RIDEGURU
Angela Taylor (RedANT)
Ride Scholar from Seattle
1072 Rider DriverActivity
Posts by RedANT
No posts found.Featured Answers by RedANT
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The Uber driver app in the Google Play store has a rating of 4.4/5 stars. I posted a comment/rating on Google Play:
Me: "If drivers have a 4.4/5 star rating, Uber calls us failures and deactivates us. Why is this rating acceptable or different?"
Uber: "Hi RedANT. This doesn't sound right. We want to take a closer look into this for you. Please send a quick note to t.uber.con/drivercontact so we can connect."
(Needless to say, I did NOT contact them with my real information)
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Old system:
$25 trip @ 2x surge = Passenger pays $50 (driver made approx 65% of the total = $32.50, and Uber/Lyft made approx 35% of the total = $17.50)
New system:
$25 trip @ 2x surge = Passenger still pays $50 (Driver makes 65% of $25 = $16.25 + a $2.50 fixed "surge" = $18.75 earned by driver. Uber/Lyft collect the balance of $50 - $18.75 paid to driver = $31.25 = approx 63%) Driver pays for 100% of their car payment, insurance, gas, and maintenance. Uber/Lyft does nothing but change policies and adjust app settings to increase their share. Passengers get fleeced.* Please note that all numbers are approximate, and will vary greatly depending on the area you're in.
** Driver pay was previously paid based on a per minute rate + mileage rate + surge multiplier.
Pay is now based on a per minute rate + mileage rate + a flat surge fee that is a fraction of the former multiplier payout. This change effectively increases Uber and Lyfts share of the fares significantly, taking money out of driver pockets and increasing company revenue. Regardless, I'd bet that Uber and Lyft will still post huge Q1 losses as they head into their respective IPOs.
This is why drivers are pissed. (And rightfully so)
How do you order a ride without inputting your destination? How does Uber compute your "upfront" trip price, etc?
If you click on the "download now" link, it takes you to the product that they sell... $47 for a "grow your Uber X Business" plan consisting of:
1. UberX Business Model Assessment Report (pdf) Generally, the business model sucks for drivers. Read comments from forums to confirm.
2. UberX Quick Start Summary Guide (pdf) You sign up, go to the greenlight, get vehicle inspection, business licenses, then start driving.
3. Financial Workbook Customized for UberX Drivers and Owners (excel) Deposit earnings. Deduct expenses. The rest is profit.
4. UberX Financial Workbook Guide (pdf) See above
5. New Driver and Owner UberX Startup Checklist (pdf) Uber will provide you with a list of exactly what you need to begin driving
6. Exclusive UberX Insurance Provider List (pdf) A "referral" to an insurance affiliate to inflate their profit margin. Call your insurance agent.
7. UberX Sample Driver Standards Agreement (pdf) Whose standards? Agreement between which parties?
8. UberX Sample Drivers Log for Profit Tracking (pdf) Starting mileage and ending mileage, or download a free app that does it for you.
All of the information needed to drive for Uber is available online for free. If you're driving for Uber you're probably not rolling in cash, so please save your money.
What's outrageous is that Uber touted their BS Checkr "background checks" as an effective screening tool, and are now getting caught, yet again, in a web of deception and lies.
Let's try something new. Do real background checks on all drivers, and eliminate all that fail to meet the no criminal background standard. A culling of the herd, reduction in the number of drivers on the road, better fares for good drivers, and "increased safety" for riders.
Uber requires minimum 4.66, and Lyft requires 4.8. Either way, you're still screwed.
https://blog.lyft.com/posts/lyft-fest-is-back
There's an easier way... it's the old fashioned 9-1-1 that has been around for years. It's easy to remember no special sequence or confirmations, and fewer (and less confusing) steps.
The figures posted may be accurate for some people, but hardly true on a universal scale. Earnings vary greatly depending on the market in which you live, and your driving record, (insurance rate) gas prices, (regional price differences) depreciation (choice of vehicle and age) and maintenance cost. (self service and availability of cheap oil changes, etc)
Let's look at your $20,000 number. If I make $20k per year, my state tax is ZERO, and federal taxes can potentially be negated depending on how many miles you drive while working.
How much are you paying for gas? I average about $65 per thousand dollars earned, so my gas would be approx $1,300.
Insurance? No tickets or accidents in over 40 years driving, full coverage on 4 vehicles runs me ~250 /mo. Say $125 per month for my two work cars and rideshare addendum per month. Per annum: $1500.
Maintenance: Oil changes: $40 /mo ($480) Tires ($200 /yr based on replacing tires every 2 years)
Out of the $20k I started with, my actual expenses are actually under $4k per year, with a potential net profit of $16,000
The question is: Is driving for Uber worth $16,000 to you? (I make $20k in 6 months driving part time)
With hundreds of thousands of drivers, each driving tens of thousands of miles per year, these things ARE going to happen. Tragic but inevitable. This is just another example of media overhype of anything or anyone associated with Uber.
Lyft is just following Ubers initiative that advertises "local Uber driver talent" in their public relations campaign. Lyft had a music talent thingy a few weeks ago in their event here. This is probably just expanding on that.
If only these companies spent money of DRIVERS rather than recording studios, etc.
Just because you once reigned supreme in the industry doesn't mean that you're always going to remain there. What we see here is the result of professional stagnation. People that denied change and refused to adapt as circumstances changed.
These people need mental health help, but beyond that they need to adapt NOW. If you want to drive but can't compete with Uber, drive for Uber and broaden your horizons.
The Uber driver app in the Google Play store has a rating of 4.4/5 stars. I posted a comment/rating on Google Play:
Me: "If drivers have a 4.4/5 star rating, Uber calls us failures and deactivates us. Why is this rating acceptable or different?"
Uber: "Hi RedANT. This doesn't sound right. We want to take a closer look into this for you. Please send a quick note to t.uber.con/drivercontact so we can connect."
(Needless to say, I did NOT contact them with my real information)
Who should incur the cost? The driver who made peanuts taking you to your destination? I've eaten return tolls that were more than what I earned delivering a person to their destination, and they don't even tip! Should Uber pay it? They weren't involved except to dispatch the driver. In most cases, the driver gets screwed, but unfortunately most passengers don't care about us. Hell, only 10% even tip!
Yesterday I got a pickup going 1 hr south. After dropping him off, I found myself in 2.5 hrs of rush hour traffic getting back into the city. I paid for the gas getting home, and ate the loss of income from 2.5 hrs of downtime. Should I be reimbursed? After getting back to town I picked up a ride going over a toll bridge, dropping my fare off and finding that the only free road back to town was closed. I could either pay out of my own pocket to cross the bridge back to town, (eating half the amount earned) or I could drive around the lake north or south, spending another 2 hrs stuck in traffic earning nothing. Should the rider pay for my return trip, or should I have to eat that cost?
People, PLEASE do your research before buying anything. You can do infinitely better at a fraction of the cost by doing a quick google search and purchasing on Amazon, etc.
A cell phone mount and car charger are essential, as is a GOOD QUALITY dashcam. I don't, however, recommend an aux cord or air freshener. ("Do you have an aux cord so you have to listen to my shitty music in your car?" Answer: "Nope." PROBLEM SOLVED) Fragrances are also a bad idea, since a lot of people are allergic. Keep your car clean and avoid unnecessary fragrances
I'm betting that the "winners" who write will all be undercover Lyft employees. What better way to advertise than to have "random writers" review your service.
You could:
* Walk
* drive
* Ride an airplane
* catch a train
* sail
* ride a horse
* Greyhound!
* Hitchhike
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Prices and options will vary depending on your budget, personal preferences, available legal ID, etc.
Is tipping even expected when you order a pizza from Dominos or Pizza Hut? You're already paying a fee for the food to be delivered, and the driver already receives a salary and other compensation for delivering your meal...
Is tipping even expected when you go to a restaurant? You're already paying for the food, and the wait staff is receiving a salary and benefits...
Unlike the above, your UberEats driver doesn't receive any of the delivery fee you paid, has no benefits, and only receives a small per mile/minute fee. Your driver doesn't make the food, they just answer the call to pick it up when you're hungry. Things may have changed since I quit UberEats, but generally, Eats drivers make between half and 3/4 of the minimum wage in your area, and about 1/3 of what drivers make.
Who is to blame for your food being cold? Possibly the resturant you ordered from for not preparing teh food quickly. Possibly Uber for not having enough delivery staff to keep up with demand. Most probably , however, the fault lies with the person ordering for not taking care of their driver during prior deliveries. If you're rude, complain a lot and don't tip, everybody elses dinner gets delivered before yours.
Want warm food? Learn to cook, pick up your food yourself, or try being nice to delivery staff and tip.
How long ago did you order your ride? If the driver already circled the block, the timer may have already started. After counting down, the driver could either cancel on you not knowing where you were going, (unlikely if he was driving at Uber Black/SUV rates) or he could have started the trip while he continued to wait. (PER MINUTE CHARGES ARE CHEAPER THAN WAIT TIME, SO THAT'S A WAY DRIVERS HELP YOU IF YOU'RE RUNNING BEHIND) That he didn't cancel the ride indicates that he planned to wait for you, but instead you assumed the worst, cancelled the ride yourself, and jumped to accusations without giving the driver the opportunity to present his side of the story.
This is the second time you've called drivers names, lumping us all together as "crooked." Quit being so damn paranoid and discuss the situation before levying insults.
In some cases, I suspect "the scam" may be an undertaking by taxi drivers to destroy the reputation of rideshare drivers through negative "stories" posted in forums such as this.
Absent proof of driver fault, I think it's rude to call drivers "crooked" without affording them the opportunity to present their side of the story.
I've had people accuse me of starting trips early, when in reality they were just being auto-notified by Lyft that I was almost there. I did nothing wrong, it was simply rider ignorance and paranoia. Yes, you heard a ping, but did you read the message received or did you just jump to conclusions?
Just another way for Uber to shift pay issues to the riders. The more Uber can get riders to pay, the less they feel obligated to pay us.
When you say that they're starting the trip before getting to your location, how are you verifying their location? With Lyft the driver starts the trip after they input that they "arrived" at your location, and the system will question them if they're not showing nearby.
More often than not I "arrive" at a location, however the timer counts down even if I need to circle the block because you're requesting a pickup in a no-stopping area, bus lane or other hazardous location. If you're in a downtown area, the pickup timer can certainly time out before they return, and the driver may be starting the ride rather than cancel on you.
Despite speculation, the easiest way to find your answer is to directly question your driver.