RIDEGURU
It's quite the opposite actually, Uber and Lyft are screwing the passenger a lot more than the driver.
https://therideshareguy.com/uber-drivers-manipulating-surge/
Are passengers getting hurt by surge manipulation by the drivers?
Posted 5 years, 5 months ago
Posted In
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Posted By
Sergio Avedian (Uberserge)
1300
Rider
Driver
Ride Apprentice from Los Angeles, CA
Blogger, Podcaster, Active Rideshare Driver/Coach
Active Uber/Lyft driver in Los Angeles, contributing writer for Rideguru and RSG (The Rideshare Guy), podcaster, rideshare driver coach, independent consultant to rideshare and tech companies.
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Comments
I thought this was a myth
It is just Uber and Lyft getting all bent out of shape and trying to give the drivers a black eye, make us look bad in the public eye. How they're ripping the pax off by flat rate surge and PPZ is so much worse but come back and read my article next week in the Rideguru Newsroom.
This isn’t new at all. They’ve been claiming this trick for several years at airports gmaybe before they implemented the digital queue).
The truth I found later was that there’re enough drivers that it didn't affect the surge (ie it just shortened the queue or made the wait time longer) or rogue drivers would defect by not going offline and snagging all the rides
https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-drivers-artificially-triggering-surge-prices-reports-abc7-2019-6
Of course it is not new but the MSM treated it like it is the plague. It has been going on since Uber & Lyft started. It used to be very effective when there were not enough drivers. In this day and age of over-saturated markets and algorithms, it is not possible. But that is not the point of the article, it is Uber getting upset, well the drivers wouldn't have to do any of that if they didn't cut the rates 8 times in the last five years to 60 cents a mile in most major cities.
I am in the camp of people there’s no way a few drivers can manipulate or influence surge. In micro cases, sure but Uber should be able to squash it in the long run.
Unless of course, the conspiracy theory states that Uber don’t necessarily mind it as they make more money this way.
Think of what a knock that is on uber's reliability boasts. If a few drivers can manipulate the platform that easily, what does that say about reliability? With the flat rate surge which is an oxymoron, they charge the pax 2x surge rate and pay the driver 3.50 bonus, what a crock. They'll burn in hell. Their algorithms won't allow it anyway or they're full of crap.
https://therideshareguy.com/uber-drivers-manipulating-surge/
Only if the riders find out - if it gets enough press.
Whoever these drivers are, they shouldn’t be advertising what they do. Pretty stupid if you ask me.
Absolutely, they wanted their 15 minutes of fame I guess. I'm sure they're deactivated already. Walk on snow, don't leave any footsteps. The passengers getting ripped off never gets enough press, they all think the driver is swimming in money because of what they paid to Uber/Lyft, of course no tip.
Please, take a look at the article I have written for RSG, I have screenshots of how Uber & Lyft are ripping the passenger off.
This doesn't make much sense to me?? Sure Uber and Lyft suck and they screw riders and drivers over but when drivers manipulate the surge in the end I am still paying more for a ride than I should have to - how is it that I am not getting hurt by that?
Drivers have little reason to try to manipulate surge. If you're paying a $50 fare with a 2x surge, you're paying $100. In LA the driver is making what, 60 cents per mile + 13 cents per minute and that "surge" adds maybe $6-8 to the total.
30 miles x 60 cents /mile = $18.
50 minutes x 13 cents = $6.50
Add $8 "flat surge" and the driver made approx $32.50 while Uber/Lyft made approx $67.50
On surge fares it's not uncommon for Uber and Lyft to walk with 50-65% of the total paid. The driver's aren't your enemy. The enemy is the rideshare company that shook you down for more money while cutting driver pay.
Please, I urge you to read the article in the link attached. I'm the senior contributor for RSG (the Rideshare Guy, most well known blog in the country) and also will be writing about this subject for Rideguru newsroom next week since I'm collaborating with them on a weekly basis as well.
Drivers can't manipulate the surge, UBER and Lyft algorithms won't allow it. The story was hot in the news, it's time for the truth to come out. Not the crap main stream media puts out as a PR campaign after getting fed by UBER and Lyft. Uber and Lyft charge you surge/prime time but keep it all to themselves. It's proven in the article.