • Uber sort of frowns upon this but I think it should be ok as long as you’re not abusing the system.

  • Susan

    I am moving out of state, how do I contact Uber to change that?

  • JB

    Use the code: EYPVP7VFUE when signing up to drive for Uber to receive up to a $500 signing bonus.

  • David B Sinclair

    how about a 54 mph in a 35 mph speed limit

  • Jack Xarabas

    I was uber driver , been caught drink driving , ( a part that I’m an idiot ) any chance I get my uber licence back when the period of suspension finish?
    thank

    • vinceNYC

      let’s hope not

  • vinceNYC

    they dont really need a reason..we are contractors

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