Help Me Understand The Uber Cancelation Scam?

Help Me Understand The Uber Cancelation Scam?

503

Ridesharing apps have radically changed the way we get around on the ground. It’s not just that being able to order a car through an app at any time is useful, but historically I enjoyed Uber because I felt like they offered great customer service.

Over the years, as the platform has gotten bigger, I feel like that has changed.

While a vast majority of Uber drivers are professional, given how big the network is you also have some people trying to pull off scams. There are all kinds of them. But there’s one kind I can’t make sense of. I’m curious if you guys can help me understand it.

Accepting A Ride And Then Ignoring

There seems to be a fairly common scam where Uber drivers are essentially more focused on collecting cancelation fees than driving. This can come in one of two forms:

  • The driver accepting your ride and then just ignoring you, hoping that you’ll eventually cancel the ride
  • The driver accepting the ride, and then texting with you and asking you to cancel the ride (they could give a variety of reasons for encouraging this)

This is something that happens fairly often, though I guess I don’t fully understand the logic, but I suspect I must be missing something:

  • You can request to have a cancelation fee refunded; if it is refunded, is the driver still getting the cancelation fee?
  • If a driver is found to be in a situation where Uber is constantly refunding fees (for good reason), does the platform not take any action?

My Uber Situation Yesterday

Last night I got back home to Miami. I had just gotten off a three hour flight in a middle seat in the second to last row of an American plane (for the first time in probably 15 years, but it was worth it to get home early).

I’m only home for the weekend between two trips. In retrospect I regret that because it’s Art Basel, one of the least pleasant weekends of the year here (yes, even less enjoyable than a hot August day).

So I ordered an Uber when I landed in Miami.

And then I waited… after 10 minutes the car still hadn’t moved, so I called the driver. He didn’t answer. So then I messaged him. The message showed as “Read,” but he didn’t respond.

I waited another five minutes, and then I called him. He didn’t answer.

Then after another five minutes I figured I’d practice some reverse psychology. I assumed he wanted me to just give up and cancel the ride, so I messaged him telling him to take his time. He also read that.

I wasn’t about to cancel the ride, so I kept the ride “live,” and in the meantime got in a taxi, which was a whole different experience as well (“Man it has been crazy busy but everyone has been paying with credit card, so can you pay me in cash so I have gas money?” That’s. Not. How. That. Works.).

Finally after over 30 minutes I decided to cancel the ride. There was a $10 fee, though I disputed it and it was immediately refunded. Sorry you had to “drive” 31 minutes for me. Alejandro!

Bottom Line

Surprisingly this guy had a good Uber score and literally thousands of rides behind him. So I can’t say with 100% certainty that he was a scammer, in the sense that I’m not convinced he was trying to make a “living” through cancelation fees.

One thing is for sure, though — he was extremely unprofessional, not responding to any of my calls or messages for over 30 minutes.

Even beyond this ride, there are much clearer examples of drivers doing everything they can to get people to cancel rides in order to get cancelation fees.

So that’s why I’m curious about the inner-workings of Uber. Do drivers always get to keep the cancelation fee, even if it’s refunded? Are they just banking on people not requesting a refund? Is there some point at which drivers can be in trouble for having an unusually high number of cancelations/disputes?

To fellow Uber passengers, have you faced a similar situation?

Conversations (503)
The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.
Type your response here.

If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. Anyone can comment, and your email address will not be published. Register to save your unique username and earn special OMAAT reputation perks!

  1. B Lewis Guest

    If you had the Uber driver’s location on the app and was able to pull off getting the taxi to drop you off behind him, then just opening the door and getting in that would of been one for the ages. He probably would have shi*t himself not knowing who you are.
    I use Uber a lot I don’t think I have had a driver scan me but there are some riders scams that...

    If you had the Uber driver’s location on the app and was able to pull off getting the taxi to drop you off behind him, then just opening the door and getting in that would of been one for the ages. He probably would have shi*t himself not knowing who you are.
    I use Uber a lot I don’t think I have had a driver scan me but there are some riders scams that I have seen.
    *if you don’t have enough for your entire fair you put in a location that is closer to you and just change it after pick up. Your account will go negative but in a desperate situation it’s a good little hack even though they have seemed to crack down on it a little more, from when me and my coworkers were living check to check and did not want to ride the bus lol
    Also another little hack is changing your payment method, now I haven’t this done since back in Uber early days but also have not tried it. It allows your card boy to get charged and whatever is remaining in ur balance for the account u switched too(visa prepaids were a common way to get some free dollars from the multinational company that can’t just give the lowered income a break here or there allowance for overdraft and timeframe yo repay it.

  2. Trevor Guest

    Do you realise the latency in messages. How some never arrive. How many times Uber’s system cancels the ride, both rider and driver are advised it’s the other that has cancelled. How many times drivers are offered two rides at without having started the first. How some riders cancel a ride but the ride is still live to the driver.

  3. Edwina Thompson Guest

    I canceled my ride cause there was problem with system & destination address was wrong. Driver canceled & she got canceled fees out of my trip charge but I never got the difference I paid for a trip I never took & it's no longer pending nor returned to my account. I'm catching he'll trying to chat talk or even get someone to say ok we'll refund the remainder of the fare u never took....

    I canceled my ride cause there was problem with system & destination address was wrong. Driver canceled & she got canceled fees out of my trip charge but I never got the difference I paid for a trip I never took & it's no longer pending nor returned to my account. I'm catching he'll trying to chat talk or even get someone to say ok we'll refund the remainder of the fare u never took. So what should i do get a lawyer its been 5 days which they said someone would contact me in 6 to 12 hrs its been over 72 hrs no help yet nor refund. I won't ever use Uber again.

  4. Succes Guest

    My money was taken in my account but I didn't requested for a ride ,what can I do , help please

  5. James tyler Guest

    Yes this happens all the time in yuma Arizona!! I will get a uber to go to work, AND THEY WILL just sit there and not move for 5-10 min while I'm losing my shit! I usually tell them I'm late for work, I will tip you really well, and then not tip them a penny when they suddenly start racing towards my house! F THAT! THATS Whats wrong with this country, lazy ass ppl,...

    Yes this happens all the time in yuma Arizona!! I will get a uber to go to work, AND THEY WILL just sit there and not move for 5-10 min while I'm losing my shit! I usually tell them I'm late for work, I will tip you really well, and then not tip them a penny when they suddenly start racing towards my house! F THAT! THATS Whats wrong with this country, lazy ass ppl, all with their hands out & don't want to earn anything. Plz move to Canada I that's how you operate. They all love being controlled & fed like babies!

    Play games with me and I will get you fires, your drìver touched my peepee!

  6. Eddie Guest

    I drive for seven years and this article is not correct. WE DO NOT IGNORE YOU TO GET Cancellation fee!!! In seven years I got 5 cancellation fee wow. You guys are totally wrong why drivers ignore you! But I can tell you. Please contact me for a free educational answer.

  7. Josh Guest

    This happened to me today. Made a post on Reddit about it. The guy parked a block away walked over pretended to be on the phone at the corner at the pickup point but didn't think to remember that his picture was on his profile ID so I knew who he was when he walked up and pretended to be on the phone and said he wasn't the driver and then I called him and his phone he said he was talking on rang....

  8. Mike Guest

    Today I called an Uber to take me to the airport. He drove by my house and my Uber App said I was in the car. I texted him and asked what was going on. No response but the App then said I had been dropped off a mile away. By that time I was being picked up by another driver and on my way to the airport. I was charged $10.80 for a ride...

    Today I called an Uber to take me to the airport. He drove by my house and my Uber App said I was in the car. I texted him and asked what was going on. No response but the App then said I had been dropped off a mile away. By that time I was being picked up by another driver and on my way to the airport. I was charged $10.80 for a ride I never took. I reported the incident using thr Uber Safety line and they said they would investigate and let me know if I would receive a refund. This took me an hour to get through and process over the phone. How does Uber not have an immediate way for customers to report such am obvious scam? I am tempted to file a police report buy of course nobody is going to care about my ten bucks. The fact that this type of scam is even possible is Uber's fault, and I will no longer be using Uber Ride or Uber Eats unless absolutely necessary.

  9. Andy Guest

    On the whole I love uber for business and have never had an issue, however, tonight I logged in and accepted a ride from the pub to home at £6.97. I waited 10 minutes for the driver to accept and it complete and got bored so cansmcelled, I tried again to get thw same ride but was now £22! That is 3 fold and as far as I am concerned a rip off. I knoe...

    On the whole I love uber for business and have never had an issue, however, tonight I logged in and accepted a ride from the pub to home at £6.97. I waited 10 minutes for the driver to accept and it complete and got bored so cansmcelled, I tried again to get thw same ride but was now £22! That is 3 fold and as far as I am concerned a rip off. I knoe people arw going to say well tjese guys need to make a living etc but I am sorry not at the expense of mine!!! If you think it is acveptable to triple your price because it is a pub pick up think again, 20 mins walk and I am home, I don't mind paying a fair price as quoted for a 5 minute ride but when you ask me to remotgage for the same you can bloody well do one. A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush, one day you will realise that Abdul!

  10. Daniel Guest

    When I was based in Miami, it was a regular occurrence coming home from a work trip. I ended up getting on the phone with someone at Uber and reporting every driver who did this scam.

    1. C Anderson Guest

      I also have MIA as my base airport. Tonight I was scammed. The Uber driver claimed she was at Arrivals door 9. She was not. I texted asking where she was. Ignored. Then she canceled the ride. We had the inconvenience of having to wait 15 minutes for another driver. I later received a notification from Uber that I was going to be charged a cancelation fee because I wasn’t there at the pickup spot....

      I also have MIA as my base airport. Tonight I was scammed. The Uber driver claimed she was at Arrivals door 9. She was not. I texted asking where she was. Ignored. Then she canceled the ride. We had the inconvenience of having to wait 15 minutes for another driver. I later received a notification from Uber that I was going to be charged a cancelation fee because I wasn’t there at the pickup spot. I disputed and it was refunded to me. I wrote that their driver was a cheat and dishonest. I sure hope the scamming drivers don’t receive that money when Uber refunds the money to riders who complain.

  11. Yo Guest

    The driver probably gets 30% of that cancellation fee! Uber itself is the scam!

  12. ivy Guest

    i also live in miami and have had this SOOOOO many tims, its way less likely with a black car so now i only use black car if i really need to be sure they wikl arrive and not shinagens. I have had it other cities too but for some reason its way more prevalent in miami.

  13. Jon Pietras Guest

    With lyft I had a bad experience., I was driving for them and in the middle of a $9 three in a row streak I was sent to pick up a lady I. A gated community., So when I arrived I texted asking for gate code no response, so I called her three times she never answered, so I figured she was canceling,. So I waited at the gate for the a cancellation time of...

    With lyft I had a bad experience., I was driving for them and in the middle of a $9 three in a row streak I was sent to pick up a lady I. A gated community., So when I arrived I texted asking for gate code no response, so I called her three times she never answered, so I figured she was canceling,. So I waited at the gate for the a cancellation time of five mins, to make a long story short since I cancelled the ride and wasn’t close to her residence she didn’t have to pay the cancellation fee and she broke my streak also so I was out $10-12 bucks , I emailed support the next day and of course they said since I wasn’t close enough to her apartment when I cancelled that I lost the streak and the cancellation fee., so I responded so next time I am to walk in the pouring down rain thru the gate to procemity of her residence and have to start the cancellation policy then ….I only drive for Uber now, because the streaks are rigged in Lyfts favor

  14. Kelsey Haight Guest

    I sometimes ask the rider to cancel it if they inform me en route they no longer need a ride. I don't get paid for heading that way but it doesn't mess my stats if they cancel versus me. The only other time I ever cancel a ride is if I wait the three minutes AND attempt contact with no avail. In those scenarios I do get a cancelation fee credited. Its crazy to me...

    I sometimes ask the rider to cancel it if they inform me en route they no longer need a ride. I don't get paid for heading that way but it doesn't mess my stats if they cancel versus me. The only other time I ever cancel a ride is if I wait the three minutes AND attempt contact with no avail. In those scenarios I do get a cancelation fee credited. Its crazy to me people get away with this because uber recognizes if I haven't started heading to the pick up location within a few minutes, and sends me a notification that the ride will be assigned to another driver if I do not move soon. I also do not get paid in those scenarios.

  15. Nico Guest

    Maybe something happened. We make hardly any money off of cancellations. There may be a valid reason this high rated driver wasn't moving and couldn't respond.

  16. Tommy Kokotinis Guest

    Attempted to book a ride but a money transfer was late so the card I use for uber had insufficient funds. No ride. Fine. But the next uber trip I had to pay the full amount..38bucks...for a ride I never got and no driver was effected. These guys are terrible..

  17. Lena Guest

    Just happened to me today- my Uber driver pulled up, confirmed my name and then as I went to open the door she sped off. The trip isn’t anywhere in my history so I can’t report her.

    1. Nico Guest

      They probably didn't feel comfortable with you. They have the right to cancel. They don't get a cancellation fee unless they waited the 5 minutes for you. So either you kept them waiting or they didn't like your energy.

    2. Dico Guest

      Absolutely ridiculous answer.

  18. Stephanie Guest

    Uber has been squeezing our pay so much I'm making$6-8 dollars less an hour and getting $3 rides ALL DAY LONG!!!

  19. Ray Smith Guest

    It's not a driver scam Uber is sending fares to there drivers and hiding info on how long trip is or how far it is to pickup and now a lot of the time you don't even know how much your getting til trip is complete so when driver accepts they reveal how far pickup is and fare price and drivers are cancelling don't blame the driver it's Uber not paying there drivers example driver...

    It's not a driver scam Uber is sending fares to there drivers and hiding info on how long trip is or how far it is to pickup and now a lot of the time you don't even know how much your getting til trip is complete so when driver accepts they reveal how far pickup is and fare price and drivers are cancelling don't blame the driver it's Uber not paying there drivers example driver receives fare request Uber shows it's 10.00 driver accepts then he sees pickup info only and it could be 20 mins plus just to pickup and you don't even know how far drop off is they don't show driver that until driver picks up so there cancelling Uber is out of control right now raping riders and there drivers

  20. Shane Guest

    Happens to me ALL the time. The drivers accept the ride and then just sit there. I cancel. It goes back to the same driver more often than not. Wastes A LOT of my time so often.
    I tip like 50% to try to make this canceling go away and it stills happen regularly.
    Drivers hate going to the hospital or outside the city for some reason.

    Besides the destination, the drivers would...

    Happens to me ALL the time. The drivers accept the ride and then just sit there. I cancel. It goes back to the same driver more often than not. Wastes A LOT of my time so often.
    I tip like 50% to try to make this canceling go away and it stills happen regularly.
    Drivers hate going to the hospital or outside the city for some reason.

    Besides the destination, the drivers would often just sit there for 20 minutes and wait for the surge pricing to kick in at 5 pm too. So for example, many people ordering a ride st 4:45pm is gonna have the driver just still there doing nothing and wastes 20 minute of your time. The rider will just need to cancel and request a ride after 5pm for more money and a linger wait time.

    Uber needs a way for the to jack the prices up so the rider can get a ride. I often time wouldn't mind paying 2 to 3 times the price for a ride if I can actually get a ride without all the canceling and waiting

    So many riders' time are wasted on a daily basis

    1. Ash Guest

      What I still don't understand is why Ubers Prices are so high for riders compared to the amount they pay. I would be happy with the services if I know the drivers are getting a fair cut from the drive. The worst part is because of how high their fairs can be I can't always afford to give a good tip the driver to compensate the driver better.

  21. I drive for Uber and I know the games you play Guest

    So you had one bad experience and try to equate that to a widespread, ongoing, cancerous scam on the platform? Typical entitled Uber passenger. Did you ever stop to think that your driver had accepted the ride and suddenly had a medical episode which rendered him unconscious? Or he got robbed and was shot or knocked out and couldn’t drive? No, none of those options were explored. Just you attempting to make millions of drivers...

    So you had one bad experience and try to equate that to a widespread, ongoing, cancerous scam on the platform? Typical entitled Uber passenger. Did you ever stop to think that your driver had accepted the ride and suddenly had a medical episode which rendered him unconscious? Or he got robbed and was shot or knocked out and couldn’t drive? No, none of those options were explored. Just you attempting to make millions of drivers look bad because you had 1 bad experience. This hit piece is #trashgarbage.

    1. Kelli Guest

      Lame reply. Especially since the driver read her messages.
      Entitled, lol!!!

  22. Rob Guest

    Cancellation fees scamming was the reason I deleted and blocked Uber.After months of great service,I started getting 'cancellation fees nicked off my credit card on mornings I wasn't even booking a ride.Sketch? Obviously.Keep an eye on your CC bills for bogus cancellation charges .

  23. Nick Guest

    The UBER and Lyft drivers are the slaves of both companies and as well of the public! A driver must take all the craps from the customers to don’t get bad ratings. When a driver gets 4.85 ratings, it’s done, is going to loose his job and all for what? For putting up with all the drunks and unhappy customers and being their slaves.
    Imagine this: a driver is giving a ride to 7...

    The UBER and Lyft drivers are the slaves of both companies and as well of the public! A driver must take all the craps from the customers to don’t get bad ratings. When a driver gets 4.85 ratings, it’s done, is going to loose his job and all for what? For putting up with all the drunks and unhappy customers and being their slaves.
    Imagine this: a driver is giving a ride to 7 (seven) customers in an elegant Chevrolet Suburban and he is getting paid $5,84; dividing $5.84 per 7 ( customers/passengers) that’s $0.83 per person which is less then paying a ride with a public bus! How is that fair for the driver? If you are dividing the driver’s monthly expenses from one ride is making $
    Example: $999.00 monthly car payment to the financial company; $177.00 car insurance; $520.00 gasoline per week and for the month is $2080.00; taxes 15.3 percent.
    If a drivers makes $1,500 per week, that’s $6000.00 per month, minus 15.3% taxes = $2080 gasoline; the monthly car payment $999.00 $309.00 and the car insurance $177.00 per month. Then the premium music $17.99; the car wash $44.99, phones $144.00 rent:$2,150.00 plus electricity, gas and internet. There is not even enough to pay all the bills!

    1. Mk Guest

      Look, I'm not on uber's side at all. Of COURSE they're trying to get every last penny out of everyone they can. I did it for a little while back when it was still fairly new (2016) and I have no IDEA how anyone does it now. Back then, the driver got 80% of the fare, all the time, no bs. With Lyft, you could actually hit certain service criteria each week and take either...

      Look, I'm not on uber's side at all. Of COURSE they're trying to get every last penny out of everyone they can. I did it for a little while back when it was still fairly new (2016) and I have no IDEA how anyone does it now. Back then, the driver got 80% of the fare, all the time, no bs. With Lyft, you could actually hit certain service criteria each week and take either 90 or 100% of the fares that week. It was a new idea and the goals weren't simple to reach (keep a 4.9+ rating, X amount of rides during peak hours, VERY limited number of cancellations maybe 2 per week, etc) but it made sense for them because the people motivated to get that 100% every week were out there busting their ass and making the company look good. Idk how ANYONE survives driving for them now. I hear driver's talk about getting less than 50% of the fares, that's nuts...
      So anyway, all that to say F big corporations exactly the way they're F-ing us every day. But where on earth are you paying $1k/month for a car?? $177/month for insurance also sounds crazy, you absolutely do NOT NEED premium music but if you really feel you do there's no reason to pay $17.99, there are MUCH cheaper options. And what exactly is that random $309 you threw in between the car and the insurance. That doesn't even have a description... Again, the hell with uber the drivers should STILL be getting 80% and they should all strike til they do, but I think you really need to look at your expenses just a little, because they seem outrageous.
      And have you considered spending $3,600/month on candles instead of paying for electricity...? (IYKYK)

  24. Gilles Boudreau Guest

    Try Uber in Dominican Republic. These drivers complain they want long rides to make more money. I was and hour late and almost missed a flight as I started 4 hours early to get a ride from Puerto Plata to Santiago airport. It's about an hour to hour and 10 minutes. Uber charged $28 for that fair which I thought was ridiculous. That should have been around $70 which I was going to pay the...

    Try Uber in Dominican Republic. These drivers complain they want long rides to make more money. I was and hour late and almost missed a flight as I started 4 hours early to get a ride from Puerto Plata to Santiago airport. It's about an hour to hour and 10 minutes. Uber charged $28 for that fair which I thought was ridiculous. That should have been around $70 which I was going to pay the drivers that maybe even more. I couldn't get one driver to move from where they were parked. I don't like feeling like I'm being scammed and that's the only way the drivers in those countries are doing Ubers. They try and message you to find out where you are going first. If you answer you are on the hook. You are better not answering at all and hope someone shows up in the next hour. If you answer then comes the negotiation to cancel the fair and pay them cash on the side. The only good part about Uber in these countries is to not have to deal with cash and the whole exchange into pesos, colones or whatever country you are in. The other is you are going home so why carry foreign money to end up with monopoly looking money that is a whole stress it its own. I do not want to talk pesos with an Uber driver that just asked me to cancel the fair knowing I will get a fee for that to begin with. I even told one driver that I will give them $50 American on top of the fair just to get a ride as I am starting to worry about getting on my plane. This was my 4th day waiting for a flight home after hurricane Fiona hit Dominican Republic. That driver says it's not worth it but I should call Taxi and was nice enough to give me Taxi's phone number. I would deserve to be scammed if I called his taxi number as he told me taxi will charge $125 for that fair. As time was running out and these Uber drivers 3 of them in a row to be exact. I asked the bell boy to order me a taxi. I thanked the Uber driver for the advice as I am getting into a taxi right now. Please cancel the fair as you rejected the drive. For the next 30 minute this Uber driver kept trying to negotiate a price based on the taxi fare he wanted me to hear his friend say when I called the number he gave me. At this point I didn't care if I paid $300 I just was not about to pay Uber driver a dime for making me late to my plane. I told that driver I was halfway to the airport in a nice minivan with Wi-Fi and all. I thanked him again for the advice and said From now on I'll use Taxi's since that was no games. He showed up right away there was a fixed price written on a sign at the lodge. I knew up front what I was in for and did not feel like I'm being scammed but even worst my time was being abused by Uber drivers sitting in the same spots just playing games with me. This driver never cancelled the fair. What I learned from Uber's system other than zero customer service. They set up their system to discourage anyone from complaining or getting their money back. They have this automated system that gives you a menu to choose from that never has the reason you are aggravated to begin with which makes Uber that much more aggravating. In line for security almost 2 hours after my initial Uber ride started I was getting different or I thought they were different drivers asking me about the fair for that Uber ride. I told them the last driver told me to take a taxi so I did. He should have cancelled the fair. Finally landed in Fort Lauderdale where I thought Uber would be ok. I was looking for the last hours how to get in touch with Uber to tell them I am not paying for any of those games played by their scamming drivers. I walked out to the same place I have been this whole year which is the end of the terminal under the last sign where there is no one in the way. Little did I know Uber must have changed something that week and made the Uber designated spot at the opposite end of the terminal? Broken foot and broken back I learned about this from one rude Uber driver. Maybe the drivers have all been courteous in the past and enjoyed a good tip but this driver put the cherry on top of Uber for me. I did the same as I always do and message them to say I'm under the last terminal sign where there are no cars. !0 minutes later I thought was strange since I saw the car not moving pretty far away. I message the driver again saying I'm right under the last sign. He kept messaging that he was here. I thought maybe bad internet connection but As far as I walked out I could not see the red car that the app showed. I asked where he was since I cannot see him and he kept saying he was here. Finally I said can you see the last spirit airline sign? The driver response was you are going to where I tell you I'm picking you up. Now I have had enough of Uber and their drivers' disrespect. I said if you can't pick me up where I've always been picked up them cancel the fair and let someone else take this fair. As he drove by me He said you cancel the fair and held my Uber app hostage. I took a taxi home that picked me up where I was with my broken foot and broken back. The whole ride home I tried to find ways to get in touch with Uber to let them know about the last 6 hours with their crappy system but only got mor5e frustrated with and endless circle of options that keep taking you back to the same options. That is only the last 6 hours. I was there for 8 days getting jerked around by every Uber drivers trying to make side deals in Spanish and after translating the first time I read the games on the side I didn't bother with the rest. At least in Costa Rica when a driver starts making you uncomfortable you can request a different driver. I don't know if it's a location thing since Uber is operating illegally in Costa Rica or they just took that option away. All I know is the last thing I want is to be in a car with someone who just gave me a hard time trying to wheel and deal on the side then picked me up angry that I didn't take the bait. Why should I have to be in a car with these drivers or get a penalty for cancelling a ride with driver who is just unprofessional? Good bye Uber. You are not worth the hassle. Your drivers are angry because you are ripping them off. Your clients end up having to deal with your angry drivers but have no idea what is happening other then they are catching the crap you do to their drivers and now you have angry clients who are penalized and have nowhere to complain about being treated poorly by your drivers or even worst having their time wasted, fairs held hostage all of this is wrong. I'm starting to use Lyft instead of Uber and the same drivers work both companies. To make things even more insulting I see my bill with all types of charges that do not belong on my bill. I spent the hurricane in an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Plata. Uber eats is not in Puerto Plata but somehow I received an Uber eats charge during hurricane Fiona in Puerto Plata in an all-inclusive resort. I say all-inclusive as food is available all the time or free. Why would anyone order Uber eats to begin with, in a town that Uber eats does not exist, during a hurricane. Uber really needs to get it together as they are screwing everyone in every way. I hate Uber with a passion now and used to think it was the most convenient service out to date. They have dropped everything and everyone. Drivers are making nothing and do not want to take fares wasting clients’ money and time. Drivers are pissed off, clients are pissed off and Uber is eating fat and laughing at the angry mob they caused since they blocked all customer service they deal with none of the trouble they caused. Look at their stock prices and it shows what they are doing. one would think their stock would go up taking all money away from clients and drivers but they are as low as they have been and dropping every day. To make matters worse for me I have been looking at my portfolio dropping for weeks and when I looked deeper into what stock is bleeding so bad I found out I own Uber stocks and they are killing me that way also.

  25. Tee Guest

    We are being SCAMMED!! Uber is charging you a HIGHER fair and they are giving us PEANUTS!! For example a ride I had today they charged the customer 12:37 cent my take was 5.38 cent. We are LITERALLY being relieved roaded
    Why do you think drivers are trying to scam you. Uber is SCAMMING you and me. We have NO control over things/situations like you THINK. Canceling goes AGAINST us. Also REALIZE we drive...

    We are being SCAMMED!! Uber is charging you a HIGHER fair and they are giving us PEANUTS!! For example a ride I had today they charged the customer 12:37 cent my take was 5.38 cent. We are LITERALLY being relieved roaded
    Why do you think drivers are trying to scam you. Uber is SCAMMING you and me. We have NO control over things/situations like you THINK. Canceling goes AGAINST us. Also REALIZE we drive to you WITHOUT getting PAID. We only get PAID when we start the trip. For a canceled trip my pay is what 4 dollars. Uber DON'T pay for GAS or REPAIRS. Getting through ONE door RUINS my CARPETS. But do you CARE????? So PLEASE stop the NARRATIVE of drivers trying to BEAT you. Uber with the recent changes are charging you MORE money but are PAYING us LESS now. Truthfully I CAN'T afford to keep driving. What Uber is doing to us should be ILLEGAL! So I REALLY don't think it's a LOT of happy drivers... but if I was going to take a trip. That trip is MORE then the cancelation fee

  26. AY Guest

    Hello! Yes I’ve gone through this exact same thing more than once. I also used reverse psychology and got a refund but it took more work than it should’ve. I think both Uber and the drivers are scamming people when they can to be honest. After all, it is a company and company’s are there to make as much money as they can. I will only use Uber if it’s the last resort, I used...

    Hello! Yes I’ve gone through this exact same thing more than once. I also used reverse psychology and got a refund but it took more work than it should’ve. I think both Uber and the drivers are scamming people when they can to be honest. After all, it is a company and company’s are there to make as much money as they can. I will only use Uber if it’s the last resort, I used to use it every day and felt disgusted that they were scamming a loyal customer to their service.

  27. Rex Good Guest

    Your experience sounds identical to ours, except the driver, not us, canceled after about 45 minutes. We didn’t have to contest a fee, but we also had no way to put in a bad rating. She had good ratings too. We can’t figure out what happened.

  28. Alex Romanovich Guest

    Of course - same issue, and sometimes you get scammers who are drivers. Happens all the time, especially in Florida.

  29. UberWhiners Guest

    Lol, I’m going back to cabs and limos when needed. I bet they’re cheaper than they used to be, hah. I know it’s not all drivers, but when you lecture potential customers about how we should get our own ride…umm, ok? Well how about you get a real job and ditch the (money-losing) gig-life!! I’ll drive my own car like I usually do and for the airport I’ll call a limo service. It’s worth the...

    Lol, I’m going back to cabs and limos when needed. I bet they’re cheaper than they used to be, hah. I know it’s not all drivers, but when you lecture potential customers about how we should get our own ride…umm, ok? Well how about you get a real job and ditch the (money-losing) gig-life!! I’ll drive my own car like I usually do and for the airport I’ll call a limo service. It’s worth the customer service and these days it’s not necessarily that much more expensive than Uber/Lyft. Funny thing is I tip very generously, and it feels better to give that generous tip to professionals who understand the importance of customer service…

  30. Negotiator Guest

    You people are Laughable. You are not entitled. By what you wrote you are white. I will pull up next to you and if you don't look right or I don't like your attitude. I will cancel your ride with your knowledge of the cancelation and why ie. shady looking character, unsafe, drunk, drugged up or terrible hygiene.

    1. Tony Guest

      Saying that these people commenting sound like they are white? Wtf are you on about? They are merely pointing out how crap uber has become, and in turn the drivers also. Racist prick. I'd like to meet you in real life, I promise you would not be such a rude and arrogant prick when you finally get out of the hospital.

  31. Jon Guest

    It happens because Uber doesn't pay their drivers properly to pick up or drop off at airports. And airports also take a HUGE chunk of time from the driver's day, and they are often trying to hit quotas so they can get a particular (much needed, since Uber doesn't pay properly) bonus. When every other ride request is an airport ride, this becomes impossible. The fault is with Uber, for not addressing this issue. There is no "cancelation fee scam".

  32. Gray Guest

    Yes. This happened to us as recently as 2022 after a Braves game in Atlanta. The Uber driver sat in distance and waited for us to cancel. We kept contacting him, and he even moved the car close to us to act like he was looking but when he literally saw us, he kind of sped off. It was infuriating. Wish Uber would hold these guys accountable if they showed a proclivity to doing this.

    1. Uber driver and I know the games passengers play Guest

      Lies. You were in a busy area with thousands of people. Your Uber driver went to the pickup spot. But you felt too entitled to walk to the with probably hundreds of other cars in their way. They didn’t speed away because they wouldn’t have had the room t9 do so. Also, they would have gotten a new ride from the same exact spot immediately. Don’t lie.

  33. Tim Guest

    I've had something similar, though I'm at least smart enough to catch it out.

    Accepted the ride and then brazenly messaged me IMMEDIATELY to tell me he wasn't coming. Didn't even wait, just told me straight out he wasn't coming and asked me to cancel.

    I ended up forcing his hand though and called him out on it - told him he was being reported for fraud (which is exactly what this is). A safety issue has been logged with Uber of course so hopefully they take action.

    1. Negotiator Guest

      What is in you irrelevant people's mind that anyone has to pick you up. Drive there your damn self. Your kind are the most complaining, weak, soft nothings on the planet stfu.

    2. Why u mad bro? Guest

      Lmao... perhaps what's in their mind, is that they're *paying* for it?
      At the restaurant: "What is in you irrelevant ppls mind that anyone has to serve you food? Make your own damn dinner."

  34. Overshare Rideshare Guest

    Sometimes the driver's not even at the "TNC lot "his phone is and "the phone holder" is accepting the ride in the hopes that the driver makes it in time back to the lot. The driver could be getting gas, having lunch ,on another ride, finishing up another ride, the wait lots can have a long line so they hand their phones over to professional phone holders as to not lose their position in line....

    Sometimes the driver's not even at the "TNC lot "his phone is and "the phone holder" is accepting the ride in the hopes that the driver makes it in time back to the lot. The driver could be getting gas, having lunch ,on another ride, finishing up another ride, the wait lots can have a long line so they hand their phones over to professional phone holders as to not lose their position in line. Nothing personal ,nothing nefarious.. I mean the airport campers mostly know what they're doing they're not trying to just get a cheap cancellation they just don't want to waste their time waiting in a Rideshare que.

  35. Emanuel Guest

    As a uber driver I can tell you that you can't just willy-nilly cancel rides. You will be flag after a certain % of cancellation and your account can be terminated.

  36. A. Driver Guest

    The airport scam has no excuse, but there is one specific circumstance where I will do this to a passenger: when they spam me with requests. That is, I initially refuse the ride, and the keep requesting, perhaps trying the bully the driver into taking the ride knowing that refusing too many requests will lose the driver certain privileges. Had one p.o.s. hit me up 20+ times, destroying my acceptance rating for months. Uber should...

    The airport scam has no excuse, but there is one specific circumstance where I will do this to a passenger: when they spam me with requests. That is, I initially refuse the ride, and the keep requesting, perhaps trying the bully the driver into taking the ride knowing that refusing too many requests will lose the driver certain privileges. Had one p.o.s. hit me up 20+ times, destroying my acceptance rating for months. Uber should not allow this, but they do, and when it happens now, on the third request I accept the ride, and then use the opportunity to navigate to an area that is better for business, keeping a higher level of insurance (picking up a passenger) and clogging the d bag’s ap u till they give up or the ride is kicked to another driver. So yeah it works both ways. Though the airport scam seems to be the main complaint here (valid) wonder how many had this happen after repeatedly pinging the same driver who obviously does not want the ride.

    1. Yes I'm a driver Guest

      Riders do not know this happens and are not doing it on purpose. They have no idea how the system or driver's app. works. It is the system that keeps throwing the ride back to you. Riders simply keep requesting, BECAUSE THEY NEED A RIDE, they have no way of choosing YOU. I wish I had a dollar for every rider that asked if they could request ME specifically, no it is not possible. There are plenty of scams/scammers on both sides, but this is not one of them.

  37. Jerry W Guest

    No one would stay all day for $5 cancelation fee . That is ridiculous! The main reason is: Uber charges 45% up to 69% on each trip whatever multiplier or not at airport. The fee of flat ride doesn’t cover round way gas and time a driver spend. Uber is trying to force driver on the road , if not accepted, driver will lost ability to see detail for next trip( other word, driver probably...

    No one would stay all day for $5 cancelation fee . That is ridiculous! The main reason is: Uber charges 45% up to 69% on each trip whatever multiplier or not at airport. The fee of flat ride doesn’t cover round way gas and time a driver spend. Uber is trying to force driver on the road , if not accepted, driver will lost ability to see detail for next trip( other word, driver probably lost money and time on next longer trip if they don’t know where to go before starting the trip) That’s why driver accepted and waiting for rider to cancel. Nobody would win the game, but Uber does. If Uber doesn’t setup this rule, I believe no driver took your shit ride all night ! Call taxi or Lyft next time if no one like your ride.

  38. Stefan A Guest

    Same story as you wrote at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, very bad Uber service....accepting rides and don't show up (no cancellation fees till now though)

  39. Vickie Case Guest

    Uber and Lyft are the most worthless apps I've ever seen in my life I was stuck in Lodi for a whole day and never did get one they kept popping up car showing with different price since you give them your information you pick a car and then they say none are available soon as you give your information all day so I think they're worthless

    1. A. Driver Guest

      No excuse for the airport scam, but Uber often puts drivers in a position where they cannot afford to lose anymore percentage points for requests denied/cancelations. The platform is increasingly bullying drivers into taking unprofitable rides For instance: one can push a button that stops requests. We need to go home at some point. Yet when the platform is in surge , it will put up an error message. Can’t log out, and instantly add...

      No excuse for the airport scam, but Uber often puts drivers in a position where they cannot afford to lose anymore percentage points for requests denied/cancelations. The platform is increasingly bullying drivers into taking unprofitable rides For instance: one can push a button that stops requests. We need to go home at some point. Yet when the platform is in surge , it will put up an error message. Can’t log out, and instantly add a new request. Did that to me over 20times last month. Disappeared more than half my destination filters. Also allows certain a holes to spam drivers with continued requests after they refuse the first. Long story short, when you get done like that you eventually lose the ability to have a general idea about the details of the trip, and that’s where you get people showing up and canceling because they are trying to rationally plan their day and had no idea you needed to go into downtown at rush hour on a game day…looking at you Denver.

    2. Corp Cross Guest

      That;s not the rider's issue - pick up this issue with Uber.

    3. Spam drivers with requests? Guest

      Riders don't even have the ability to "spam drivers with requests", man. They just put their destination into the app & it tries to find them a driver. The rider has zero control or even foreknowledge of which specific driver it will find. If the app is giving you rides you've already turned down, then that's an issue w the app.

  40. David Vega Guest

    I as a passenger and a customer feel for what Uber or Lyft are doing to you drivers but you cannot take it on us , we just want to get to our destination and it's never a fair price but we pay , and if it's true about scamming fees remember what goes around comes around.

    1. Yes I'm a driver Guest

      In my area it would cost 10 times uber/lyft if they got a taxi ... AND they would have to wait hours ... AND have no clue when the taxi will actually arrive ... but they still B#$^ about paying that 10%. We all know if the rides were free there would be no drivers ... but if you think riders don't want that free ride try again.

  41. David Vega Guest

    It has happened to me also and I already know or figured it out , and yes they want you to cancel so they can get the cancelation fee but I always make them cancel or they give up and come pick me up with some lame excuse hommy don't play that.

  42. Bob Guest

    The main problem is that Uber and Lift previously encouraged passengers not to tip and more than 60% don't tip. Drivers loose money (for the most part) when passengers don't tip. Why would a driver want to take a fare where Uber or Lift keep more than 50% of the fare and there is no tip? It's even worse now that gas prices are so high. Rather than increase the fare prices, Uber and lift...

    The main problem is that Uber and Lift previously encouraged passengers not to tip and more than 60% don't tip. Drivers loose money (for the most part) when passengers don't tip. Why would a driver want to take a fare where Uber or Lift keep more than 50% of the fare and there is no tip? It's even worse now that gas prices are so high. Rather than increase the fare prices, Uber and lift have decided upon a "fuel surcharge" that in reality does not offset the cost of increased gas prices.

    Also, passengers don't acknowledge that drivers are not paid for the travel time and mileage to the pickup, which in many cases is 10+ miles away. Based upon the standard deduction, the driver has already lost $5 in making the pickup. Additionally, drivers rarely get a return trip back to their home base. As such, they loose 50% of the fare when they drive back.

    Tips should be made in the service industry, for waiters, bartenders, livery drivers, and as such. Uber and Lift drivers should be tipped, despite the public's misunderstanding that no tip is required. Do you tip your bartender or server? If so you should the tipping your driver,

    Even worse are those who order from Uber Eats to get their brerakfast, such or dinner. Do they understand that if they do not tip the delivery driver only gets $2.50 for delivery regardless of how long it takes to make the delivery or the mileage.

    As an Uber driver, I will not accept a Uber Eats delivery where the estimate (including tip) is $2.50. Not worth my time or energy to lose money making your delivery.

    And to those who tip bait and then reduce the tip after the delivery, F you. You are taking advantage of your delivery person.

    By the way, if you have failed to tip previously, I will find a way to decline or cancel your trip - even if I already accepted it. We have memories.

    Lastly, if you are traveling on business and you fail to tip after your ride to the airport - you are an A-hole of the largest proportions. I helped you with your luggage, drove a longer distance than usual and spend a longer time driving you to your destination. I also have to drive back to where you cam from (usually without a another fare). If you took a taxi, livery vehicle or even choose to park at the airport you would have spent more than the Uber or Lift fare fare than what you paid for your ride and an appropriate tip.

    1. Bill Guest

      This is not true. I always tip drivers at least 20%. However, my most recent to and from airport trip cost me $300 for about 12 miles each way. That was more than my flight and certainly more than the $40 I would have spent in parking. I am going to go back and try limo drivers that seemed to be a lot more customer service oriented and trustworthy.

    2. Sarah Guest

      BS about your $300 trip to the airport 24 miles LMAO, ridiculous. You are a cheappy bastard and it shows.

    3. Joe McDowell Guest

      I bet you in was from lyft, because I tried to get a 7.2mile ride at 5p.m from my house to Walmart and it would have cost 170 bucks due to high ride domain and low drivers. I had to get my car from there as I drive for lyft and uber and I can tell you it was not any kind of peak pay at that time for lyft

    4. Olahshia Guest

      Your comment is rude and not needed. This is coming from a part time driver. It hinders drivers and riders coming together to bring this company down. They are over charging riders and under paying drivers. Nobody and I mean nobody wants to pay $300 to go 10 minutes. Then uber doesn't even give the desperate driver half of that. Uber takes 38% and up. However its usually the up. So while riders are mad...

      Your comment is rude and not needed. This is coming from a part time driver. It hinders drivers and riders coming together to bring this company down. They are over charging riders and under paying drivers. Nobody and I mean nobody wants to pay $300 to go 10 minutes. Then uber doesn't even give the desperate driver half of that. Uber takes 38% and up. However its usually the up. So while riders are mad at drivers and drivers are mad a uber both are being scammed by a mogul in the business. They charge drivers if they rent a vehicle $400 if its gas and $500 and up if its electric (tesla cause musk has a contract with them) this doesn't include the fact the driver has to take time to maintain the car. They don't care about the vehicles they rent to the drivers and if a driver doesn't care then a one that does will end up stuck with a crappy vehicle that they paid for. They don't get to test drive it and they pay in advance. If the driver is using their personal vehicle, they are stuck footing the bill on doors, tires, engines, transmissions, oil changes every month, seats getting destroyed etc. The driver also doesn't know who they are picking up. It can say Tom and you are watching Markiesha getting in. If a driver decides not to accept a trip then they are going to be waiting because uber uses them as vehicle slaves. They target desperate and in need people that are trying to make ends meet to drive and ride. Most riders are everyday folks and most drivers are picking up everyday folks. Smdh it's the separation that these mogul companies create leaving the people to fight against one another. If yall think the governing bodies care lmao they don't. If you make multiple millions then you are important so to anyone driving or riding you are not important to uber. They only want the money from both parties and guess what....yall will all continue to pay because they got yall going against one another instead of coming together to bring down these kinds of companies.

    5. Mk Guest

      I agree tip bait is bs and I would never lower a tip after the fact, but I REALLY dislike uber forcing us to add the tip when we place the order. Obvs there's a minimum I'm going to tip regardless, but the driver may give me a reason to tip more and I might not have cash on me. Though honestly, I had no idea we could change the tip after the fact in uber eats. I've never seen that option, I'll have to look for it next time.

  43. Peter Guest

    The uber app design makes certain assumptions about use patterns (speaking as a former software engineer). it is possible - having done it - to break the app so it hangs. The result is calls done work, GPS does, this and that … and overall the result is frustration. The only fix is to re-install the app (thereby removing the corrupted data files)

    I had a very frustrated client have to complain about me (much...

    The uber app design makes certain assumptions about use patterns (speaking as a former software engineer). it is possible - having done it - to break the app so it hangs. The result is calls done work, GPS does, this and that … and overall the result is frustration. The only fix is to re-install the app (thereby removing the corrupted data files)

    I had a very frustrated client have to complain about me (much as you complain about your driver). He should have been complaining about the app (but uber doesnt like that, being brand damaging).

    I wont say how I managed to break the app. If you are interested the better design team behind the door dash app don’t have the problem!

    The uber app is a 7/10 (on IOS). It has many flaws that have directly induced 4
    “Ride failures” in my personal experience. I suspect, that its “Google” management/design culture (these days) which is the root cause of its failure modes on apple platforms.

  44. Timothy Skuse Guest

    The d without a doubt there are dishonest folks on thboth sides of that trick coin. I am a rider/driver for both U and L. I have a number of stories / memories that I am trying to forget .

    One of the biggest scams to be perpetrated upon the Uber Driver is the “customer service / agents” for the help feature. From the moment you call , if you are not careful, you...

    The d without a doubt there are dishonest folks on thboth sides of that trick coin. I am a rider/driver for both U and L. I have a number of stories / memories that I am trying to forget .

    One of the biggest scams to be perpetrated upon the Uber Driver is the “customer service / agents” for the help feature. From the moment you call , if you are not careful, you are placed in this very long winded speech and a series of question (which an agent will then again ask you the exact same questions and then immediately ask you to hold on after you have once again explained your issue. This is constantly and sadly draining not only monetarily but my being as a whole. I am assuming the goal is to annoy , confuse, and frustrate you as a driver. They do a damn fine job. Oh, they will also send you the same email or message repeatedly and make you answer the same question before they can assist. All to get your 3-5$ in some cases. They are clearly not experienced or do they have the knowledge based in customer service to handle the size of a company or the perfect and I doing a great job for Uber good job Uber

    1. Edwina Thompson Guest

      My driver canceled my ride cause there was problem with system & destination address was wrong. Driver canceled & she got canceled fees out of my trip charge but I never got the difference in cash I paid for a trip I never took & it's no longer pending nor returned to my account. I'm catching hell trying to chat talk or even get someone to say ok we'll refund the remainder of the fare...

      My driver canceled my ride cause there was problem with system & destination address was wrong. Driver canceled & she got canceled fees out of my trip charge but I never got the difference in cash I paid for a trip I never took & it's no longer pending nor returned to my account. I'm catching hell trying to chat talk or even get someone to say ok we'll refund the remainder of the fare u never took. So what should i do get a lawyer its been 5 days which they said someone would contact me in 6 to 12 hrs its been over 72 hrs no help yet nor refund. I won't ever use Uber again.

  45. D&R Guest

    I’m a driver for Lyft and haven’t been doing this long, however, I get a lot of riders saying thank you for accepting my ride I’ve been waiting an hour some have waited 3 hours and said multiple drivers have cancelled on them when the ride is longer than 20 minutes. I live and drive in Akron, Ohio and my only complaints are:
    1.) many times after accepting a ride I get halfway to...

    I’m a driver for Lyft and haven’t been doing this long, however, I get a lot of riders saying thank you for accepting my ride I’ve been waiting an hour some have waited 3 hours and said multiple drivers have cancelled on them when the ride is longer than 20 minutes. I live and drive in Akron, Ohio and my only complaints are:
    1.) many times after accepting a ride I get halfway to pick them up or almost there and then they cancel but because it’s within the time frame Lyft allows they aren’t charged a fee and there isn’t always a ride immediately after one so I get zero money for the gas and time I put in to get there to pick them up.
    2.) I think as far as how much a driver gets paid vs. how much Lyft gets paid should be a bit different. The app should let drivers login and mark their zone they want to drive in and instead of Lyft getting such a huge cut of our pay the bulk should go to the drivers. Like maybe at sign up the driver agrees to a set smaller percentage of each ride that goes to Lyft for services and app use and we dictate whether Lyft gets paid after each trip or at sign off or weekly. Driving to Columbus from Akron a rider complained he was paying almost $300 for the ride and I got $98 of it and used the destination feature and never got a ride from Columbus back to Akron. So we eat the cost of time and fuel between pick up locations and the drive back. I don’t know about other cities but Akrons roads are horrible! Some potholes look like they could swallow a car! J/K, but seriously they are big and will definitely screw up a car. The money earned is obviously nowhere near enough to cover tire replacement, shock and strut replacements, etc not to mention regular required maintenance for the vehicle let alone accept a ride longer than 30 minutes with no compensation for the long haul back.

    3.) so I feel a standard cancellation fee should be required when a customer cancels so the drivers can get compensated for gas already wasted and time already wasted. I too agree there should be a way to track how often a driver cancels and hold them accountable for suspicious or fraudulent activity. Maybe deactivation and criminal charges for fraud might help reduce those types of incidents from occurring.

  46. Bill Kelsey Guest

    I just went through this where the driver was driving in circles and ignoring me. 5 star Lyft driver and the app doesn't seem to have a way of filing a complaint or review of an accepted ride that wasn't completed. We need to have the rideshare apps allow us to mark when drivers do this behavior. This is a terrible disservice to riders and the company who is paying for fraudulent behavior. How do you report these people?

  47. Greg Guest

    Unfortunately there are really bad drivers out there that do this. If a passenger cancels within 2 minutes or we've not made significant progress to the destination, we don't receive the cancellation fee, so they've definitely figured out how to game the system. Uber pays us for long pickups for everything over 9 miles and 13 minutes, so again, he was gaming the system. Usually the only time this doesn't work in our favor is...

    Unfortunately there are really bad drivers out there that do this. If a passenger cancels within 2 minutes or we've not made significant progress to the destination, we don't receive the cancellation fee, so they've definitely figured out how to game the system. Uber pays us for long pickups for everything over 9 miles and 13 minutes, so again, he was gaming the system. Usually the only time this doesn't work in our favor is when it's a long pickup on a very short trip. 5 minutes or less. Lyft is even worse about this, so I personally won't take any rides more than 10 minutes away when I'm running Lyft.

  48. bob Guest

    Used uber 100s of time and only had 1 legit bad exp. I don't know if this is a scam or not but I tried scheduling uber day before to get to airport next morning. It was awful, I got message on way while they were 20 minutes away schedule to pick me up in 30 minutes of the original time. After 20 minutes of driving a few blocks they texted me to cancel too...

    Used uber 100s of time and only had 1 legit bad exp. I don't know if this is a scam or not but I tried scheduling uber day before to get to airport next morning. It was awful, I got message on way while they were 20 minutes away schedule to pick me up in 30 minutes of the original time. After 20 minutes of driving a few blocks they texted me to cancel too far away.

    1. Not getting ride sucked but why waste our time for 20 minutes if it was too far away to begin with. Ps. they were not too far away they just didn't want job.
    2. What is point of scheduling ahead of time if drivers can just not show up.
    3.When I cancel ride they charged me cancellation fee. Even though I never got a ride and was told by driver to cancel. How is this fair.
    4. After I cancel and tried to get another uber it was the same driver trying to charge 4x as much as original ride. I already paid night before so what was point of paying ahead of time.

    Luckily I had a godsend sibling lived nearby that gave me ride. And was able to get a refund after going through the channels. I don't know if I should be angry at driver or Uber. probably both

  49. Alasatir Guest

    This has happened to me three times always at airports. Had to wait the asshole out which took 1 hour 20 minutes. I just took a bolt instead and left the app running until he cancelled. Then sent a message to uber complaining. They did not acknowledge the fraud.

  50. Billy Guest

    My friend needed a ride yesterday and decided to try Uber for the first time. She called me for help to install the app on her iphone and while not intuitive we finally succeeded. When the driver was confirmed, he texted to "cancel and reschedule", which she did, and then he sent the same message again, and she complied again. This happened FIVE TIMES... He did show up, and she got her ride, unaware that...

    My friend needed a ride yesterday and decided to try Uber for the first time. She called me for help to install the app on her iphone and while not intuitive we finally succeeded. When the driver was confirmed, he texted to "cancel and reschedule", which she did, and then he sent the same message again, and she complied again. This happened FIVE TIMES... He did show up, and she got her ride, unaware that her credit card had been tagged 5 times, for cancelations, until she checked later on... Then it took another hour for us to figure out how to request refunds. WTF! What a scam.. Unbelievable...

  51. Smokeybee Guest

    He was doing the airplane glitch

  52. Teri Guest

    So sorry you had to go through all that. I'm an Uber driver and I would never do that to anyone but I'm an honest person. Frankly I wait too long when people have to stop somewhere cuz they're only really allowed a couple minutes but I've waited for 15 minutes and longer but I certainly don't like it. I would hope a driver would only be able to pull that crap a couple times before they won't let you drive anymore.

  53. Jen Guest

    Here in Western Australia it's a fairly similar story. Uber drivers can simply cancel the ride due to you not being at pick up location, however you were there and you watch them as they drive past and go another route & don't respond.
    Can't help with your querie but its a good question - they may be having a power nap, who knows.

  54. Melinda Rueb Guest

    I can tell you what it is… Uber has changed their platform as of April 2021. They now tell drivers that if they accept less than five out of the last 10 requests sent to them they will not be able to see the destinations details. Meaning where the passenger is headed to. So drivers will just accept rides that they have no intentions on completing just so that they don’t lose the privilege of...

    I can tell you what it is… Uber has changed their platform as of April 2021. They now tell drivers that if they accept less than five out of the last 10 requests sent to them they will not be able to see the destinations details. Meaning where the passenger is headed to. So drivers will just accept rides that they have no intentions on completing just so that they don’t lose the privilege of seeing where the rider is headed to. If the rider cancels then the 5/10 numbers don’t go down. Also if the rider cancels within the first two minutes the rider is not charged If the driver has not made any headway towards the passengers pick up spot.TBH it’s UBERS fault because they made this change and penalize drivers for turning down rides that don’t benefit the driver. Sometimes sending drivers to pick somebody up to 20+ miles away to get paid $3.75. Why would a driver do that??? It’s a total loss from a drivers perspective. Unless they are headed that way… If driver Denies then their acceptance rate goes down (4/10) and now they have no clue where the next passengers is headed.

  55. JR Guest

    I drove for Uber three years ( 2015 - 2018 ish) and now am a passenger. I've been Using uber to get around for nearly 2 years now.
    I have had cancellation problems where the person shows up long enough to have been' arrived" then promptly leave. Weirdest thing is the " trip" addresses show either leaving or arriving at places in far away lands not usually even USA. Hmm. w in the ACTUAL f does that mean?

  56. D WESTCOTT Guest

    I'm sorry you experienced that kind of dishonest driver. That is one cancelation scam: here's another.
    Most passengers aren't aware once a driver gets close to a pickup location, a clock begins on the driver's app. After 5 minutes of wait time, the driver can cancel and collect a fee. The first 2 minutes are on the drivers, meaning they aren't getting paid. The other 3 are on the passenger. If the ride occurs...

    I'm sorry you experienced that kind of dishonest driver. That is one cancelation scam: here's another.
    Most passengers aren't aware once a driver gets close to a pickup location, a clock begins on the driver's app. After 5 minutes of wait time, the driver can cancel and collect a fee. The first 2 minutes are on the drivers, meaning they aren't getting paid. The other 3 are on the passenger. If the ride occurs the amount paid is higher. However if the driver can be close enough to start the clock they can park and not be seen by the passenger, after 5 culmative minutes they'll collect a fee and move on. This works since most passengers don't wait outside watching for their car.

  57. Jd Guest

    Yes, just now. Watched driver not move for 45 minutes. He would not respond to calls. After 45 minutes and looming deadline, I canceled. SMH

  58. David Vega Guest

    Yes the same thing happened to me exactly the same way , what a scam and I can't believe uber doesn't address this issue because they can see everything on there control center , I hope.

  59. Jason Guest

    So what could have happened with the Uber passenger from the airport that wrote the unnecessary novel LOL! Is that maybe the driver was pulled over and fell asleepZzz. Very possible. Uber is not that easy you get hella sleepy and if you do a lot of rides back to back you find yourself taking a lot of breaks.
    As to the UBER driver experiencing the Fake UBER rep., LITERALLY the same thing happened...

    So what could have happened with the Uber passenger from the airport that wrote the unnecessary novel LOL! Is that maybe the driver was pulled over and fell asleepZzz. Very possible. Uber is not that easy you get hella sleepy and if you do a lot of rides back to back you find yourself taking a lot of breaks.
    As to the UBER driver experiencing the Fake UBER rep., LITERALLY the same thing happened to me just yesterday, I had all my money taken, ~$700. I couldn’t believe I had fallen for this piece of shit “hacker” is what UBER called him. I went to pick up the passenger, said passenger was nowhere to be found, he then sent me a message saying: “my app is acting up, I don’t know where you are,” then I attempted to call, it did not go through… immediately after the 2nd attempt in calling I get a call from a number that would look to be Uber’s so I answer and he sounded, even a lot more professional than most our UBER Support reps, he spoke perfect English, said his name was Adam, that he was a supervisor at UBER and my dumbass didn’t think anything of it I was SOLD on the idea that he was a rep for Uber, even mentioned being on a “recorded line” we stayed on the phone for a whole hour. Long story short, don’t make any decisions in a situation like this until your app is Really having problems bc this mother fucker really made me believe there was a problem, he said “your account is now on hold” bc of the fraudulent use of payment method by the passenger you were about to pick up. It was odd to me, I didn’t seem to think there was an issue with my account BUT at the same time I didn’t want to risk missing my ride goal for the bonus I was so close and it made me give into this mother fuckin hacker’s wishes!!!! Call me crazy but I’m starting to think that UBER office workers are doing this on their own. They could be selling our info. to 3rd party hackers. The crazy thing is that we wouldn’t even know if this was happening or not. Fuckin crazy man

  60. Uber Passenger Guest

    I had a similar experience and it took me a while to figure out what was going on. The driver was tracking to pick me up from a shopping mall, but then stopped about half a mile away. I tried calling and messaging but there was no response. In the end I cancelled, and then put in a claim to get my money back. The frustrating part is that because I had to cancel there was no way for me to rate the driver for poor service and wasting my time.

  61. Learn2Summarize Guest

    TLDR; Your flight, your reason for the flight, your position on the flight: ALL IRRELEVANT.
    I was genuinely interested in hearing in this scam until you turned this into a Game of Thrones novel. Get to the point faster.

    1. Learn2read Guest

      Same could be said about your comment, irrelevant. He did not write this article to please soley you. Either learn to read text beyond the size of a tweet or just piss off lol.

  62. Uberx/Ubereats driver Guest

    We all need to understand there are bad people on all sides of the conversation. The majority of us are good people, but the few bad apples seem to ruin the entire batch.

    Most drivers buy cameras, because they experience a high rate of criminal scammer passengers (it seems high because they have thousands of passengers). There is also a high rate of passengers that refuse to ride with a uberx w/ camera, because the...

    We all need to understand there are bad people on all sides of the conversation. The majority of us are good people, but the few bad apples seem to ruin the entire batch.

    Most drivers buy cameras, because they experience a high rate of criminal scammer passengers (it seems high because they have thousands of passengers). There is also a high rate of passengers that refuse to ride with a uberx w/ camera, because the app informs you if the driver has a camera recording the ride.

    I personally had a scammer customer on my ubereats. It was terrible, but I got lucky and didn't ruin my reputation. Some dude ordered 2 bacon strips from Dennys (i found out long after the event). They immediately called to get "personal" information from me while pretending to be from uber. They wanted name, phone number, account information... I told them that it was dangerous to do this while I was driving (I only told them my phone number, and didn't think nothing of it; but I was suspicious on why Uber wanted that info.). After I parked, I called "uber help customer support" and had them "conference call" with the scammer fake Uber customer support. The official uber deleted the customer from the app, but it was too late because I gave the customer my real phone number while driving. That asshole kept trying to call me back. Luckily my cellphone has a "BLOCK" option. I already get daily spam calls from robo tellers (Police/government does nothing to robo callers, pretending they cannot trace them). I haven't notice any new robo callers yet.

  63. Eric Cohen Guest

    I'm an Uber eats driver and I will say that I haven't scammed per se, but during the pandemic knowing that most restaurants were closed, for some reason Uber eats left them up for people to order so I would just accept everyone and go to the clothes restaurant and collect the $3 that they pay you for the inconvenience. One night one closed McDonald's yielded me 30 bucks with 10 cancellations for the restaurant...

    I'm an Uber eats driver and I will say that I haven't scammed per se, but during the pandemic knowing that most restaurants were closed, for some reason Uber eats left them up for people to order so I would just accept everyone and go to the clothes restaurant and collect the $3 that they pay you for the inconvenience. One night one closed McDonald's yielded me 30 bucks with 10 cancellations for the restaurant being closed. I learned that if the person who ordered the food does the cancellation we receive our entire offer the whole fair.
    After learning of this I would tell customers ( hey the restaurant is closed, you can go ahead and cancel and find another restaurant, I'm on hold and it takes a while)
    I did stop this practice when I learner's the customer got charged for cancelling.

  64. It should not belikethis. Guest

    I had a ride 22 miles away to pick up 35 minutes and trip itself with rider was 3 minutes. My cancellation rate was already 4%... I politely asked the rider that I am 22 miles away, pls cancel and request an uber closer to you. She sends back angry messages telling me I must because she ordered and she will not cancel. I took a 180 turn and never picked her up and let...

    I had a ride 22 miles away to pick up 35 minutes and trip itself with rider was 3 minutes. My cancellation rate was already 4%... I politely asked the rider that I am 22 miles away, pls cancel and request an uber closer to you. She sends back angry messages telling me I must because she ordered and she will not cancel. I took a 180 turn and never picked her up and let it be. It happened 3 times Since then, I dont bother to talk to passengers because they dont understand our hardworking, our expenses and a driver to drive 22 miles is not paid for 22 miles but for one mile the rider rides. I let it be. If its urgent, they cancel. But I will not burn my gas 22 miles for a 1 mile ride.

  65. Jesus is lord Guest

    Uber management was not able to resolve this ! The blame on this is not other way around both way around. The rider first has to be smart when the apps don’t move like the car don’t move he is already ( driver not in good shape with the offer ( very far the APS kept secret of the distance, then because of the UPFRONT too many cancellation the driver cannot even imagine that the...

    Uber management was not able to resolve this ! The blame on this is not other way around both way around. The rider first has to be smart when the apps don’t move like the car don’t move he is already ( driver not in good shape with the offer ( very far the APS kept secret of the distance, then because of the UPFRONT too many cancellation the driver cannot even imagine that the minutes to reach the place is 1 hour and the passenger is only paying 3 dollar after 1 hour of distance picking) so this scenario is illogical and unfair and UBER DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THIS MATTER ! The way Uber will resolve this case is to gamble money retiring the fees of cancellation to passenger and gambling sometimes minimum of 3.75 dollar paying the rider! Today the new APPS HAS TOO MUCH ERROR the driver after the passenger has no patience of waiting the driver ALL THE RESERVATION AMOUNT IF 35 dollars goes to driver ( this happened to me 5 times) the passenger or rider is on panic mode and she/he did not know Iam already outside for 20 minutes in front of the address the thing is THEY JUST CANCELLED IT WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING OUTSIDE THE HOUSE( error on the apps and WIFI POOR DISTRACTION)

  66. uber driver uk Guest

    Im a uber driver, lets first start by apologising for such situation occuring for you. now down to facts of cancelation, a rider has 5 minutes grace period to cancel free of charge no issues no bad reports nothing will happen to them its afavt check terms and condition also if a driver does not drive toeards you within these 5 minutes and after you should jot grt charged as we do not recieve th4...

    Im a uber driver, lets first start by apologising for such situation occuring for you. now down to facts of cancelation, a rider has 5 minutes grace period to cancel free of charge no issues no bad reports nothing will happen to them its afavt check terms and condition also if a driver does not drive toeards you within these 5 minutes and after you should jot grt charged as we do not recieve th4 canfelation if we do not drive towards yoy. if you are getting charged before this 5 minutes you should contact uber tell them they mare a mistake as us as drivers dont grt paid if you cancel before 5 minutes. usual reasons I have done similae to customers in the passed is as follows the pick is too far and not profitable i request customer to cancel before ignoring them and explaining they will not get charged as I have not driven towards them
    after many attempts of this. us as drivers sometimes are tricked by uber making it seem the trip is on a surge and worth while giving us a higher than usal price but that pricr consist mainly of us sitting in trafric which is not profitable as a driver why would you accept to make one hours wages in 2 hours if you get the drift.
    as drivers if we have too many cancelafions we are penalised a.d potential blocked off the app were as a passenger has no problem they simply will get another driver once canceled. help the uber drivers they do a difficult job face many problems with problematic passengers day in day out. the scam is not from the driver but from uber them selves the druver and passenger are victims as uber hides this from you. so next time you see a driver driving off get the drift just cancel as long as its before the 5 minutes and they havent driven towarss you your money is safe and their job is too.

  67. Smw Guest

    Also the app regularly malfunctions in crowded and low cell areas. Am international airport would qualify. That means that requests might not get through. At airports, usually there is a waiting area for drivers. I suppose it’s possible that your driver just fell asleep or their phone dropped somewhere, but it’s more likely that the reception has been shot and they can’t even see the map details. Until you get out of the area and...

    Also the app regularly malfunctions in crowded and low cell areas. Am international airport would qualify. That means that requests might not get through. At airports, usually there is a waiting area for drivers. I suppose it’s possible that your driver just fell asleep or their phone dropped somewhere, but it’s more likely that the reception has been shot and they can’t even see the map details. Until you get out of the area and into a better range the app is screwy. Never attribute to malfeasance what is more likely shitty cell service. The cancellation fee (the app randomly seems to skip this) is just not enough to cover gas and expenses for a scam.

  68. Smw Guest

    The app outright lies to the drivers at various times. Telling them a ride is closer than it actually is. Sorry, not driving 14 minutes for your $3 fare. Or when you’re in a destination mode giving rides that are incompatible with the settings. Destination set for home at midnight, ride assigned at 11:30pm is 5 minutes away, 45 minutes to destination and another 45 minutes back home. Simple math means 1am. So $30 before...

    The app outright lies to the drivers at various times. Telling them a ride is closer than it actually is. Sorry, not driving 14 minutes for your $3 fare. Or when you’re in a destination mode giving rides that are incompatible with the settings. Destination set for home at midnight, ride assigned at 11:30pm is 5 minutes away, 45 minutes to destination and another 45 minutes back home. Simple math means 1am. So $30 before expenses for an extra hour+ of driving. Or the app will ignore a driver sign off and then assign a ride. The penalties for drivers are not being able to see details of rides and/or not making the next tier of rewards (takes3 months of regular driving to get the option) even when it’s the app at fault. Never mind the passengers that cancel when the app takes us a stupid way, traffic, idiot drivers on the road, rude passengers, unvaccinated passengers, etc. Throw your karma at the company that won’t fix these basic issues. If a driver isn’t to your taste, then taste then a 3, if they shouldn’t be in the road give them a 1.

  69. Eddy Guest

    The drivers are not the problem is all on the way requests are displayed by uber and lyft. Drivers dont receive any info about trips (where is going, how far and how much is gonna pay). thats why theres a reluctance of even doing the trips in the first place. Noone wants to drive 10miles to pickup and 20miles away drop off for $14. If the apps just raised the prices significantly(not talking about surge...

    The drivers are not the problem is all on the way requests are displayed by uber and lyft. Drivers dont receive any info about trips (where is going, how far and how much is gonna pay). thats why theres a reluctance of even doing the trips in the first place. Noone wants to drive 10miles to pickup and 20miles away drop off for $14. If the apps just raised the prices significantly(not talking about surge pricing) there wouldnt be driver shortages like there has been lately.

  70. billibob Guest

    no way they can amke significant mney from cancellations

  71. all that glitters Guest

    This is a problem with drivers, as well as passengers, I have had passengers texted me minutes away from a pick up that I have driven too, used my time and gas, asking me to cancel the ride. As a driver we do get hit when we cancel or don't accept rides. my solution is to finish my drive to the pick up location legal cancel on my side generally 3 minutes and then cancel....

    This is a problem with drivers, as well as passengers, I have had passengers texted me minutes away from a pick up that I have driven too, used my time and gas, asking me to cancel the ride. As a driver we do get hit when we cancel or don't accept rides. my solution is to finish my drive to the pick up location legal cancel on my side generally 3 minutes and then cancel. As for drivers if you have no intention of picking up a ride don't accepted it, I am so sick of passengers getting canceled multiple times by other drivers then listening to it for the entire ride that I did accept and did pick up how you can make a living on a 5-10 cancel fee is beyond me.

  72. Michael Blair Guest

    I will never use uber again and im very pissed about these cancelation scams. What a bunch of bs. J ended up bring Kate after 3 bullshit cancelations and taking a cab. I will never use uber again and I would really like some super bad karma to come every uber drivers way like people throwing up in the car cause these asshole dcammers deserve it.

    1. Quitbitchingyoucrybabies Guest

      Every uber driver? Hope that karma goes back ten fold on you and someone pukes all over your face

  73. Rosemarie Ifill Guest

    I think I was scared this evening I did not request a trip...a few days ago I did cancell...now I have been charge 16dollars...its kinda unfair...but I am waiting again for this to happen and you will see me on CBS or fox news.

  74. Jarminx Guest

    I'm an Uber driver, you asked if drivers get any penalties for too many cancelations, that answer is most definitely yes. We can actually be deactivated with too many cancelations. We also have the option to refund the rider, which a lot of passengers and drivers have no clue about. I've often asked for the passenger to cancel a trip, usually if they no longer need the ride or if there are unforseen complications that...

    I'm an Uber driver, you asked if drivers get any penalties for too many cancelations, that answer is most definitely yes. We can actually be deactivated with too many cancelations. We also have the option to refund the rider, which a lot of passengers and drivers have no clue about. I've often asked for the passenger to cancel a trip, usually if they no longer need the ride or if there are unforseen complications that are the passenger's fault, and offer to refund the ride after. Even if something goes wrong and my refund does not go through, a passenger can dispute this showing that I've stated I would refund, and usually get that cancel fee refunded.

    -As a side note, if I'm the one in the wrong, I will usually risk my stats and cancel it myself and deselect the cancelation fee option. Not all drivers will do this, they usually feel if they have to risk their stats, they will need to be compensated with the fee. The passenger may still be able to get a refund if disputed depending on the situation.

  75. Al Nightlong Guest

    California Uber Driver,
    Can't say above mentioned Uber driver was a straight shooter, after all, he did read the, "what's up?", messages. Maybe he got a case of the eff-its. Even so, 9.99% of the time, drivers know when a trip is in progress or money is being made. Logically speaking, it makes no sense to spend 30+ minutes to make a percentage of a fare with a grimy scam, when more money could...

    California Uber Driver,
    Can't say above mentioned Uber driver was a straight shooter, after all, he did read the, "what's up?", messages. Maybe he got a case of the eff-its. Even so, 9.99% of the time, drivers know when a trip is in progress or money is being made. Logically speaking, it makes no sense to spend 30+ minutes to make a percentage of a fare with a grimy scam, when more money could be made in less time, legitimately. Not only that but, why risk losing the job, entirely, over one measley ride? I would have to go with overworked and dumb as a bag of bricks, scammer. Ok, now look into the Uber tip screen okeydoke scam. Ya, Uber puts Uber first. Out of seventeen rides tonight, one person tipped. No complaints, on time, great convos, wealthy areas, one tip. Not just tonight but, every night. I asked a couple riders if the tip screen pops up after the ride. "No, it doesn't", they said. At first I thought, that must be impossible but, sure enough, I saw with my own eyes, after a ride is completed, the rider app returns immediately to the same screen for booking a new ride. Later I learned that, Uber passengers must first watch an Uber add, decline an offer, and rate the driver to even see a tip screen. 99.9% of people see an ad which initiates an immediate knee-jerk reaction to put the phone in their pocket and then, poof, byebye big tipper. What a crap thing to do and to think, almost all Uber drivers have no clue about this. Uber knows this is what is happening but they would rather see our hard earned and much needed tips be soon forgotten just to divert customer attention to some advertisment that rarely makes them a few more bucks. I would say every Uber driver on the planet loses an average of $8.00 an hour because of this strategically timed tip sabatoge. Dirty dirty. Now that's a real topic worth discussing.

  76. Beora Guest

    Your problem is with UBER AS A COMPANY. Not riders! What if you don’t have money to my tip and need to get home? Then I deserve to be scammed? Noooo. That’s not how it works. Uber should pay its drivers more! We don’t tip taxi drivers why the hell should we tip you guys?

    1. Earl Woodland Guest

      As a cab driver, most of my customers tip. So do not say we do not tip. Say you do not tip. You are probably the same person who will not tip servers in restaurants.

  77. Jack Guest

    This is why we all need to stop using UBER!

    1. Jarminx Guest

      Condemn even the honest drivers then? Because that makes perfect sense...

  78. James Guest

    I was an Uber driver for about a year. I worked 6:00pm-6:00am to beat the traffic and give rides to people going out and partying. When you do a 12 hour shift you want to hustle and make as much money as you can, maybe £10 an hour.

    When you are Ubering and hustling for money, if a rider does not arrive to your car within 5 minutes you will say ‘fuck this’, cancel...

    I was an Uber driver for about a year. I worked 6:00pm-6:00am to beat the traffic and give rides to people going out and partying. When you do a 12 hour shift you want to hustle and make as much money as you can, maybe £10 an hour.

    When you are Ubering and hustling for money, if a rider does not arrive to your car within 5 minutes you will say ‘fuck this’, cancel it and receive a £5 cancellation fee.

    Fuck the £5 fee. Uber drivers do not want to rent a car for £250 a week and hustle for £5 cancellation fees. It’s illogical.

    One Uber rider had me waiting outside McDonalds in central London for about ten minutes. I called. No answer. ‘Fuck that’. Time is money.

    Uber riders. Order the Uber when you are ready to leave.

    I don’t believe there is a scam. 5 minutes sounds like nothing, but when you are paid to drive, being parked up not making money, waiting for someone is upsetting.

    Uber drivers. Drive fast. Hustle. Do as many trips as you can. Cancel riders who take too long.

    This is the philosophy of the Uber rider. £5 is not a win. An airport journey cancellation is illogical as it could be many miles and a big earner.

    Bye people.

    James

  79. Uber G Guest

    Newsflash to all you cheap, selfish riders. Drivers would not resort to these tactics if you would just tip each time you take an Uber. Sheesh, would it kill you to leave him/her an extra $2 bucks? As far as I'm concerned, you riders get what you deserve!

  80. Steve Guest

    The part that a lot of you don’t understand is that when an Uber driver accepts a ride they may already be on a ride. They may have to complete a ride before picking you up. That may also include driving in a direction away from you. Might not have anything to do with scamming and all about congested traffic and needing to complete a ride. Also when you are in traffic on the freeway...

    The part that a lot of you don’t understand is that when an Uber driver accepts a ride they may already be on a ride. They may have to complete a ride before picking you up. That may also include driving in a direction away from you. Might not have anything to do with scamming and all about congested traffic and needing to complete a ride. Also when you are in traffic on the freeway going 70mph sometimes it is not a priority to text every person back who is waiting for a ride.

  81. Steve Guest

    The part that a lot of you don’t understand is that when an Uber driver accepts a ride they may already be on a ride. They may have to complete a ride before picking you up. That may also include driving in a direction away from you. Might not have anything to do with scamming and all about congested traffic and needing to complete a ride. Also when you are in traffic on the freeway...

    The part that a lot of you don’t understand is that when an Uber driver accepts a ride they may already be on a ride. They may have to complete a ride before picking you up. That may also include driving in a direction away from you. Might not have anything to do with scamming and all about congested traffic and needing to complete a ride. Also when you are in traffic on the freeway going 70mph sometimes it is not a priority to text every person back who is waiting for a ride.

  82. Cal Guest

    It's amazing that people don't realize that "drivers" are just a necessary nuisance to Uber and Lyft.
    They are using drivers a stopgap until driverless vehicles are on the streets. Uber and Lyft both know what the drivers are doing but the ultimate endgame is "NO Drivers" at all. Personally, I can hardly wait for autonomous vehicles roaming the streets in a few years.

    1. Jason Guest

      Lmfao this isn’t happening in a few years, maybe by 2035. In SF there’s a company called Zoox that is working on the driver-less uber car, but it won’t actually replace UBER, it’s a totally whole different company. Uber will also have UBER drones, I think you will be interested in that, check it out.

  83. Tasha Guest

    Uber doesn’t care about this I’ve been complaining unending. It’s not a lot of money but I refuse to lose my money like this. I work hard for it. Personally for me I take Uber so I don’t have to try to figure out individual taxi drivers so as an international company I thought they would be more stringent in their driver screening process. But instead they just leave you to the mercies of their...

    Uber doesn’t care about this I’ve been complaining unending. It’s not a lot of money but I refuse to lose my money like this. I work hard for it. Personally for me I take Uber so I don’t have to try to figure out individual taxi drivers so as an international company I thought they would be more stringent in their driver screening process. But instead they just leave you to the mercies of their scam. “You shouldn’t have cancelled” then what should I do? I have somewhere to be do I allow my bill to go up unending because your driver is a crook? Then you tell me you can’t refund? Your app showed he didn’t move. What more do you want to prove that he was scamming? Did you want me to walk and go find him?Nonsense.

  84. wq Guest

    Sorry if this has been addressed but, how were you able to dispute this and subsequently get refunded? I can't find any number to call Uber. This just happened to me. I wouldn't complain about this usually since it just happened once. However, I am financially strapped these days (like most people) and tired of letting shit like this go.

    I was supposed to get picked up 2-3 minutes from when I requested ride for...

    Sorry if this has been addressed but, how were you able to dispute this and subsequently get refunded? I can't find any number to call Uber. This just happened to me. I wouldn't complain about this usually since it just happened once. However, I am financially strapped these days (like most people) and tired of letting shit like this go.

    I was supposed to get picked up 2-3 minutes from when I requested ride for grocery shopping. Was outside waiting 1 minute later. Noticed car icon on map was going in circles and pickup time fluctuating so I texted driver regarding this @ 5 minutes later. Text "read" but no response. Texted again few minutes later asking if he's still coming.
    Again, "read" but no response. Called driver but vmail said (in effect) party not accepting messages. Sent one last text to driver saying if I don't get response, will get another ride. Tried to cancel but warned that if cancelled, will have to pay fee. Driver never came.

    Never had this issue before with Uber.

  85. Morgan Leslie Guest

    For the past few weeks Covid-19 outbreak has stopped me from working but all thanks to Mitrofan Ruben I now have a passive way of earning money from home, literally making money while I sleep, I started with $ 500 and now earning over $ 5,500 every 5days, I'm just so happy and I'm grateful sir you can also contact him on whatsapp +79209471789

  86. Bob Guest

    Luckily I read about this article a few months back. It just happened to me yesterday at San Jose airport (California).

    The Lyft driver named Enrique, driving a Honda Fit dark grey, license plate# 8FNZ355. He accepted the ride and press the button "Your driver is here". But when I looked at the map, he is not at the airport pickup area. Just stalling at the cell phone waiting area not moving. I kept...

    Luckily I read about this article a few months back. It just happened to me yesterday at San Jose airport (California).

    The Lyft driver named Enrique, driving a Honda Fit dark grey, license plate# 8FNZ355. He accepted the ride and press the button "Your driver is here". But when I looked at the map, he is not at the airport pickup area. Just stalling at the cell phone waiting area not moving. I kept calling and goes to his voicemail. After the 5 minute waiting period ends, and lyft app said, "driver is leaving now". I cancelled the ride and called another one.

    I reported the driver to Lyft customer service right away by phone. Not very easy to find the number but here's their number if you need it: # 1-844-313-3667. Lyft customer service was understanding and responsive. They also sent me a follow-up email the next day but just said I have been unpaired with the driver so I would never get him in the future.

    Which is not exactly the outcome I would like. I would prefer the driver got ban from the Lyft platform because I do not want him to scam more people in the future. Good luck guys. Be careful out there for such scammers.

  87. AnnaMaria Guest

    I've used Uber in various places around the US and around the world. The only time I have ever had problems were in two places: Miami and Union City, New Jersey. I don't mean to offend the good people of those two places however, I do think that the language barrier is a factor in these problematic Uber rides. My son lived in Miami Beach for a year and found it to be a "scammy" place on many levels.

  88. Any Guest

    These drivers make less than $8 after all the cost and time factored in. So please don't complain they are human beings too. For some problems in their life they are forced to do it. They providing best cars and service possible. Ignore their mishap once a while. Be kind to fellow humans and tip them, they don't make enough for the service they provide.

  89. Brooke Guest

    I had the situation where the Uber driver drove right by me. This happened yesterday morning. When I saw her drive by me, I assumed she was going to make a U-turn, or something that made sense. When I got the cancellation notice, I then assumed that she'd had some sort of an emergency and had to rush off somewhere else. But when I saw that I was the one who was charged (and not...

    I had the situation where the Uber driver drove right by me. This happened yesterday morning. When I saw her drive by me, I assumed she was going to make a U-turn, or something that made sense. When I got the cancellation notice, I then assumed that she'd had some sort of an emergency and had to rush off somewhere else. But when I saw that I was the one who was charged (and not her, because it was her decision), I was really baffled. I then had to go through a bunch of steps to reverse the cancellation fee. Uber even guilt trips you by saying that the driver is charged for their inconvenience. What a pain!

  90. Dan Stroebel Guest

    What riders do not know is that drivers automatically have riders added to their pickup queue by Uber and Lyft and cannot block this. For example, if I get hailed to pick someone up 15 miles from me I go. But after I go, I get a second rider automatically added to my queue that lives along the way of the first rider. I drop them off, and the first rider is still waiting. Then...

    What riders do not know is that drivers automatically have riders added to their pickup queue by Uber and Lyft and cannot block this. For example, if I get hailed to pick someone up 15 miles from me I go. But after I go, I get a second rider automatically added to my queue that lives along the way of the first rider. I drop them off, and the first rider is still waiting. Then 30 seconds later a third rider is added to my queue without my consent so pick them up and drop them off. 15 minutes later I'm on my way to pick up the very first rider, but now they cancelled because I took too long. And the reason why I didn't text the first rider back is because my other riders would report me for texting and driving. It's Uber/Lyft that creates this problematic situation.

  91. RxSocialWork Guest

    K. George, Shame on you for putting your wife's life in danger by not calling an ambulance! Rideshare is never appropriate to use in place of Medical Transporation!

  92. Steve Guest

    How about the rider scam where they get a round trip and report that the driver never picked them up and get the trip reversed and the driver loses the fee. Happened to me several times until I blocked the riders from requesting me again. They also gave me one star ratings. RIDER SCAMMERS!!!!!!!!

  93. Steve Guest

    Well get updated information as of November 2019 if the driver does not make reasonable progress toward your pickup you do not get charged any cancellation fee and the driver does not get paid. So Uber/ Lyft have already addressed this issue. Now get over yourselves and also don’t call until you get your bags at the airport! Drivers are sick of having to circle the airport waiting for you. RIDERS SCAM AS MUCH AS DRIVERS!!!!!

  94. Patriot1 Guest

    I'm an Uber driver. I don't respond if I'm driving in heavy traffic near an airport, it's too distracting and I'm going to pay attention to my driving. I'm not going to get into an accident because some impatient dumbass like you can't wait for a few minutes. Sounds like you're the one pulling the scam. If it was up toe you would be out of ten bucks. Sorry, but you brought the problem on yourself.

  95. Wendy Hermance Guest

    Frank - That is incredibly nasty thing to do to a low wage worker, especially when you have no idea what was happening to him in that 90 minutes. He could have been in a traffic jam, a wreck, or delivering a baby, or anything.

    I use mostly kapten and Bolt now in Europe. Scam Cancellations do happen, but my biggest peeve is Scam Waiting, by kapten drivers who note Arrival when they nowhere...

    Frank - That is incredibly nasty thing to do to a low wage worker, especially when you have no idea what was happening to him in that 90 minutes. He could have been in a traffic jam, a wreck, or delivering a baby, or anything.

    I use mostly kapten and Bolt now in Europe. Scam Cancellations do happen, but my biggest peeve is Scam Waiting, by kapten drivers who note Arrival when they nowhere in sight, a block or farther away. It has become an obvious pattern. I have seen the Drivers click the Waiting button manually when I get into the car, so I know that they have the option to do this manually. kapten is usually 4% cheaper than Bolt, but the Waiting fees bump the prices over Bolt.

  96. Anthony Guest

    Sorry, We waited...

  97. Anthony Guest

    Hi Ben,
    We waiting until this year to use these car services. We were sceptical. We paid more for the other ways as taxi were not a choice.
    We tried Uber in different countries. Many of the same problems you and your readers list out.

    In this so called New Economy and Millenial worship of the internet we see that without management to manage the operations its a free for all for the...

    Hi Ben,
    We waiting until this year to use these car services. We were sceptical. We paid more for the other ways as taxi were not a choice.
    We tried Uber in different countries. Many of the same problems you and your readers list out.

    In this so called New Economy and Millenial worship of the internet we see that without management to manage the operations its a free for all for the drivers. The internet is great, but it operations will fail without having proper managers in supervising positions.

    From the financial pages it is showing large loses at Uber and recent top manager let go.

    That "model" be it Lyft, Uber, Cabify (Mexico), Grab (Asia) needs to be updated to be successful.

    Hopefully they will take note of their failings and make the needed changes.

  98. K. George Guest

    This happened to my wife when she had kidney stones at 3 am and called an Uber to take her to the hospital when I was away. He drove around to within 10 blocks of the house and parked without moving for 30 minutes. Then he called to ask her to cancel and hung up on her when she said she needed to go to the hospital. She collapsed on the floor in pain in a ball on the floor and had a taxi take her when she came to a few hours later. Needless to say, I was furious.

  99. Hervey Allen Guest

    I once asked for a ride from the mall to home in Santiago, Chile. The driver was within a few minutes of my location, then I proceeded to watch him drive many miles, hopelessly lost until he got in to a nasty traffic jam. After about 15 minutes of this I canceled, but kept a screen shot of his attempts to get to me. Explained the situation and Uber refunded right away. Not a cancellation...

    I once asked for a ride from the mall to home in Santiago, Chile. The driver was within a few minutes of my location, then I proceeded to watch him drive many miles, hopelessly lost until he got in to a nasty traffic jam. After about 15 minutes of this I canceled, but kept a screen shot of his attempts to get to me. Explained the situation and Uber refunded right away. Not a cancellation scam, but my only time the driver couldn't figure out how to get to me. Interestingly the area is well known and the approaches are a bit odd, but any navigation app will point you in the right direction, so I don't really know what happened.

  100. Simon Guest

    Best idea especially if it’s your home airport is to take free hotel shuttle to nearest hotel and Uber from there.

  101. Jane Doe Guest

    I have been driving for Uber over 2 years, over 6100 trips. Prior to that I drove cab for 12 years.
    Rider's think they are entitled!
    Whatever happened with respect and manners? Don't get me wrong it works both ways!
    We as drivers are using our own car, bought mine brand new, only had 17 miles on it. But with riders being disrespectful and slamming my doors as hard as they can,...

    I have been driving for Uber over 2 years, over 6100 trips. Prior to that I drove cab for 12 years.
    Rider's think they are entitled!
    Whatever happened with respect and manners? Don't get me wrong it works both ways!
    We as drivers are using our own car, bought mine brand new, only had 17 miles on it. But with riders being disrespectful and slamming my doors as hard as they can, guaranteed that rider will get a 1 star rating with a being disrespectful from me. Oh I apologize it's not their vehicle!!
    Rider's complaining about cancellation fees, to solve this problem, by being at the pickup spot when you order. Why waste my time, especially if you are only going 2 miles?
    I get rider's with ratings 4.4 and below, I know that they will give me a bad rating in retaliation! Those riders are 100% Scum!! But if I don't accept trips Uber takes it out on me. If I give a bad rating, guaranteed my next trip will be short. This really happens, picking up riders at the grocery stores, will push their fully loaded carts up to my car, they get in my car expect me to put their crap in my car, I am not about to put their crap in my car. I will start trip. My job is getting rider from point A to point B safely! Uber doesn't pay us enough to load groceries for you low life individuals. Uber is great! Ok then we as drivers should get paid more, for all the bullshit we put up with disrespectful behavior of our riders. Getting or think you're getting the Chauffeur's ride on a cheap cost of the driver.
    Uber doesn't care a rat's ass about their driver's, as long as they are making money.
    Yes as a rider can complain about a driver, contact them! But it works both ways.
    I have been told, I'll tip you on the app so many times, it's a joke!! Had a trip earlier, he wanted change from a 20.00, for a tip. Ironically I only had 7.00. Rider was going to give me 1.00, I told him you can also tip me on the app Never happened.
    I am 60 years old, I am not stupid!

  102. Ben Guest

    It happened twice to me in the same place in Saudi Arabia.

  103. T Ball Guest

    I had the same incident happen at LAX multiple times. Same exact thing. I hope Uber is catching onto this and dings drivers who do this. One driver told me he has both Uber and Lyft up on his phone and whichever is going the longer distance he takes. In case you all have not heard when Uber drivers get to a certain level (Gold, Diamond) they get more details on where our ride is...

    I had the same incident happen at LAX multiple times. Same exact thing. I hope Uber is catching onto this and dings drivers who do this. One driver told me he has both Uber and Lyft up on his phone and whichever is going the longer distance he takes. In case you all have not heard when Uber drivers get to a certain level (Gold, Diamond) they get more details on where our ride is going. They get the Distance and estimated time. I think they accept on one platform and see if something better comes available on the other. Super shady!

  104. Blair Guest

    I never use Uber or Lyft. Don’t know anything about the maintenance and safety of the car I am getting in. Nor do I want to be exposed to assault or in the case of my girlfriend, rape. I take a limo with a professional driver. Picking me up on time, car in the driveway and getting me to and from the airport without stress is worth the extra fare to me. This is especially...

    I never use Uber or Lyft. Don’t know anything about the maintenance and safety of the car I am getting in. Nor do I want to be exposed to assault or in the case of my girlfriend, rape. I take a limo with a professional driver. Picking me up on time, car in the driveway and getting me to and from the airport without stress is worth the extra fare to me. This is especially true after a long and grueling flight.

    By the way, did you really think that everyone knows what the heck “Art Basel” is?

  105. Oscar Gonzalez Guest

    Started to happen a lot in Los Angeles,
    In the latest instance, I wasn't in rush and decided to wait until driver cancels..Normally he was very close and ride should take 3 mins and after 25 minutes he cancelled but before he cancelled he drove through my street, I saw him but he didn't stop.. After he saw me he even speed up...
    During this time, I took screenshots and wanted to dispute...

    Started to happen a lot in Los Angeles,
    In the latest instance, I wasn't in rush and decided to wait until driver cancels..Normally he was very close and ride should take 3 mins and after 25 minutes he cancelled but before he cancelled he drove through my street, I saw him but he didn't stop.. After he saw me he even speed up...
    During this time, I took screenshots and wanted to dispute the driver for better Uber experience for everyone...
    Uber declined my dispute and didn't return $5, which is not a big amount.. But did nothing about the situation!!
    Wanted to escalate since I have screenshots and all the proofs, same copy paste answer all the time..
    UBER HAS WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!!

    1. Jason Guest

      It really does suck (UBER driver)
      They should start making Uber offices here in America sand pay our own people instead of putting the money in other countries this is probably my biggest pet peeve about the current rideshare companies

  106. Andy Guest

    agree with PBP, uber driver gets conned alot. Like sitting in traffic for two hours and get $14 for a ride and no tip. Like customer stopping and not adding stops and get free stops. Like getting $4 ride and get stuck in traffic and waste time and gas and lose money on ride. Like driving all day doing 11 trips and made $66 for the day with no tips and had to pay for...

    agree with PBP, uber driver gets conned alot. Like sitting in traffic for two hours and get $14 for a ride and no tip. Like customer stopping and not adding stops and get free stops. Like getting $4 ride and get stuck in traffic and waste time and gas and lose money on ride. Like driving all day doing 11 trips and made $66 for the day with no tips and had to pay for gas. Rider thinks they have right to get best of the best for peanuts. You rider guys are cheating poor guys. They not getting minimum wage. You not helping humans who are stuck at low level to feed themselves. I know thats their choice. But have a pity and give them at least a dollar for tip. They help patients, blinds, handicaps, kids, weaks, elderly, women and children safely to their destinations. Please help them don't expect alot for nothing. Don't show off by getting out best cars and not pay fair share. Its a drivers experience.

  107. JJtiptop Guest

    @Ronald Carr Here's what I don't understand. I have never NOT tipped a driver. I tip every time and often generously, minimum 20%, partly because my company pays for it and I usually use Uber mostly for work. The other day I doubled the driver's fare because the trip was relatively short and it took her a while to find me. Yet I have a rating below 4.8. I have no idea why. I'm always...

    @Ronald Carr Here's what I don't understand. I have never NOT tipped a driver. I tip every time and often generously, minimum 20%, partly because my company pays for it and I usually use Uber mostly for work. The other day I doubled the driver's fare because the trip was relatively short and it took her a while to find me. Yet I have a rating below 4.8. I have no idea why. I'm always courteous, although I do sometimes ask to turn down the music so I can do a call or focus on my work. I had never even noticed my rating until I looked at this thread. Now that I realize I have a subpar rating despite my high tips as well as the fact that I've learned a lot of passengers don't tip, I'm inclined to stop tipping. I'm wondering if because I always tip in the app (so I can use my credit card), I don't get the benefit of my tips in my rating. Either way, I have to rethink my approach to tipping, maybe smaller amounts but cash only?

  108. Brian Guest

    It’s happened tome .... Eventually the driver cancelled after repeated messages.... I’d feel a lot better if I could flag that driver to Uber, but there is no way to report it....the customer service is the let down here to me

  109. Ronald Carr Guest

    Help me understand why passengers don't tip drivers is a more relevant question? You will tip the paperboy, waiter, man in the restroom with hand sanitizer and a towel, usher at the church but won't tip a driver who is safely getting you to where you need to go. Cancelation fees are way below minimum wage so to pose this question is absolutely absurd and as a driver I'm appalled. There are many variables that...

    Help me understand why passengers don't tip drivers is a more relevant question? You will tip the paperboy, waiter, man in the restroom with hand sanitizer and a towel, usher at the church but won't tip a driver who is safely getting you to where you need to go. Cancelation fees are way below minimum wage so to pose this question is absolutely absurd and as a driver I'm appalled. There are many variables that can occur between the time the driver receives the notification to pick you up.

  110. Luis Guest

    I agree with Doberman.

  111. PBP Guest

    Even UBER drivers get conned & scammed. There are 2 parts to this story. Part 1. I get a ride just 1.5 miles away it tells me that it is a 10 minute ride, so I assume that it is a $ 5 ride. I pick it up. I pick up the ride. The lady wants to sit behind me, however there is a larger space on the rear passenger side. She say that she...

    Even UBER drivers get conned & scammed. There are 2 parts to this story. Part 1. I get a ride just 1.5 miles away it tells me that it is a 10 minute ride, so I assume that it is a $ 5 ride. I pick it up. I pick up the ride. The lady wants to sit behind me, however there is a larger space on the rear passenger side. She say that she is comfortable behind me. The ride is to Walmart just 4 miles away and 12 minutes duration. One minute into the ride she says that, Sir can she add a destination as she just has to pick up groceries. I say no I can’t wait. She very politely says that the groceries are ready I have to just go in and pick them up. I don’t want to miss an additional ride so I say yes. That is just what she is waiting for. Part 2. Because of the snow, we arrive at Walmart 14 minutes later. She mentions that the pickup bay is on the side of the building. I pull into the bay number six. There are two cars waiting next to me waiting for their groceries. 10 Minutes pass no groceries arrive. I ask her to phone Walmart. She tells me that she ordered them one hour ago and is surprised at the Walmart service. She says that she is using this service for the first time and doesn’t know the process. I also tell her that I am also using the pick bay for the first time. I ask her to go and talk to the Walmart delivery lady at the next car. She goes and comes back, says that the goods will arrive soon. Another 15 minutes pass. Then the goods come. The goods are in blue tubs around 8 tubs. More than 25 plastic Walmart bags of goods. Milk gallons, soap gallons, diapers, Frozen food, Ice cream, tinned food, bath tissues etc.it was a whole months groceries for 2 to 3 adults. The Walmart lady swipes her EBT card and US Debit card and says, that she will get her receipt in email. Now we travel another 8 miles = 16 minutes. She says thanks for waiting, and says that she will give me a big tip. Next she never give me any tip. I drop her. After dropping her, husband comes and collects the goods. I get $ 17 on my UBER app. Now that I had time to think, I realized this is how she conned me. First she sat behind me so that I could not notice her using the Walmart app to order groceries. So the groceries were ordered while she was sitting behind me. Next this was not the first time that she was buying groceries on the app. She tried to put the blame on Walmart staff for working slow. Of course it will take them 25 minutes to fill 25 plastic bags. Also another 5 minutes to deliver them to the car. I thought that I don’t want to lose my next ride so I accepted her request. She used 70 minutes of my time, and what did I get only $ 17. It was cold, and after a snow storm, she did not want to book a second UBER because she may have not got one quickly so she wasted my time. Hereafter I am not doing multiple rides to pick up Groceries at Walmart, Target or any other place. A Taxi for 70 Minutes would have costed her $ 80.

  112. Dev Mehta Guest

    Every day. Its very much common in India.

  113. Daniel is Right ON! Guest

    Daniel is Right ON!

    EVERYONE knows FULL WELL you get what you pay for. You want to pay a Ford Fiesta price, then guess what, that is what you are going to get. You want a nice car and service, then you are going to have to pay up. RIDERS, please stop with this ENTITLEMENT mentality. You have complete control over your ride experience in the form of how much you pay. Pay more for...

    Daniel is Right ON!

    EVERYONE knows FULL WELL you get what you pay for. You want to pay a Ford Fiesta price, then guess what, that is what you are going to get. You want a nice car and service, then you are going to have to pay up. RIDERS, please stop with this ENTITLEMENT mentality. You have complete control over your ride experience in the form of how much you pay. Pay more for a premium ride, and you will get it. Pay for a budget no frills bottom of the barrel ride, and that is what you will get (along with the associated problems that come from anything that is bottom of the barrel)

  114. Marty Dulberg Guest

    It's interesting to see all of these comments. I assume that all of you ordered Uber X or Pool and don't realize how little drivers get paid. Uber and Lyft have done a great job of trashing their level of service by charging low rates and squeezing driver pay. As a result you get a lower quality of drivers who will cheat and scam to make ends meet. It's not reasonable to expect limousine service...

    It's interesting to see all of these comments. I assume that all of you ordered Uber X or Pool and don't realize how little drivers get paid. Uber and Lyft have done a great job of trashing their level of service by charging low rates and squeezing driver pay. As a result you get a lower quality of drivers who will cheat and scam to make ends meet. It's not reasonable to expect limousine service for 1970 taxi rates. 96% of drivers quit within a year so the only ones left standing are the ones who are really good at it or willing to scam and cut corners.

  115. GEORGE TARUC Guest

    While you fully have valid points I think the topic here is about Uber drivers not showing up and making customers cancel the request. It would be good to hear your take on this.

    1. being disgusted individual Guest

      I'm pretty sure, there is traffic in that airport maybe even police close road. but this dumb ass don't cancel ride, wasting his driver gas time and reduce this rate as well.

  116. raul Guest

    Raul, I have to cancel rides all the time because the Uber GPS does not guide me at all, or freezes on me. I waste my time, my gas and do not get compensated. The customer is short changes as well because there time is wasted as well.

  117. Doberman Guest

    I am a driver... one of the highest rated (4.99) in my city, with an experience of more than 4 years and approximately 6000 passengers. From what I can tell, and understand passengers often express their frustration regarding some Uber or Lyft experiences that doesn't match their expectations...
    1) Each driver IS NOT the entire UBER company. We are independent contractors LEASING the platform that includes an amount of support with it.
    2)...

    I am a driver... one of the highest rated (4.99) in my city, with an experience of more than 4 years and approximately 6000 passengers. From what I can tell, and understand passengers often express their frustration regarding some Uber or Lyft experiences that doesn't match their expectations...
    1) Each driver IS NOT the entire UBER company. We are independent contractors LEASING the platform that includes an amount of support with it.
    2) Most of you the passengers would generally love to rule over our business that includes our time, our personal vechicles, our expenses, for as cheap as zero money if possible. Doesn't work like this. Can't get limo services for free and in a one mile ride...
    3) Most of you have no idea that we are OBLIGED to rate the passenger before ending a ride, having no option to skip giving a rating like you guys do... most of you have no idea what it takes to keep a car on the street and keep it in that shape you like... but y'all very good on getting a car dirty, slamming doors, throwing up in the cars and even peeing on yaself during the ride... all that for few bucks and no tip.
    4) Most of you have no clue that being a bad and unsupportive rider WILL drop your passenger rating down, making you lose access to a lot of promotions and discounts or even losing the right to use the platform.
    5) A lot of you passengers definitely NEED to try driving Uber for at least one month before making any comments about how this service should or shouldn't be... otherwise you will never understand what does it take to be a driver.
    6) You guys do expect a lot, but never ready to give at least half pay back for that... Do I generalized? Ok.. Not all of you are broke cheap snobbish and exigent, but not all of us we are bad drivers either...

  118. Sally Anfield Guest

    Hey, this is what happens when you ride corporate, and this is what happens when you drive corporate.

    As someone said (somewhere) above, human drivers are just a momentary inconvenience for the devils until they can reliably get the cars to drive themselves. That aught to be fun.

    Meanwhile, to show their contempt, the corporate devils apparently steal their serfs' tips. If you mist ride corporate, tip in cash, kids, not through the app.

    I'll...

    Hey, this is what happens when you ride corporate, and this is what happens when you drive corporate.

    As someone said (somewhere) above, human drivers are just a momentary inconvenience for the devils until they can reliably get the cars to drive themselves. That aught to be fun.

    Meanwhile, to show their contempt, the corporate devils apparently steal their serfs' tips. If you mist ride corporate, tip in cash, kids, not through the app.

    I'll relate my own FLL to Miami ride in a taxi where the Haitian tried to get me to pay cash instead of cc, then tried to tell me the transaction didn't take. Being NYC yellow, not only did I know this ploy was coming, I had some familiarity with his OS, and showed him that he did, in fact, get paid.

    While I'm the maniac who still tips in cash even when paying cc, he wasted so much of my time that I stiffed him- it kind of hurt me to do it, but I did.

    I do use GPS in the yellow- yes, I handle my phone while operating because, unlike the airheads and hausfraus, who spurred the enactment of such rules in badly driving oversized SUVs while on their phones whingeing to their mothers about the husbands who bought them that SUV- I can do 97 things at once without killing anyone. I have a million miles on the road; don't try this at home.

    I use GPS for my own sanity (so that I'm not fretting about not being on the fastest route), even more so than for customer service.

    While it may draw faux-outrage from the insulated SJW set, my riders are damned glad that I do so, and it shows up in the tips.

  119. John Guest

    I am a Driver. I don't play the "call the rider to find out where they are going scam" at the airport. Instead, if I have been sitting at the airport queue for an hour and a rider wastes my time with a short trip, I just give them a 1 star rating and suck up the $2.32 earnings for 1.5 hrs of my time. MOST riders know full well that they are screwing the...

    I am a Driver. I don't play the "call the rider to find out where they are going scam" at the airport. Instead, if I have been sitting at the airport queue for an hour and a rider wastes my time with a short trip, I just give them a 1 star rating and suck up the $2.32 earnings for 1.5 hrs of my time. MOST riders know full well that they are screwing the driver with those short airport trips, so they get what they deserve. I have also seen riders scamming too. One even was so bold as to detail his fishing practice to me while on the ride - automatic 1 star BTW for being such a disrespectful ahole. Riders go fishing for a nicer car. If the one that is assigned to them is not to their liking, they immediately cancel, doing this over and over until they get what they want. Why do riders think it is OK for then to fish for nice cars and not for drivers to fish for nice trips? Because many riders are entitled aholes, and ONLY care about themselves. These types of riders also never tip. If a rider has less than a 4.8 rating, I will decline them automatically. They obviously are a problem rider in some way to have less than 4.8. REMEMBER, we are independent business owners and we are not your slaves that HAVE to serve you and your desires. Quite the contrary, you the rider should appreciate that we are willing to share our car with you and drive you safely for peanuts. Drivers earn only about half the fare Uber charges you, some time we get a little as 1/3. So, the next time you are picked up by an Uber driver, THANK them for picking you up, be pleasant and respectful, and then tip to help the driver get a LITTLE closer to their fair share of the trip cost. 

  120. Chris Bates Guest

    I'm Mr. Bates, my Uber driver was gone 3 mins after I said I was coming out of the apartment, and charged me, and made me late! Because I only had enough money on my card to make it to work / after they took my money off I didn't have enough to go to work. I was treated badly and almost lost my job!

  121. Goat Excellent Guest

    Drivers have at least two phones running the Uber driver app on one and the Lyft driver app on the other. They may also have fraudulent driver accounts that drivers share on multiple phones. The driver accepts the rides offered on each phone but picks up only the most profitable ride. They ignore the other rides. They shut the phones off after they accept the profitable job, that's why the car doesn't move on the...

    Drivers have at least two phones running the Uber driver app on one and the Lyft driver app on the other. They may also have fraudulent driver accounts that drivers share on multiple phones. The driver accepts the rides offered on each phone but picks up only the most profitable ride. They ignore the other rides. They shut the phones off after they accept the profitable job, that's why the car doesn't move on the map. When they get back to the airport they turn all the phones back on and do it all over again. So at the end of the day, they're basically taking only the most profitable rides and collecting cancellation fees on top of those rides.

  122. Unidentified UB Guest

    You have to understand something. It’s called rideshare. Most drivers who are in the field has zero social skills and no customer service experience at all. Also, there isn’t a manual handed to you when you start driving. (Lyft somewhat. Uber no) So, your getting what your going to get. That’s drivers and passengers. But my advice: if the driver doesn’t hit you up in a reasonable amount of time, cancel the driver and call...

    You have to understand something. It’s called rideshare. Most drivers who are in the field has zero social skills and no customer service experience at all. Also, there isn’t a manual handed to you when you start driving. (Lyft somewhat. Uber no) So, your getting what your going to get. That’s drivers and passengers. But my advice: if the driver doesn’t hit you up in a reasonable amount of time, cancel the driver and call their rideshare company. You are the customer and you are ultimately the one who has to make sure things are right.

  123. Jane Guest

    Interesting post... This just happened to me in Tampa this past Thursday night. The driver, Matthew, was literally 2 min away from me, after I waited for a few minutes, but then he drove off and was 9 minutes away. My destination was only 12 minutes away, so I was very annoyed to be waiting the extra 20 min and just cancelled. Uber did not charge me cancellation fee, but I hope they did not...

    Interesting post... This just happened to me in Tampa this past Thursday night. The driver, Matthew, was literally 2 min away from me, after I waited for a few minutes, but then he drove off and was 9 minutes away. My destination was only 12 minutes away, so I was very annoyed to be waiting the extra 20 min and just cancelled. Uber did not charge me cancellation fee, but I hope they did not pay him, either. He had a 5.0 star rating, so I was surprised by his behavior. But I just checked my history and he now has 4.86 star rating. I hope Uber is onto this scam.

  124. Sean S. Guest

    Funny enough, Uber just announced a change to things on the driver side that will "reward" drivers for going to out of the way pick up's by then prioritizing them for other picks up on the way back to the busiest area's. I'm wondering how this will work in practice, but I think part of the reason why this becomes a problem is because of how the algorithm works and then punishes people for going...

    Funny enough, Uber just announced a change to things on the driver side that will "reward" drivers for going to out of the way pick up's by then prioritizing them for other picks up on the way back to the busiest area's. I'm wondering how this will work in practice, but I think part of the reason why this becomes a problem is because of how the algorithm works and then punishes people for going outside of busy areas. It'll be interesting to see if this sort of things incentivizes drivers enough to go distances outside of "lucrative" areas.

  125. C Guest

    After 4mins and driver not moving just cancell so u dont get charged and he will not get paid either. Hate to say it this problem is because uber dosnt care and 90% of passengers never tip or the driver drives far and drop off is not worth it that on a slow day its better to collect cancelled rides. But not thus way thats fucked up. Uber is taki g so much out from...

    After 4mins and driver not moving just cancell so u dont get charged and he will not get paid either. Hate to say it this problem is because uber dosnt care and 90% of passengers never tip or the driver drives far and drop off is not worth it that on a slow day its better to collect cancelled rides. But not thus way thats fucked up. Uber is taki g so much out from the drivers alot have became scamers. My advice to passengers is to text the driver right away and tell them where u r going. How many people are in your party. If u have a CAR SEAT FOR YOUR CHILD...PLEASE ALWAYS HAVE A CAR SEAT. And tell them YOU WILL LEAVE CASH TIP its better to leave cash. If u do this u r more likly be having a driver move and if they dont move with in 4mins cancel and on to the next.

  126. George Petty Guest

    As a driver I can think of a few scenarios that answer this question. If the driver's phone loses or experiences intermittent or slow data, his car will appear to sit still for you. If he is talking on the phone while driving to you, same thing. Heavy cell and data usage on a busy weekend event had e the same for me. (Had a ride cancelled because I wad too far away when I...

    As a driver I can think of a few scenarios that answer this question. If the driver's phone loses or experiences intermittent or slow data, his car will appear to sit still for you. If he is talking on the phone while driving to you, same thing. Heavy cell and data usage on a busy weekend event had e the same for me. (Had a ride cancelled because I wad too far away when I said arrived but I was at the bar entrance). I learned this by driving 20 minutes into the boonies for a rider. He canceled as I was entering the on ramp for the interstate highway. Had to drive another 6 miles to turn around..47 minutes and 19 miles of my way..I did get 3.84 after several days of contact with uber.. because I made screen shots of my progress. So.. takeaway for a rider... if your drivers ETA exceeds 10 minutes from the original quote, you may cancel without a fee... so says uber.

  127. KR Guest

    As an Uber / Lyft driver. I can tell you WHY this is happening.
    Both companies have lowered the rates to the point it is more profitable to take the cancel fee than take the ride.
    I've had a Passenger actually suggest that he cancel. His Fare was $10.. it was a short 2 mile ride which would have paid me $2.50. .. yeah. Uber charged him $10 I get paid $2.50.
    ...

    As an Uber / Lyft driver. I can tell you WHY this is happening.
    Both companies have lowered the rates to the point it is more profitable to take the cancel fee than take the ride.
    I've had a Passenger actually suggest that he cancel. His Fare was $10.. it was a short 2 mile ride which would have paid me $2.50. .. yeah. Uber charged him $10 I get paid $2.50.
    If he had canceled once I arrived.. the Passenger would have been charged $5 cancel fee.,. I would have received $5 and I would just take him to his destination anyway and we both made out. Of course he is likely to then call Uber complain.. get his $5 back and I get deactivated. So I told him NO..
    It's a result of the cancel fee being better than the pay amount, which is just dumb.

    Drivers get screwed by Uber and Lyft all the time for just about everything... So the result is drivers try and screw them back.

    We also deal with passenger that do this to us. Call Uber 3 days after a ride.. claim we were drunk while driving, to get there $5 ride refunded.. then we get deactivated for a week while Uber "investigates". They never call is or talk to us.. so I'm not sure what they are investigating.
    So we loose a WEEKS pay because some cheap ass person wants there $5 back..
    You also have the situation where someone pukes in your car . And you take pictures.. submit it. They won't pay you till you submit a reciept from a detail shop. And it has to be a real shop they check.. fake reciept won't work.
    So where do I find a detail shop at 2am on a SAT??? So you clean the mess yourself and get screwed out of the pay for it .. or worse they charge the passenger for the mess and then NOT pay the driver.

    It ends up building into this adversarial relationship... And just snowballs.

    I've been driving for them a long time... And just about had it.. rates suck. I can make better money working a min wage job now. Sucks cause I love the work.. I like driving and meeting new people.
    Just can't pay the bills easily anymore.

  128. Jose Guest

    Sorry to hear that happened to you, am an uber/lyft driver and no as driver I feel this person shouldn't be working for uber, I always wait for my passanger, call them and even tho I wait after their time is up( 5 minute waiting period) and if I see I don't have no response well I cancel and leave, but yes some drivers are taking advantage, it shouldn't be like that

  129. Renn Guest

    1. Maybe the app froze
    2. Miami riders are the worst at tipping so drivers want to avoid losing their place in line for worthless short trips after a long wait. If the driver cancels the app kicks them out of the queue.
    3. I hear complaints about drivers. Riders are for the most part dirty, smelly and very rude. The same way you waited for that driver, drivers have waited for riders...

    1. Maybe the app froze
    2. Miami riders are the worst at tipping so drivers want to avoid losing their place in line for worthless short trips after a long wait. If the driver cancels the app kicks them out of the queue.
    3. I hear complaints about drivers. Riders are for the most part dirty, smelly and very rude. The same way you waited for that driver, drivers have waited for riders that order more than one car and make you drive 10 mins for nothing. Sometimes they just jump in a cab right in front of you and tell Uber you never showed up, or tried to pick them up in the upper level.
    One of my favorites is the free 5 min stop to get beer or cigarettes.
    "I'll leave you a tip in the app". Sure.
    Ft Lauderdale is much better. Riders are decent, they respect your property and don't go around expecting a red carpet while taking a pool ride.

    So yes, there are a lot of problems. Want to fix them? Start by looking in the mirror.

  130. Juan M Member

    Sometimes the GPS tells them to do things that no Miami driver should ever attempt

    @305 im VERY interested on knowing what you mean about this? What kind of examples?

  131. Paul Guest

    Almost the exact same thing happened to me in Fort Lauderdale. I finally did cancel and I did get my refund. Then I reordered another Uber and that driver showed up. I asked that driver what this was all about and he told me that some drivers do not want to do short trips from the airport. So they just want you to cancel they have to accept there in a line of cars waiting...

    Almost the exact same thing happened to me in Fort Lauderdale. I finally did cancel and I did get my refund. Then I reordered another Uber and that driver showed up. I asked that driver what this was all about and he told me that some drivers do not want to do short trips from the airport. So they just want you to cancel they have to accept there in a line of cars waiting for people. And they have to accept so if they accept a short trip they don't want to do it because there's no money in a short trip. So they just asked the person to cancel and then they don't have to go to the back of the line. It is definitely a problem if you're going to have a short trip. The Uber drivers do not want that at an airport. At least the guy was honest that these creeps that don't speak English are trying just to get more money out of you.

  132. Joe Guest

    Not sure if anyone mentioned this or not, but its completely possible the ride was, in this case, added to the drivers queue (they dont always have to hit accept, sometimes it's just automatic) and after waiting in the airport lot for an hour or more, the driver had simply fallen asleep. I drive for Lyft in Seattle and I've been to the airport waiting lot a couple of times and tons of people just...

    Not sure if anyone mentioned this or not, but its completely possible the ride was, in this case, added to the drivers queue (they dont always have to hit accept, sometimes it's just automatic) and after waiting in the airport lot for an hour or more, the driver had simply fallen asleep. I drive for Lyft in Seattle and I've been to the airport waiting lot a couple of times and tons of people just show up and throw the seat back to crash out for a while, it can take hours to get a ride sometimes. Why people think it's worth their time bill never know.

  133. Joe Guest

    You guys have no idea what you're talking about. Scamming for cancellation fees?! You think a person can make a living doing that? Cancellation fee may be 10$, but drivers get only 2.50$. Do you really think that adds up? Besides, you cant just sit in the car all day and cancel rides- after few of those, you are forced offline and if its happening often, your account gets deactivated. Cancellations happen for many reasons,...

    You guys have no idea what you're talking about. Scamming for cancellation fees?! You think a person can make a living doing that? Cancellation fee may be 10$, but drivers get only 2.50$. Do you really think that adds up? Besides, you cant just sit in the car all day and cancel rides- after few of those, you are forced offline and if its happening often, your account gets deactivated. Cancellations happen for many reasons, but i assure you collecting 2.50 fee is not one of them.

  134. Phil Guest

    Same thing in Logan airport on Sept 25th. Would not answer my calls or texts as I watched the cab driving all over Boston. As the rest of you Uber refunded my cancel fee, but that wasn't the point. I couldn't give driver bad grade since ride never occurred.

  135. Trevor Guest

    I am totally amazed by the amount of ignorant, uninformed comments made here! Maybe we should only comment on what we know? For instance, comments like a tip is included in the fare are completely wrong. In fact, if you had taken an uber/lyft you would know that they both ask at the end of the ride if you want to leave a tip (why would they ask if the tip was included?) The driver...

    I am totally amazed by the amount of ignorant, uninformed comments made here! Maybe we should only comment on what we know? For instance, comments like a tip is included in the fare are completely wrong. In fact, if you had taken an uber/lyft you would know that they both ask at the end of the ride if you want to leave a tip (why would they ask if the tip was included?) The driver does not know where u going until at minimum they arrive at the pick up location. Certain drivers (depending on perks) will be told how many minutes and general direction of your ride, but not exact destination.
    I'm not defending all drivers or denying that drivers do dumb stuff, they do. It is just irritating that people make comments as if they are true facts and people read them and accept them as if the author as knowledge. We can be better than this!

  136. Darlene Sweigart Guest

    I am an Uber driver and I used to drive for Lyft, but they did not support the drivers as much as they should and allow Riders to continue to play games. So lift will pay more usually and a driver who drives for both companies will accept the rides they get and then decide not to keep one when they get another ride that they think is better. So they'll leave you hanging after...

    I am an Uber driver and I used to drive for Lyft, but they did not support the drivers as much as they should and allow Riders to continue to play games. So lift will pay more usually and a driver who drives for both companies will accept the rides they get and then decide not to keep one when they get another ride that they think is better. So they'll leave you hanging after they've accepted your ride because they figure you're just going to cancel and they'll make that $5 or whatever they get for cancellation. The best thing to do is report all the drivers that do this because both Uber and Lyft want to know who is doing it. They are not professional drivers. Also there's a lot of taxi drivers who have either given up driving taxi and drive for Uber and left or they drive a taxi end do Uber and Lyft, and they also may do this. The reasons for them doing this is also because the ride might be a short ride and I want to only take long rides and that will be the reason they call you and ask you where you're going. Don't answer the phone if they call. And if they do text you and say they won't come for you unless you tell him where you're going cancel them immediately and report them.

  137. Martin S Matusicky Guest

    This has happened to me far to often. I live in tampa bay area and it's like pulling teeth to get uber to refund me ..

  138. Sam Guest

    All the time in DC especially with Uber Black. I finally got to ask a few drivers about this and they said it because the driver Usually wants a longer run. See they don’t know where you are going until they pick you up. So , they might ask you via text or phone and then cancel. They usually say, as a excuse , it’s because they want to be sure to “plan” with you...

    All the time in DC especially with Uber Black. I finally got to ask a few drivers about this and they said it because the driver Usually wants a longer run. See they don’t know where you are going until they pick you up. So , they might ask you via text or phone and then cancel. They usually say, as a excuse , it’s because they want to be sure to “plan” with you where to best pick you up but it’s to be able to know before moving and then ignore you . I guess those needing a ride usually cancel first! Then they still get the fee. In all instances I called Uber right away to report it and take screen shots of the Uber drivers profile to report them.

  139. Naveen Guest

    How true. U have hit the nail on the head

  140. Arnold Naveen Andrade Guest

    I just don't have the time to read the 100s of messages u have received.
    It is a big scam n one of the easiest way to make quick money. If u r ever in Melbourne, Australia email me n glad to have a chat. Every word u have written is true. It is sad that riders get penalized for no fault of theirs.

  141. Sanaya Guest

    This happens in India with Uber ALL.THE.TIME. And their customer service here is faceless, voiceless and completely ineffective. There is no real time resolution for ANYTHING!

  142. Nicolas paulino Guest

    I was at FLL airport and it happens to me 2 times one with uber and another one with lift.
    Lift refund my5 dollars uber did not.

  143. Clarence Tieties Guest

    Dear rider

    When u request an uber take in mind u have 5min to cancel if the driver isn't moving...if u cancel after that u will be charged a cancellation fee..

    Drivers sometimes want longer trips as the shorter one's dont pay...plus most riders dont tip!

    Im a driver and most ppl won't understand the drivers frustrations...the algorithm has no support towards drivers earnings ...hence drivers are always looking for the longer trips

  144. Ttump Kovfefe Guest

    The driver was probably just confused or stuck in traffic, since Miami might be the biggest airport. That's according to our president, who has the absolute right to do whatever he wants, which includes making Miami the biggest airport

  145. Jose Guest

    I am an uber driver. I dont know an uber driver who want to waste 30 minutes of their time to cancelled a trip for 3.78 cent. It has been time that I am waiting for a passage, an the passage is waiting for the luggage when Uber tell them that before order the uber to make sure the have the bags. Why do we as an uber driver waste more that give minutes for a trips. Time is money for every one.

  146. NPS-CA Guest

    Uber has head their collective head in the sand on this for 2+ years. I noticed this cancel scam in Atlanta two years ago. Driver would accept, go the ENTIRE wrong way (wondering if they had a second acct?) wouldn't cancel - would wait for me to cancel. I'm talking rides that are 2 min away turn into 10+ min away - I would screenshot this BS and get a refund every time on the...

    Uber has head their collective head in the sand on this for 2+ years. I noticed this cancel scam in Atlanta two years ago. Driver would accept, go the ENTIRE wrong way (wondering if they had a second acct?) wouldn't cancel - would wait for me to cancel. I'm talking rides that are 2 min away turn into 10+ min away - I would screenshot this BS and get a refund every time on the cancel fee. NOT ONCE has the driver been responding to a call or text.

    My new thing now is at airports, CALL THE DRIVER - if I don't see a response and see them moving towards me I will cancel for the sole reason of driver unresponsive.

    This has played out a little on Lyft but not as bad as Uber. I give a driver 5 min to get hold of me if I ask them to (or attempt a call) - failing that and failing progress driving towards me I WILL cancel and dispute the charge. In some cities out of the US I've now gone back to cab apps - even though I may a few bucks more, Uber fraud is permissive and they just don't care.

  147. Lana Guest

    UBER can always check the GPS to see if the driver was in the correct location for pick up. If the driver is not in the correct location and cancels they will not get a cancellation fee. The driver has to wait at least 5 minutes in the correct location to get the cancellation fee. The driver receives less than $5 for cancellations. This is not profitable. Don't request an UBER until you are ready...

    UBER can always check the GPS to see if the driver was in the correct location for pick up. If the driver is not in the correct location and cancels they will not get a cancellation fee. The driver has to wait at least 5 minutes in the correct location to get the cancellation fee. The driver receives less than $5 for cancellations. This is not profitable. Don't request an UBER until you are ready to be picked up and at the UBER pick up point. Too many riders request rides as soon as they get off of the plane. If the driver is right close that 5 minutes begins as soon as they pull up. After 5 minutes they cancel so they can make money. You may see them headed to pick up another rider. Also, drivers can only pick up riders at the "Ride Share Pickup Spot". They can be fined up to $500 otherwise.

  148. Deli Guest

    So what I've been told by an uber driver is something very interesting. If they are in a uber waiting zone waiting for pickups. They have a wait time about 45 minutes to pick up passengers in a cue. Once that cue time Is over they receive notice through app to come pick passenger up. The app will tell you how much the price will be for ride . Smf on their side they see...

    So what I've been told by an uber driver is something very interesting. If they are in a uber waiting zone waiting for pickups. They have a wait time about 45 minutes to pick up passengers in a cue. Once that cue time Is over they receive notice through app to come pick passenger up. The app will tell you how much the price will be for ride . Smf on their side they see how much they will get payed for said ride. If the ride is less than the desired rate amount they get they will tend to cancel for many reasons. my case of knowing the way or traffic or something . They dont want to get paid less for a short ride then turn around and make less money. It is note worthy that they dont want to cancel because of uber driver reviews. If they have bad ratings they get the lowest rates for pickups when waiting in cue. also if the driver cancels 3 times it affects driver score and the the next time when called for pickup they will not be allow to see the rate and the distance and score goes down for too many cancels
    I was at sfo airport for my situation. And I work there enough to know because cancels happen to me because the short trip isn't worth the rate they want dilfer waiting 45 minutes for little money

  149. Peter Guest

    Yes, I had both an unscheduled Uber and a scheduled Uber (to get to the airport!) In Houston TX in two different occasions and I was let down horribly both times. It was disappointing and caused me to use Lyft almost exclusively during my trip recently.

  150. Rick Guest

    This happens all of the time to me in Chicago. I plan my mornings to be picked up at a certain time. The driver speeds over to arrive early so I can be charged for them to wait then they cancel when I get downstairs at the proper pickup time. Then I have to request a new ride and the fare is doubles. Uber is a major scam company. Uber Eats drivers have told me...

    This happens all of the time to me in Chicago. I plan my mornings to be picked up at a certain time. The driver speeds over to arrive early so I can be charged for them to wait then they cancel when I get downstairs at the proper pickup time. Then I have to request a new ride and the fare is doubles. Uber is a major scam company. Uber Eats drivers have told me they’ll cancel a person’s order and eat it themselves, a free meal, if the person calls and asks where their food is because the restaurant is running behind. But Uber owns everything so nothing will be done about these scams. Uber’s taking over the world.

  151. Jesse Guest

    I had a somewhat different issue in Miami during Christmas 2018. I had just come back from a cruise with my girlfriend and her parents. Since everyone was exiting the cruise ship obviously it was busy but prices to go from the cruise terminal to the airport were still extremely reasonable, about $30. I confirmed a ride and waited about 20 minutes for the driver to show up. I assumed that he was just stuck...

    I had a somewhat different issue in Miami during Christmas 2018. I had just come back from a cruise with my girlfriend and her parents. Since everyone was exiting the cruise ship obviously it was busy but prices to go from the cruise terminal to the airport were still extremely reasonable, about $30. I confirmed a ride and waited about 20 minutes for the driver to show up. I assumed that he was just stuck at the entrance as he was not moving. Then without warning the app says that my ride ended. It claimed that the driver picked me up half a mile down the road from where I had been the whole time and dropped me off about 10 yards from where I was . Got charged $10 for that. So then I had to order another Uber at which time the prices had jumped to surge pricing of $60. That driver showed up but was certainly not very personable. Due to there being an accident directly in front of where we were waiting and emergency vehicles blocking the road, the driver had to park several car lengths away. The driver seemed to be put out that it took us a minute to lug our luggage to his location and that it took my girlfriend's mother some time to be able to climb into his tall SUV since she is handicapped. From the time that he stopped to us being on the road took about 10 minutes. We got to the airport without incident, exited the vehicle and ended the trip. I gave the guy five stars and tipped even though he was not the friendliest person. I later see my receipt and it show that this jerk charges me $15 for wait time. I tried dealing with it through the app which was no help at all. So I called Uber and I told them the entire situation. It took several weeks but all I was refunded was the $10 for the fake pick up and drop off. Nothing was done about the so called wait time. I've never had a problem anywhere else just in Miami.

    1. Joe blow Guest

      The driver doesn't charge you for the wait time uber automatically does after two minutes and the driver probably got .15 cents a minute and uber got the rest.

  152. Samuel Guest

    I just had this happen to me 2 times in Paris. The first time was at 5:30 am with no one on the street. The driver slowly approached to where I saw his plates but then sped up and went right past me. I was in front of the hotel and was the only person on the street and even waved at him with my phone. I called him a few times but he never...

    I just had this happen to me 2 times in Paris. The first time was at 5:30 am with no one on the street. The driver slowly approached to where I saw his plates but then sped up and went right past me. I was in front of the hotel and was the only person on the street and even waved at him with my phone. I called him a few times but he never picked up. I never cancelled the trip but the driver did after 10 minutes. Uber charged me but I asked for and got it credited back.

    The second time I called the Uber from the train station and it said he was 3 min away. 5 min went by and I figured he was stuck in traffic. Finally I messaged the driver in French (used Google translate) and asked where he was. He replied back and told me to cancel the trip. I messaged back and said he can cancel it if he wants to. Then suddenly he was a minute away and was in front of me with an attitude. It was a one way street and I was near the front of his car indicating he was my Uber driver. THEN when the ride started he drove recklessly and cussed out another driver. Then when I got to my location he asked me to rate him 5 stars!!

    After I reported both incidents my rating took a hit and went down from 4.96 to 4.90.

  153. Susan Kaut Guest

    I have been fortunate to have a great experience with Uber and it's drivers in Las Vegas. Although I have noticed that rates have risen, we have always had positive experience with every ride request. We have been picked up promptly, treated with professionalism and safely delivered to our destination. I sincerely hope that these issues of fraudulent charging and unprofessional behaviors are resolved promptly. Even one bad experience would sour me on using the...

    I have been fortunate to have a great experience with Uber and it's drivers in Las Vegas. Although I have noticed that rates have risen, we have always had positive experience with every ride request. We have been picked up promptly, treated with professionalism and safely delivered to our destination. I sincerely hope that these issues of fraudulent charging and unprofessional behaviors are resolved promptly. Even one bad experience would sour me on using the company in the future.

  154. Shane Guest

    Unfortunately the way taxi company’s work is exactly how that man described. The taxi company owns the car and charges the driver rent for using it for a 12 hour shift. $60-$100 and maybe more a shift depending on where you live. Cash goes to the driver to fill up his fuel tank at the end of the night. That’s $40 out of your fares. Not counting the other $60 you might owe as rent...

    Unfortunately the way taxi company’s work is exactly how that man described. The taxi company owns the car and charges the driver rent for using it for a 12 hour shift. $60-$100 and maybe more a shift depending on where you live. Cash goes to the driver to fill up his fuel tank at the end of the night. That’s $40 out of your fares. Not counting the other $60 you might owe as rent for the car. Card transactions go to the company and they take your portion of that ride and apply it straight to your rent. Most nights because of high competition and fare evaders you were lucky to break even on rent after 12 hours of work. If your $60-$80 was in cards for the night gas came out of your pocket until you got back to hub, they’d take their rent and you’d leave with $20 for the day. That’s assuming you didn’t have a rent debt from dead days where you made nothing. Worst job I ever had. Dangerous job, low pay, and the companies that own the cabs get rich.

  155. DL Guest

    A driver asking me to cancel has happened to me a few times. In London for sure, but maybe elsewhere as well (I travel a lot and I think it may have happened in Marin County). I've also had drivers cancel when I am a) exactly where Uber has told me to go; b) Uber says that they have arrived; and c) they don't answer the phone when I call them to find out where...

    A driver asking me to cancel has happened to me a few times. In London for sure, but maybe elsewhere as well (I travel a lot and I think it may have happened in Marin County). I've also had drivers cancel when I am a) exactly where Uber has told me to go; b) Uber says that they have arrived; and c) they don't answer the phone when I call them to find out where they are. I don't like the idea of canceling because I then have to go complain to Uber (who has always refunded the fee in cases in which I felt a refund should be requested).

    In one instance when I was asked to cancel, the ride was a long ride from an outer London neighborhood to Westminster but maybe they didn't want to come to the side street where I was visiting. In another instance, it was really unclear from the map where I was supposed to be (very complicated intersection). I also tip pretty much on every trip in the US and the UK. My tipping outside the US depends upon the local culture. And I think I'm pretty courteous to drivers (my passenger rating is pretty close to 5).

    I've never understood the motivation for drivers asking me to cancel until now -- some people here say that drivers are penalized for cancelling. So if a driver doesn't want to take a short trip or find an odd location, they would want me to cancel.

    I have wondered about my inability to find or contact a driver after Uber says they have arrived and I'm at exactly where Uber says they are. What is happening there? Is a driver gaming something?

  156. Ramon S Guest

    I drive for uber ,and if anyone thinks were sitting around scamming for $4.
    has to be smoking something Trust me its not worth the time or energy.
    Who's has time for those Games, when you're out trying to make money

    What the hell is a cancelation fee doing for the driver bottom line
    Absolutely Nothing

    I dont know who comes up with crap.

  157. Rose Guest

    I am an Uber driver. I am doing mostly Uber Eats in Chicago.
    I did a lot of Uber passenger rides over a yr ago.
    I am certain there are drivers that do this but I'm not one. I don't know how those drivers end up earning anything. 25% of my income is tips.
    That being said, I have had this situation happen numerous times to me. I pull up in front...

    I am an Uber driver. I am doing mostly Uber Eats in Chicago.
    I did a lot of Uber passenger rides over a yr ago.
    I am certain there are drivers that do this but I'm not one. I don't know how those drivers end up earning anything. 25% of my income is tips.
    That being said, I have had this situation happen numerous times to me. I pull up in front of a house. Nobody comes out. I call and they tell me they found an alternate route of transportation and forgot to cancel. I ask them to cancel the ride. They agree but never cancel the ride. There a bad people everywhere. There are good people everywhere too.

  158. Rob Guest

    I will start off by apologizing for the unfortunate service you requested... As a former driver I quickly studied the ride-sharing system and the are many issues. I will start off by stating that as a gig it absolutely does not work out...It did for the beginners but doin spiraled downwards... My belief is that Uber with all its intentions has a system in place where it opened the door to tons of issues...
    ...

    I will start off by apologizing for the unfortunate service you requested... As a former driver I quickly studied the ride-sharing system and the are many issues. I will start off by stating that as a gig it absolutely does not work out...It did for the beginners but doin spiraled downwards... My belief is that Uber with all its intentions has a system in place where it opened the door to tons of issues...
    1. A membership should have been created where you charge the drivers a monthly fee for the convenience to pick up passengers and handle the software end and payments... 50-60 bucks
    Possibly a small Convenience fee for passenger also.... Just a few bucks a month 4-5 dollars

    2. Our governing bodies should have been more involved and create a system to charge drivers for a special license to taxi and perform background checks on drivers not sure how much they would charge...
    3. Sometimes I wonder Elon musk is right automated taxis are the wave of the future..... I've had passengers tell me they wouldn't be caught dead in a self driving taxi .... With that being said the argument consist of safety, and getting from point A to B in an efficient and economical matter.... Not paying 10 x because there is lots of demand .... That's always disturbed me...why should a passenger pay $60 dollars when previously payed under $10 bucks.... For just a few miles!!!

    There should not be surge.... Because there is a demand... Maybe a small flat fee for a convenience due to high demand but not ridiculous surge pricing...

    Driverless vehicles will close a lot of these arguments brought up by our people..... Environment/Safety/Cost/Roads/Convenience/Greed/Technology

  159. Chris Mashburn Guest

    This happens all the time, in various forms, to me in Los Angeles. I hate it so much!

  160. Lynwood Jones Jr Guest

    The score system is a joke.
    In the long run, guber and ryft will continue to lose money as a company and continue to rip off drivers while those fat cats at the top continue to get fatter.

  161. An uber driver Guest

    I am an uber driver- i do hear about drivers that just never seem to get close enough to a meeting point. I'm sorry a rider has to endure that. I'm out of Dallas Fort Worth area and i take extreme pride in the cleanliness of my vehicle and giving someone a super experience. I only charge a cancellation fee if i have had to wait and the rider ended up being a no show....

    I am an uber driver- i do hear about drivers that just never seem to get close enough to a meeting point. I'm sorry a rider has to endure that. I'm out of Dallas Fort Worth area and i take extreme pride in the cleanliness of my vehicle and giving someone a super experience. I only charge a cancellation fee if i have had to wait and the rider ended up being a no show. I've called uber driver support myself personally and asked that they refund a riders cancellation charges- to me this is my business and i practice ethics at all times. I would recommend calling uber rider support and explain that the driver is not responding to your attempts to contact them. Also if you cancel before 5 minutes have passed there is no cancellation charge. If they aren't moving and responding after a minute or two i would say cancel. It will hurt them alot. I don't know about Miami- but at DFW airport a driver might wait 3 or 4 hours to get your ride request.

  162. Giorgio brutini Guest

    These cancellations of Uber drivers plus being charged for it are wrong. File a complaint with your State Attorney General!

  163. Janice D Coss Guest

    You may think u r calling your driver but my calls went to my rideshare switchboard that forwarded calls to me which I hardley ever got on my phone. Why would I answer calls on the road and in traffic. Texts work best. No one is goung to earn a living off of cancellations. Especially when riders do not cancel. Sometimes the system just screws up. I was sent to the wrong place to pick up a few times. Goid kuck. Try Lyft.

  164. Tom Friedel Guest

    The article seems to make conclusions from one example, and with an Uber driver with a good score. There could have been any number of reasons for what happened. The score system should fix problems like this, or Uber should immediately see if a driver is getting cancelled alot. This is the reason systems like Uber should beat taxis in the long run.

  165. Sunshine Guest

    Lucky you have a creative imagination, stop torturing yourself and dragging other riders along with you. There is no way a driver can strike it rich from a $3 cancellation fee. I am both an Uber rider and a driver partner. Uber Pool riders have the ability to cancel within 3 minutes, Uber X riders have 5 minutes to cancel, and Uber Comfort riders have up to 8 minutes to cancel without being charged the...

    Lucky you have a creative imagination, stop torturing yourself and dragging other riders along with you. There is no way a driver can strike it rich from a $3 cancellation fee. I am both an Uber rider and a driver partner. Uber Pool riders have the ability to cancel within 3 minutes, Uber X riders have 5 minutes to cancel, and Uber Comfort riders have up to 8 minutes to cancel without being charged the $5 cancellation fee. Uber gets $2 of the cancellation fee and the driver receives $3. The driver will only get the $3 fee in one of two ways, if the driver has been in route to the location for a minimum of 5 minutes or has waited for a minimum of 5 minutes within 25 feet of the rider's pick up location. Basically a driver would have to waste 10 to 30 minutes trying to so call scam a rider to get $3, when they can drive a rider for 10 to 20 minutes and earn at least $6 - $10 or better yet stand on the street corner with a cup panhandling a sob story.

    I will tell you what I have discovered as a driver and a rider, the GPS app is as creative as your thinking Lucky. Meaning there were times my rideshare driver was sitting right in from of me but my app showed my driver was 15 minutes away. My riders have had similuar experiences where they were sitting in my car but their app showed me minutes away.

    You have the power as a Rideshare passenger to protect yourself from what you think are scams opposed to errors in technology. You also have the power to protect yourself from the big bad rideshare drivers that have nothing better to do than to scam riders all day. This is how:

    1. Text or call your driver with any special instructions immediately after you have confirmed your ride. If your driver does not respond to your communication promptly or just doesn't sound pleasant if they respond then cancel the ride within the time you are allowed to cancel.

    2. If you are past the time you are allowed to cancel without being charged just contact Uber and request a refund of your cancellation fee, and no we don't get to keep the three dollars if it is refunded back to the rider. Now does Uber keep the kitty, I don't know but I know the driver doesn't get it.

    3. Always monitor your Uber account

    4. If you are concerned about the vomit scam take a selfie when you first get in your ride and when you get out of you rideshare car with a time stamp. Drivers are required to send time stamped pictures after any damage done to their vehicle by a rider and are required to call and report the damage to Uber Driver support immediately after the incident. Time stamped pictures will protect you against any wrongful claims of damage from driver.

    5. Last safety tip for all the creative thinkes who believe Uber drivers are out to scam them, from time to time Uber drivers are required to take and submit a selfie before they are able to take rides for security persons. Therefore unless you have an identical twin you are not able to drive under another driver's profile.

    One thing I love more than driving is giving top notch customer service. I do understand that not all Uber driver partners share my passion for this work or can say they have proudly provided more than 2,900 safe trips within 9 months of driving for Uber with a 4.97 rating like myself.

  166. Cecilia Lakin Guest

    I use Uber a lot and generally it is great. In Las Vegas, LA, Rome, the drivers are prompt, pleasant, far better than cabs. The only place I’ve had consistent problems is Miami, where the issue you describe and similar situations happen often. Last week on a trip to South Beach, I rented a car rather than deal with Miami Uber drivers. On several previous trips to Miami, the most frequent problem was that drivers...

    I use Uber a lot and generally it is great. In Las Vegas, LA, Rome, the drivers are prompt, pleasant, far better than cabs. The only place I’ve had consistent problems is Miami, where the issue you describe and similar situations happen often. Last week on a trip to South Beach, I rented a car rather than deal with Miami Uber drivers. On several previous trips to Miami, the most frequent problem was that drivers reporting that I wasn’t waiting at the designated spot, (I was,) and I was charged fees. It also was common for them to never show and not respond to calls or texts. After half a dozen such experiences in one four day trip, during which a colleague also had a couple “rider-not-at-pickup-point” problems of his own with Uber, I decided it’s a Miami Uber “thing,” and I’m done with Uber there.

  167. Thomas Guest

    I'm a Uber driver and I've never done anything like that. I can't imagine a driver would get away with that for very long as the misbehavior is obvious.

    I always show up to the pick up point. That's when Uber's clock starts going. After 5 minutes, I'll cancel if I'm still waiting. That's the only way I'll get a cancellation fee unless the passenger actually cancels when I'm there or nearly there.

    This...

    I'm a Uber driver and I've never done anything like that. I can't imagine a driver would get away with that for very long as the misbehavior is obvious.

    I always show up to the pick up point. That's when Uber's clock starts going. After 5 minutes, I'll cancel if I'm still waiting. That's the only way I'll get a cancellation fee unless the passenger actually cancels when I'm there or nearly there.

    This is how it's supposed to work and should work. I can't imagine the behavior you describe if common, but we divers are fairly solitary and I really don't know what others do. I hope Uber deactivates such divers. They give us all a bad name.

  168. Joey Guest

    I'm an uber driver logging well over 5k rides with a rating of about 4.97. I don't cancel any rides regardless of where I'm heading or where the pickup is. For as long as you show up in the app designated pick up spot, I'll be there to pick you up.

    I don't believe the majority of drivers have the time, patience and strategy to game the system continuously. Most drivers in airport queue...

    I'm an uber driver logging well over 5k rides with a rating of about 4.97. I don't cancel any rides regardless of where I'm heading or where the pickup is. For as long as you show up in the app designated pick up spot, I'll be there to pick you up.

    I don't believe the majority of drivers have the time, patience and strategy to game the system continuously. Most drivers in airport queue lots are sleeping/waiting in their cars, taking a walk, using the restroom or smoking in designated spots. I don't notice large groups talking and scheming.

    Airport surges could provide you with maybe $2 to $10 extra (SF Bay area) but you would have to go back into queue again to repeat the process and it will take you up to a couple of hours to get back and get your next ride. So I don't think $1 to $5 extra per hour for maybe 2 rides is much of an incentive for anything. Besides, surges don't last very long before a horde of drivers see it and come to quell it.

    The last person who left a comment said new drivers could accept a ride and upon finding out the details, decide that its not a good one and wait till the rider cancels it. THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE. When the driver accepts the ping/ride he still doesn't know where he will be taking the rider. He would only know this by clicking the "start ride". Some drivers with a higher rating (i. e. Gold, platinum, diamond) only know the rider rating and drive distance before accepting rides.

    As for the reasons for non cancelations, there are so many possibilities that I won't even tackle (language barrier etc), but here are a few that I've encountered on my own.

    I was driving past 430am in SF. Not too many drivers as the rains were intermittently heavy. I accepted a ride with the address of Guerrero street, but the pick up spot was on 20th street just a few feet away from the corner. I waited for the rider long enough to earn a fee for waiting. Turns out my rider John got the ride for his lady friend. When I was about to leave I accepted my next ride already. When I clicked on the "start drive" my navigation didn't seem to be working at first, then I realized that John hadn't entered the destination spot properly as it was prompting me to drop them back a few feet away (Guerrero) to complete the ride. After a few calls to John (2 calls taking about 4 minutes) he was able to correct the address to somewhere about 20 minutes away. So what do you think will happen to the next ride in my queue? It's probably just a minute or two away from 20th and Guerrero but not my corrected destination. I won't cancel the new ride by any means because I lose my bonus by canceling or not accepting any rides so the only way out is for the new rider to do so. This usually happens when they see me driving farther away. I don't get anything when they cancel. A cancelation fee happens when I wait at my pick up spot past the waiting time, but this isn't even guaranteed for the driver (sometime I feel uber keeps the fees). Meanwhile my next rider is probably thinking I was up to no good for driving away.

    SCENARIO 2:
    Rush hour downtown, headed to my usual waiting spot to take my next commuter. I accepted a ride, but it just disappeared! My screen then said that it was looking for my next ride.
    15 minutes later and at a Starbucks for a coffee and bathroom break I decided something was wrong because i wasn't getting any rides. I reset my phone and the uber app said my rider was waiting and it will take be about 15 minutes to get to him!
    I called to let him know the situation but I would not cancel and head on over to him but that it would take another 15 to get there. I told him he shouldn't be charged and I would affirm this if asked by uber.

    Bottom line is that there are many possibilities, I never assume the worst. People are trying to make a living, for others it's just a ride.

  169. Hiroko Guest

    I drive for Uber but in the different city.

    Sometimes, I get a request and accept it right after I pass the turn. Then I would need to make a u-turn or take different route to get to a pick up location.

    You said the driver was not moving so I am wondering if the traffic was heavy?

    I agree that it was unprofessional for this driver not to communicate with you. Waiting for that...

    I drive for Uber but in the different city.

    Sometimes, I get a request and accept it right after I pass the turn. Then I would need to make a u-turn or take different route to get to a pick up location.

    You said the driver was not moving so I am wondering if the traffic was heavy?

    I agree that it was unprofessional for this driver not to communicate with you. Waiting for that long was not normal if you got the estimate arrival time of 7 min.

    Here is a little insight that may help riders to understand from a driver's perspective. (I am not defending this driver though). When we get a phone call, we would "lose" the navigation screen, which makes it very hard for a driver to navigate. It can be frustrated for a driver and dangerous to have to look for a navigation screen while driving. Also although we have several preprogrammed reply in the form of text, we cannot/should not be testing while we are driving. So sometimes it is not as easy to reply back as you'd think....

    I am sorry for your experience.

  170. Psc Guest

    That's funny, tip already included in fare. I'm an Uber driver and make what my daughter makes at McDonald's.

  171. D3KingAmerican Diamond

    @Justin Don’t assume what the driver is doing based on what the app is telling you. I’m an Uber driver. Sometimes I’ll accept a ride that is 3 minutes away. Then after I accept it i find myself already heading in the opposite direction followed by long red lights and countless no uturn or No left turn signs and the time goes from 3 to 10 minutes.

  172. Jason Guest

    Just a few things coming from a driver.

    One driver said forcing a surge at the airport isn't a thing anymore. When I see 1-10 drivers in the queue I race to the airport, because I know as soon as it surges, 100-200 drivers are going online. We may not get 3x-10x the fare anymore, but we'll still get $10-20 on top of the fare. The trip to San Francisco usually earns us $20, so...

    Just a few things coming from a driver.

    One driver said forcing a surge at the airport isn't a thing anymore. When I see 1-10 drivers in the queue I race to the airport, because I know as soon as it surges, 100-200 drivers are going online. We may not get 3x-10x the fare anymore, but we'll still get $10-20 on top of the fare. The trip to San Francisco usually earns us $20, so we can double our fare. It works even better on a pool ride, since it can increase the additional pickup fare to like $10 a person. It's possible to earn $30-40 extra before even leaving the airport.

    Someone claimed that the driver said he picked him up and then changed the address to somewhere much further. Sorry, drivers cannot change the destination. Only the rider can do that. So, no, it's not going to ask you to confirm the change.

    I've never tried to scam someone with a cancellation fee. If it looks like I wasn't moving, either it took me a minute to get out of the lot, or there is heavy traffic. Somebody said they are willing to make a rider wait 30 minutes while they eat a meal. Sorry, dude, that is unprofessional, and jerks like that make riders get skiddish and cancel if they think you aren't coming. Wait until you can take a real break, go offline for 20 minutes, and eat then. I usually hit up Jack in the Box around 3am.

    Did you know riders can cancel after the ride has begun? I just had it happen to me 2 nights ago, and it wasn't the first time. I've never done it, but I can end the ride at any time. It's called ending the ride early, and I'm still compensated for time and distance. If a rider wants out, though, they don't have to pay. They can just cancel. Usually they hop out without warning at a stop light. Then I only get a cancellation fee, instead of a portion of the fare, if I went over a bridge I don't get the toll, and the ride doesn't count towards consecutive rides nor weekly bonuses.

    Some drivers are dicks. Most of us aren't. Or, at least, I'm not (or try not to be). I'm sure the driver cancellation scam is a thing. I'm also sure that the rider cancellation scam is much more prevalent.

  173. Jerry Legaspi Guest

    I boycott anything to do with Uber. I'm in Orlando for a business trip, I'm originally from Guam.

    My story:

    Boss gave some stipend for travel expenses in form of Uber gift cards. Signed up for an account to be used. Got to Orlando, loaded one gift card and tested it with one ride from the Airport to my AirBnb. Following day - Uber locks me out of my account and disables it, stating...

    I boycott anything to do with Uber. I'm in Orlando for a business trip, I'm originally from Guam.

    My story:

    Boss gave some stipend for travel expenses in form of Uber gift cards. Signed up for an account to be used. Got to Orlando, loaded one gift card and tested it with one ride from the Airport to my AirBnb. Following day - Uber locks me out of my account and disables it, stating "Fraudulent".

    Wanted to address this issue immediately because I had already loaded all the gift cards provided to me and Uber was to be my main form of transportation. Guess what? There's no customer hotline outside of the very app that I'm locked out of. I had to send a inquiry request via their help website. So many run arounds and late replies.

    I created a second account with a different number and email to be able to access the app for help support. Sends me to the exact same inquiry on their site. They don't have a hotline. Everything is through slow emails and their reasoning is "security concerns due to hacking".

    Finally, the last email sent said I was flagged for having 2 accounts. As their policy is only 1 email/account per rider... hmm..

    It stated they had fixed the issue and reactivated my account.

    it's Dec. 8, 2019. My account hasn't been fixed for over a month and counting.

    You suck Uber. Get ur shit together

  174. Thomas Reeh Guest

    Happened to me in Sydney last week. Almost exactly as you described abobe Ben. So I cancelled - and then Bang! A cancellation fee for a driver who never moved, and wouldn't pick up any calls or messages.

    UBER needs to get on top of this.

  175. Sergio A. Guest

    Lucky,

    At least in CA the cancellation cat and mouse game will come to an end since Uber just announced that it will divulge all the passenger information (including pick-up & destination address, regardless of UberPro status, estimated pay, distance and duration of trip) to their drivers before accepting the ride request! Hallelujah, thank you AB5!

    https://ride.guru/content/newsroom/drivers-are-finally-getting-what-they-want-is-uber-relenting-to-the-ca-ab5-law

  176. Sam Melehy Guest

    I use Uber every week all over the country. This has been happening to me more frequently in the last several months, particularly with shorter rides. After talking with several drivers about this, my theory is that, yes, they are gaming the system. New drivers (and there are a lot of those because of the high turn-over rate) are given limited information before accepting a ride. Once they accept it, they are given more information,...

    I use Uber every week all over the country. This has been happening to me more frequently in the last several months, particularly with shorter rides. After talking with several drivers about this, my theory is that, yes, they are gaming the system. New drivers (and there are a lot of those because of the high turn-over rate) are given limited information before accepting a ride. Once they accept it, they are given more information, at which time they decide that they want to cancel this ride and wait for a better one to come up (i.e. longer distance, higher fare, right direction). They don't want to initiate the cancellation because they don't want to get dinged for having too many cancellations. Thus, the waiting game begins.

  177. Patrick Guest

    Im a driver in Jersey. Keep in mind, cell phone signals around the Airport are not always reliable. Keep a look out for the make, model, plate and color of your car. Ive had to call passengers whos app what showing them i was still at fhe Uber waiting lot. Also, uber penalizes drivers who cancel too much. Oh and if you cance wihtin 2 mins there is no charge and for Drivers to be...

    Im a driver in Jersey. Keep in mind, cell phone signals around the Airport are not always reliable. Keep a look out for the make, model, plate and color of your car. Ive had to call passengers whos app what showing them i was still at fhe Uber waiting lot. Also, uber penalizes drivers who cancel too much. Oh and if you cance wihtin 2 mins there is no charge and for Drivers to be to cancel and receive a fee they need to arrive close to where you requested, then a 5 min clock counts down but check youe market, may be different down there.

  178. Hoang Guest

    Not sure anyone had this issue: I got the message Uber driver waiting for me outside last night even I did not order it so I thought it is a scam so I ignored it. This morning I got an email from Uber with a bill including cancelled fees $5.00 !!! Reply back the email and got the email back it is not the right place to send back !!!

  179. Lina C Guest

    I met the same issue in Boston, Massachusetts. This was one of the reason why I deleted the app and never take Uber again. And I never gotten my $10 cancellation fee back EACH time the trip canceled. I emailed Uber regarding this matter but they don't really refund me at all and I just let it go, I can't just go all crazy demanding $10 back with each bs drivers I encountered.

  180. Rob Guest

    No excuses u sign up to drive dose not matter if a 2 mile ride or 2 hour i had driver cancelled while inside their car telling me they do local run only they are not leaving thier home town mean while they picking up passenger of the uber app for cash

  181. Nik Guest

    Yes, the driver gets to keep the cancellation fee, even if the passenger requests a refund, which is $5 in my city. Once it has been paid to the driver, no matter the reason, uber/lyft WILL NOT require the driver to give it back. Cancellations initiated by passengers never affect the drivers rating in any way and also still count as a completed ride for those trying to hit any bonuses. Drivers can do it...

    Yes, the driver gets to keep the cancellation fee, even if the passenger requests a refund, which is $5 in my city. Once it has been paid to the driver, no matter the reason, uber/lyft WILL NOT require the driver to give it back. Cancellations initiated by passengers never affect the drivers rating in any way and also still count as a completed ride for those trying to hit any bonuses. Drivers can do it all day as long, as long as the passenger is the one to hit the cancel button. I've been both driver and passenger for lyft and uber. As a driver... I've had more passengers try to scam me in many different scenarios than drivers trying to when i was a passenger.

  182. Luis A. Villafane Guest

    I am not entirely sure what are the differences between the two platforms are but, drivers had communicated to me it gets radically annoying having to drive 12-15 minutes to only earn $3.49 minus gas and fairs when I, the client paid $10+ for the ride. Drivers get ripped off yet, Uber only call themselves only a platform without employees. Lol! It totally doesn't make sense for me or the driver. I should pay a...

    I am not entirely sure what are the differences between the two platforms are but, drivers had communicated to me it gets radically annoying having to drive 12-15 minutes to only earn $3.49 minus gas and fairs when I, the client paid $10+ for the ride. Drivers get ripped off yet, Uber only call themselves only a platform without employees. Lol! It totally doesn't make sense for me or the driver. I should pay a fair $7 and my driver should make a commision of minimum $5.

  183. Matty Guest

    You asked why someone would want riders to cancel instead of giving the ride to earn money.

    The sad truth is drivers lose money on every ride they give. They are literally trading the principal value of their car for physical cash money.

    Imagine it like this. You rented out a house. Each month you collect rent, an equal amount of damage is done to that house. $1,500 rent, $1,500 damage. Eventually you won't be...

    You asked why someone would want riders to cancel instead of giving the ride to earn money.

    The sad truth is drivers lose money on every ride they give. They are literally trading the principal value of their car for physical cash money.

    Imagine it like this. You rented out a house. Each month you collect rent, an equal amount of damage is done to that house. $1,500 rent, $1,500 damage. Eventually you won't be able to rent out the property anymore. It's the same logic with cars & ridesharing. Because vehicles are depreciating assets with every mile you drive.

    Drivers are only paid 2 fees essentially. Per mile & per minute. I believe in Chicago the per mile was about $0.71 cents and the per minute came out to about $8 per hour. If you're not making $0.91 cents per mile, you're easily losing money on every ride you give.

  184. Christopher V Guest

    John Doe is right. The low IQ shows. Wasting time for a potential $5 when you could make $20-50 an hour/trip shows how damn ignorant the writer of this article is. Clearly it's for SEO purposes and to generate more referrals.

    This site is riddled with tracking cookies...

  185. Alexander Guest

    This has happened to me at SFO multiple times, I have the Dane screenshot you do.

    Or, as looks like happened in your case, the driver starts the trip, so they’re reaching up a higher fee when there’s a cancellation. It looks like your cancellation says he “drove on this trip.”

    I’ve had multiple experiences where the driver starts the trip as soon as he picks my ride.

  186. Chris Guest

    Hi everyone,
    I'm Chris and I have driven for Uber in Chicago for 6 years. The only reason the driver did not respond to your text messages and calls is because he did not get them. Ben, the ride that your requested did no go through meaning you were matched to a driver and he/she accepted it but the connection 'hung'. I don't think any Uber/Lyft driver would want to cancel a trip after...

    Hi everyone,
    I'm Chris and I have driven for Uber in Chicago for 6 years. The only reason the driver did not respond to your text messages and calls is because he did not get them. Ben, the ride that your requested did no go through meaning you were matched to a driver and he/she accepted it but the connection 'hung'. I don't think any Uber/Lyft driver would want to cancel a trip after 30 minute waiting - they will make only $4 for 30 minutes. That's not a good income strategy. That situation happened to me many times: I receive a ride request and accept it only to find out that the rider actually canceled the ride and requested another one 10 minutes ago. This happens when a lot of people request Uber/Lyft at the same time, e.g. at airports, events and especially at rush hour in downtown Chicago. Now here are some pieces of advice when requesting Uber/Lyft at airports: text or call the driver after they accept the ride. If they don't answer, you can cancel within the 2 minute period and you won't be charged the cancellation fee. If they answer, give them a brief description of yourself so they can make you out of the crowd. Even better is if you move away from the crowd and from the other cars that are picking up passengers at the same spot. Also, Let the driver know if you have a lot of luggage - they may not have enough room in their trunks as some of them are using their own cars and may have personal belongings.
    When requesting Uber/Lyft after large events, you can only imagine what happens when 20,000 or more people request a ride at the same time. A word of advice, walk a block or 2 away from the crowd - you will get a ride much more easily and more importantly you may avoid the surge pricing.
    Another piece of advice from a long-time driver: you, the passenger, want us, the drivers, to pick you up from your home/work or from the spot you are standing. We understand that. If we could come to your apartment/work place we would come and pick you up from your couch, but we can't. We drive cars. Cars have dimensions. There are also other cars and other people, called pedestrians. There are also Rules of the Road we have to abide by them. So next time, when you decide to request a Uber/Lyft ride think about all of the above. If the weather permits, go outside, find a spot where the driver can safely pull over and get you in the their car. And last but not least: don't make us WAIT FOR YOU. We are not making money while waiting for you. If our wheels are not turning, no money is coming in. Not to mention the amount CO2 that the car dumps in the atmosphere while idling. Be safe.
    Thanks,
    Chris

  187. Oopsidc Guest

    First off I hope you (Ben/Lucky) reached out to the Taxicab Authority about the driver asking for cash.
    As for that sort of nightmare I've had a couple with drivers here in Vegas both of which thought I was a tourist because I was working on the Strip. My first driver took me off towards the west when my home is on the east, I was sick at the time and in foul mood...

    First off I hope you (Ben/Lucky) reached out to the Taxicab Authority about the driver asking for cash.
    As for that sort of nightmare I've had a couple with drivers here in Vegas both of which thought I was a tourist because I was working on the Strip. My first driver took me off towards the west when my home is on the east, I was sick at the time and in foul mood which is probably why my ride ended up being free. The second ride blew a tire and left me rideless off the Strip somewhere behind the Tropicana (not the best neighborhood to find yourself) they never called another cab and I reported the incident to the Taxi Authority about 10 minutes later, again my ride was free.
    I have only taken Uber a handful of times and, luckily, have had no issues.
    Having something like the Taxicab Authority for ride sharing might not be a bad idea after all the recent issues involving drivers. Something that will keep both the driver and passenger happy and safe.
    Tipping is a gratuity it's something you give in thanks for service. If I'm not tipping you it probably speaks to your service and it's not nor has ever been considered mandatory. That said thank you to all my patrons that have tipped me well for my service and thank you to all who have not.
    If people feel they are not receiving the services they believe that they were due then boycott the company, start a movement to ensure driver and passenger are treated fairly, file suit for fair wages, create a union for independently contracted drivers, do more than just b***h. Or like Lucky did, write a column and get others interested and involved (Thank you for that by the way).
    Just don't be complacent and allow things to remain stagnant or become worse.

  188. Nicki Guest

    Most drivers are trying to balance driving for both Uber and Lyft simultaneously. Perhaps that's what was happening in some of these experiences. No driver who is legitimately trying to earn money will allow you to "hold them hostage" for 30 minutes. They can only service one acceptance at a time.

  189. Dan Guest

    This just happen to me, i waited and waited and the car was like 3 blocks away... i canceled it and they charged me and then sent me that lovely same screen shot, of how hard the driver worked to get to your destination B.S.... yada yada.

  190. John kiz Guest

    Can you help me understand why you used a question mark at the end of this title and not a period? The punctuation epidemic is this country is unbelievable. So many English teachers are rolling around in their grave.

  191. Christopher V Guest

    I have a %67 acceptance rate and have never been banned from driving with Uber.

    I have a high cancellation rate, and yet haven't been banned.

    I have a full time job and do this to supplement my income. I speak perfect English and don't mess around. Every job I do, big or small, I put %100 into it.
    I don't care for the "perks" from Uber since they are horrible and I have...

    I have a %67 acceptance rate and have never been banned from driving with Uber.

    I have a high cancellation rate, and yet haven't been banned.

    I have a full time job and do this to supplement my income. I speak perfect English and don't mess around. Every job I do, big or small, I put %100 into it.
    I don't care for the "perks" from Uber since they are horrible and I have other ways of saving on gas money.

    I've had riders cancel on me numerous times within a few minutes of accepting rides. Probably because they are impatient but I NEVER get a fee. That only applies if I'm within 5 minutes of picking up a rider and that has only happened once and I got $4.37. I was literally 1 minute away from arrival so I assume they hailed a cab also or a Lyft and it beat me. Oh well.

    You can't really "game" the system as you'll eventually waste more time then turning a profit use the platform legitimately.

    A surge only occurs if an area that has a high demand and not enough drivers.... And yes, drivers DO get a portion of the surge price. I've only received ONE surge fair as I primarily use Uber/Lyft on my rides home from work.

    Why would anyone do this as a full time job? Probably because they are an illegal alien and/or have no skills like flipping a burger at a fast food restaurant (that's not even how McDonald's works as their system is stupidly easy yet people still mess up a simple order due to not comprehending basic English) and need money to live as people are getting thrown off of welfare as they should since it's not a handout but a aid.

    Charges per mile/minute vary by demographic. So stop claiming uber drivers get $.60 a minute when I get more. Read the website you illiterate rejects to society.

    Anyone "working" for Uber is not an employee, but a freelancer thus, stop calling it a job.

    The scummy people don't take away from those such as myself who make ~$100 a week driving roughly 3 hours a week. If you aren't making those numbers, you obviously suck at life.

    If you're not getting tipped you probably don't deserve them as I get plenty of tips without offering much besides a way for riders to charge their phone, safe driving, politeness, and a good overall experience.

    Yes, Uber has its flaws but comparing it to the local cabbies who BARELY speak English, drive like maniacs, will stalk you if you don't use THEIR cab, and sometimes have horrendous hygiene, people are THRILLED with my exceptional driving and clean car. The data show's this to be the case for me.

    To the driver's complaining about not getting paid enough, try working a real job and stop relying on people to give you hand outs. America was built with blood and sweet. Put in the hard work and you get that in return.

  192. Dan Guest

    Just had this happen 3 weeks ago in L.A. Buddy and I were waiting right outside the Viper Room on a Tuesday night. Sunset was not busy and we were standing at the exact spot designated on the app. Driver never showed and cancelled the pick up saying he drove around for 7 minutes. Uber gave me a $5 credit with no hassle.

    I think in my case the driver was stalling for surge pricing because when I scheduled another pickup the fare had increased.

  193. Darin Guest

    So you just wrote this whole article based on your assumption that he was ignoring your ride for a $3.75 cancel fee. Didn't take into account that maybe his phone died because this makes no sense; nobody's going to sit around for over a half hour when they're trying to make money. Get some logic in your brain

  194. Ross Guest

    Bottom line: If you want to avoid being struck by lightning, don't go outside in a storm. If you want to avoid being sexually assaulted by an Uber driver, don't ride with Uber.

  195. Dave Guest

    Just a heads up, if your driver is 7+ minutes away or many miles away you should cancel. You have a window of like 2 minutes to cancel without getting charged when your first get paired with your driver. No driver is trying to drive more than 5 minutes to pick you up and you shouldn’t want to wait forever for your driver to pick you up. Common sense here

  196. Dr. Donna Guest

    Same thing happens with Lyft. In fact, I waited an hour this summer outside Citifield while a driver, who obviously wanted a longer fare, just sat in one spot for 20 minutes. When I refused to cancel, a second driver was dispatched. I finally jumped in a cab. The driver claimed he needed directions. Luckily for riders, we have GPS on our phones. NYC cab drivers must hate this. All in all, even with the...

    Same thing happens with Lyft. In fact, I waited an hour this summer outside Citifield while a driver, who obviously wanted a longer fare, just sat in one spot for 20 minutes. When I refused to cancel, a second driver was dispatched. I finally jumped in a cab. The driver claimed he needed directions. Luckily for riders, we have GPS on our phones. NYC cab drivers must hate this. All in all, even with the games some unscrupulous Lyft/Uber drivers play, they're better than NYC cabs.

  197. Lillian Jones Guest

    This happens to me all of the time on Lyft when I order a ride in the evening. The first time it happened, I cancelled the ride. My son-in-law told me about this scam. Now, I never cancel the ride, but I let the driver cancel.

  198. Al Guest

    Hey there. As an employee and independent operator for Uber and various rideshare platforms I can share some valuable and important information with regards to your posted concerns. Given the fact that a large number of readers have already responded, I'm not certain if you've actually received the response you'd hoped for. Also with huge considerations towards riders/ drivers alike, I wouldn't want to divulge certain information that could potentially be abused and or manipulated....

    Hey there. As an employee and independent operator for Uber and various rideshare platforms I can share some valuable and important information with regards to your posted concerns. Given the fact that a large number of readers have already responded, I'm not certain if you've actually received the response you'd hoped for. Also with huge considerations towards riders/ drivers alike, I wouldn't want to divulge certain information that could potentially be abused and or manipulated. In any event, I welcome you to send me a short email with a brief description or reminder of your question and I'd be more than happy to explain what I know to be fact, fiction, and just speculation. Given my background. Im not certain if I can leave my email in the comments without it being blocked. Therefore I'll try to disguise it best as possible. It's EASY RIDES DOT UNITED STATES AMERICA AT GMAIL. But... the proper spelling would just be, the letter "E" the letter "Z" RIDES "DOT" the letter "U" the letter "S" the letter "S" at the Google Email Platform called "gmail" dot "." Com. Hopefully you've understood the message.

    Until then, take care.

  199. Adam A Guest

    There's so many comments it's tough to put out everything I would like to say on "paper". I drove for Uber/Lyft for a year, maintained a 4.96 driver rating never dipping below 4.95 with 1000+ rides, I also spoke to the CEO's assistant after emailing Dara's - Uber Email Address. If you really want to know the scope of the situation I can really give you some actual and useful information that isn't speculative, blatantly racist, or completely general/useless.

  200. Jon Guest

    Uber drivers try to get you to cancel for two main reasons. One is they get paid part of that cancellation fee so it's money for zero work. The other part is cancellations are one of the few things they can be kicked off the service for. If they get too many Uber and Lyft both have all kinds of penalties

  201. Jeff Guest

    I have driven for Uber for a year. And one possiblity is that , the drivers phone might have hanged or the app crashed and it took him some time to get it back up. It had happened to me , and it took me close to 10 min to get my phone back up. It won't restart or switch off.

    And there are drivers who asks the customer to cancel the trip after...

    I have driven for Uber for a year. And one possiblity is that , the drivers phone might have hanged or the app crashed and it took him some time to get it back up. It had happened to me , and it took me close to 10 min to get my phone back up. It won't restart or switch off.

    And there are drivers who asks the customer to cancel the trip after calling them and finding out that the trip is not worthwhile.

    Uber suspendeds the drivers account if they get too many cancellations, so I don't think a driver can scam money by cancelling trips.

  202. Ai Guest

    It's actually easily explained. Sometimes the ride is considered too cheap by the driver to accept so they pretend to drive in circles for a few minutes to collect your $5. As accepting $5 is better than not accepting. Then, if a rider has a lower score, drivers get sammy instead of declining so you forget about your $5 to not have your score go down even more. As they will downstate at slightest hint of cancellation recovery.

  203. Skywriter Guest

    Cancelation scam? Common? You are throwing out some very generic accusations and I don't see any evidence in your article to back up your claims. To say it is a common scam is misleading. You are labeling a whole group of people as if they are all doing it. Bad journalism. Collect your facts and present your evidence before making a public judgment about a group of people.

  204. Rob Guest

    I had the same thing happen in Miami while returning from a cruise.
    I booked an Uber from the cruise terminal to the airport and watched for 15 minutes as the Uber driver drove in directions away from our location.

    That situation is unfortunately a great opportunity for this scam. Uber passengers coming to or from an airport either are in a hurry to catch a flight or eager to leave the airport and get home or to a hotel.

  205. Dan Rodriguez Guest

    As an Uber driver, I will say that this is ridiculous. Why would he sit around for 30 minutes to make $10? Totally unprofessional and doesn't make any economic sense. I've had several passengers cancel for various reasons. If one of my passengers is charged a cancelation fee because of something that happened on my end, I have and will continue to refund them. They shouldn't have to pay for it. I've actually returned to...

    As an Uber driver, I will say that this is ridiculous. Why would he sit around for 30 minutes to make $10? Totally unprofessional and doesn't make any economic sense. I've had several passengers cancel for various reasons. If one of my passengers is charged a cancelation fee because of something that happened on my end, I have and will continue to refund them. They shouldn't have to pay for it. I've actually returned to a passenger's house and left cash and a note with an apology when I think they've been overcharged. There are times where I've driven over 15 minutes taking me out of a higher paying area. I do this because it's important to keep your acceptance rating up. Lyft is notorious for this. A 20 minute drive for a 5 minute ride sucks but due to the crappy algorithms of these apps, sometimes you get screwed over. Part of the job I guess. I've maintained a 5 star rating since I've started, I'm very proud of that and work hard to give my passengers extra amenities and a great experience. It's terrible that the few give the majority a bad rap. Not saying that this doesn't happen frequently, but I think that most drivers don't fall into this category. Unfortunately, good experiences don't make headlines because our society has fallen into this mindset of complaining and negativity. Now, with access at our fingertips, these kinds of stories spread like wildfire. It's sad but it doesn't stop me from giving the best experience possible. All I ask is that if you do have a good experience, show that gratitude in the form of a tip or a good rating. Share some of your awesome experiences with these drivers. Or anyone in the service industry. Don't let a few bad apples ruin it for the rest of us. Sorry for the rant, just wish I saw more good experiences from the rideshare community.

  206. Gerald Forney Guest

    I have had this happen with both Uber and Lyft. As I got into a Lyft at PHL, and the driver hit the cancel button, and then said, "Did you just cancel the ride?" I said no, but that I would gladly pay cash. That way, the driver cut Lyft out of their share. We stopped at an ATM, so I could get the cash. I travel regularly from the Philadelphia Airport to one of...

    I have had this happen with both Uber and Lyft. As I got into a Lyft at PHL, and the driver hit the cancel button, and then said, "Did you just cancel the ride?" I said no, but that I would gladly pay cash. That way, the driver cut Lyft out of their share. We stopped at an ATM, so I could get the cash. I travel regularly from the Philadelphia Airport to one of the Wilmington, Delaware suburbs, and I am now going back to the airport limousine services (Delaware Express) which seems much more reliable. I live in Denver, and have experienced the no-show scam here several times.

  207. Duncan Guest

    I keep seeing comments accusing Uber and Lyft drivers of being "unprofessional". If you want a "professional" driver, take a taxi. Uber and Lyft drivers are NOT professionals. That was never the intent of these platforms. They were supposed to be a way for people to make a little extra money giving rides in their own cars when it was convenient for them. They were supposed to be a way to reduce the numbers of...

    I keep seeing comments accusing Uber and Lyft drivers of being "unprofessional". If you want a "professional" driver, take a taxi. Uber and Lyft drivers are NOT professionals. That was never the intent of these platforms. They were supposed to be a way for people to make a little extra money giving rides in their own cars when it was convenient for them. They were supposed to be a way to reduce the numbers of single occupant cars on the road by getting people headed in the same direction to ride together. And keep in mind that neither Uber or Lyft has ever managed to make a profit and they're now trying to do so by scamming their drivers as well as passengers. From what I've heard the apps will frequently send drivers to pickups they can't possibly get to in a reasonable amount of time and they penalize the drivers if they cancel, or don't accept the ride in the first place.

    Again, if you want a professional driver, pay for one.

  208. Tam Guest

    An Uber driver here, as many of you stated I believe it’s absolutely wrong and unprofessional to pick a ride S/he doesn’t intend to complete. However, if you want to look at it from a different perspective, the drivers side, it’s By far Uber’s fault that this is happening. For instance the minimum fare here in the DC area is $4 (differs from city to city) so as you speculated Lucky, I don’t think the...

    An Uber driver here, as many of you stated I believe it’s absolutely wrong and unprofessional to pick a ride S/he doesn’t intend to complete. However, if you want to look at it from a different perspective, the drivers side, it’s By far Uber’s fault that this is happening. For instance the minimum fare here in the DC area is $4 (differs from city to city) so as you speculated Lucky, I don’t think the driver did it for the fee because it doesn’t seem worth it, but rather I suspect that he might have been trying to protect his Status (Diamond,Platinum or Gold, which are key for the type of promotion uber provides weekly) by maintaining his cancelation rate low. The other possible reason in my opinion is the fact that unbeknownst to you the driver might have got your request from 7- 8 or more miles away and thought it probably may not worth his gas and time because he didn’t have any info how far the rider is going, and yet if he doesn’t accept it uber will still penalize him/her. In some cases I have seen ride requests coming from 20 miles away. How uber is at fault here, is because of their greed and keep the higher percentage of the fare even in that type of situation. You might have observed that Uber charges more,20-25% for scheduled rides (and these are usually requests from very far) but doesn’t give any incentive for drivers to help them keep their commitment to the rider. Especially on long rides and airport rides 85% the time Uber makes a lot of blunder regarding fares and as a result it’s pushing drivers towards not caring about the rider experience. Everyone will treat you as you treat them and Uber is messing the business by mistreating it’s drivers.

  209. Donald Guest

    I'm a driver and I just don't see how this would be financially lucrative for any driver part or full time. First, usually when a Rider requests a refund of a cancellation fee, that is deducted back from the Uber drivers earnings. I've had it happen in a busy area where the rider didn't show up where he requested but the next day asked for that refund. It was $3.25 so that was no worry...

    I'm a driver and I just don't see how this would be financially lucrative for any driver part or full time. First, usually when a Rider requests a refund of a cancellation fee, that is deducted back from the Uber drivers earnings. I've had it happen in a busy area where the rider didn't show up where he requested but the next day asked for that refund. It was $3.25 so that was no worry to me. I work the airport in my city sometimes because it's usually for sure that it's going to be a longer trip which means a pretty decent fair. It would be an absolute waste of time to accept any ride, wait the 5 minutes and then additional time to try to get the rider to cancel. That's money lost over time, not gained. Also, I don't know about other airports but if you do this too many times in my city, Uber will block you from accepting airport requests.

  210. Scott G Guest

    I'm a Lyft driver. Lyft doesn't tolerate this crap....sometimes TOO rigidly. They are at times a little too rider friendly.

    This said, Uber is a dumpster fire of a company. Lyft isn't great either, but they are decidedly better than Uber. At this point, if you still use Uber in a major metropolitan area, you really shouldn't gripe when it goes south.

  211. John Doe Guest

    A good amount of the supposed Uber/lyft drivers here are idiots except for a couple of them. I have done this as a driver and can actually speak from experience.

    A few people said it and I will say it again. You want your black car service at the cost of rock bottom prices. You get what you paid for, period.

  212. Sam Guest

    Ultimately it becomes self inflicted destruction as this is exactly why drivers will be replaced with autonomous cars. No way a robot will refuse to pick you up to make $4 just sitting there!

  213. Mary Brewer Guest

    The person who referred to drivers using location spoofing software may be advised that the Uber app will detect this and not be usable until it is turned off. As far as I know, this trick still works with Lyft. But why would a driver pretend to be in the queue at the airport to provoke riders to cancel rides? The cancellation fee is the same no matter where the trip originates. The only advantage...

    The person who referred to drivers using location spoofing software may be advised that the Uber app will detect this and not be usable until it is turned off. As far as I know, this trick still works with Lyft. But why would a driver pretend to be in the queue at the airport to provoke riders to cancel rides? The cancellation fee is the same no matter where the trip originates. The only advantage of location spoofing is to put yourself in the queue before you actually arrive at the airport.

  214. Ron Guest

    Hilarious - look at the hundreds of complaints about using a supposedly cheap and efficient rideshare app. Y'all get what you deserve - crap service for a crap price.

  215. Mp Guest

    Add a driver I never cancel a job unless they're is no choice. All my cancellations are because either the driver didn't turn up or I couldn't locate the driver. For all of the above I have first messaged a couple of times and then tried to call. Every cancellation was because there was absolutely no response to contact. So I think it all depends on the driver. Maybe Uber needs to think more about...

    Add a driver I never cancel a job unless they're is no choice. All my cancellations are because either the driver didn't turn up or I couldn't locate the driver. For all of the above I have first messaged a couple of times and then tried to call. Every cancellation was because there was absolutely no response to contact. So I think it all depends on the driver. Maybe Uber needs to think more about how to deal with serial cancellers. Up until now I have a 0 cancellation rate and 4.99 rating. This is because it's a service job and I believe in customer service. As I say, it depends on the driver. Not sure if Uber can change much as all of the drivers are basically self employed and runs their business in their way. Maybe part of the feedback could include the drivers cancellation rate and riders comments on cancellations. Might make more drivers accept and honour more jobs. I think it would benefit drivers that have low cancellation rates maybe and make more drivers more reliable

  216. Sherry Malone Guest

    Uber and Lyft are now merging together. I ordered a Lyft car and I got a message that said Don was here to pick me up. I walked outside but no Don, walked around back no Don. I tried to call Don and I got a message that said he’s hearing impaired and won’t answer phones. I waited and I waited and I waited, and finally I got a message from Don that said… Thank...

    Uber and Lyft are now merging together. I ordered a Lyft car and I got a message that said Don was here to pick me up. I walked outside but no Don, walked around back no Don. I tried to call Don and I got a message that said he’s hearing impaired and won’t answer phones. I waited and I waited and I waited, and finally I got a message from Don that said… Thank you for riding with Don do you want to leave him a tip? And was $155 charge on my credit card. Don never showed up to give me my ride yet Don charged my card $155 and when I looked at the ride status it said that he took me from a different street all the way over to Benton Harbor which is about 233 miles from here. It was a Sunday and I was frantic that they charged me for a ride I never got!!! I don’t trust any of these companies. Unfortunately in my city there are no longer taxi cabs (all closed) so we have to use Uber or Lyft. I am absolutely looking to purchase a vehicle of my own immediately.

  217. Clément Guest

    I faced the exact same after arriving at La Guardia airport in NYC this Thursday. I ordered successivelly 2 Uber rides, and was seeing the drivers just driving around, never coming to the airport, what seems to be them waiting for me to cancel the ride. Which I did because was getting low on phone battery and wanted to find a solution to get to my hotel before it ran out. I ended up taking a bus to the subway.

  218. Velija Guest

    All these guys should first learn how Uber and Lyft are working at airports these days and only after that start writing these BS....
    But first....no sane Uber driver would read and write messages during driving, and for sure no one would like to be in uber vehicle and have driver talking on the phone and texting
    All major airports in country changes procedure how App ride works on Airports and basically, everywhere...

    All these guys should first learn how Uber and Lyft are working at airports these days and only after that start writing these BS....
    But first....no sane Uber driver would read and write messages during driving, and for sure no one would like to be in uber vehicle and have driver talking on the phone and texting
    All major airports in country changes procedure how App ride works on Airports and basically, everywhere is now central pick up area where drivers are coming from stage parking....it means any bussier airport with several airplane lending at the same time or within a half hour will have several hundred riders waiting for their Uber or Lyft...both companies have drivers at the same lot.... depending on traffic design the wait could be very long.... recently it was a hour and a half for 1 mile trip from the lot to rider on Boston Logan airport....and driver can't do anything about that...driver has no reason to cancel because $3.50 cancelation fee ( in Boston) doesn't cover anything since after cancelling the trip driver has to go back in the staging area and start everything from beginning....another long waiting time....

  219. Missy Guest

    As an Uber driver, their have been times where I forgot to turn off my app after I finished driving, or my daughter turned on the app while playing on my phone.
    I think this is what happened, because after 5 minutes, the driver can cancel the trip and not get dinged for it and get the cancellation fee because the rider did not show up.
    Drivers only get paid $.21 per minute,...

    As an Uber driver, their have been times where I forgot to turn off my app after I finished driving, or my daughter turned on the app while playing on my phone.
    I think this is what happened, because after 5 minutes, the driver can cancel the trip and not get dinged for it and get the cancellation fee because the rider did not show up.
    Drivers only get paid $.21 per minute, so it’s not worth the price of 30 minutes.
    I do not think he tried to scam you, but that this was purely on accident.

  220. Christopher Guest

    This 100% Uber and Lyft fault. These companies have found no path to profitability and the only idea they can come up with is sticking their hands in the drivers pockets. The pay has decreased exponentially year after year to the point that all of the good service oriented drivers are gone.

    Now they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for drivers. The driver pool is mostly made up of those who are...

    This 100% Uber and Lyft fault. These companies have found no path to profitability and the only idea they can come up with is sticking their hands in the drivers pockets. The pay has decreased exponentially year after year to the point that all of the good service oriented drivers are gone.

    Now they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for drivers. The driver pool is mostly made up of those who are otherwise unemployable - because frankly if they could do anything else, they would. But there is no incentive for good drivers, transportation professionals with nice vehicles to use these platforms anymore.

    And stop suggesting Lyft as an alternative. Same thing as Uber, same drivers, and no they are not the “woke” company. They pay their drivers even less than uber.

  221. David Guest

    There are different reasons as to why the driver did this to you:
    1. If the fare increased after the driver picked up your request. There are many ways to check the fare. Especially in busy airports the fare would double in a matter of minutes so ...
    2. If you are going to a not desirable destination like in the middle of nowhere far or no chance of getting a ride request......

    There are different reasons as to why the driver did this to you:
    1. If the fare increased after the driver picked up your request. There are many ways to check the fare. Especially in busy airports the fare would double in a matter of minutes so ...
    2. If you are going to a not desirable destination like in the middle of nowhere far or no chance of getting a ride request... experienced driver will refuse that simpley because they don't make any money if they drove you 40 miles and return empty.
    3. They are scamming
    4.If the driver is tired or unable to complete the trip due to vehicle or other issues but couldn't cancel because uber is a pain in the butt for those who cancel frequently.
    5. The driver was checking his phone and accepted by accident and he didn't want the ride so ...

    The moral of the story is don't generalize from a single experience and blame all the drivers!

  222. Thomas David Guest

    I have driven for both platforms for 3 + years and seen it all , there are no big bucks to be made on cancellations and there is no scam , however cancellations are sometimes unavoidable. Lyft allow an over generous 5 mins for a rider to cancel which in some instances a driver could drive for 5 miles for nothing ,drivers will waste time and gas every week because of cancellations, also if you...

    I have driven for both platforms for 3 + years and seen it all , there are no big bucks to be made on cancellations and there is no scam , however cancellations are sometimes unavoidable. Lyft allow an over generous 5 mins for a rider to cancel which in some instances a driver could drive for 5 miles for nothing ,drivers will waste time and gas every week because of cancellations, also if you are parked in an area where finding a parking spot is a nightmare it is prudent to wait a minute before pulling out incase they cancel and you lose your spot and then have to drive around in circles wasting gas. Rideshare is an extremely affordable way to get around , of course not perfect but some riders want a Rolls Royce service for Pontiac money, they're often the ones that leave their trash in your car and don't tip . 99.9% of riders are cool and I really enjoy driving, there are exceptions and the same with drivers , I suspect those that hate on drivers fall into the 0.1% and those drivers that are bad representatives of the rideshare platform are normally weeded out eventually or they quit .

  223. Petra Guest

    Unfortunately this is the new norm for Uber drivers. I use Uber to get to work and this happens often during high demand times. I text them and ask them to cancel if they do not to pick me up. That usually does the trick.

  224. Fred Flinrock Guest

    @Daniel - Canceling or not accepting a ride is one thing. Accepting a ride and then never showing up is another. Even in America common decency is the standard, whether it's the Ritz Carlton or Motel 6.

  225. Daniel Guest

    You get what you pay for. If you’re unhappy with this, as a consumer you have a choice to take a taxi, super shuttle, public transportation, drive yourself and park, ask a friend, hire a private car service or walk.

    My suspicion is that you’re like most people in America - you want Ritz Carlton treatment but only want to pay Motel 6 prices for it.

    As an Uber driver, we are told that you...

    You get what you pay for. If you’re unhappy with this, as a consumer you have a choice to take a taxi, super shuttle, public transportation, drive yourself and park, ask a friend, hire a private car service or walk.

    My suspicion is that you’re like most people in America - you want Ritz Carlton treatment but only want to pay Motel 6 prices for it.

    As an Uber driver, we are told that you are your own boss - you accept the rides you want. But the reality is that you are punished sometimes deactivated for cancelling rides or not accepting every ride.

    When I was driving for Uber in Los Angeles it was $1.25 a minute. It is now $.60 a minute. So the service that I was providing has degraded as well. I stopped carrying and auxiliary cable, washing my car every day, stopped helping you with your luggage, etc etc. — and when the gas prices went up and the prices went down I stopped turning on the AC.

    As a business owner when you’re revenue goes down you have to cut expenses - those expenses affected the customer directly.

    So stop complaining and pony up more money and take Uber select or uberBLACK or Uber SUV and you’ll get the five star treatment that you’re paying for.

  226. robbo Member

    Don't even get me started on Delhi or Mumbai, Holy Cow!!!

  227. Ray from Boston Guest

    I have had that scam along with the following scams happen to me here in Boston.

    1) Driver arrives to pick me up, I get in car, and then they tell me the ride is too far. They ask ME to cancel the ride and to call another driver.

    2) Driver shows up in a different car than expected. Sometimes the plate matches, sometimes it doesn't.

    3) Not a scam, but recently the...

    I have had that scam along with the following scams happen to me here in Boston.

    1) Driver arrives to pick me up, I get in car, and then they tell me the ride is too far. They ask ME to cancel the ride and to call another driver.

    2) Driver shows up in a different car than expected. Sometimes the plate matches, sometimes it doesn't.

    3) Not a scam, but recently the last 3 rides I have recieved the drivers seemingly hot boxed their cars by chain smoking cigarettes. The last of which could be smelt on me throughout the day.

    Despite this, I have found more often than not drivers care and work hard. I'm an Uber Platinum customer so I tend to get the higher rated cars/drivers.

  228. David Del Toro Guest

    Unfortunately this happens all the time in Miami. When I know the drivers going to ignore me I leave the trip active and switch to Lyft. Eventually the driver will cancel. It upsets me that there is no way to report this to UBER.

  229. Fred Flinrock Guest

    I've had this exact same thing happen to me several times in the past month here in California. I started saving screen shots of everything for proof with Uber, although they have always been quick to give me some credit when I've notified them (a very small amount).

    The most egregious example was just a couple of weeks ago. I ordered an Uber and the car was about a mile from me (I am in...

    I've had this exact same thing happen to me several times in the past month here in California. I started saving screen shots of everything for proof with Uber, although they have always been quick to give me some credit when I've notified them (a very small amount).

    The most egregious example was just a couple of weeks ago. I ordered an Uber and the car was about a mile from me (I am in a suburb of SF). The app said it would be a few minutes until the car arrived but the car started going a different direction, basically the very long route toward my location. It then at some point stopped at a residence. I assumed the driver was dropping another passenger off, even though the app didn't indicate this, and so I waited. When the car didn't move for a while I tried to text/call the driver, with no response.

    Eventually the car started moving again but again started going a different direction, basically back the way he came. I figured for some reason he was again taking the long route but then he entered the freeway, and rather than going north toward me, began heading south. I tried to contact him again and this time he responded saying he needed to get gas. However rather than exiting at the next exit, he just kept heading south, going further and further from me. The ridiculous thing is the whole time the app was telling me he was coming but the time to arrive just kept increasing. Eventually the ride was cancelled, after more than 25 mins or so. I kept screen shots of most of this interaction. This driver has a 4.7 rating, similar to your story.

    The day before this ride I had two other rides canceled by the drivers once they got close to me. I don't know why and whether my destination (assuming they get some sort of advance information about the destination) was a factor. Either way, I've been disappointed with Uber lately.

  230. Jenn Guest

    The reason this happens is the driver can be on a highway and gets your request after he passed the exit then has to go further around to get you that's why most don't respond you guys really think their scMmers for a $5 cancel fee that's a nieve way of thinking a uber driver makes hundreds of dollars a day normally without 1 cancelation trust me no ones trying to scan you got $5

  231. JJTP Guest

    Yup had this happen in Pennsylvania and almost missed a flight and got real hot with Uber because they have no way to contact them like all these tech companies where being a millennial and not having to talk to anyone or communicate is a feature.

    Also in Kenya this a big thing. I had about 5 people do this in a row. In the us it was every so often and I figured...

    Yup had this happen in Pennsylvania and almost missed a flight and got real hot with Uber because they have no way to contact them like all these tech companies where being a millennial and not having to talk to anyone or communicate is a feature.

    Also in Kenya this a big thing. I had about 5 people do this in a row. In the us it was every so often and I figured it was because the driver didn’t want the long trip. In Kenya they explained that when you pay with credit card they don’t like it so they do this. They rather cash or their cash app system where they can avoid taxes. But that said this very common where they just mine cancellation fees.

    Uber should hold their money earned in escrow and if this happens they forfeit a month’s money to a fund to compensate people who have missed flights or anything like that because of this behavior.

  232. Fernand Guest

    If you want to get out the airport quickly tell the driver you'll give him $5 cash tip at the beginning of the trip and the driver will show up fast. That us what I do all the time. Anyways $5 won't break my bank account and most likely that will be the tip at the end of the ride because the driver will be happy with you as passenger. It worked all the time.

  233. Lynwood Jones Jr Guest

    1. Drivers for guber and ryft are not employees (yet).

    So therefore they cannot be "fired".
    2. There are many many more ignorant customers than there are drivers.

    3. If a driver is using both apps, why is it called ignorance if he decides to run a better trip offered from the other app (happens many times ever day), but in just about any other situation it would be considered a smart business decisions.

    ...

    1. Drivers for guber and ryft are not employees (yet).

    So therefore they cannot be "fired".
    2. There are many many more ignorant customers than there are drivers.

    3. If a driver is using both apps, why is it called ignorance if he decides to run a better trip offered from the other app (happens many times ever day), but in just about any other situation it would be considered a smart business decisions.

    4. Look in the mirror and realize "you" who are so quick to refer to drivers as ignorant, are probably looking at one.

  234. Bee Guest

    Well, there is a lot of misinformation on here, OBVIOUSLY by non drivers.

    It is not possible to scam a gps. Off or on, once on the real spot shows and any movement shows.

    The "cooking surge" and multi phone scams are conspiracy theories. Most drivers do not know or talk to most other drivers.

    There is NO SUCH THING as a star rating over 5.0. Sorry 9.96 guy.

    Uber DOES take a % of...

    Well, there is a lot of misinformation on here, OBVIOUSLY by non drivers.

    It is not possible to scam a gps. Off or on, once on the real spot shows and any movement shows.

    The "cooking surge" and multi phone scams are conspiracy theories. Most drivers do not know or talk to most other drivers.

    There is NO SUCH THING as a star rating over 5.0. Sorry 9.96 guy.

    Uber DOES take a % of every cancellation fee.

    Just because you pay a surge price does not mean the driver gets a dime. A surge in price for the pax does not always equal a surge for the driver nor does the % a driver gets equitable.

    Gor instance, I had a customer eho was charged 78.00 for a 40 ride. I got my normal 22.00. He was charged more with most going to uber because he AGREED to pay it.

    When you are asked if you will pay an inflated fee, try saying no and see if the offer changes.

    No one can make a living off cancellation fees because they count against the acceptance rating. Consistent cancellations or a low acceptance rating =DEACTIVATION.

    It appears that many riders and some psuedo drivers are full of conspiracy theories.

    We no longer get regular surges. We get a flat price, so NOBODY is deliberately turning off an app at,the airport in tandem with other drivers to cause a surge.

    Pax NEVER know how many drivers REJECTED their ride or why. They ONLY KNOW who accepted but then cancelled.

    Keep in mind, we have SECONDS to accept a ride and so might immediately say yes to a ride we cannot take or do not want.

    What rides can we NOT TAKE?

    A. rides out of our area if we have another obligation that conflicts

    B. Too short rides (under 12 miles) from the airport

    C. Rides while we are on the toilet. Rideshare requires apps to on with no stopping once at the airport

    D. Rides where the rider is constantly clocking or texting us.

    E. Rides that we know will already get a low star rating due to issues before it starts (constant texting your driver enroute signals this

    Here are a FEW of the many things to know about rideshare. It applies to BOTH uber and lyft so fo not think one is superior to the other...the driver you hate on uber most likely is a lyft driver also

    1.Drivers must accept over 80% of rides while the app is open or risk deactivation consideration.

    This means they must agree to rides they do not want even if they already have a pax on a run.

    2.Most drivers will not answer texts while driving because it is distracting and AGAINST THE LAW.

    Never expect a driver en route to have an ongoing convo with you.

    3. Drivers who already have passengers are often volunteered for another ride. In this case they never accepted your ride, but were TOLD you would be next after dropping off their passenger. They could still be en route 20 to 30 minutes to the next drop off

    4. Drivers who sit and do not move want you to cancel the ride. It is not for the small fee which is split between uber and the driver. They do NOT want your ride* but cannot refuse it without getting penalized.

    They hope you catch the clue and cancel because they also get penalized for canceling rides

    Riders cancel up to 2 minutes after acceptance with no fee.

    5. If a driver is heading AWAY from you, it often is because the gps has a lag time to kick in and provide directions but because a driver is in traffic, they may miss the exit or turn off that is closest to you.

    6. Uber gps messes up. A lot

    7.The info drivers get about YOUR RIDE is limited. Unless a platinum or premium driver, the driver only knows your rating and how long it should take to get to the pick up.

    They do not know where you will be going and if they have another appt, scheduled ride or job, timing is critical.

    If YOUR RIDE is over 10 minutes away, many drivers will NOT want that ride. The reason is drivers are NOT PAID to drive to you. If they need to go 15 miles to pick up a 2 mile trip (worth around 2.12 in some markets) that is a loss, so as a rule they shun far away pick ups.

    8. At the airport, drivers often wait 2 to 3 hours for 1 ride. If they are not a higher pro driver, they call to find out where you are going because anything more than 2 miles, uber does not allow drivers to cut in line.

    In other words, if your destination is 5 minutes from the airport and you want a ride, MOST who see how close you are will REJECT your ride. No one wants to wait 2-3 hours to pick up a 2 to 5 dollar fare.

    9. Those who cannot see your distance, call you or take a chance if they are new

    10. Most drivers HATE: grocery store pick ups, animals in a ride and rides under 10 miles. In many markets, a 9 mile ride is worth. 6.40. The further a driver must drive to start such a ride, the more likely the driver will cancel.

    11. Drivers hate driving in super congested areas. They are paid literal pennies for time and ONLY when the pax is in the car. A nightmare is driving to or away from a concert or event with a car full of people, going 2 miles but it taking 45 minutes. The driver will have made about 4.50 for that hour.

    12. When your driver changes, either they canceled you or uber changed them.

    13. When your driver is,over 10 minutes away, chances are high other drivers are rejecting your ride.

    Rides are rejected due to distance, location (like in a congested area) or your rating or the convo you are having.

    14. If you are angry, self entitled, etc and let your driver know this begore they pick you up, either you or they should cancel, it is not going to be a good ride.

    15. A distracted driver is a road hazard. If your frustration, anger, self righteousness is transmitting, your ride and everyone else is at risk due to your driver being upset.

    It is better to cancel, than to wait to try to force a driver to "serve you"

    16. At the end of the day, drivers are NOT there to serve you they are trying to make money. The 2 to 40 most pay is often NOT WORTH the stuff drivers must deal with.

    If YOUR RIDE is a losing money proposition for any driver be it too long, too short, a grocery run, you are a problem, it is too far to the pick up, etc drivers have found ways to get around a losing pick up.

    Riders DO have a right to expect reasonable pick ups and fares BUT drivers have the right to decide they will not make certain runs, or accept certain behavior. Unfortunately, both uber and lyft assert these rights on paper but place other mandates on drivers to subvert the agreement.

    The net result can be BOTH unhappy pax and drivers.

    Note: during surges at events, uber gps often goes haywire and CANNOT keep up with event roadblocks.

    Very FEW drivers scam for a cancellation fee. If there is an ongoing issue it is drivers are trying to find ways to stop exploitation. It is not uncommon for a driver to drive 20 to 28 miles only to have a pax take a 1 to 3 mile ride.

    That driver will not be driving long if that happens a lot.

    If you think that is tough luck..go back to your original premise about cancellations and apply that same lack of empathy to yourself.

    Some drivers DO try to scam by waiting less than 5 minutes for a pax then cancelling. Uber can review and see EXACTLY where a driver is an how long they waited.

    In the case of Alejandro driving 31 min to you and not texting you..if he had ro drive so far, they pulled him from general traffic and not the airport queue and YOU should have seen that and the time est on your phone. The driver cannot make up the time. Drivers are tracked, all the time the app is running.

    There is more, but hopefully this covers what the writer was grousing about.

    Drivers are paid for a safe , timely ride. Nothing more. If the ride does not begin you cannot rate it because you are rating your ride experience. If there was no ride, you cannot rate it.

  235. T Pal Guest

    I live in Hartford, CT on one occasion I had a driver blatantly pass my location, get on the highway and drive 3 towns away. The whole time ignoring my calls and texts inquiring if they could cancel from their end..Uber credited me back.

    Then another time I had an Uber driver pick up my Uber eats order and then immediately cancel. I called the restaurant, which I regularly visit . The advised my...

    I live in Hartford, CT on one occasion I had a driver blatantly pass my location, get on the highway and drive 3 towns away. The whole time ignoring my calls and texts inquiring if they could cancel from their end..Uber credited me back.

    Then another time I had an Uber driver pick up my Uber eats order and then immediately cancel. I called the restaurant, which I regularly visit . The advised my order was picked up by the driver. It was a complete order. I contacted Uber immediately because I did not think it was ok that the the restaurant lose their payment because the driver essentially stole the food.

    While this is not the norm for me it makes me more weary of using their services.

  236. Anonymous Guest

    As a driver, I may be able to shed SOME perspective on the driver cancelation(I'm sure there are some that do try to scam).

    1. Uber has a driver rewards program. The main reward that is coveted by drivers is how long the trip is going to be. To achieve the reward level, you need to achieve a rating of 4.85 stars, 85% acceptance rate(I think) and a very unreasonable cancelation rate of 4%...

    As a driver, I may be able to shed SOME perspective on the driver cancelation(I'm sure there are some that do try to scam).

    1. Uber has a driver rewards program. The main reward that is coveted by drivers is how long the trip is going to be. To achieve the reward level, you need to achieve a rating of 4.85 stars, 85% acceptance rate(I think) and a very unreasonable cancelation rate of 4% or less. Basically puts driver in situation where they have to accept almost every ride and cancel very few rides.

    2. Some rides are not worth it. As a diamond rewards driver, you can see how long a trip is. Sometimes I get ride requests that are 20 minutes or more away and the ride is only 4 minutes long. Ubers reimbursement for long pickups is very inconsistent. Sometimes I'll get like $7 for a 20 minute pickup, but then I've also gotten a whopping 1 cent for a 13 minute pickup. And forget if it the pickup is ten minutes away, you'll get nothing.

    3. You also have to factor in that drivers don't get reimbursed for their expenses, and Uber takes a large percentage of the ride fare for themselves (for me 60% was the highest take Uber took)

    I do give the option for passengers to cancel and then I'd refund them by me calling Uber to issue a refund, or if they refuse to do so, I inform them that it leaves me no choice but to go to the pickup location later and collect a cancelation fee. Unfortunately Uber screws both passengers and drivers so you kind of have a tug of war on certain issues with Uber. For me personally, it's not about collecting a small cancelation fee (keep in mind we cannot accept any other rides so we could be missing out on more lucrative rides). It's about maintaining these high unrealistic standards Uber saddles us with. It's already bad enough when some passengers do their best yelp impression and one stars me without reason which has taken my rating from 4.96 to 4.90, but to maintain high acceptance rates and low cancelation rates is very difficult. That's why I laugh when I'm considered an "independent contractor". Not because I don't get employee benefits or guaranteed pay, but because I can't truly be independent and choose which rides I want without getting punished.

  237. Anonymous 2 Guest

    The responses from some uber/lyft drivers sound almost insulting. Almost like "how dare you request me to drive you to your destination even though that's the job description. "
    We all have/have had jobs we didn't like. Don't penalize the customer for choosing the wrong employer. That's the job. If you think the cons outweigh the pros. Quit.your.job
    Or dont.
    I've been scammed by uber drivers while in Miami. Had to request...

    The responses from some uber/lyft drivers sound almost insulting. Almost like "how dare you request me to drive you to your destination even though that's the job description. "
    We all have/have had jobs we didn't like. Don't penalize the customer for choosing the wrong employer. That's the job. If you think the cons outweigh the pros. Quit.your.job
    Or dont.
    I've been scammed by uber drivers while in Miami. Had to request refunds 8x in the span of a weekend. The drivers canceled on me but I got penalized anyway. More often than not I've gotten picked up by drivers who didn't speak a lick of English. End up using google translate to communicate. At least they showed up.

  238. Star 7 Guest

    @Pete nantista and @Driver, none of the rhetoric you spouted justifies the ignorance of some of these Uber drivers. Evidently it is more profitable for them to cancel the rides or else they would try to sway potential customers to do so. And to equate response time of a shared ride driver to that of a commercial business is than a far stretch...it makes no sense. These Uber drivers aren't even professional. No amount of excuses justifies their behavior.

  239. Grophusharris Jones Guest

    Your problems are due to the pay that has been too low for years and is constantly being cut by Uber and Lyft. You, the customers, can holler all that you will that you are not part of this pay problem and that it is between driver and company. When you make this statement, you ignore several things:

    1. Capitalism 101 dictates that the customer pays the cost of doing business plus a profit for...

    Your problems are due to the pay that has been too low for years and is constantly being cut by Uber and Lyft. You, the customers, can holler all that you will that you are not part of this pay problem and that it is between driver and company. When you make this statement, you ignore several things:

    1. Capitalism 101 dictates that the customer pays the cost of doing business plus a profit for the provider. These artificially low rates fail to do that. There is a reason that cab rates are what they are. In reality, the cab rates and Uber/Lyft rates both need to increase. It would be economic suicide for the cabs to increase their rates. It is time for this Chavista Socialism, imposed by Uber/Lyft on the drivers to go and for you, the customer, to start paying the real costs of this.

    2. We have been appealing to Uber and Lyft for years. Our appeals have been met with more pay cuts, some of which have been spun (READ: lies) as something else. As you are the ones paying the costs, we get them out of you one way or another. As long as Uber/Lyft are going to be dishonest, please do not expect us to be honest.

    3. We have to make a living wage. Uber/Lyft are doing everything that they can to deny us that. We have to do what we can to make something that approaches a living wage.

    You want "professionalism"? How do you expect to get "professionalism" for a driver who is being paid 1979 cab rates?

    As one driver who posted here put it, if you want five star service, try being a five star rider. As one who drives both a cab and Uber/Lyft, I can tell you that my Uber/Lyft customers treat me far worse than do my cab customers. As Issue Numero Uno that faces the drivers is money, start with tipping. On that........ the reason that drivers never believe you when you say "I will tip in-application" is that the overwhelming majority of those who say that, NEVER do. Most of you see nothing wrong with that. When you are dishonest with us, especially when you do this to get more out of us, why are you surprised when we return your dishonesty?

    What one poster posted about being required to accept eighty per-cent of the rides is myth. You will not be "fired" for not accepting offered trips. Many of us brag about our single digit acceptance rates. You will, however, be "fired" if you accept trips then cancel too many of them.

    Those of you who are doing that "Muttley chuckle" for supposedly keeping the driver from working for thirty, sixty or ninety minutes or whatever while you did not cancel that Uber request; your recalcitrant driver is having the last laugh. He is running Lyft jobs while your Uber request is still on his telephone.

    Shame on the Miami cab driver who was caterwauling about cash. He is a DOLT, as well. Here was his chance really to shine and show the public why they should use cabs and not Uber/Lyft. By balking at the plastic, he is playing into the hands of the Uber and Lyft about which he is caterwauling. One of the reasons that Uber/Lyft have been as successful as they have is that the users did not need cash. These cab drivers must stop balking at the plastic.

    TL;dr: Users, get the idea that you have to pay the freight. You can not get limousine, or even cab service for bus rates.

  240. Nate Guest

    There’s a third option for car share in MIA & FLL called carsmartt.
    Another scam that frequently happened to me at the S FL airports, was that the Uber driver would call me and ask where I was going. If it was a short ride, they would ask me to cancel!

  241. Lynwood Jones Jr Guest

    So sorry to hear your otherwise perfect life was interrupted by a few minutes of inconvenience. Even more sorry that you felt the need to dump on your cab driver who was there to accommodate you. Its absolutely hilarious to hear these stories regarding the "utopian esque" guber and ryft company and drivers. Why not just stick with them and continue to not get in a taxi ever again. People like you perfectly fit the...

    So sorry to hear your otherwise perfect life was interrupted by a few minutes of inconvenience. Even more sorry that you felt the need to dump on your cab driver who was there to accommodate you. Its absolutely hilarious to hear these stories regarding the "utopian esque" guber and ryft company and drivers. Why not just stick with them and continue to not get in a taxi ever again. People like you perfectly fit the definition of wanting to have your cake and eat it too. Whiners. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I must admit people like you seem to me to be just a bit narcissistic with the mindset that you and the world which evolves around you is perfect. There is no utopia in case you havent realized this. Glad to see the you and thousands of others are realizing that there is no magic bullet, no end all be all for anything including guber and ryft. Even in your industry whatever it might be, there are idiots morons scammers and so forth just as in any other. So step off your soap box and remove your figurative holier than though halo and just eat your cake and enjoy it.

  242. John t Guest

    @Db .....thats not fair to cancel a ride if they dont move within 60 seconds. Some stop lights can take several minutes to change or could be one of hundreds or thousands of other reasons for a 60 second delay. You should reconsider your practices as your being unreasonable

  243. Isaac Guest

    Don't be quick to blame the driver, the Uber server suuuuck. As an UberEats driver I have called support a few times for help and during the call was told that I should go ahead and deliver my last order because the system showed I was still on an order that I had delivered 30+ minutes ago. No wonder I wasn't getting any new orders. I tey to explain that yes, I dropped off the...

    Don't be quick to blame the driver, the Uber server suuuuck. As an UberEats driver I have called support a few times for help and during the call was told that I should go ahead and deliver my last order because the system showed I was still on an order that I had delivered 30+ minutes ago. No wonder I wasn't getting any new orders. I tey to explain that yes, I dropped off the food, and yes I swiped the "Delivered" bar, and now my phone shows "Online" and "Finding Trips", but they never seem to believe me, usually ending the call with, "And go ahead and finish that delivery." Yeah 'cause I've just been tooling around with some poor person's burrito for the last hour. *eye roll* This has happened repeatedly, along with other frustrating bug, like getting multiple orders at once but only one notification and the others disappear when I try to view them, being told the delivery address was the pickup address until I reboot my phone, etc. so it wouldn't shock me if the Uber passenger driver system was just as buggy.

  244. Rock Guest

    You know these people make less than minimum wage and you expect good services. What a joke, over half you jack a.sses don't tip anyway. What's the incentive?

  245. Bee Guest

    1.Drivers must accept over 80% of rides while the app is open or risk deactivation consideration.

    This means they must agree to rides they do not want even if they already have a pax on a run.

    2.Most drivers will not answer texts while driving because it is distracting and AGAINST THE LAW.

    Never expect a driver en route to have an ongoing convo with you.

    3. Drivers who already have passengers are often volunteered...

    1.Drivers must accept over 80% of rides while the app is open or risk deactivation consideration.

    This means they must agree to rides they do not want even if they already have a pax on a run.

    2.Most drivers will not answer texts while driving because it is distracting and AGAINST THE LAW.

    Never expect a driver en route to have an ongoing convo with you.

    3. Drivers who already have passengers are often volunteered for another ride. In this case they never accepted your ride, but were TOLD you would be next after dropping off their passenger. They could still be en route 20 to 30 minutes to the next drop off

    4. Drivers who sit and do not move want you to cancel the ride. It is not for the small fee which is split between uber and the driver. They do NOT want your ride* but cannot refuse it without getting penalized.

    They hope you catch the clue and cancel because they also get penalized for canceling rides

    Riders cancel up to 2 minutes after acceptance with no fee.

    5. If a driver is heading AWAY from you, it often is because the gps has a lag time to kick in and provide directions but because a driver is in traffic, they may miss the exit or turn off that is closest to you.

    6. Uber gps messes up. A lot

    7.The info drivers get about YOUR RIDE is limited. Unless a platinum or premium driver, the driver only knows your rating and how long it should take to get to the pick up.

    They do not know where you will be going and if they have another appt, scheduled ride or job, timing is critical.

    If YOUR RIDE is over 10 minutes away, many drivers will NOT want that ride. The reason is drivers are NOT PAID to drive to you. If they need to go 15 miles to pick up a 2 mile trip (worth around 2.12 in some markets) that is a loss, so as a rule they shun far away pick ups.

    8. At the airport, drivers often wait 2 to 3 hours for 1 ride. If they are not a higher pro driver, they call to find out where you are going because anything more than 2 miles, uber does not allow drivers to cut in line.

    In other words, if your destination is 5 minutes from the airport and you want a ride, MOST who see how close you are will REJECT your ride. No one wants to wait 2-3 hours to pick up a 2 to 5 dollar fare.

    9. Those who cannot see your distance, call you or take a chance if they are new

    10. Most drivers HATE: grocery store pick ups, animals in a ride and rides under 10 miles. In many markets, a 9 mile ride is worth. 6.40. The further a driver must drive to start such a ride, the more likely the driver will cancel.

    11. Drivers hate driving in super congested areas. They are paid literal pennies for time and ONLY when the pax is in the car. A nightmare is driving to or away from a concert or event with a car full of people, going 2 miles but it taking 45 minutes. The driver will have made about 4.50 for that hour.

    12. When your driver changes, either they canceled you or uber changed them.

    13. When your driver is,over 10 minutes away, chances are high other drivers are rejecting your ride.

    Rides are rejected due to distance, location (like in a congested area) or your rating or the convo you are having.

    14. If you are angry, self entitled, etc and let your driver know this begore they pick you up, either you or they should cancel, it is not going to be a good ride.

    15. A distracted driver is a road hazard. If your frustration, anger, self righteousness is transmitting, your ride and everyone else is at risk due to your driver being upset.

    It is better to cancel, than to wait to try to force a driver to "serve you"

    16. At the end of the day, drivers are NOT there to serve you they are trying to make money. The 2 to 40 most pay is often NOT WORTH the stuff drivers must deal with.

    If YOUR RIDE is a losing money proposition for any driver be it too long, too short, a grocery run, you are a problem, it is too far to the pick up, etc drivers have found ways to get around a losing pick up.

    Riders DO have a right to expect reasonable pick ups and fares BUT drivers have the right to decide they will not make certain runs, or accept certain behavior. Unfortunately, both uber and lyft assert these rights on paper but place other mandates on drivers to subvert the agreement.

    The net result can be BOTH unhappy pax and drivers.

    Note: during surges at events, uber gps often goes haywire and CANNOT keep up with event roadblocks.

    Very FEW drivers scam for a cancellation fee. If there is an ongoing issue it is drivers are trying to find ways to stop exploitation. It is not uncommon for a driver to drive 20 to 28 miles only to have a pax take a 1 to 3 mile ride.

    That driver will not be driving long if that happens a lot.

    If you think that is tough luck..go back to your original premise about cancellations and apply that same lack of empathy to yourself.

    Some drivers DO try to scam by waiting less than 5 minutes for a pax then cancelling. Uber can review and see EXACTLY where a driver is an how long they waited.

    In the case of Alejandro driving 31 min to you and not texting you..if he had ro drive so far, they pulled him from general traffic and not the airport queue and YOU should have seen that and the time est on your phone. The driver cannot make up the time. Drivers are tracked, all the time the app is running.

  246. Diane Guest

    I had the same experience with Lyft this past week! Ended up waiting over 20 minutes and watching my lyft driver go in complete circles around me. I eventually canceled the ride and walked to work... I was 30 minutes late.. I’m giving up on Uber and lyft. What a scam. I’ll keep cash for taxis from now on

  247. Jenn Guest

    There is a ride share app called Wingz that allows you to schedule your ride in advance. This is perfect for airport trips. Only once has it ever let me down and that's when my flight was delayed and the driver said he couldn't take me and Wingz couldn't find me another driver. So I took a taxi that time and found that taxi rates had come down a lot at my airport and what...

    There is a ride share app called Wingz that allows you to schedule your ride in advance. This is perfect for airport trips. Only once has it ever let me down and that's when my flight was delayed and the driver said he couldn't take me and Wingz couldn't find me another driver. So I took a taxi that time and found that taxi rates had come down a lot at my airport and what used to be a $45 trip home was now a $35 trip, about the same price as Wingz.

    I've taken Lyft a couple of times on business trips with no issues, I wouldn't even consider Uber due to their business culture. I haven't even signed up with them.

  248. Zippy Guest

    As a Lyft driver in Philadelphia, I often get pinged right after I drop off. If I'm not, I head back into town. I would never dream of waiting, as the trip back into town is minor. I suspect that riders are watching for drivers pulling into Departures.

  249. Lyft driver from nj Guest

    Uber and lyft is the real scammers..Im a driver we do not receive a cancellation fee if we do not arrive ...We barely receive this fee after arriving and the customer does not show...In when we do its 5 dollars not 10....Drivers except rides in dont go so they won't be penalized for declining a ride they dont want....As far as cancellation fee thats uber and lyft scamming if we arrive 1 min after gps...

    Uber and lyft is the real scammers..Im a driver we do not receive a cancellation fee if we do not arrive ...We barely receive this fee after arriving and the customer does not show...In when we do its 5 dollars not 10....Drivers except rides in dont go so they won't be penalized for declining a ride they dont want....As far as cancellation fee thats uber and lyft scamming if we arrive 1 min after gps they say we are not eligible for a fee because you arrived late....period

  250. JT Guest

    I had another version of this happen at LAX (Los Angeles). Home is about 5 miles from the airport. I would order an Uber and the driver would call me "to make sure that I am in the correct Uber pickup spot." They would also happen to ask where I am going, and as soon as they learned that it's only 5 miles away, they would cancel. Another driver would be assigned and the process...

    I had another version of this happen at LAX (Los Angeles). Home is about 5 miles from the airport. I would order an Uber and the driver would call me "to make sure that I am in the correct Uber pickup spot." They would also happen to ask where I am going, and as soon as they learned that it's only 5 miles away, they would cancel. Another driver would be assigned and the process would start again. It took 7 drivers and over an hour to get one who picked me up without asking where I was going. I complained to Uber and they didn't care - they wouldn't even say that they would look into it. I switched to Lyft and haven't used Uber since.

  251. Chucky Guest

    All I do when they pull this crap is flag them and they get temporarily booted from the platform on the spot. Just tap that you had issues with the driver and that they were driving in an unsafe manner.

  252. D. C. Guest

    This is a very common scam in Brazil and Uber just doesn't care. I had drivers openly asking me to cancel the ride in the Uber's app chat. I sent Uber a message with a screenshot, they just replied saying they monitor all activity and will take action when they think is appropriate.

  253. Angella Guest

    I quit using Uber, and find the customer service at GoGoride.us & Lyft fantastic. @gogorideus even matches the fares with lift, and I’ve always had professional drivers.

    You might want to switch services. I’d be very curious to hear what Uber does or don’t say about this.

  254. Fab4458 Guest

    Most of you guys complaining about drivers I get some of the issues and understand to an extent. Remember one thing both Uber and Lyft are taking 40% to 55% of the fair when promised 25%. Lyft doesn't even allow the drivers to see what the rider pays as well as always taking a bigger percentage of the fair and that's why I don't drive for Lyft anymore and I'm my way out of Uber...

    Most of you guys complaining about drivers I get some of the issues and understand to an extent. Remember one thing both Uber and Lyft are taking 40% to 55% of the fair when promised 25%. Lyft doesn't even allow the drivers to see what the rider pays as well as always taking a bigger percentage of the fair and that's why I don't drive for Lyft anymore and I'm my way out of Uber as well. The fares are way to low and to be completely honest doesn't even make sense anymore to even do rideshare unless they raise the fares or bare minimum stop taking so much of the fare. And some of you complaining about drivers waiting for higher surges, the higher surges should be what the fair should be. Think about what you pay take away what Uber takes, taxes, gas, then ask yourself would you take your vehicle out for that amount. If your honest about it you would then be understood why there is such a problem.
    Take an airport run they make drivers park in a lot which is 10 minutes away. Have to get in line ,(which I understand that part) and sit there for 40 minutes to an hour before you get a ride. Then you get a ride in which the rider is going a couple of miles away and cause it's a city it will take about 20 minutes to go a couple of miles. You make $3.71 to maybe $7. You then have to drive back 20 minutes to get back in line start All over to get the same or similar ride. So now you made that for an 1-1/2hr worth of work that's not taking out gas or taxes. Does that make sense to anyone. So for next time someone cancels on you at the airport understand that this situation should never be acceptable for anyone to do.
    I had some guy tell me that's not his problem so neither is it mine. You can't expect someone to use there car destroy it to make less then minimum wage. Don't mind helping people out but not here to work for free while killing my car. Button line Uber, Lyft and drivers are not making$ it's time for fares to go up not down not taking a bigger percentage of the 25% fair promised.
    It's time for a new platform to battle Uber and Lyft. I guarantee the app that pays the drivers the most will have all the drivers and would starve Lyft and Uber out of drivers!

  255. James Guest

    Uber takes $5 for the cancellation. They only pay the driver a portion of that. So Uber is making money on not doing anything. Start with that thought and you should be able to figure out that it's the company rooted in greed and not the drivers. Refunds never affect the driver. But how is there any profit in playing games over a few bucks for a cancellation when...you know...I could just pick someone up...

    Uber takes $5 for the cancellation. They only pay the driver a portion of that. So Uber is making money on not doing anything. Start with that thought and you should be able to figure out that it's the company rooted in greed and not the drivers. Refunds never affect the driver. But how is there any profit in playing games over a few bucks for a cancellation when...you know...I could just pick someone up and drop them off and make tips. This is kind of a waste of an article to be honest.

  256. Anonymous Driver Guest

    USE A TAXI!!!

    It's so much complaining from users about every little issue...your driver probably didn't want to take you anywhere because you're going >5miles away for a trip that nets them $4-$5 when they've been waiting 45 minutes.

    THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!!!!

    Your Uber driver is getting paid pennies on the dollar and you know you're paying 65% less than a taxi for 1000% more comfort and service...

    SO STOP CRYING ABOUT EVEY...

    USE A TAXI!!!

    It's so much complaining from users about every little issue...your driver probably didn't want to take you anywhere because you're going >5miles away for a trip that nets them $4-$5 when they've been waiting 45 minutes.

    THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!!!!

    Your Uber driver is getting paid pennies on the dollar and you know you're paying 65% less than a taxi for 1000% more comfort and service...

    SO STOP CRYING ABOUT EVEY LITTLE THING THAT GOES WRONG!!!!

    You said your driver has done thousands of trips...he/she has invested alot of time and money in cars, maintenance, hours put in, etc....we have no choice but to continue to take Uber's and Uber passenger abuse!

    SO NEXT TIME BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO CRY AND COMPLAIN ABOUT UBER DRIVER THIS...UBER DRIVER THAT...

    Use another method before putting drivers on blast and making a hard working individual lose their damn job...and give a damn tip or two when you get good service!

    Sincerely,
    An Uber Driver (10k trips done with a 9.96 rating)

  257. Rachel Guest

    I've had that maybe twice, since Lyft has recently changed to a system where after a certain amount of time, if the driver isn't headed in your direction on something around the expected time scale, the app automatically swaps you to a driver who's closer to you, so those issues almost never happen.

    Early on when I used Lyft, I'd have a problem with drivers not accepting my rides, when one driver finally pointed out...

    I've had that maybe twice, since Lyft has recently changed to a system where after a certain amount of time, if the driver isn't headed in your direction on something around the expected time scale, the app automatically swaps you to a driver who's closer to you, so those issues almost never happen.

    Early on when I used Lyft, I'd have a problem with drivers not accepting my rides, when one driver finally pointed out that the problem was that I had a 5.0 star rating despite having two years on the app, and that was something only new passengers usually had because he says "everyone who rides for long enough eventually runs into a jerk who gives them a low rating for no reason," so he expected that most drivers thought I might be a bot, company exec, "secret shopper" type situation, or someone else who had the ability to get Lyft to give me a fake passenger rating, and he'd only picked me up because he was curious to see who was behind that kind of profile. So he offered to give me a 4-star review, I agreed, and sure enough, the problems getting accepted and picked up vanished.

    The other big problem I had was when Lyft started doing "pickup lots" at concerts and stuff, their system was absolute shit, and even though riders would be directed to the pickup lot, drivers who weren't already in the lot would be marked as "arrived" any time when they got within a certain distance of any edges of the venue's property - so the timer would start running down while the driver and rider were stuck half a mile apart, resulting in much frustration for both people.

    Luckily the local taxi company has started following the app model, where you can request a ride, see an estimate of how much it'll cost and when they'll arrive, and get proof of who you're supposed to be riding with. It's still fairly unaffordable for most people here because it's 3-4x the rideshare prices and there's no equivalent to UberPool/Lyft Line if you want to make it more affordable by sharing, but at least it'll give you a reasonable estimate instead of being like "Surprise this 7 mile trip cost you $75 and the driver is suddenly insisting his credit card machine is broken even though you were not alerted of that when you called the cab company." Ironically, the "professional" drivers who are paid the same no matter how many rides they give in a day, like the paratransit drivers, are the absolute WORST and won't think twice about showing up 45 minutes late bc they know that if the rider had the money to take any other form of transportation, or the ability to take the bus instead, they'd be doing that.

  258. Tim Guest

    Cindy! Your grouping all Uber drivers into one mold! That’s ridiculous! I’ve been an Uber / Lyft driver for two years and completed over 3100 rides, and I’ve never scammed a customer! Although I’ve had customers in my car that told me the same thing, that the driver never moved. I had 3 customers tell me this in one week and every driver was a Lyft driver! Unfortunately there are a lot of crappy drivers...

    Cindy! Your grouping all Uber drivers into one mold! That’s ridiculous! I’ve been an Uber / Lyft driver for two years and completed over 3100 rides, and I’ve never scammed a customer! Although I’ve had customers in my car that told me the same thing, that the driver never moved. I had 3 customers tell me this in one week and every driver was a Lyft driver! Unfortunately there are a lot of crappy drivers out there, however, there are tons of good drivers out there! I’m one of those drivers that try to provide the best possible ride to my customers! I’m a 4.98 on Uber and a 5.0 on Lyft! One thing all customers need to do, have both ride share apps downloaded on their phone! If a driver is playing games by not moving and not answering, use the other app! Because if a driver keeps the ride active, he can get another ride on that app. When the customer get to their location, call the driver, or text him and tell him that you just reported him to the ride share company! I go out of my way to take care of my customers. I just wish more customers appreciated my services by leaving a tip!

  259. Tye Guest

    It's happened to me in Philadelphia at the airport but in other places as well when i was using and Lyft. Both were the same and even worse, until recently i couldn5 even find thr cancel but until the 5 min had passed. Not saying it was not there (yeah, i don't believe it was( but the drivers arent the only ines playing ganes. I think uber and lyft play their own games as well.

  260. James Novak Guest

    Hi everyone, I am a passenger and a former Uber driver (in good standing). Nearly 3k rides with a 4.96 rating.

    I am also a former Law enforcement officer of two government agencies.

    I can tell you as a professional driver, there is no conspiracy amongst the drivers to scam riders with a cancellation fee.

    At least as far as I know in the San Francisco Bay area. That has never come up as a...

    Hi everyone, I am a passenger and a former Uber driver (in good standing). Nearly 3k rides with a 4.96 rating.

    I am also a former Law enforcement officer of two government agencies.

    I can tell you as a professional driver, there is no conspiracy amongst the drivers to scam riders with a cancellation fee.

    At least as far as I know in the San Francisco Bay area. That has never come up as a topic with any other drivers I've ever been in contact with while discussing strategies to maximize driver income.

    Usually what is talked about is, where are the best places to start your day or best times to be in a certain area to get the most rides etc. Never have I witnessed any driver or drivers for Uber or Lyft asking about or suggesting scams as a way of increasing income...

    This is not to say or suggest it hasn't happened as reported here. It may we'll have happened as every single profession has it's share of bad apples. I'm just stating as far as I know during my almost 2 years of driving nearly 3k riders, I haven't experienced anything of this sort nor have I ever heard even one driver suggest it.

    It's probably because first and foremost the majority of workers in any industry are honest, hard working, and just doing their best to earn a living to support themselves and their families.

    But secondly, if you did have a dishonest gig driver who was thinking of ways to exploit the system to make great money instead of actually working for it.

    They wouldn't choose the described method of this discussion as it wouldn't make sense as it's a horrible idea to make any real income...

    The described method would bare little fruit and lots of trouble thus rendering it as a truly useless idea to skate by while using the app.

    Firstly, cancelation fees are miniscule and Uber dips their fingers into it before it reaches the driver now even smaller. You'd make much more actually doing your job.

    Also, No, the driver is not allowed to keep any portion of the cancellation fee if it has been refunded to the rider. Uber, automatically deducts any refund fees from the drivers current or future earnings.

    Then also, your going to risk the one thing most drivers tend to covet the most next to their actual vehicle and it's condition. Their "Rating". Without those stars and compliments on their profile, they may as well not even show up because as riders we all know full well if we're offered a driver with anything other than a near pristine rating we have no problem flipping to the next properly rated driver.

    Lastly, Uber does in fact have certain conditions in place to quickly ferret out such behavior, the suspected driver would not get away with such tactics very long.

    They would be quickly singled out, contacted, questioned and dealt with accordingly.

    So that said, I don't see what would motivate a driver to resort to that specific scam.

    On the other hand, obviously the author of this article has a valid complaint and took the proper steps to remedy the situation.

    I cannot even begin to speculate why a driver with the higher end credentials the author has reported, would have performed this way.

    Except to say I've had the occasional bad day where I've made mistakes or performed less than favorable due to unforeseen circumstances.

    But honestly I cannot speak for another drivers performance. So while this could have happened for any number of circumstances, unintentional or even intentional.

    I don't feel that this is a rampant scam amongst drivers for reasons mentioned.

    However, while we are on the subject. I do actually know of a very similar scam that does occur on a larger scale. Almost exactly as the author describes in his example. Except it's reversed.

    Yes, it's the rider who performs a ride cancel scam on the driver. I have personally experienced on a low percentage of the few thousand rides I've given.

    What takes place is I accept a ride, make my way in a more than timely manner to the riders location. They get in, buckle up. We're on our way and anywhere from a few blocks to a few miles into the ride, the app tells me the ride has been cancelled.

    I ask the rider, who's usually just on their device. Excuse me, have you cancelled the ride? They reply no! No idea why that would happen.

    I'm always very polite about it and always give the rider the benefit of the doubt. What I do is, kindly finish taking them to their destination. When they are out of the vehicle, I make a note of the pick up and drop points, times and mileage and I report to Uber, that even though that particular ride was reported as cancelled by the rider. I did in fact complete the ride.

    Sometimes, Uber makes good and charges the rider and I get paid a bit later down the road. Sometimes I don't get anything.

    I just chalk it up as part of the job of taking the bad with the good.

    Anyway, I hope this helps the author and any others interested.

    Thank you for allowing my reply.

    James

  261. Tom Guest

    The thing that most people dont understand is that this isn't necessarily a scam. The reality is that Uber and Lyft do not show drivers where you are going until after you are in the car and the driver has started the ride. The reason this is important to understand is that if you end up needing to go 2 miles in a certain direction but that way takes the driver into heavy traffic and...

    The thing that most people dont understand is that this isn't necessarily a scam. The reality is that Uber and Lyft do not show drivers where you are going until after you are in the car and the driver has started the ride. The reason this is important to understand is that if you end up needing to go 2 miles in a certain direction but that way takes the driver into heavy traffic and the ride might last an hour. But since you were only going a mile or two the pay for that ride, even if you paid a lot for it, is garbage. Uber and Lyft will take the majority of that money for themselves. So that driver may make $6 and have spent an hour on that run. The issue with cancellations is that after accepting Uber and Lyft will punish the driver for cancelling, even in cases of an actual emergency. For the majority of drivers it is not about the cancellation fee. Most driver couldn't care less about that fee unless you actually wasted their time. The issue rests with Uber and Lyft not showing them where you are going and allowing the driver to make an informed decision about whether they want to take the run or not. When you're working as a contractor you're supposed to have all those facts so you can make the appropriate decisions for your bottom line. If you want to place appropriate blame somewhere then place it at the feet of Uber and Lyft. They are the responsible parties in this instance.

  262. Tina Guest

    I've used it like rarely. I live in a small town (48,000). The taxi service went out of business, there's no Uber but we have Lyft and I've had family use it to get to/from airport and around town. So far it's been excellent which is good because it's all we have.

  263. Tank Guest

    This "SCAM" is bogus. I drive Uber and Lyft and have for the past 3.5 years in my spare time. It's not a windfall by far. Look at the example given in this article. If successful the payoff would have been a whole shiny ten spot...in Miami. Yeah Alejandro would've been a straight up baller out for the night on South Beach off that....FOH. Even if he did this back to back I doubt $20/hr...

    This "SCAM" is bogus. I drive Uber and Lyft and have for the past 3.5 years in my spare time. It's not a windfall by far. Look at the example given in this article. If successful the payoff would have been a whole shiny ten spot...in Miami. Yeah Alejandro would've been a straight up baller out for the night on South Beach off that....FOH. Even if he did this back to back I doubt $20/hr in Miami is a living wage. Prior to doing rideshare I was a taxi driver for 5 years while in college. Folks would just naturally assume I was selecting my routes to maximize the fare, instead of driver insight. In livery it's always been about volume. I may make small talk but I'd you are in my backseat then that's money already made. I'm constantly thinking about the next fare and the one after that. Are there any convenience stores in the drop-off area with an accessible bathroom that I can get in and out of without ceasing my grind. In my tenure as a driver I've been t-boned by a drink twice, robbed once, and had numerous physical altercations as well as having to clean up countless grown-ass folks puke. It's a means to and end. Out of four kids, two are currently in college so likee the infamous Chapelle skit "eff your couch" I'm saying "eff your $10". Unless there is another 0 behind that it's literally not worth my time. This ain't the 80s and I'm not trying to come up off slanging dimes,if I'm out here risking my life and well being I'm looking for heroin-type money. And you do realize that the platform still takes their cut of that fee, so in reality Alejandro would've received 6 to 7 bucks. Yeah he ball'n.......FOH

  264. Angel Guest

    I never liked Uber. I always used Lyft rides which are way cheaper and no scammers.

  265. Joel Guest

    What I get more often is the driver arriving, but passing by like nothing. That way he can confirm he arrived, starts collecting wait time for in case I catch him, but drives blocks away so after 5 minutes it’s automatically canceled and he receives the fee. I always fight it but I guess not everyone does which is where they make more money.

  266. Juliane Guest

    I'm a driver and people have cancelled me due to this.....
    I get a lot of calls where people want a round trip (I find this out only as I get to their destination). In the meantime, I accept another trip that has come in. That new trip doesnt show up for me until I clock my current ride out, so I cant contact the "new" rider. When we get to the current rider's...

    I'm a driver and people have cancelled me due to this.....
    I get a lot of calls where people want a round trip (I find this out only as I get to their destination). In the meantime, I accept another trip that has come in. That new trip doesnt show up for me until I clock my current ride out, so I cant contact the "new" rider. When we get to the current rider's destination, they tell me they just want to run in real quick and then be taken back to where i picked them up from, but they tell me they dont know how to edit or add a stop on their app. So i help them add a stop and i proceed to drive them back. En route, the next rider tries to call, but I still have a rider in the car, and I cant pull over to talk to the caller. They cancel.

  267. SD Guest

    This happened to my wife and me at Universal Studios Orlando. Unlike you, I cancelled. Same driver accepted. I cancelled again. Same car with different driver accepted. Despite the screenshots and proof of the scam, Uber would only refund one trip. After that, I started using Lyft whenever possible. That was 2 years ago. It seems Uber has done nothing to stop the practice, which just adds to the company's, shadiness.

  268. Cindy Guest

    I don't feel sorry for people who use Uber. You kind of get what you deserve. After all the problems with them & the complaints, yet you sorry suckers STILL use them! Either stop using them or shut up & stop complaining!

  269. Renato Lima Guest

    I live in Sao Paulo, which is one of the biggest Uber markets. This happens once in a while and I was once told by an Uber driver that this is indeed a scam to get cancelation fees. What I usually do in the case is simply to start a new trip inside Uber itself and leave the other one hanging there forever until the driver himself decides to cancel it. That way he cannot accept a new ride while "mine" is still active.

  270. Raajesh Guest

    Honestly the same exact senario happened for me. I got out out of an 11 hour Finnair flight from Finland to Miami. It was a week ago. Ordered Uber and the apps shows the driver was 5 min away. So I waited there is no movement in his position for five minutes.
    Initially I left it by thinking it may be traffic but the time goes he never moved from his position, made it...

    Honestly the same exact senario happened for me. I got out out of an 11 hour Finnair flight from Finland to Miami. It was a week ago. Ordered Uber and the apps shows the driver was 5 min away. So I waited there is no movement in his position for five minutes.
    Initially I left it by thinking it may be traffic but the time goes he never moved from his position, made it suspicious so I tried to call him. He attended my call but not voice. I called through Uber app too same response. Finally tried to cancel the ride, Uber showed me I need to pay the cancellation fee since the driver started to driving to my location.
    By that time I saw this response, it was almost 20-25 after I order the ride. He was still at the same location and was still showing 6 min away. I tried to find a customer service number but they have only emergency contact numbers.
    I had a finger injury on Finland due to cold weather I didn't feel the pain it was numb. Once I was in the plane and got down in Miami the pain started increasing and I couldn't able to stay longer at airport.
    So I finally I decided I need to cancel it anyhow, so I sent a text message to the driver stating. I waiting for you for last 25 min and you location was at the small place are you driving towards me or not. Same read and no response. I cancelled the ride.
    But the I got a reply from Uber stating that they are not going to charge cancellation fee for this time. I booked another Uber and went home.
    Note: the location of my Uber driver showed exactly the same location where Uber driver showed. Unfortunately I didn't take any screenshots of the location.

  271. Rider Guest

    Your next article about Uber in Miami should be about how drivers who use Google phones (this doesn't work on iPhones) with an App that allows them to trick Uber's system by letting them place their location anywhere on the map i.e. at the airport, when in actuality the driver is sitting at home or in another location. This allows the driver to put their car in the queue at the airport, without actually being...

    Your next article about Uber in Miami should be about how drivers who use Google phones (this doesn't work on iPhones) with an App that allows them to trick Uber's system by letting them place their location anywhere on the map i.e. at the airport, when in actuality the driver is sitting at home or in another location. This allows the driver to put their car in the queue at the airport, without actually being at the airport. I had a driver call me after I requested a ride at MIA who said "it probably looks like I'm about 3 minutes away, but I'm actually about 40 minutes away. You are welcome to cancel and get a different driver if you're in a hurry."
    I cancelled. The next driver who did pick me up, explained this scam in detail to me and told me "all the drivers in Miami use this app."
    Miami drivers are an embarrassment to Uber, I'm sure this takes place in other locations as well.

  272. Angela weaver Guest

    Same happened to me on a trip to Boston back in September. It was showing him literally 3 minutes from me not moving at all after he accepted the ride. I was brand new to Uber at the time, so didn’t realize that could be a scam. After 10 minutes of my daughter and I waiting outside in the rain, I canceled and got someone else there in a few minutes.

  273. David Guest

    For every single person who thinks a grown adult is going to waste their time for 3 dollars or is a scammer with a driver's license and verified background is crazy. Have u heard of network congestion or or phone malfunctions or frozen apps.

  274. Sean Guest

    Typical South Florida, aka Scam Capital of the World. This has happened to me every single time I've flown in to FLL or MIA. Most drivers speak ZERO english. The last time this happened, I was still able to call the guy's phone several hours after he finally cancelled (I too told him to take his time as I was not in a hurry and wanted to see if and when he would cancel.
    ...

    Typical South Florida, aka Scam Capital of the World. This has happened to me every single time I've flown in to FLL or MIA. Most drivers speak ZERO english. The last time this happened, I was still able to call the guy's phone several hours after he finally cancelled (I too told him to take his time as I was not in a hurry and wanted to see if and when he would cancel.
    I called his phone hours later and told him I was with Uber corporate (which I'm not) and was aware of the scam he was pulling on people. Of course, the call was recorded by Uber. The driver said he didn't care who I was, and didn't care if Uber kicked him off the platform (which is what I was threatening him with). Uber called me several days later, I completely explained what happened. They deliberated for a couple of days then called me back and told me they found that he was in the wrong and said he was no longer allowed to drive for Uber. All fees were refunded to me.

  275. Taxi Aficionado Guest

    You are an idiot for using Uber (or Lyft). You got a taxi on demand, with no hassles, no scams, no hold-ups, no raping or pillaging, yet you complain that the taxi driver asked to be paid in cash? News flash: THAT IS how it's suppose to work. I suppose your time isn't worth much to be spending it with your nose in your cellphone trying to get $10 back from Uber. And if you...

    You are an idiot for using Uber (or Lyft). You got a taxi on demand, with no hassles, no scams, no hold-ups, no raping or pillaging, yet you complain that the taxi driver asked to be paid in cash? News flash: THAT IS how it's suppose to work. I suppose your time isn't worth much to be spending it with your nose in your cellphone trying to get $10 back from Uber. And if you think that Uber is so much cheaper than a taxi that it's going to make or break you, you should consider getting a job that pays you more so you can afford a taxi.

    Now I don't understand something: Why would people want to get in an unlicensed, uninsured, stranger's car, with a hit or miss scheduling scheme, and be driven by someone who hates doing his less-than-minimum wage job?

    Bottom line: Yes, Uber (and Lyft) is a scam.

  276. Elias Guest

    The fundamental problem is that if you cancel, you aren't permitted to rate the driver. So, drivers can try this nonsense and their ratings will never suffer.

  277. Jo jo Guest

    They do this constantly in brickell. The uber drivers park at the burger king and accept luxury fares and never move from burger king parking lot forcing you to cancel ride. This has become regular occurrence in brickell. I notified uber what their drivers were doing to brickel residents and they did nothing. I uninstalled the uber app and uber eats app as a result. Sorry uber and your shady drivers.

  278. blarg Guest

    There are 2 L's in cancellation, and the title is not a question, so no "?" needed.

  279. JRMW Guest

    To those of you saying “just pay up and get a cab”:

    I personally use Uber/Lyft once in a while, and cabs once in a while
    I always use a cab FROM airports, because the pickup process using apps is a hot mess. (Often have to wait 10-15 minutes for them to arrive)

    But cab drivers are increasingly scary
    I seriously feared for my life the last two trips.
    Most recently it...

    To those of you saying “just pay up and get a cab”:

    I personally use Uber/Lyft once in a while, and cabs once in a while
    I always use a cab FROM airports, because the pickup process using apps is a hot mess. (Often have to wait 10-15 minutes for them to arrive)

    But cab drivers are increasingly scary
    I seriously feared for my life the last two trips.
    Most recently it was a cab with bald tires in an icy day in Minneapolis
    We ran into the curb, twice

    Here in MSP, most don’t speak English. (Most speak Somali, Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromo)

    It’s not talked about, but Uber/Lyft have pulled all of the decent drivers who can afford a car.

    The other issue is penetration
    Uber/Lyft are everywhere
    Cabs in Minneapolis are not
    Private Limo?
    Try getting one on Friday downtown to take you home.

    We need the VC money to go away
    And we need to regulate Uber/Lyft
    And make the system fair for everyone (drivers, passengers)

    Seems like we just need a 4.0 version of these apps

  280. Banjo Guest

    I'm not sure why drivers are waiting hours at the airport unless they are hoping for a call. I wait until I get to the curb or are right inside the door at an airport before I call Uber. That way, driver is not inconvenienced and I have already gone through all my waiting. On the other hand, all these people saying cabs or limos are so much more professional I'm not sure I agree....

    I'm not sure why drivers are waiting hours at the airport unless they are hoping for a call. I wait until I get to the curb or are right inside the door at an airport before I call Uber. That way, driver is not inconvenienced and I have already gone through all my waiting. On the other hand, all these people saying cabs or limos are so much more professional I'm not sure I agree. There are plenty of taxi scams too--take the long way, take the way with more traffic and get paid extra time, etc. I drove a limo and there are issues there too and I was barely making money after all the fees and tricks companies use. I was recently ripped off by a cab in Sydney who said they would save me money by charging a fixed fee--except I found out later that the fee was way out of line. Ordered an Uber for next trip and had no issues. But in fairness, I always tip the Uber driver. For trip from NYC to NJ we often gave driver $20 tip (and it was still cheaper than a cab or limo). My advice - tip the drivers every time if they do a good job.

  281. Mickey Guest

    This may not be a scam trying to make money off of you by you canceling the trip. This is probably one of the shady drivers who use two phones, won with each rideshare app. So heres what happens... Pedro the driver has two phones... He waits in the queue and gets a ride with Lyft so he leaves his phone hidden in the queue area or I give it to a fríend to hold....

    This may not be a scam trying to make money off of you by you canceling the trip. This is probably one of the shady drivers who use two phones, won with each rideshare app. So heres what happens... Pedro the driver has two phones... He waits in the queue and gets a ride with Lyft so he leaves his phone hidden in the queue area or I give it to a fríend to hold. Pedro hopes to drop off his lyft passenger then head back to the queue zone which when he does, the phone that he left behind Will hopefully have a ride.
    Professional Uber drivers have tried to stop this but with no luck.

  282. Jae Guest

    This happens with uber eats too, drivers will fail to contact you and then report a failed delivery, they get to keep your food and get a 5$ fee

  283. Phil Duncan Guest

    Perhaps all licensing authorities need to be as strict with Uber as Transport for London have been and see how they stand up to scrutiny of their practices.

    I never have and never will use them. The whole business model is rotten to the core.

  284. Driver Guest

    This article is filled with oversight, laced with entitlement and published with ignorance. First, off the drive is not being "unprofessional," because he does not responds. Must businesses operate with a 24-48 hour response time and you were looking for one within a few minutes. I know that seems a little extreme, but it reminds the passenger that the driver is still operating their own business.

    Secondly, passenegers order an Uber/Lyft and uses the...

    This article is filled with oversight, laced with entitlement and published with ignorance. First, off the drive is not being "unprofessional," because he does not responds. Must businesses operate with a 24-48 hour response time and you were looking for one within a few minutes. I know that seems a little extreme, but it reminds the passenger that the driver is still operating their own business.

    Secondly, passenegers order an Uber/Lyft and uses the gps tracker as their way of control over the driver because they paid a fee to share the driver's ride. Rideshare. And then start to micromanage how fast the driver should be there without using perspective. Drivers cannot drop out of thin air in front of you just because you want a ride, right now. It is rideshare not PERSONAL DRIVER. Remember when you ordered a taxi years ago and it took you hours to get one if they even showed up? Yeah. Drivers are still humans. They have phone calls, personal matters to handle, food to eat, and bathroom breaks to take. And yes it happens while still being online because guess what? Uber plays games. They'll stop sending drivers rides, throw them in the back of the queue system, kick you offline, etc. And it all effects the drivers not the passengers.

    Lastly, in response to this "scam," drivers aren't getting $10 in cancellation fee so that's the ignorant part, along with waiting at the airport just for a cancellation fee. The driver probably makes $6 or less on that $10. Uber keeps the rest. There are plenty of reasons the driver may or not have responded to you. Just know they were making a decision based off their opportunity cost. They wanted to benefit for sitting at the airport with a ride that was going to give them a higher earning. Maybe they had a flat and was changing it and was coming to you. Or exercising and wanted to stretch because you were going far. Maybe he was taking a dump and didn't want to be rude. We dont know.

    At the end of the day, the driver made a decision based off finances and time. And you played with it. Cancel it. Get another Uber. Get off your high horse thinking you're ordering a limo and should get that kind of service and be grateful for the steals when you ride in a rideshare.

    And Uber and Lyft drivers are the same drivers. The attitude snd energy from the customers effect your experience. Get in the car sit down. Feet on the floor. Dont touch anything or think that things need to be catered to you because there's thousands of other passengers the driver has in their car, so they can't change stuff for each passenger. Things break. So just get in the car. Be respectful and appreciative and make it to your destination safely.

  285. Paul Rizzo Guest

    Once I picked up a passenger and I even had a sign with his name on it. The sign said “Uber for Adam”.

    He got in and we drove a few blocks. All of a sudden the ride canceled. I asked him why did he cancel the ride? He said he didn’t.

    I said.. wait... are you Adam? He said no. I said I showed you the sign. He said oh... I just saw the...

    Once I picked up a passenger and I even had a sign with his name on it. The sign said “Uber for Adam”.

    He got in and we drove a few blocks. All of a sudden the ride canceled. I asked him why did he cancel the ride? He said he didn’t.

    I said.. wait... are you Adam? He said no. I said I showed you the sign. He said oh... I just saw the part that said Uber.

    Anyway, the original passenger, the real ADAM must to this day think I tried to scam him when really it was all due to an idiot other passenger.

    Uber does not allow drivers to contact passengers after the ride has ended.

  286. Alfredo Guest

    I use Uber in Miami daily, and I get this type of scam very often. Drivers not replying messages is also common since most of them don't speak any English. Every time I get scammed I do the same, they start driving in the opposite direction and I let them do it for about 15 minutes. It seems uber is aware of this because is shown as one of the reasons for canceling.

  287. Dan S Guest

    To Dan C...

    Here is another thing to think of.....
    Most drivers drive for both Uber and Lyft at the same time. In doing this they have to use two different phones. (Senario) If I get a ride for Uber and don't turn the Lyft app off and I get a ride for Lyft while I'm completing the Uber ride I could be going in the totally opposite direction of where the Lyft pickup...

    To Dan C...

    Here is another thing to think of.....
    Most drivers drive for both Uber and Lyft at the same time. In doing this they have to use two different phones. (Senario) If I get a ride for Uber and don't turn the Lyft app off and I get a ride for Lyft while I'm completing the Uber ride I could be going in the totally opposite direction of where the Lyft pickup could be. In that aspect the Lyft Rider will have to wait twice as long for the pickup. Or vise versa. If this is going on a driver is not going to pick up the phone while in the middle of a ride..... And or they may get another ride

  288. Sheila Watts Guest

    Yes I have this done to me alot and has been late quite a few times to work because of this nonsense. Also if your uber drive does not get to your location on time your charged extra because they say the was stuck in traffic. Uber is the worst. Lyft is better.

  289. Ryan Guest

    Why not show up at their location And surprise them.

  290. Desera Guest

    Well the uber driver I had pulled up with a flat tire. I asked him to cancel he said he would he ended up canceling as if we didnt show up I was charged 8.82 for this. I contacted uber I was told they couldn't give me a refund. I reported them to the better business bureau. I'm switching to lyft. Uber has lots of scams. It awful when you work hard for your money...

    Well the uber driver I had pulled up with a flat tire. I asked him to cancel he said he would he ended up canceling as if we didnt show up I was charged 8.82 for this. I contacted uber I was told they couldn't give me a refund. I reported them to the better business bureau. I'm switching to lyft. Uber has lots of scams. It awful when you work hard for your money and people they think they can just take it when they get ready to. Another money scam is the driver taking a longer route to your destination and you are charged more than the upfront fee they dont like to refund your money either.Uber can kiss my ass.

  291. Cori Guest

    Unfortunately, there are good and bad on both sides of ride-sharing just as anywhere else. There are drivers that scam, there are riders that scam. Tips are NOT included in the fare with Uber. I do agree that Uber and Lyft need to find some way to weed out the bad drivers and riders beyond the rating system that can be totally unfair for both. The world needs more people who follow the golden rule...

    Unfortunately, there are good and bad on both sides of ride-sharing just as anywhere else. There are drivers that scam, there are riders that scam. Tips are NOT included in the fare with Uber. I do agree that Uber and Lyft need to find some way to weed out the bad drivers and riders beyond the rating system that can be totally unfair for both. The world needs more people who follow the golden rule and treat others honestly and respectfully. I'm just starting out as an Uber driver, I plan on treating others as I would want to be treated! Sad world we live in.

  292. UberDriverPhx602 Guest

    I'm curious about your article cause as I driver I see flaws your story based on your description naming it as a scam. Number one you have to be within a certain Geo fence to actually run the timer . Which is usually 300to 500 feet of GPS location. Your diagram showing 7 mins would immediately stop the clock . Riders do this ignorant crap to me all the time . 3mins clocked to leave...

    I'm curious about your article cause as I driver I see flaws your story based on your description naming it as a scam. Number one you have to be within a certain Geo fence to actually run the timer . Which is usually 300to 500 feet of GPS location. Your diagram showing 7 mins would immediately stop the clock . Riders do this ignorant crap to me all the time . 3mins clocked to leave when arrival of your gps location you as a rider have the responsibility of not wasting the drivers time. Our time is money . When I arrive I always txt I have arrived. Usually around 2mins I send a are you still there ? No reply equals I cancel ride accept fee . How is that not fair when you as rider should be ready when calling a ride. I understand there are other variables but in most cases in my experience if someone ignores you it's a clear indication of wasting my gas my money and time . There are however glitches in gps location which drivers like this pile of shit take advantage of most of the time . The scamming is when they ignore you when calling the driver and vice versa. I just wish you clown's would stop posting your half truths on here just because you have a forum to write a article doesn't make it truth . It's a opinion not fact . One that is full of inconstancies . I'm done that's all .

  293. GoGo Guest

    My take away from all of this is that a number (if not the majority) of drivers are scammers or total jerks. With only one exception did a post from a supposed "driver" not reveal an absolute contempt for "riders", as well as a deep resentment for a job that no one forced you to take. One "driver" appeared to DEFEND scammers and BLAME riders for the fact that scams exists.

    I very rarely use...

    My take away from all of this is that a number (if not the majority) of drivers are scammers or total jerks. With only one exception did a post from a supposed "driver" not reveal an absolute contempt for "riders", as well as a deep resentment for a job that no one forced you to take. One "driver" appeared to DEFEND scammers and BLAME riders for the fact that scams exists.

    I very rarely use ride share - less than once a month - for those infrequent times I go downtiwn and need to see more than one client or travel to multiple client sites. On those occassions I park my car in a centrally located lot and then Uber for the rest of the day. On vacation I rent a car, or stay at a property that has a car to chauffeur guests.

    Is this more expensive? Of course, but having the ability to pay more for additional comfort, better service and less stress and aggravation is exactly why I work in the first place.

    I know what it is like to be an "independent contractor". I own, with my wife, a small business. I don't work, I don't eat. I try to scam my clients, I don't eat. I have such palatable, vitriolic contempt for my clients, I DON'T EAT. I pay for my own healthcare insurance, and I don't get vacation days. I have to work nights sometimes and weekends sometimes, because clients want the work done, period. I don't expect people to feel sorry for me, because this is the life I chose...to be my own boss. Just like Uber drivers.

    Do I make more than your typical Uber drivers? Yes...because what I do requires a level of skill and education that is beyond knowing how to use a phone and drive. Skills and education that I chose to acquire, and put in the time and effort and expense to do so. That is how life works, to paraphase one of the "drivers" in the thread.

    You don't like driving for Uber? DON'T. Feel you have no choice? You do...or at least did. You chose this. Don't take it out on unsuspecting riders...and don't blame them. Blaming others for your circumstances versus taking ownership is how you ended up in a job you hate in the first place....

  294. Miami Guest

    It's true it happens a lot in Miami. I once had a driver blocked bya bridge that called me to cancel, I didn't. Another time I requested a pool and the driver picked me up before entering the vehicle and drove past me. When I texted him to tell him that he didnt pick me up, he didnt reply. When I called he said he didnt speak english and he told me to cancel. I...

    It's true it happens a lot in Miami. I once had a driver blocked bya bridge that called me to cancel, I didn't. Another time I requested a pool and the driver picked me up before entering the vehicle and drove past me. When I texted him to tell him that he didnt pick me up, he didnt reply. When I called he said he didnt speak english and he told me to cancel. I didn't immediately cancel. I waited until the car was near me destination which was about 7 minutes away then I canceled. I immediately requested another pool. I requested a refund twice for the trip I didnt take Uber refused to give me a refund, so I requested a refund from the trip that I did take with the info from the previous trip to prove that I was still at the same location and had to take another Uber that was when I got my refund for the failed trip. I also had a driver that was "allegedly " doing a Lyft, he was driving in the opposite direction and when I called him he stated that he did not accept an Uber that he was doing a Lyft. He stated that he has no record of me and doesn't know why I'm calling him. When that ride was accepted on his end his ETA was 2 minutes.l, now his ETA was 13 minutes so I felt safe cancelling. I was notcharged fir the trip and the Uber app asked if I wanted to find another driver, but I still feel like that driver should've been penalized. Another issue I've had with Uber was when I went grocery shopping. The driver pulled into a parking spot while there were alot of cars in front of him but I saw him and I guess he tried to let the clock wind down. Uber charges a wait time if the driver doesn't stop the clock after the 2 minutes, but I'm not sure what he was doing. I texted him and told him that he needs to pull up to the front of the store. no reply. So I walked over to him. And his reply was. "Sorry, I dont speak English." uber needs to incorporate a translate feature in the chat. So that whatever language the driver speaks is the language they receive text messages.

  295. Mouad LA Guest

    Here is the right answer for your concerns, the uber driver couldn't cancel the ride because he will lose his spot on the queue but if you cancel he'll still be first to take next ride, but why he didn't come to you is because he thought your trip wasn't worth it for all the time he have been waiting to take the trip which he shouldn't do, it had nothing to do with the cancellation fee , he doesn't get it anyway when you disputed, I'm an uber driver black in LA

  296. Gabriel Guest

    In the Dominican Republic vast majority of Uber drivers are scammers. They have a network of whatsapp group chats with lots of Uber drivers notifying each other of clients who pay with credit card so they reject those rides or if they end up with the ride they give you 1 star for paying with credit card. I've had Uber drivers drive right past me in front of my face because they are notified I...

    In the Dominican Republic vast majority of Uber drivers are scammers. They have a network of whatsapp group chats with lots of Uber drivers notifying each other of clients who pay with credit card so they reject those rides or if they end up with the ride they give you 1 star for paying with credit card. I've had Uber drivers drive right past me in front of my face because they are notified I was paying with credit card. I've even been told by drivers to cancel half way through trip or to end the ride so they can collect the rest of the ride in cash. Uber drivers here seem to never have change for you so you end up giving more than expected or they make you pay them more to stop and get change. They also use routes of their own and not the recommended route Uber gives you. Uber drivers here rent their accounts and let people use it for commission. Lots of drivers come in cars that aren't registered. I usually still ride in them because I don't have time to get another rider.

  297. i appreciate you Guest

    -as a full time uber driver, as well as someone who used uber as a passenger for 2 years prior to that 10 times a week getting to and from my job and probably 5 more a week on average. in other words i've used uber thousands of times as a passenger and done thousands of rides as a driver, i know what i'm talking about from both angles.

    -we can start with the article....

    -as a full time uber driver, as well as someone who used uber as a passenger for 2 years prior to that 10 times a week getting to and from my job and probably 5 more a week on average. in other words i've used uber thousands of times as a passenger and done thousands of rides as a driver, i know what i'm talking about from both angles.

    -we can start with the article. there are some lazy airport lot sitting drivers who can see what the distance is for your ride and if they decide it's not worth their time they will wait for you to cancel. i believe that lets them keep their line in que whereas if they cancel they get tossed to the back of the line. it's definitely NOT about collecting a few bucks for cancellation fee. plus in order to keep your ability to see the general direction a passenger is heading and how far their cancellation percentage has to be under 4% of the total rides for the last 30 days. again it's not a scam to make $3-$5. that's chump change.

    -one thing that stuck out was a post mentioning that there were 3,000 sexual assaults in 2018. i highlighted that and right clicked search google. it's true 3,000. of that 250 rapes 250 attempted rapes 1500 groping and 1000 unwanted kisses. the article proceeds to state that there are 4 million uber rides a day, and the odds of being sexually assaulted are 1 in 5 million. i then googled the odds of getting struck ny lightning 1 in 700,000. you are 7 times more likely to get struck by lightning, and 70 times more likely to get struck y lightning than getting raped. let that sink in.

    -second let me just say it's comforting to know that passengers are having issues with uber because uber could care less when passengers scam drivers.

    -back to the sexual assault stuff. although passengers are 7 times more likely to get struck by lightning than to get sexually assaulted by drivers. it is extremely common for passengers to make unwanted advances and attempt to sexually assault the drivers. as in virtually every semi decent looking girl will be asked to show their boobs, come up to the passengers place, etc etc by passengers at some point. not 1 in 5 million. i am a man and i have had a gay guy (technically) grope me. he's lucky i just kicked him out and didn't beat him senseless, was surging and i'm in this to make money not get arrested.i have been propositioned very directly by women on several occasions and been "groped" (technically) by women as in when a woman is attracted to you she gets touchy-feelly when she talks to you. not a problem with me, but since i've heard horror stories of guys who have accepted the invitations only to be deactivated later, or worse. i have never accepted an invitation myself. plus it's usually when they are drunk so that's also a no in my book. phone number exchanges are fine.

    -i won't list the ways to scam drivers as i don't want to encourage anyone to do so but there are quite a few, usually done by young millenials. in my experience solely done by young millenials.

    -one thing i would like to bring up is TIPPING. to the guy who wrote this article, do you tip your cab drivers? i'm going to assume yes. just because it's an app does NOT mean you should be a lowlife. tip as if you just took a cab. i was a bartender for years, and let me tell you 99% of people will tip me for simply opening a beer for them, driving is also a tipping job. opening a beer or making a cocktail is no problem, getting people home or w/e they are going for hours a day though dangerous conditions, late night with drunk drivers aound and just plain being a nice personable friendly guy/girl who will chat you up DESERVES a tip. and if you are in the service industry and live off tips and don't tip yourself, you are a true lowlife.

    -did you know rideshare drivers are twice as likely to get killed on the job than a police officer? let that sink in.

    -and whoever wrote that post about drivers holding phones in their hands while driving, as i had previously stated i have taken around 2,000+ rides as a passenger, i saw this ONCE.

    -if you think someone who drives for a living is worse at driving than someone who drives occasionally you are delusional. the average fulltime driver is better at driving than you. let me put it this way: if you cook a couple hours a week do you think you will be better at cooking than someone who does it full time?

    -and to end this long tldr, don't believe ONE word UBER or LYFT tells you. they could care less about the passengers and care WAY less about the drivers. also lyft is no better than uber, they operate as a duopoly. in fact lyft treats their drivers way worse than uber, and that is saying a lot. also lyft drivers are no better or worse than uber drivers. they are identical to the tee. same background checks and driving record checks.

    ps, although the vast majority of my passengers are awesome and light up my day, there are those few entitled losers that get thrown in the mix. don't be that person. give respect and you will get respect.

    peace!

  298. Shalom Guest

    I am an Uber driver in Cape Town,I do not know if the Uber app is different with us here but I can't start the trip if I have not reached the pick up point it will require a code which is sent directly to the rider. To those drivers who do not respond to your sms or call just cancel the trip immediately with in 5mins they is no charge.

  299. Susan Guest

    I had a cancellation experience with Uber in Chicago this year. The driver actually ended up cancelling the ride and I was STILL charged the cancellation fee! I disputed it and then, Uber only wanted to provide credit to my Uber account and not refund the credit card to which it was charged. I disputed that as well and received the refund on my card. No explanation was ever provided by the driver or by...

    I had a cancellation experience with Uber in Chicago this year. The driver actually ended up cancelling the ride and I was STILL charged the cancellation fee! I disputed it and then, Uber only wanted to provide credit to my Uber account and not refund the credit card to which it was charged. I disputed that as well and received the refund on my card. No explanation was ever provided by the driver or by Uber as to why the ride was cancelled (after I waited for more than 20 minutes) or if the cancellation fee charged to me when the driver cancelled was normal practice.

  300. Adam Guest

    Well sure you could be right, maybe it is a scam in that case though, I think you have left out some critical potential. what if the driver left the app open but had a medical emergency and you just happened to be the one unlucky passenger that requested him and he could not help you. maybe he had to leave his vehicle to go to the bathroom terribly badly and it turned out bad...

    Well sure you could be right, maybe it is a scam in that case though, I think you have left out some critical potential. what if the driver left the app open but had a medical emergency and you just happened to be the one unlucky passenger that requested him and he could not help you. maybe he had to leave his vehicle to go to the bathroom terribly badly and it turned out bad for him. You know what, that's happened to me and I drive for Uber, it's terribly unfortunate when you make a mistake and then you can't go back and fix it. Of course I ride to the company and make sure that the rider is refunded and I do everything I can not to make a mistake like that but if the phone is left in its cradle and the driver can't get to it then this situation would play out. And yes you would continue to see message read... If the driver can't get back to the phone and it is in the cradle it will continue to say that because it's displaying the message.. drivers can get deactivated for pulling a cancellation scam and typically if you have two situations like that in a row you're getting Uber's attention but 3 would probably get you turned off and investigated. Considering you have to wait sometimes for an hour to get a ride, hoping to cancel for a total of $3.75 to the driver is kind of insane. I don't think the scam is as prevalent as it is suspected to be. The moral of my comment is to suggest to you to look at the potentially less sinister reasons why situation may be unpleasant and account for that side of the story as well when you are writing a perspective piece. there are reasons why this could have happened to you and it not been a scam and the driver not had sinister intent. We are not the devil. Stories like this make us seem like we all are though.

  301. ALEX Guest

    Uber has created a reward program.

    Drivers who care to participate in the reward program can't let their acceptance rate drop below a certain percentage.

    Therefore they are accepting the trip in order to keep their acceptance rate up.

    And then calling you to cancel the trip prior to Uber charging you a cancellation fee.

    Uber, as a company is becoming more and more trifling each day that passes.

    They have charge discounted rates...

    Uber has created a reward program.

    Drivers who care to participate in the reward program can't let their acceptance rate drop below a certain percentage.

    Therefore they are accepting the trip in order to keep their acceptance rate up.

    And then calling you to cancel the trip prior to Uber charging you a cancellation fee.

    Uber, as a company is becoming more and more trifling each day that passes.

    They have charge discounted rates in order to gain market share. But, since going public they are expected to show a profit.

    And, since you would never turn a profit by under cutting your competitors. They have decided to steal part of the money that they promised drivers when they signed up.

    They are actually stealing from drivers and then giving them their money back through a rewards program if they maintain a certain acceptance rate.

    If you comply with their demands you can get your money back. If not, they will keep the funds that drivers actually earned and take a blind eye.

    Uber is out of control. Their business model is one that is insufficient and lacks integrity.

    Instead of being fully transparent with their drivers they have initiated a lot of nonsense that will cause them to keep losing drivers.

    Which is okay with them. Because they don't care about the passenger or the driver and drivers are a dime a dozen.

    Investors, keep asking Uber to get rid of their biggest expense which is the driver.

    Meanwhile, Uber refuses to acknowledge the driver as their biggest asset. They have tried everything to keep the ship afloat from UberEats to self driving vehicles to scooters and back again.

    They need to be regulated. They make more than the driver in many instances through booking fees and inflated service fees that fluctuate depending on the demand.

    They have also started to shortchange the driver on mileage in order to put more than their fair share in their pocket.

    I am elated that such a service exists. But, they don't have any integrity. And this attitude is passed down to the people actually providing the service.

    They are becoming more of a public nuisance than a public service.

  302. JK JK Guest

    ORDER UBER BLACK OR...

    UBER SELECT...

    OR UBER XL...&

    STOP BEING CHEAP...!!!

  303. Gilberto Guest

    Ask him Spanish and he would have showed up that was your problem, well not your per se but in my many experiences in the republic, I have seen that especially out of MIA. The Uber drivers are mostly Hispanic and since airport fares could fetch more than working 8th Street, this is where they end up. The one individual who stated that is on the money. I said Cuban because in my experiences the...

    Ask him Spanish and he would have showed up that was your problem, well not your per se but in my many experiences in the republic, I have seen that especially out of MIA. The Uber drivers are mostly Hispanic and since airport fares could fetch more than working 8th Street, this is where they end up. The one individual who stated that is on the money. I said Cuban because in my experiences the other Hispanics in the community tend to make the effort even if they don't speak. They will use Google translate etc...when this has happened to me it has always been a Cuban. I am Cuban and when I send the text in Spanish I get an instant response and when they get into the car they say sorry brother, I thought you were a gringo and I don't have time to speak English. Welcome to republic.

  304. Kevin Guest

    I know Lyft can tell how much a driver has driven on any particular ride. If this happens just contact Lyft and tell them about it. They can look up the route the driver took and tell if the driver just sat there and didn't move. But I've never heard of this honestly. I'm sorry if it's happened to you intentionally by a driver. I drive for Lyft and have never done this or ever...

    I know Lyft can tell how much a driver has driven on any particular ride. If this happens just contact Lyft and tell them about it. They can look up the route the driver took and tell if the driver just sat there and didn't move. But I've never heard of this honestly. I'm sorry if it's happened to you intentionally by a driver. I drive for Lyft and have never done this or ever even heard of it. But if I ever did decide to get that dishonest, I am almost 100% certain that Lyft would eventually deactivate my account. And I certainly don't want that to ever happen.

    Lyft drivers are required to give the full amount of time in our wait timer(five minutes) and make at least one phone call attempt to the customer through the app before collecting no-show fees. If a driver doesn't attempt a call to the customer they won't charge customers a fee and the driver receives nothing.

    The way I understand cancel fees, the customer cannot cancel after the first two minutes of ordering the ride or a fee will be charged, but the driver must have spent a considerable amount of time actually working to get to you for it to count.

    I've never even thought to try just sitting around daring the customer to cancel. I honestly don't believe I could get away with this for too long even if I decided to try(which is obviously a horrible idea and I'd never attempt this)

    And to be honest with you, most of my airport customers tend to never be the minimum fare. Customers tend to ride far enough from the airport, I would have no financial incentive to even try this. I can't recall ever picking up a customer from the airport and dropping them off a block or two away(which would result in a base fare). There's no real financial reason to ever prefer a cancellation fee over your fare anyway.

    I see base fares a lot more when I'm away from the airport. Catching folks in their neighborhoods just taking a trip to the corner market for example is quite frequent.

    If a driver never moves after you've ordered them, contact the rideshare company. I'm sure Uber can monitor routes just like Lyft can. And I'm certain they won't allow a driver to continue to behave in this way.

  305. Frustrated Driver Guest

    Stop whining about "unprofessional behaviour " and ride SHARING in the same thought. You want a better experience? Call a fricking cab. Uber/lLyft are ways for you to get cheap car rides anywhere, these are not professional drivers, they are everyday people trying to make a living by driving cheap, self righteous people with ridiculous expectations. Uber and Lyft are screwing their drivers over cobstantly, all to win your undeserving business. Check yourself

  306. Darcy Guest

    As a former Uber driver I can tell you that Uber does penalize drivers for canceling rides. It effects your eligibility for ride bonuses through the company.
    I can also tell you that drivers have no idea where you are going until they pick you up. They cannot change your destination as alleged in one story here.
    Try driving 15 or more minutes toward a fare to have them cancel. Or get some...

    As a former Uber driver I can tell you that Uber does penalize drivers for canceling rides. It effects your eligibility for ride bonuses through the company.
    I can also tell you that drivers have no idea where you are going until they pick you up. They cannot change your destination as alleged in one story here.
    Try driving 15 or more minutes toward a fare to have them cancel. Or get some stinky ass in your car who treats you like you are beneath them. And tips? Nope. I am clean, respectful, cautious, etc. Most people do not tip. It sucks. Uber and Lyft are the same. Neither is better.
    I read a lot of stories here that could not have happened based on how the app works.
    That's part of the issues.
    Ride sharing. It's a great concept. The problems are in the execution.

  307. Mc Guest

    I drive for Uber/Lyft and only get $3.78 for a cancelled Uber and $5 dollar for cancelled lyfts. Uber is pocketing some of that cancellation fee. Also it just isn't profitable unless they have a rig set up with multiple phones farming cancellation fees.

    I've had times people call me asking why I haven't moved and while I'm driving towards them . I have called drivers as a passenger having experienced the same thing....

    I drive for Uber/Lyft and only get $3.78 for a cancelled Uber and $5 dollar for cancelled lyfts. Uber is pocketing some of that cancellation fee. Also it just isn't profitable unless they have a rig set up with multiple phones farming cancellation fees.

    I've had times people call me asking why I haven't moved and while I'm driving towards them . I have called drivers as a passenger having experienced the same thing.

    Another thing is the surges driver's see, aren't the same that the passengers see. I've picked up a ride with a surge of 4 dollars, and at dropoff it was $25 with a note from Uber saying compensated with the rest of the passengers surge.

  308. KG Guest

    First and foremost to answer your question, yes a driver can counter dispute a refund on a cancellation fee, this depends on Uber, many claims like this one can be hearsay especially when no proof is submitted on the riders part. Riders have been known to also use this type of scam on drivers as well in many markets nationwide or worldwide, In some cases Uber will take the loss on the fare by crediting...

    First and foremost to answer your question, yes a driver can counter dispute a refund on a cancellation fee, this depends on Uber, many claims like this one can be hearsay especially when no proof is submitted on the riders part. Riders have been known to also use this type of scam on drivers as well in many markets nationwide or worldwide, In some cases Uber will take the loss on the fare by crediting the rider and letting the driver keep his or her the portion of the cancellation fee. Remember drivers does not keep the whole cancellation fee that's applied, Now another reason a driver may refuse to pick you up is because they want to keep their position in the airport que for a more profitable trip, It is very common at airports that some trips will be ignored on purpose.

  309. Nick Guest

    Tips.

    LOL.

    Only in America.

    No one tips anywhere else. France, UK, Australia, Japan ... the list goes on. Only in America is there a mandatory social requirement to tip. And it’s so so illogical. Why tip the cab/Uber driver, but not the bank teller? Why tip the waiter but not the McDonalds employee? They’re all doing their job: none are doing anything above and beyond their job. But we’re expected to tip some but not others? It’s totally bonkers!

  310. maria e munoz Guest

    Gene the fare does NOT include a tip on Lyft or Uber.

  311. Eric Stephenson Guest

    I cancel on riders all the time they think I will wait more than 5 minutes for them not a chance and I will gladly take the fee every time

  312. Giogio Brutini Guest

    I've had this happen in Chicago. This is not right. It was my son who called Uber so I don't know if he pursued a refund. I would say best thing to do is file a complaint to your State Attorney General. U er will be required to respond and at the same time will create data in the SAGs office of the shenanigans.

  313. Gary Guest

    There is no way a Uber driver intentionally wasted 30 minutes to make a cancellation fee makes no sense he gets like 5 dollars no driver wants to make 10 dollars an hour you should have called uber directly

  314. Heather Guest

    As a Lyft driver I can tell you a few things about the inner workings...
    We can only cancel rides if we have reached the pick up destination, waited 5 minutes AND have called the passenger. If we do not attempt to contact the passenger, we cannot cancel the ride.
    The rider has 5 mins to cancel, without a fee, after requesting the Lfyt. If the Lfyt driver is close to the pick...

    As a Lyft driver I can tell you a few things about the inner workings...
    We can only cancel rides if we have reached the pick up destination, waited 5 minutes AND have called the passenger. If we do not attempt to contact the passenger, we cannot cancel the ride.
    The rider has 5 mins to cancel, without a fee, after requesting the Lfyt. If the Lfyt driver is close to the pick up destination and the rider cancels, we get a flat rate of $7.
    Lyft drivers cannot change a riders destination nor can we add stops
    If I'm close to the pick up point I can tell the app that I have arrived for pickup. However... That pickup destination is marked and recorded by Lyft so trying to fake the app into a fake ride, Lyft can easily detect that.
    If the driver cancels after meeting the requirements, we receive the $7 flare rate fare.
    Lyft has an airport system where Lyft drivers get into a queue and it's a first come first serve basis for the rides. The driver's wait in a convenient lot close the the pick up spots. There are designated pick up locations at the airport for easier pick up.
    It's pretty hard to scam Lyfts algorithm. The only scam that I know of is at the airport. The driver's in the area decide to go offline at the same time which makes it look like there aren't any cars available and that drives up the base rate for a rider when they all go back on line.
    I work in Virginia, Maryland Baltimore; BWI, Regan airport and DCA. Mostly Baltimore and BWI airport.
    Please keep reporting shitty scammers aka Lyft/Uber drivers. Those complaints will illicit a response from the ride share companies.
    The more complaints you put in the better chance of getting a response from the ride share companies.

  315. Shawn Guest

    I drive for Uber. Yes I think a lot of these drivers that are doing this don't want to cancel the ride they get penalized. They could lose their status which would affect a multitude of things. But this is going to be changing, as Uber will now be telling drivers an estimated earning on the trip as well as the pickup location as well as the drop off location prior to accepting the ride....

    I drive for Uber. Yes I think a lot of these drivers that are doing this don't want to cancel the ride they get penalized. They could lose their status which would affect a multitude of things. But this is going to be changing, as Uber will now be telling drivers an estimated earning on the trip as well as the pickup location as well as the drop off location prior to accepting the ride. This is a game-changer for drivers. Something we've all been waiting for for a very very long time. They're implemented in California, and rolling it out slowly should be out to all drivers by the beginning of this next year 2020. And then it will be implemented in other states where does an already exist over time.

  316. Shanna Williford Guest

    Uber and Lyft don't pay much so the reason why he probably did it that way which is no excuse but the cancellation fee be more than what the gets paid for the ride you can go two miles three miles which is probably like 10 minutes and you only get $3.90 out of that and they probably charging you like $12 in change it's sad how Uber lyft is getting over on people and burning your gas and not giving you nothing for it

  317. Tom Kay Guest

    You assume the driver had a car. Could just be a person near the airport accepting rides while watching soccer in a bar and collecting cancelation fees. If 50% of the people do not dispute it over the course of 8 hours he could be pulling in 15 or 20 bucks an hour until Uber catches on and closes the account and does a final payout.

  318. Ann Guest

    As an Uber driver, I’d like to offer my apologies for all the dirty rat drivers/scammers out there. I can’t imagine doing any of those things. The majority of my experience has been positive, although there have been several rude and disrespectful passengers in my history. My biggest complaint is when I do more than just the paid for service (help bring groceries to the door, get out in the rain to help with wheelchairs,...

    As an Uber driver, I’d like to offer my apologies for all the dirty rat drivers/scammers out there. I can’t imagine doing any of those things. The majority of my experience has been positive, although there have been several rude and disrespectful passengers in my history. My biggest complaint is when I do more than just the paid for service (help bring groceries to the door, get out in the rain to help with wheelchairs, strollers, etc) and no tip is given.
    I believe that overall it is a good system. It’s too bad there are areas where scamming is excessive, but in this day of apps and internet, that is a danger we’re all very exposed to.

  319. Clark ADams Guest

    Uber has a toxic corporate culture that percolates down to the drivers. Use Lyft instead.

  320. Shenturk Guest

    OK HERE IS THE TRICK. The driver who drives for both Uber and Lyft, is firs in line at the airport. He/ she receives a trip from lyft and accepts it but before taking off, the driver deactivates the (location) on there phone and doesn't turn off the Uber app.
    Than the driver picks up the rider from lyft and leavs the airport. But Uber thinks that this driver is still waiting at the...

    OK HERE IS THE TRICK. The driver who drives for both Uber and Lyft, is firs in line at the airport. He/ she receives a trip from lyft and accepts it but before taking off, the driver deactivates the (location) on there phone and doesn't turn off the Uber app.
    Than the driver picks up the rider from lyft and leavs the airport. But Uber thinks that this driver is still waiting at the airport. Than he/ she receives a trip from Uber to be picked up from airport. The driver accepts the ride. but he/she is far away because he already has a rider in his/her car. That's why you see the driver sitting somewhere near airport but not moving. Because his/her location was turned off at that spott. They do that so when they return to airport, they don't have to wait in line behind so many other uber or lyft drivers.

  321. Betsy Guest

    As an Uber and Lyft driver in a smaller town here in the United States, I am saddened to hear of the bad experiences many passengers have experienced.
    I will say here in the US, most drivers drive for both platforms as there is nothing that prohibits drivers for driving for both ride share companies.

    I not aware of any scams in my area regarding cancellation fees and while I am not...

    As an Uber and Lyft driver in a smaller town here in the United States, I am saddened to hear of the bad experiences many passengers have experienced.
    I will say here in the US, most drivers drive for both platforms as there is nothing that prohibits drivers for driving for both ride share companies.

    I not aware of any scams in my area regarding cancellation fees and while I am not disputing what other posters have said, both platforms are able too if we are making progress to the passengers location.

    I feel that Uber and Lyft would probably rather just refund the cancellation fee , which drivers still get, than investigate the alleged complaint.

    I will tell you though there are scams that passengers do as well such as saying the wrong passenger was picked up (which I find hard to believe that a passenger would willingly go to a destination that they didn’t request)
    Passengers will also cancel trips mid trip thinking the driver will continue on and not get paid. That is most common when there are surges and prices are inflated due to driver demand.

    Also too, it might surprise you to know that the $20 trip you got charged for on either Uber and Lyft, the driver gets, at most, maybe $11.50. The rideshare platforms take a large percentage of the cost.

  322. Bhupender Negi Guest

    Humans; when they think to scam, they think on similar line across the world. Similar think happens in India. Faced several times.

  323. Tyler Guest

    It has happened with me using both Uber and lyft. I never knew about the cancellation fees, because I would wait for them to cancel, but I was under the assumption that drivers who work for both companies, sometimes accept rides from both at the same time causing this to happen on the side.

  324. Yolanda Guest

    I’ve had this happen to me, I ordered an Lyft instead & let the uber cancel it on his own sometime during my work shift. Also reported him. I ordered an Uber a week later and the guy was assigned as my driver again, sitting in the EXACT same place as last time, I canceled right away since I recognized his face. I didn’t know they get credit for a canceled ride though, so next time i’ll let him sit all day if that’s what he wants to do.

    (Los Angeles)

  325. Dom Guest

    I had the same thing happen with Lyft requesting a ride from Manhattan to LGA in October. Driver stopped 1 block from my hotel and wouldn't come. O didn't bother texting the driver because I don't want to be in a car with a driver like that. I took a screenshot of the Lyft GPS screen, Cancelled the ride, requested a new car and then sent a complaint to Lyft. They didn't charge me a fee. I would have filed a charge back if they had.

  326. LG Guest

    This happens a decent amount to me in Miami. I’ve even screenshotted a few times after being asked to cancel by the driver. It’s never happened at the airport but did happen one time leaving my apartment to catch a flight I was already late for. I found it really odd because the driver drove towards my apartment several times but never got more than 2 blocks away before turning around (does this possibly keep...

    This happens a decent amount to me in Miami. I’ve even screenshotted a few times after being asked to cancel by the driver. It’s never happened at the airport but did happen one time leaving my apartment to catch a flight I was already late for. I found it really odd because the driver drove towards my apartment several times but never got more than 2 blocks away before turning around (does this possibly keep it from finding me a new driver?). He also ignored my calls and messages but I got the same read receipts. After initially being 2 minutes away and now having waited 20 minutes, I just ordered a Lyft and left Uber live until he eventually canceled (or maybe it timed out?). This was on a Sunday on West Avenue in Miami Beach (not during the dreaded MacArthur causeway bridge construction) so there were no traffic issues holding him up. I recall calling my wife in a fit once the Lyft driver arrived and I sent multiple complaints to Uber. The service isn’t what it used to be but I’ll keep using it vs dealing with taxis who tell me their CC machines are down.

  327. Michael Guest

    In your case it was most likely your potential driver fell asleep waiting on a ride.

  328. John Guest

    There are some drivers that will find a way to make an easy buck, people are people and always want something for nothing, not just drivers but many employees across the board in all industries. But the cancellation fee of $3.85 on Uber and $5 on lyft, it may vary by market, is simply not enough to make much at all, especially when you get 1 or 2 rides an hour. Most drivers want the...

    There are some drivers that will find a way to make an easy buck, people are people and always want something for nothing, not just drivers but many employees across the board in all industries. But the cancellation fee of $3.85 on Uber and $5 on lyft, it may vary by market, is simply not enough to make much at all, especially when you get 1 or 2 rides an hour. Most drivers want the ride even if short, $2.55, because sometimes you get a tip, from $1 to $20 or more depending on how much the passenger liked you. What this sounds like, true to Uber and Lyft form, is that the company is screwing YOU and the driver, you get charged and the driver gets nothing and the company hopes you don't complain. The rule is you have 2 minutes to cancel with out a charge, if you cancel after 2 minutes and the driver had not made acceptable progress, reasonable progress, towards your pick up the driver doesn't get the fee, $0, which is why this article really pisses me off! As if the drivers don't get screwed enough by Uber and Lyft , now they are screwing both drivers and passengers! The times that drivers keep driving away from your pick up is because the trip just is not worth it, long pick up, short trip for $2.55 is not worth it, especially with 0 guarantee of a tip, so they drive away hoping you cancel so they don't get hit on their stats, their cancel rate, as a passenger your stats don't get affected, you don't have stats. Sometimes, like said before, the driver has been waiting for an hour or more and really needs a good trip so they can make some money so they hope you cancel so they might get a longer, higher paying trip. I have gone out on some days and lost money, $20 in gas, some food, drink, smokes and been on the app for 6 to 8 hours and still not made enough to cover the $30-$35 I spent. Another thing many passengers don't know is that Uber and Lyft take up to 60% of fares, the drivers really get screwed here so some times they have to be really picky on the rides they actually take and not drop their cancel rate and risk being kicked off. Every tip helps, even $1, that might at least help with some gas because drivers pay for all maintenance and operating cost while usually getting less than half of what you payed for the ride. If you're driver or car do not match the profile report it, if the driver is inappropriate, REPORT IT, but if your driver was great TIP! because the good drivers quit due to no or low profits and the bad drivers keep screwing people over because they don't get reported. 99% of the time it is Uber and Lyft screwing the rider and driver and not so much the driver.

  329. Dave Guest

    In the past few weeks I have seen app issues that make passengers think I am doing this scam. Several passengers have gotten in my car and shown me that there app shows that I haven’t moved and am still minutes away even though I had arrived some time ago.

    Communication is key. It’s unfortunate that your driver didn’t respond. That certainly makes it look as though you are right that he was running...

    In the past few weeks I have seen app issues that make passengers think I am doing this scam. Several passengers have gotten in my car and shown me that there app shows that I haven’t moved and am still minutes away even though I had arrived some time ago.

    Communication is key. It’s unfortunate that your driver didn’t respond. That certainly makes it look as though you are right that he was running a scam.

    To answer your question... I have just over 3000 rides and have never had a cancellation fee taken back after the fact.

  330. Palesa Guest

    It happens in South Africa too. I also had the exact same incident. The second time round with the same driver, he drove passed me. I saw his registration and face, he had his window down. He did not stop for even a second. He simply drove around the block as i saw him appear from another street i was close to and he drove off. I hope they dont pay these drivers cancellation fees after we dispute them.

  331. Russ Guest

    Wow, similar thing happened to me in Puerto Rico on Friday. No Lyft in PR so it appears Uber has the monopoly on ride sharing. Jose had a high rating but just drove around for 15 minutes nearby my pickup point. He finally arrived and the ride was fine. But then when I got my receipt, he had added a fee for WAITING FOR ME!. I was exactly at my pickup spot and I had...

    Wow, similar thing happened to me in Puerto Rico on Friday. No Lyft in PR so it appears Uber has the monopoly on ride sharing. Jose had a high rating but just drove around for 15 minutes nearby my pickup point. He finally arrived and the ride was fine. But then when I got my receipt, he had added a fee for WAITING FOR ME!. I was exactly at my pickup spot and I had immediately gotten into his car after he finally arrived. I successfully disputed the fee and rated him one star. This is really crazy to hear that this is a common scam. I’m a Lyft user typically and have never experienced anything like this.

  332. Jay Hova Guest

    I almost forgot that this was an Uber article.

    I've had this exact experience with Lyft as well. I'm guessing there's some loophole in both companies that drivers can exploit a profit from. Crappy people, crappy service. I feel this is reflective of each company's culture as a whole, and not just the people they EMPLOY (not contractors).

  333. Anon Guest

    Uber driver here, and just a note to everyone complaining about how Uber doesn't care about the customer, it's not just you. Almost every time I have had to contact support, the response is a copy and pasted message that often doesn't answer my question or make sense. I often have to dispute their answer 5-6 times to get a decent answer, As the agent changes each time and the problem is that most of...

    Uber driver here, and just a note to everyone complaining about how Uber doesn't care about the customer, it's not just you. Almost every time I have had to contact support, the response is a copy and pasted message that often doesn't answer my question or make sense. I often have to dispute their answer 5-6 times to get a decent answer, As the agent changes each time and the problem is that most of the agents genuinely don't care at all about being more than a warm body in a seat. That being said,Lyft is no better and is transitioning to a pay scale that allows them to profit 50-60% of what you pay, paying drivers less in the process.

  334. Tony Guest

    I'm in New York and I'm so tired of this. I myself have been loyal to uber for almost 5 years and ive disputed a lot of rides. However, they were all legit reasons for disputing rides/cancellations! Drivers driving right past me, refusing trips, picking up other riders instead of myself, not answering calls/texts. All instances where it was not my fault at all and had 0 responsibility for why the ride went wrong. Its...

    I'm in New York and I'm so tired of this. I myself have been loyal to uber for almost 5 years and ive disputed a lot of rides. However, they were all legit reasons for disputing rides/cancellations! Drivers driving right past me, refusing trips, picking up other riders instead of myself, not answering calls/texts. All instances where it was not my fault at all and had 0 responsibility for why the ride went wrong. Its blatant robbery. Scamming at its finest. It has come to a point where ill reach out to uber, explain the situation and they apologize with an automated message, direct me to read their policy , and REFUSE to refund me the ride fee or cancellation fee. Even after I've provided proof showing I was not responsible for the mishap and booked another ride from my exact same location. They just don't refund you and stop responding after a few messages. Its a huge scam. Someone in the Attorney general's office or federal and state government should look into this. Charging riders for rides they don't take...Its stealing!

  335. BEV SAWYER Guest

    I had this happen several times. I won't get into the same story scenarios of a coral of them sitting around and nobody moving. The long and short, missed a Pre-op visit, had to be rescheduled for the next month for surgery and cost me $50 for a no show visit. Uber wants me to take some kind of picture. Guess it's is easy enough, but I am 75yo, had a stroke and can't follow...

    I had this happen several times. I won't get into the same story scenarios of a coral of them sitting around and nobody moving. The long and short, missed a Pre-op visit, had to be rescheduled for the next month for surgery and cost me $50 for a no show visit. Uber wants me to take some kind of picture. Guess it's is easy enough, but I am 75yo, had a stroke and can't follow written directions without this technical stuff. I would hope all these same complaints would back Maine up. Thanks.

  336. Ralph Guest

    As a former driver, I'd say drivers wouldn't "ignore" you in hopes that you'd cancel. In my city, drivers get $2.75 for a cancellation, but the minimum pay for a ride is $2.29 plus potential tip. It just makes more sense and money to do the ride.
    In your case, it is far more likely that your driver had both the Uber and Lyft apps running, and accepted a Lyft ride (often preferred) simultaneously,...

    As a former driver, I'd say drivers wouldn't "ignore" you in hopes that you'd cancel. In my city, drivers get $2.75 for a cancellation, but the minimum pay for a ride is $2.29 plus potential tip. It just makes more sense and money to do the ride.
    In your case, it is far more likely that your driver had both the Uber and Lyft apps running, and accepted a Lyft ride (often preferred) simultaneously, leaving you hanging. Or maybe something happened to your driver, his/her device, or the app, which prevented him/her from communicating with you. I highly doubt that any driver would sit for over 30mins, missing out on other opportunities while hoping you would cancel so (s)he could get $2.75! Also, airport rides are by far a favorite for drivers because they're usually long trips (higher pay plus maybe a tip). Most drivers long for such rides, not waste them on cancellations.

  337. Dan Guest

    Uber and Lyft penalizes their drivers for not accepting rides. That's why they accept your ride and wait for you to cancel. They also have these stupid point systems where they favor drivers that works like slaves and gives them better rides and incentives that hurt other drivers.

  338. Don’t be cheap..use Cab service Guest

    Why are you complaining when you are trying to be cheap..

  339. Roy Guest

    As a former driver there are a multitude of reasons why someone would cancel a ride that they had originally accepted. The first of many would be accepting one at impulse, and then finding a huge mess left by the previous ride(which should have been cancelled immediately) in order to clean. To make sure you don't get a bad rating, it is normal for drivers to clean after 2 to 3 rides, or after each...

    As a former driver there are a multitude of reasons why someone would cancel a ride that they had originally accepted. The first of many would be accepting one at impulse, and then finding a huge mess left by the previous ride(which should have been cancelled immediately) in order to clean. To make sure you don't get a bad rating, it is normal for drivers to clean after 2 to 3 rides, or after each depending on interior material and color. The weather and the amount of sand in your area are also factors. I've had a few people complain about the cleanliness of my vehicle and the majority tell me that they have never seen or been in a cleaner one. Some people complain just to hurt your rating, be it racism or whatever. Maybe it's what they do best. But there is nothing like taking people and animals a block or 2 for a few dollars, then have to vacuum sand for 45 minutes or dry your seats with a hair dryer in disbelief that they took all 7 water bottles for "later." Luckily, for my future riders, I have OCD and made it spotless yet again.
    Another reason for cancelling would be just bad traffic or construction rerouting which happens more than it should. I would, however, suggest a cancellation to the rider if my phone is being bombarded every minute and they are already irate from a long flight. Once the cuss words are in my ear or in a text, then I immediately apologize and cancel it myself. At my size, I'm sure if I had shown up there wouldn't be any issues, however, I don't respect disrespect. Uber does have transcripts of our communications thru their servers. One of the very few things they do right.
    Another problem with airport pick-ups are riders refusing to proceed to the specified Uber pick-up area. In my city this would get me a $1000 ticket. A riders lack of compliance is not worth me putting my license and job at risk for a few dollars. My clean record is why I'm driving to begin with. You should hear the reasoning of some riders as to why I should break the law for them. Sadly, another cancellation after arriving at pick-up areas are babies or toddlers. Sometimes more than one, and no child seats. Even with a 7 seater van, I would have no place to store child seats of my own and continue to serve up to 7 people and their luggage. The fact that the driver in your situation did not answer your calls, texts or even attempt to move makes me suspect he had ulterior motives. Uber will not retain drivers that have more than a 5% cancellation rating in certain areas which makes doing so for a small cancellation fee a dangerous game to play.
    I know that I have gone off on a couple of tangents, but if you haven't experienced ride cancellations from a drivers point view or even pose the question to drivers in general, then your article will enlighten no one. I hope you and your readers have a better understanding of how cancellations may happen. And yes, some people shouldn't be driving for Uber.

  340. Robert Ball Guest

    I have ordered Uber a couple times already. I live in Washington State. But here we have really stringent driving laws. Makes it hard for Uber scammers in Washington. Friends of mine have had not problems either. Again probably because of the extensive driving laws we have and especially our State Patrol helping out our local police to catch traffic violations.

  341. DeAnn Rodriguez Guest

    I have a theory for this. A while back, a guy was busted at DFW airport with a lot of phones in his car, all connected to UBER accounts. UBER was under the impression that he was holding his friends place in line to get airport rides. I believe what he was trying to accomplish unnecessary surges. He keeps so many people tied up on the phones, that more people are having to wait in...

    I have a theory for this. A while back, a guy was busted at DFW airport with a lot of phones in his car, all connected to UBER accounts. UBER was under the impression that he was holding his friends place in line to get airport rides. I believe what he was trying to accomplish unnecessary surges. He keeps so many people tied up on the phones, that more people are having to wait in line. This would explain the crazy surges at the airport, that suddenly disappear and then there are over 100 drivers there. They are working the system to get paid more.

  342. C mac Guest

    As a "Platinum" Uber driver (this basically means I have done it for long enough and with consistently high ratings) I can say quite authoritatively that they are not trying to scam you for a cancellation fee. ESPECIALLY at the airport.

    Uber (and Lyft) drivers when on airport property have to get into a queue to pick passengers up at the airport. The qeue at the small regional airport I usually lurk around in occasion...

    As a "Platinum" Uber driver (this basically means I have done it for long enough and with consistently high ratings) I can say quite authoritatively that they are not trying to scam you for a cancellation fee. ESPECIALLY at the airport.

    Uber (and Lyft) drivers when on airport property have to get into a queue to pick passengers up at the airport. The qeue at the small regional airport I usually lurk around in occasion tends to run 20 to 30 cars deep and can have anywhere from 1 to 2 hours in waiting for a passenger. Major airport like in DC or New York on the other hand can have lines 80 to 100 deep with a similar wait of an hour or more.

    Drivers do the wait in the hope they land a "big one". A passenger going a large distance. The dread situation is instead landing someone going to the hotel airport 5 minutes away. What could have netted a tidy 30 to 50 dollars for an hour or two of patience is instead rewarded by 3 dollars and the Airport commercial driver fee. After which the driver goes straight back to the end of the line.

    Unless of course the PASSENGER cancels. If the passenger cancels the driver gets bumped right to the front.

  343. Michael Ripley Guest

    I am an Uber driver yes they do take the fee from us

  344. Taylor O Guest

    Yes, I stopped every relying on Uber for morning commute as an option in Seattle as a result and was late to the dentist once as a result of three different drivers pulling the same thing. The final driver actually *knew* the previous one and admitted it.

    Uber may have gotten my fare that time but having adjusted my choices due to the of trust because of the unreliability doesn't bode well for them...

    Yes, I stopped every relying on Uber for morning commute as an option in Seattle as a result and was late to the dentist once as a result of three different drivers pulling the same thing. The final driver actually *knew* the previous one and admitted it.

    Uber may have gotten my fare that time but having adjusted my choices due to the of trust because of the unreliability doesn't bode well for them until they resolve these serious product flaws. People will always game or play to the metrics after a year or more it's time to catch on and adapt.

  345. C. S Guest

    This always happens to me using Uber in Miami and FLL airports. Scam artists at their finest. It takes about 4-5 attempts for me to connect with a driver that actually picks me up.

  346. Mic Guest

    I used to be base in MIA and I always used Uber or Lyft. What happened to you is pretty common there. Some drivers have been waiting there for sometime. So if they feel they are not going to make that much they might do that. I used to know when it was going to happen by looking at the drivers movement. What I normally do is I write them and say "I see you...

    I used to be base in MIA and I always used Uber or Lyft. What happened to you is pretty common there. Some drivers have been waiting there for sometime. So if they feel they are not going to make that much they might do that. I used to know when it was going to happen by looking at the drivers movement. What I normally do is I write them and say "I see you haven't move, if you have no intention on coming please cancel the ride. Cause I will be charge. And I know what you are doing." Other advice I could give you is don't go to the baggage claim area to uber. There is too much people there, so you will wait forever even if you get someone to pick you up. Instead walk to the MIA mover, hop in it and Uber outside the rental car area or the tri-rial entrance. The drivers that pick you there are not usually the ones that are line up at the airport. If by any chance you get one that has been waiting at the airport that one might cancel on you. So just cancel until you get one is not there.

  347. Christine Guest

    I'm an Uber driver...

    It wouldn't make any sense to scam on cancellation fees. If you ask for a refund, Uber either does not pay us or subtracts the amount of the refund from our future wages.

    Also, cancel fees don't happen every time. If either the rider or the driver cancel, there is no automatic fee. It's generally charged if the driver had started driving toward you and spent time doing so. For...

    I'm an Uber driver...

    It wouldn't make any sense to scam on cancellation fees. If you ask for a refund, Uber either does not pay us or subtracts the amount of the refund from our future wages.

    Also, cancel fees don't happen every time. If either the rider or the driver cancel, there is no automatic fee. It's generally charged if the driver had started driving toward you and spent time doing so. For example, say your driver is 10 minutes away and he's already driven 8 minutes in your direction - that's probably a cancel fee.

  348. Jason Guest

    In the end you get what you pay for. Pay peanuts get monkeys.

    Want fuss free, pay a humane fare for a regular cab or black and skip the poor schmucks who have to invent all sorts of schemes to earn a living wage.

  349. Andrew Guest

    I’ve had this happen more than a handful of times in San Francisco. Most of them I get a full refund but a few others I’ve gotten stuck with the cancellation fee. This most often occurs when I get off work at 0700.

  350. Dave Guest

    Driver should have at least responded over phone (am sure not all drivers can easily respond using text - you shouldn’t expect drivers to text while driving, unless they are stuck at light/traffic, however phone call they should have been able to)

  351. Jon L New Member

    This happened to me in Jordan. Really, the only advantage Uber has at the airport is that when you take an Uber the price is set. You know you won't get scammed or overcharged. The Taxi is right there waiting for you so it usually is longer to wait for your Uber. Now the choice feels like: 1. Do I feel like negotiating with a driver or 2. Do I feel like waiting forever for my Uber and possibly not have it come?

  352. Gary Boston Guest

    Tip the driver. It's NOT included. Driver MIGHT end up with 30-35 % of the total you see. If you get from point a to b with no issues, tip the driver. Simple stuff. Cash is still king BTW, not 5 stars or "I'll tip you in the app " line.

  353. Edwin Guest

    I'm a Lyft driver and I had to put camera in my car, there is a lot bad drivers but even more bad rider, Sorry but Lyft and uber company are careless about they drivers,

  354. Shawn Guest

    I drive Uber. Don't worry, anyone who does this won't last long.

    Anytime a cancellation fee is refunded, they take it back from the driver.

    You have to follow certain metrics these days to qualify for any worthwhile bonuses, so these drivers are shooting themselves in the wallet.

    I don't necessarily think you could actually accrue much profit collecting cancellation fees, I'd guess this is a trick drivers do occasionally. Why? Couldn't tell you. I'd...

    I drive Uber. Don't worry, anyone who does this won't last long.

    Anytime a cancellation fee is refunded, they take it back from the driver.

    You have to follow certain metrics these days to qualify for any worthwhile bonuses, so these drivers are shooting themselves in the wallet.

    I don't necessarily think you could actually accrue much profit collecting cancellation fees, I'd guess this is a trick drivers do occasionally. Why? Couldn't tell you. I'd rather just get every trip done and over with, it's a lot more money than 75% of what the customer gets charged for a cancellation.

  355. Greg Guest

    I'm a driver in Chicago. My guess is that driver's living in an urban area could just have their app on while at home, especially if they live in a busy part of town. They could be watching TV and accept rides left and right and just wait for the cancellation fees to come in, without ever leaving the house. It may come out to up to $20 an hour on a busy night, not...

    I'm a driver in Chicago. My guess is that driver's living in an urban area could just have their app on while at home, especially if they live in a busy part of town. They could be watching TV and accept rides left and right and just wait for the cancellation fees to come in, without ever leaving the house. It may come out to up to $20 an hour on a busy night, not bad for doing absolutely nothing. If the rider complains, they'll still get the money, but my guess would be that if they keep up the scam regularly, they would be booted from the app. Uber and Lyft already are hemorrhaging cash, so a simple look at their activity would reveal their fuckery, and they'd be happy to kick the driver to the curb. It would be a risky scam to pull from the drivers perspective quite honestly, but I could see some driver's doing it if they were done with working in the ride-share industry altogether.

  356. Joshua Guest

    Some do this and it makes no sense to me. The driver does get to keep the money even if the company refunds. It seems to me the company is not on the ball with firing these people.

    The drive might do it while doing another ride, not this case, or they might do it to get paid while on a break.

    Spite seems to be likely:

    - They might do it because...

    Some do this and it makes no sense to me. The driver does get to keep the money even if the company refunds. It seems to me the company is not on the ball with firing these people.

    The drive might do it while doing another ride, not this case, or they might do it to get paid while on a break.

    Spite seems to be likely:

    - They might do it because they don't want to do that ride and they don't want to cancel either. They might not be hoping for a fee they just don't want the knock on their acceptance rate.

    -Something has gone wrong in their perspective and they want you to pay for it. Just pure spite is an option.

    Less likely innocent possibilities:

    -The driver might have been asleep.

    -If the text is open is shows "read" even when nobody saw the message.

    -might have butt connected. And wasn't even working. People have butt ride-ordered me before.

    I was a driver for over 2 years and I've been a long time passenger.

    I have encountered very hostile spiteful drivers and riders. They both think they can lord something over you. Riders far more often. I'll wait 10 extrs minutes for them on location, they dont respond to calls or text. Then I cancel and THEN they call and scream at me that I'm not there. Happened too often. Or they'd scream at me over bad traffic. Or they wouldn't get in my car out of spite because I won't break the law and cause a traffic jam picking them up. Or they put the wrong pick up spot (or just a giant city-block sized building's address) and yell at me for not knowing exactly where they were. Etc.

  357. Germaine Bell Guest

    In this case it looks like the driver is using a fake GPS for his phone. By doing this he's able to set his phone location as the airport waiting lot while he's driving around taking other passenger on Lyft. Most like he was either busy or couldn't make it back to the airport in time as planned. He probably wanted you to just cancel then he'll get reassigned to the next passenger. I've found...

    In this case it looks like the driver is using a fake GPS for his phone. By doing this he's able to set his phone location as the airport waiting lot while he's driving around taking other passenger on Lyft. Most like he was either busy or couldn't make it back to the airport in time as planned. He probably wanted you to just cancel then he'll get reassigned to the next passenger. I've found myself in a similar situation and thought I was an innocent but not so innocent victim since I use Uber over taxi because they're cheap. Uber drivers make next to nothing performing a dangerous job and have to hustle to get by. This is just one of their hustles.

  358. YAROSLAV KOVBASNYUK Guest

    There are a million different reasons why your driver didn't come get you and this is coming from an Uber driver.

    1: He could have been having a lunch break. Can't log off if you decide to take a lunch break especially if you've been stuck at the airport lot for a few hours waiting for a fare because there is most likely a queue. Most airports in the US do this now. If...

    There are a million different reasons why your driver didn't come get you and this is coming from an Uber driver.

    1: He could have been having a lunch break. Can't log off if you decide to take a lunch break especially if you've been stuck at the airport lot for a few hours waiting for a fare because there is most likely a queue. Most airports in the US do this now. If you log off to eat and then log back in the app puts you last in line and you just wasted all that time at the airport. Now you gotta wait another hour or two. So we eat when we can. If a request comes in we take it and keep eating. You will have to either wait or cancel. That it entirely up to you. We will either get the cancellation fee or we wont. It's only a few bucks so even if we don't get it it's not that big of a deal to us. It's not about the $. It's about not loosing our spot in the airport queue. There's always someone else who will need a ride after you cancel. It's not the most professional way to go but who said we have to be professional. We don't know you. We don't owe you anything. You never set a foot in our vehicle and there's a reason it's called ride share. It's regular folks giving each other a lift for tiny fee.

    2: He just didn't want to go pick you up. It could have been for a number of reasons. Maybe your rating is too low. Or maybe you were not going far enough and the guy just waited for hours at the airport and was awarded with a 15 min trip. (See explanation above) Or he just didn't feel like going to pick you up at that given moment. The stars aligned and all that other crap. The one downside of this gig economy for the customer is that the driver is an independent contractor and as hard as it is for some of you entitled spoiled brats to understand he doesn't have to do jack chit if he doesn't feel like it. To quote Ariana Grande Thank you. Next

    3: The guy could've had to take a major dump. It happens. Most people are only concerned with their own needs and think drivers are robots. (See above why logging off is not a good idea)

    4: Some people are correct. The guy might have not spoken any English. Oh well.

    5: The so called surge scam where drivers log on and off all at the same time to create surge is so last year. So the one genius who mentioned that earlier can stfu. Uber is not paying us surge pricing anymore even though they are most likely charging you surge pricing. I've noticed people don't really mind paying more as long as they are getting screwed by the 60 billion dollar Uber and not the poor schmuck driving them.

    6: Stop being cheap and just order Black and you'll see how much faster the driver will get to you.

    7: Don't try to rationalize why the driver does this or that or doesn't do this or the other. You can't see what's going on in drivers head and life thru your app.

    8: Common logic among passengers is I want a nice car, a professional driver, a bottle of water or two, a gum, a charger. I want it quick and I want to pay pretty much nothing for it. Sorry people but that's not how life works.

    That's gonna be it for me. Thank you for reading. All the best.

    PS I've driven close to a million miles so far in my 12.5 years as a chauffeur. I've been with Uber over 5 years with a little over 5000 completed trips and 4.97 star rating so I know what I'm talking about.

  359. Rock DeAugustine Guest

    It really wouldn't benefit the driver to get a ride then just wait for a half hour: he probably had already waited in the Driver Queue for at least that amount of time, one hour for $10? No. Now, 90% of drivers also do Lyft, but he must not have been on a ride with them, as you say he never moved. The vast majority of cancellation fees a driver gets, which are rare in...

    It really wouldn't benefit the driver to get a ride then just wait for a half hour: he probably had already waited in the Driver Queue for at least that amount of time, one hour for $10? No. Now, 90% of drivers also do Lyft, but he must not have been on a ride with them, as you say he never moved. The vast majority of cancellation fees a driver gets, which are rare in themselves, are when the rider hits the app to soon and it times out (rider wasn't ready) or the rider is in the wrong pickup spot. Either way, for drivers time is money and they miss other rides in those situations.

  360. YAROSLAV KOVBASNYUK Guest

    There are a million different reasons why your driver didn't come get you and this is coming from an Uber driver.

    1: He could have been having a lunch break. Can't log off if you decide to take a lunch break especially if you've been stuck at the airport lot for a few hours waiting for a fare because there is most likely a queue. Most airports in the US do this now. If...

    There are a million different reasons why your driver didn't come get you and this is coming from an Uber driver.

    1: He could have been having a lunch break. Can't log off if you decide to take a lunch break especially if you've been stuck at the airport lot for a few hours waiting for a fare because there is most likely a queue. Most airports in the US do this now. If you log off to eat and then log back in the app puts you last in line and you just wasted all that time at the airport. Now you gotta wait another hour or two. So we eat when we can. If a request comes in we take it and keep eating. You will have to either wait or cancel. That it entirely up to you. We will either get the cancellation fee or we wont. It's only a few bucks so even if we don't get it it's not that big of a deal to us. It's not about the $. It's about not loosing our spot in the airport queue. There's always someone else who will need a ride after you cancel. It's not the most professional way to go but who said we have to be professional. We don't know you. We don't owe you anything. You never set a foot in our vehicle and there's a reason it's called ride share. It's regular folks giving each other a lift for tiny fee.

    2: He just didn't want to go pick you up. It could have been for a number of reasons. Maybe your rating is too low. Or maybe you were not going far enough and the guy just waited for hours at the airport and was awarded with a 15 min trip. (See explanation above) Or he just didn't feel like going to pick you up at that given moment. The stars aligned and all that other crap. The one downside of this sh*tty gig economy for the customer is that the driver is an independent contractor and as hard as it is for some of you entitled spoiled brats to understand he doesn't have to do sh*t if he doesn't feel like it. To quote Ariana Grande Thank you. Next

    3: The guy could've had to take a major sh*t. It happens. Most people are only concerned with their own needs and think drivers are robots. (See above why logging off is not a good idea)

    4: Some people are correct. The guy might have not spoken any English. Oh well.

    5: The so called surge scam where drivers log on and off all at the same time to create surge is so last year. So the one genius who mentioned that earlier can stfu. Uber is not paying us surge pricing anymore even though they are most likely charging you surge pricing. I've noticed people don't really mind paying more as long as they are getting screwed by the 60 billion dollar Uber and not the poor schmuck driving them.

    6: Stop being cheap and just order Black and you'll see how much faster the driver will get to you.

    7: Don't try to rationalize why the driver does this or that or doesn't do this or the other. You can't see what's going on in drivers head and life thru your app.

    8: Common logic among passengers is I want a nice car, a professional driver, a bottle of water or two, a gum, a charger. I want it quick and I want to pay pretty much nothing for it. Sorry people but that's not how life works.

    That's gonna be it for me. Thank you for reading. All the best.

    PS I've driven close to a million miles so far in my 12.5 years as a chauffeur. I've been with Uber over 5 years with a little over 5000 completed trips and 4.97 star rating so I know what I'm talking about.

  361. Always Flying Somewhere Member

    I've had an Uber driver in Warsaw drive up to me in an SUV and refuse to take me because I had too much luggage. He cancelled my ride and told me that I needed to order a larger vehicle. I ordered a larger vehicle (for a more expensive ride) and the same model SUV (different driver) pulls up and picks me up with no hassle. I went back and forth with Uber a couple...

    I've had an Uber driver in Warsaw drive up to me in an SUV and refuse to take me because I had too much luggage. He cancelled my ride and told me that I needed to order a larger vehicle. I ordered a larger vehicle (for a more expensive ride) and the same model SUV (different driver) pulls up and picks me up with no hassle. I went back and forth with Uber a couple times before they refunded my cancellation fee.

    My bigger beef is with surge pricing. I was trying to get from downtown San Francisco to SFO at 05:30 on a Sunday and found that not only were they prepared to charge me $60 for an UberX ride, but the app also told me that they were way too busy to guarantee a car within a reasonable amount of time. Thank goodness that a hotel Town Car happened to be in the lobby and took us to the airport for $45. How do you spell sour taste?

  362. Ben Guest

    I stopped using Uber when I spent 100 bucks on Uber gift cards and then Uber wouldn't honor them. I never got the situation rectified and found myself out 100 bucks. I have had only one suspect cancellation at the Tri Rail in Opa-Locka where the guy swore he was there and it was obvious he wasn't. I got my cancellation fee back almost immediately. I've had better experience overall with Lyft, and I agree...

    I stopped using Uber when I spent 100 bucks on Uber gift cards and then Uber wouldn't honor them. I never got the situation rectified and found myself out 100 bucks. I have had only one suspect cancellation at the Tri Rail in Opa-Locka where the guy swore he was there and it was obvious he wasn't. I got my cancellation fee back almost immediately. I've had better experience overall with Lyft, and I agree that Uber simply doesn't care about the safety and satisfaction of their riders. I suspect it will cost them eventually, but they won't respond to the many issues they have with scams, rapes, and assaults until it hurts the bottom line.

  363. James Guest

    Maybe he mistakenly left his app on and was away from his phone or his vehicle where his phone was?

  364. Honua Maikealoha Guest

    I’m an Uber driver and we don’t get to keep the cancellation fees if a rider calls and successfully disputes them. That said there are not only drivers out there running scams but there are passengers running scams as well. I’ve only had one cancellation and it came to be after the start of the a 4 day snow storm in the Denver area. A rider requested a ride to the airport around 5:50am. This...

    I’m an Uber driver and we don’t get to keep the cancellation fees if a rider calls and successfully disputes them. That said there are not only drivers out there running scams but there are passengers running scams as well. I’ve only had one cancellation and it came to be after the start of the a 4 day snow storm in the Denver area. A rider requested a ride to the airport around 5:50am. This was 45 minutes after heavy snow began falling. I was literally one of few drivers online in Boulder County. My first ride hit my app about 5:20am. I was in Boulder when the app delivered the request. I accepted and it turned out the pickup was 12 miles away in Longmont. When I pulled out of my waiting spot to drive to the pickup there was 3” of snow covering roads and that amount was increasing.

    By the time I arrived in Longmont there was 6” of snow on the roads. Plows had not yet begun to clear any streets. After dropping off my passenger I got the airport ride request. This pickup was in Lafayette about 8 miles from the Longmont drop off point. I arrived to pickup the rider about 6:45am. We loaded his baggage and he took a seat in the rear passenger spot. He immediately demanded I use a toll road because it’s speed limits were needed so he wouldn’t be late for his 8:00am flight. The distance difference between the toll route and the freeway route to the airport is about 4 miles. Toll road speed limits are 75mph and freeway routes varied between 55 and 65mph. Posted speeds were not a variable when I told the passenger we would not be taking the toll road. I explained it was a safety issue arguing we would get help faster on the freeway which runs through more densely populated areas should we run into trouble of any kind. I continued to explain my reasoning for denying his demand using the logic that neither route will have been plowed and since the difference in distance between the two routes was so small and the fact we were not going to be able to go the posted speed limits on either route I’d be going the route that offered the greatest safety and access to help if needed.

    The passenger again demanded with authority that I take the toll road. I told him I was the captain of my vehicle and his that his demands in this circumstance would be denied. We hadn’t left his neighborhood yet and I gave him the choice to return home or accept my decision. He choose to return home saying he would order a Lyft. He demanded I cancel the ride and I held him to his choice to return home and as a result he needed to cancel the ride through his app. He did and I received a $13.57 cancellation fee.

    Later that day I checked in on my totals and noticed that fee had been taken back and called support. I explained the rider demanded I take an unsafe route and told them of the circumstances due to weather. At this writing I have not heard back from Uber and have yet to get my payment owed.

    It would continue to snow in the Denver area for four more days. On day three I was still getting online and driving in challenging conditions. One of my riders mid-afternoon didn’t like the inconvenience of having to take a longer way around to get to home the result of weather related obstacles that hindered the normal route to his drop off location. This asshole called Uber support and reported I was driving under the influence. He got his money back, I wasn’t paid and Uber deactivated my account pending an investigation I had no way to influence on my behalf.

    When this happens the investigation takes 2 days and the partner is locked out of the app and access to money earned. Without warning I was cut off unable to earn because a rider ran a scam using the claim I was drunk to get his money back.

    After 36 hours my account was restored and I was notified of this by way of a tersely worded email that implied the company believed I was drunk with a warning not to drive under the influence in the future as they would be watching me.

    So scams work both ways to the detriment of all. A driver scam as detailed in your article is an inconvenience at best that results in a refund to the rider with a little effort and time invested. The passenger scams have the potential of ending a drivers career with the company forever and without recourse to contest the absolute findings of the investigation.

    Passengers are empowered to do far more damage to a driver with a scam than any driver could ever do to a passenger.

  365. george Guest

    This happened to me repeatedly at Heathrow a couple months ago. At the end I too took a taxi to my hotel. I turned location services off for the uber app and let the last request stay on. It took almost an hour before the driver started driving toward the airport and then when he was one minute away, he cancelled the ride. I was hoping he would arrive and try to call me.

  366. Vishwanath Guest

    This happens in Bangalore, India too. There is no way to pull down the driver's rating when either of us cancel the trip. Drivers know this and they are using the loop holes. Most driver having 4.8+ score do this too and there is no way to bring their score down.

  367. LasVegasSignUp Guest

    Driver007 excellent posting!

  368. Adan Guest

    You don’t have 20 minutes to wait and your complaining not knowing how much Uber and Lyft drivers make and the stress of the job you should complain the company who makes millions not the driver you got lucky o get home save

  369. John Doe Guest

    Every time I use Uber or Lyft in Miami it’s an issue. The drivers there are awful. To answer you questions. 1. If you ask for your cancellation fee back it is taken away from the driver, do not abuse this as there are MANY more cases of customers doing this to drivers than the other way around. 2. If it happens way too consistently Uber/ Lyft may deactivate the driver, doesn’t really happen tho....

    Every time I use Uber or Lyft in Miami it’s an issue. The drivers there are awful. To answer you questions. 1. If you ask for your cancellation fee back it is taken away from the driver, do not abuse this as there are MANY more cases of customers doing this to drivers than the other way around. 2. If it happens way too consistently Uber/ Lyft may deactivate the driver, doesn’t really happen tho. 3. if you cancel the ride, you can’t rate the driver so that’s maybe why he’s still got a good score, he can only be rated on rides he completed 4. This situation is bizarre because 99.99% of the time if you’re waiting on a ride and the driver’s eta was 6 mins but he/she was still not there after say 10-11 mins, Uber Automatically cancels the ride and assigns a new driver for you or gives you the option to cancel without a fee, you simply caught the short end of the stick in this instance because you shouldn’t be charged at all.

  370. David Guest

    Uber, lyft, etc don't want drivers. They are working towards a future with autonomous fleets, owned and/or provided by others. They are basically software companies.

    For now, they really give a rats ass about it .. and only do what they have to do to exist as they work towards the future they want.

    There's also this annoying scam that hits you with uber waiting fees, I'm ofter hit with waiting fees under $1 despite...

    Uber, lyft, etc don't want drivers. They are working towards a future with autonomous fleets, owned and/or provided by others. They are basically software companies.

    For now, they really give a rats ass about it .. and only do what they have to do to exist as they work towards the future they want.

    There's also this annoying scam that hits you with uber waiting fees, I'm ofter hit with waiting fees under $1 despite the fact that I'm always at the designated pick up point before the driver gets there. When I see this, I request a fee refund and explain that I was waiting for the driver at the correct place when they arrived. It's a waste of my time to do this, but that's what they expect I guess and probably most people don't bother for the less than $1 nonsense fees that they add on to the fare.

  371. Patricia Guest

    Hello I am a San Francisco Bay area Uber driver with 11,000 rides and I hear this from my riders about these scams I don't understand why Uber doesn't do more even though they keep adding features to try and eliminate this

  372. John Guest

    It happens occasionally. Urgent shit happens that's more important than immediately responding to a customer.

    Ie. My car starter went out today and I had already accepted another assignment prior to drop off. My phone battery subsequently died before I had an answer to the customer - same scenario.

  373. Worldwatcher Guest

    This happened to us at the Fort Lauderdale airport two weeks ago. It was the first time in years of using Uber, and I didn’t understand what was happening until he started heading to Miami! We called a taxi, and the driver explained this scam, and said dispute it immediately and get a refund. It said unfortunately it happens all too often.

  374. Joe Guest

    It's available in New Jersey only if you meet the tier guidelines to see destination but to be honest by the time you check to see the destination of a trip the five seconds you're allowed to accept it have already passed

  375. John Doe Guest

    Couple things I forgot to mention.
    We do not keep the cancellation fee if it is refunded to the passenger.
    Also, for the person that said the driver now sees the destination, that only applies to San Francisco, and only a fraction of the drivers have that feature. It will be rolling out to all ca drivers in a couple months. No other states are going to have that feature.

  376. Clinton Kildepstein Guest

    You have it wrong the driver didn’t scam you uber did. I am a driver with 6200 rides and a 4.98 rating. You pay a cancel fee to Uber if you don’t cancel within 2 minutes of ordering a ride. Drivers do not get paid the cancel fee unless they show up and wait 5 minutes before cancelling. They also do not get paid unless they are 2 minutes away from you when you cancel....

    You have it wrong the driver didn’t scam you uber did. I am a driver with 6200 rides and a 4.98 rating. You pay a cancel fee to Uber if you don’t cancel within 2 minutes of ordering a ride. Drivers do not get paid the cancel fee unless they show up and wait 5 minutes before cancelling. They also do not get paid unless they are 2 minutes away from you when you cancel. So Uber took 100% of your cancel fee. There are a number of reasons why what happened to you happened so it is really hard to speculate what that particular driver was doing. Here are a couple of things that I have experienced. Sometimes a driver goes off line but his account is still connected to the servers. The fact that you called and sent texts with no repsonse leads me to believe this is possible. It is possible that the driver never got your calls or texts. This happens a lot with Ubers systems. Same with lyft. They malfunction. Why would a driver wait you out for 30 minutes just to make $4? Uber charged you $10 but the driver only gets $4. Another thing that happens at airport is driver get stuck in the staging lot and can’t move because of traffic getting to terminals. Imagine this. At most airport there can be several planes carrying hundreds of people all landing within minutes of each other. This creates 100’s of ride requests all at once. Now you have potentially 100’s of drivers trying to get to the terminals all at the same time. Do you think that could cause delays? Personally if I get caught in one of these log jams I call the passenger explain the situation and give them the option of cancelling before 2 minutes. It doesn’t hurt me I am going to get another request right away.
    Here is the driver cancel scam, it’s called the shuffle and it did not happen to you. Drivers in busy areas will accept a ride close by drive to the location so the 5 minute timer starts and drives past the location or goes somewhere that their car can not be seen by the rider waits 5 minutes cancels, collects $4 gets another ping does the same thing. In a busy area a driver shuffling can make $40-$48 an hour it’s hard to do but it can be done. But here is the thing it only works if they drive to where you are and you can see that in your app. Here is how you fall victim to that scam. You aren’t ready at the pick up point. If you are ready and waiting you will see the driver pull up. But a lot of people take their time getting to the pick up point They figure the heck with the driver they can wait I am paying. Fact, drivers only get $0.20 or less depending on the market for waiting and only after 2 minutes of arriving. So the first two minutes after arriving the driver gets zero then say it is $0.20 per minute. That means they make $0.60 for waiting 5 minutes for a rider to take their time getting to the car. So when the timer counts down to 5 minutes which would you rather make $0.60 or cancel and make $4? Yes there are drivers out there that are scammers but they are few and far in between. The rest of us are just trying to make a few bucks by getting you from pick up to drop off safely. The #1 thing you can do to keep from getting scammed with a shuffle is be waiting and ready with toes on the curb when the driver pulls up. I am sorry you had the issue you did but honestly most drivers are trying their best to do a good job and earn money honestly.

  377. Jasmine di'Vine Guest

    Hiya!
    I've been driving for Uber (only) for two years now in Portland, OR. Have seen & heard some crazy stuff! It's true there are drivers that seem like they are out to scam you from any and every direction. Sad facts of life and in fact, unfortunately, it goes both ways. Scams come from the rider side just as much. So many ppl trying get something for nothing.
    So yes.... that driver...

    Hiya!
    I've been driving for Uber (only) for two years now in Portland, OR. Have seen & heard some crazy stuff! It's true there are drivers that seem like they are out to scam you from any and every direction. Sad facts of life and in fact, unfortunately, it goes both ways. Scams come from the rider side just as much. So many ppl trying get something for nothing.
    So yes.... that driver could be running a scam but there are also various possible reasons for that scenario. I try to give ppl the benefit of the doubt... I'd rather be naive than cynical i guess.
    1) new driver and has no idea what to do. (Unlikely but easily discovered in the details of their profile)
    2) they have their phone set to auto accept. So if they're inside a gas station or getting food they may have left their phone in the car.
    However communication is key... so as previously mentioned...
    3) they may not speak English... which is not a great excuse becuz GOOGLE TRANSLATE BITCHEZ!
    4) there is insane traffic. It's Miami soooo.... I've personally been stuck the driver queue parking lot for 45 minutes trying to get out becuz ppl are a-holes and won't let you in sometimes. I mean, where is the common decency? Take turns ppl!! (Same with merging ughhh)
    5) as drivers sometimes we get consecutive trip bonuses. Which means that we have to do three rides in a row in order to get the bonus without going offline, cancelling or declining any rides. If the bonus is fairly big, say... $6+ for three rides, smart drivers will accept the ride anyway even if they are doing something. (Gas/food/etc) NICE DRIVERS will let you know to cancel within two minutes so you don't get a fee. However, the world has a distinct shortage of NICE. So most drivers will just wait for you to cancel.

    I know there's more scenarios that could be reasons for your incident.

    Now the reason the driver got paid is because you played along. Yor phone is tracked just as much as theirs so since you got in a taxi without cancelling, it made it look like that driver did the drive but maybe forgot to start the ride. So lesson here always cancel b4 getting another ride. That way it's very obvious that the driver did nothing.

    Hope this helps a bit! There are definitely scammers out there but a lot of drivers are just trying to their best.

  378. brizone Gold

    Had this happen to us in Auckland once. Refund was easy. Uber is obviously a train wreck at this point, I'm just enjoying my Amex Platinum credits on them before the whole ponzi scheme implodes. I figure it won't be long now...

  379. Dean Guest

    Bottom line UBER has lowered driver rates so bad...short rides used to be a minimum of $4...now a driver can drive 10 minutes 2 plus miles and make $2.40 . A driver can make $4 on a CANCELLATION fee. So why drive and put miles on car and tear inside your car. Once UBER stops being so greedy and change it back this will continue to happen let's be real...it ain't the drivers it is greedy ass uber

  380. Trevor Harold Nadeau Guest

    Happens all the time in the middle east. I actually walked up to a driver ignoring my accepted ride and calls/texts while he was eating a hamburger at a fast food joint. I could see him checking the phone. I let him have it. Such a loser. It must be such a huge problem now cuz Uber just immediately refunds cancellation fares now. But really such a hassle and irritation when drivers do this. Now that Uber owns Careem, the market here needs a new competitor.

  381. Joe Guest

    Most of the time I do not get a cancellation fee when the rider cancels the ride unless I drive a good amount towards picking up the rider. And even then it's only a dollar or two so if it is a scam it's a pitiful money-losing scam.

  382. FulltimedriverSF Guest

    It's not a scam. If the driver's cancellation % is too high they are at risk of deactivation. No driver cares about $4 fees, its a waste of time.

  383. M Guest

    This scam just happened to us in New Zealand a week ago. I quickly fought back and got my refund. Definitely an Uber Driver scam.

    There are many that are not scammers, but we did get one.

  384. Teresa L Mazilani Guest

    It takes all kinds to make the world go round. Sounds like the driver was plain lazy. As an Uber Driver myself, why would a driver sit for 2 hours waiting for a trip? How does that driver make any money? The most riders I've heard complaining about a driver's rudeness. Some drivers are disgustingly rude as the rider can't be found. I find my rider 99.9% of the time. If not, they are usually...

    It takes all kinds to make the world go round. Sounds like the driver was plain lazy. As an Uber Driver myself, why would a driver sit for 2 hours waiting for a trip? How does that driver make any money? The most riders I've heard complaining about a driver's rudeness. Some drivers are disgustingly rude as the rider can't be found. I find my rider 99.9% of the time. If not, they are usually not even there.
    Tips, for fair pricing and good service help us drivers more than you know. I been driving for Uber over 2 years, at 2000 rides. And 99.99% of riders treat me in a kind fashion. With a thank you or what not.. Where's the Tip?

  385. Jason Guest

    Not able to answer your questions as to total costs to Uber, but all evidence suggests that drivers keep cancellation fees even when the customer successfully appeals for a refund.
    It would seem that Uber has enacted policies to thwart this abuse. As of approximately 5 weeks ago, I learned that a cancellation fee will not apply when the driver is more than 5 minutes + ETA. It simply won't apply. Whether this has...

    Not able to answer your questions as to total costs to Uber, but all evidence suggests that drivers keep cancellation fees even when the customer successfully appeals for a refund.
    It would seem that Uber has enacted policies to thwart this abuse. As of approximately 5 weeks ago, I learned that a cancellation fee will not apply when the driver is more than 5 minutes + ETA. It simply won't apply. Whether this has been cemented as policy, I couldn't say, but it has definitely applied.
    There are also system checks on this practice under the category Uber refers to as "account abuse". Such checks will be activated during promotional periods. How prevalent these are, and whether they are in effect when a driver isn't qualifying for a special promotion, I can't say.

  386. Charlie Guest

    > Didi has a surprising easy way to handle this – They also estimate a reasonable maximum time for driver to arrive, once longer than that, even driver is really coming to you, you’re free to cancel without penalty.

    I really like that system, but if Uber adopted it, wouldn't it be stealing Chinese IP?

  387. Gia Kennedy Guest

    This has happen several times to me. Always a male driver, that would literally come to my location, then pass me up and cancel my ride then Uber every single time will charge me, then I must request a refund due to the driver canceling but lowdown Uber keep giving me a credit towards my next Uber ride. I say no, I need it all sent back to my card and only once have they...

    This has happen several times to me. Always a male driver, that would literally come to my location, then pass me up and cancel my ride then Uber every single time will charge me, then I must request a refund due to the driver canceling but lowdown Uber keep giving me a credit towards my next Uber ride. I say no, I need it all sent back to my card and only once have they done so. So all of this credit built up simply disappears over time. I will not deal with Uber again. They've been doing this for years.

  388. John Doe Guest

    Instead of asking if the driver still gets the cancellation fee or if there is repercussion, maybe ask why they do it. It is obvious the author lacks the ability to sympathize with the driver along with most of the people here. Now as for the why, don’t blame the driver for this, uber/lyft have created this problem by pushing rates lower and lower. Below minimum wage in fact. Now as to why the driver...

    Instead of asking if the driver still gets the cancellation fee or if there is repercussion, maybe ask why they do it. It is obvious the author lacks the ability to sympathize with the driver along with most of the people here. Now as for the why, don’t blame the driver for this, uber/lyft have created this problem by pushing rates lower and lower. Below minimum wage in fact. Now as to why the driver did those, I am not sure why, but I have done it before and can only speak from my experience. First off, our surge is different from the passenger surge, we don’t get paid a multiplier anymore but the passenger still pays it. We get paid a flat dollar amount. Our surge last longer than passenger surge, this may sound good but it really is not. Surge probably went down, he was waiting for a request that says long trip on it, your ride came in and it did not say that. We have a notification if a ride longer than 45 mins on the request screen. He wanted you to cancel so he can get another. That is one theory, another one is that maybe he was hoping for an uberpool, the way pool pays out can be significantly higher than an uberX depending on the surge. Each additional pick up adds half the surge plus a dollar. He was waiting for you to cancel so he can get a pool. The last theory was that he just wanted a long trip, probably no surge, and if he ignores the request he will get booted to the back of the que and it might have take an hour for him to get to the top of the que. so he would have taken an 5-9 dollar trip waiting for an hour to get to the top of the line. Does that sound like a wise financial decision?
    I drive in Cali, I have been to Florida a few times and taken Uber/lyfts there, the rates are so low there compared to any other state/city. The drivers there must be making 5$ an hour, and that is not factoring operational cost or taxes.
    Now before you start blaming the driver next time, think of how it impacts the driver.
    You guys want your cheap service no matter the cost to others, and that is not just Uber/lyft, same goes for any other “gig” economy service. Have a little consideration towards others.
    Now as to how to deal the issue from the passenger side, I reiterated, I take Uber/lyft as a consumer. If they do not move or respond for at most a minute, just cancel and get another. You have a 2 minute grace period.

  389. Ugali Guest

    A driver has been waiting at the airport for 2 hours. Gets a passenger going 2 miles away for a total fee of 3.12$. Why would he give that ride? It is in his interest to cancel since he'll make more by cancelling than giving you that ride.

    Drivers must accept all rides. Even those ones they are unable to do. Sometimes a driver is on a freeway overpass and accepts a ride. You think...

    A driver has been waiting at the airport for 2 hours. Gets a passenger going 2 miles away for a total fee of 3.12$. Why would he give that ride? It is in his interest to cancel since he'll make more by cancelling than giving you that ride.

    Drivers must accept all rides. Even those ones they are unable to do. Sometimes a driver is on a freeway overpass and accepts a ride. You think he's by you but actually he's on the freeway doing 60 in the opposite direction. Needless to say he cant come to you. But has ti accept the ride anyway

  390. Manuheit New Member

    Why can’t you leave an evaluation to the driver in these cases? It is easy to rack up a good score for the completed rides, but if for every complete ride there are 10 scams? His/her score could then more reflect the real service provided...

  391. Mike Guest

    I'm sorry, but whining about a 3 hour flight by someone who claims to travel 4000000 miles a year? Who cares.

    That said, the digital economy is all about cutting costs and gaming the system. Uber does it and so the drivers adapt to do it as well. As long as your business model seeks to maximize profits without regard to the consequences, then don't be surprised when others look for ways around it.

  392. Tom Guest

    I’m a driver in Denver for both über and Lyft.... I can tell you after 3 years, fair ratings and over 10k rides for both companies I hate them both, but have special contempt for Über. Your driver could have just been having a really bad day and was going thru some bullshit behind the scenes or could have been genuinely trying to scam you. Yes the driver gets to keep the cancel fee after...

    I’m a driver in Denver for both über and Lyft.... I can tell you after 3 years, fair ratings and over 10k rides for both companies I hate them both, but have special contempt for Über. Your driver could have just been having a really bad day and was going thru some bullshit behind the scenes or could have been genuinely trying to scam you. Yes the driver gets to keep the cancel fee after 2 minutes of driving towards you or being in the general pickup area geofence for that long to 3 or so minutes depending on the ride type. I can tell you honestly that most of us in medium large cities saw our per mile and per minute rates change for the negative just before Über’s iPO as early as last fall—— and we’ve also experienced the competitive crunch as über has overhired to the point of market saturation. I’ve easily seen my avg wages drop 15-20 % during this time. Meanwhile the safety scandals and lack of protections perpetuate in the company’s media limelight and we constantly hear how they fight worker’s rights to fair consistent wages and simply worker protections like vacation, workers comp, health insurance etc........., we are overworked and treated like piecemeal slaves at the cost of the planet’s health, our own health, and the extreme rapid devaluation of our own personal vehicles. Über has even been caught in writing by former engineers saying they don’t give a shit about their drivers.... the truth is, they really don’t. Sorry ! ‍♂️ #blameUber #fuckContractPiecemealRideshareCompanies

  393. TK Guest

    On Halloween, traffic was horrendous and my bus was massively late, so I ordered an Uber. He was on his way, then I got a cancellation notice from the driver. Uber charged me $5.00. I disputed it right away telling them the driver canceled out, NOT me. I was given a $5.00 credit.

  394. Billy Guest

    As a rideshare driver for a few years now, I'll give you the real answer.

    A lot of drivers use both Uber and Lyft since there isn't enough business on one or the other. We'll take what we can get, but if we get a better ride on the other platform (higher surge, closer distance), we'll take that ride in a heartbeat.

    Now we would love to cancel on our end, but Uber and especially...

    As a rideshare driver for a few years now, I'll give you the real answer.

    A lot of drivers use both Uber and Lyft since there isn't enough business on one or the other. We'll take what we can get, but if we get a better ride on the other platform (higher surge, closer distance), we'll take that ride in a heartbeat.

    Now we would love to cancel on our end, but Uber and especially Lyft penalize us hard for cancelling. It takes more effort to have the cancellation fee refunded and we have no incentive to beyond being a decent person. But when we're barely making enough to cover expenses plus a minimal living wage, most drivers probably aren't thinking what's best for the passenger.

    Want to guarantee to be picked up? Get Uber and Lyft to pay us a fair share like they used to. Now we typically get less than 50% of what you pay for the ride.

    Now don't get me wrong, I don't agree with the behavior I just laid out but that's the real deal of what's going on.

  395. Toni Guest

    I've been driving for uber for three years and I've never received a cancellation fee from uber or my passengers. Ever. If you're being billed a cancellation fee and not actually taking the ride. Maybe you should research a bit harder, try doing some actual journalism. Otherwise stop creating myths and lies about things that aren't happening with drivers.

  396. Deb Porter Guest

    We had a Lyft driver in San Diego call us and say he was at terminal 1 , and asked where we were going. We told him that we were at terminal 2 and gave him our destination address- which is only a few miles from the airport. He then cancelled the trip unbeknown to us and we waited another 30minutes. Then... we saw him drive up to us at terminal 2 and when we...

    We had a Lyft driver in San Diego call us and say he was at terminal 1 , and asked where we were going. We told him that we were at terminal 2 and gave him our destination address- which is only a few miles from the airport. He then cancelled the trip unbeknown to us and we waited another 30minutes. Then... we saw him drive up to us at terminal 2 and when we started to get into the car , he REFUSED us entry to the car because he said we canceled the ride and he picked up a group waiting near us!...we were seriously upset. When we called Lyft they returned the $5 fee they charged for canceled calls and never even apologized. I have heard that some drivers do this if they think the ride is not long enough. Also at SAN airport they often have to wait a while to get to the ride pickup area.

  397. Ted Guest

    This is not a cancellation scam. The best thing to do is pay attention! If 5 minutes goes by and either the driver is not moving or moving away from you, just cancel and request a new ride. You won't be charged besides you'de get a refund anyway. And no Uber deducts any cancel few from the driver immediately. Drivers have to accept all rides for a better rating. Drivers are penalized for canceling. That's it!

  398. Casey Guest

    Under most circumstances for a cancellation fee, Riders have 5 mins to find their driver. After which time, the driver can cancel the ride and receive a cancellation fee.
    It doesn't matter what messaging are exchanged or how many phone calls the driver or Rider has Initiated or ignored, Uber will not spend the time to investigate anything over a $5 fee.
    Uber only does what it needs to do to prevent a...

    Under most circumstances for a cancellation fee, Riders have 5 mins to find their driver. After which time, the driver can cancel the ride and receive a cancellation fee.
    It doesn't matter what messaging are exchanged or how many phone calls the driver or Rider has Initiated or ignored, Uber will not spend the time to investigate anything over a $5 fee.
    Uber only does what it needs to do to prevent a legal issue.
    They are the worst with their drivers with resolving issues.
    Both riders and drivers have to put up with the same canned answer automated responses from Uber, with no human interaction.

  399. Casey Guest

    Bottom line, Uber & Lyft only adhere to local and State regulations, only because they have to for fear of being shut down or being sued.

    However, because of the HUGE lack of regulation of the industry as a whole, and both platforms only have certain processes in place, like being able to request a refund, only because they're required to by MasterCard, Visa, Discover & Amex. Which requires that the platforms establish a dispute...

    Bottom line, Uber & Lyft only adhere to local and State regulations, only because they have to for fear of being shut down or being sued.

    However, because of the HUGE lack of regulation of the industry as a whole, and both platforms only have certain processes in place, like being able to request a refund, only because they're required to by MasterCard, Visa, Discover & Amex. Which requires that the platforms establish a dispute resolution process for which the consumer has a means to be able to dispute a charge with a merchant before they dispute it with their bank. It's cheaper for Uber to just refund the cancellation fee or fare than it is for them to actually research the issue to determine legitimacy of the charge, unless it's 100% solid that the fare happened with the rider, or in the case of a cancellation fee, the riders intent on not making the ride.
    The drivers do keep the cancellation fees, regardless if the rider was refunded. Actually, most of the time that riders are NOT refunded the fee. It's simply credited back to that person's account for future rides.

  400. Sean Randel Guest

    Getting in the cab is why you got charged. If a driver takes more than 5 minutes longer than the Uber estimated time, they allow the rider to cxl with no fee to the driver. I can say that in some instances this is ok, but there are times when traffic dictates how long it takes to get somewhere. (Especially around events like concerts or sports)
    I always text my rider and let them...

    Getting in the cab is why you got charged. If a driver takes more than 5 minutes longer than the Uber estimated time, they allow the rider to cxl with no fee to the driver. I can say that in some instances this is ok, but there are times when traffic dictates how long it takes to get somewhere. (Especially around events like concerts or sports)
    I always text my rider and let them know I am on my way, but traffic is bad. The amount of pay for a cxl isn't worth it since you can leave it on forever and there is no way to get a new ride. Keep it on forever, until the driver gives up.

  401. Josue Guest

    as mentioned previously, in the article's scenario the most likely explanation is the driver trying to control their acceptance/cancellation rates. this is a metric which affects drivers and Uber/lyft hammer home constantly to drivers. the driver in this anecdote likely didn't get any cancellation fee at all and may have been asleep or otherwise distracted.

  402. Jacob Martin Guest

    This happened to me a few times, and I heard of it happening to friends. Uber never seems to care, neither does Lyft. Living in NYC, there is the TLC. Next time it happened I took a screenshot every minute whilst I took a different company to my destination. I sent the screenshots to the TLC. They driver had to hire a lawyer, and go to court. It never happened again after that. 3 TLC violations in NYC they loose their Taxi License.

  403. Meka Larimer Guest

    As a driver, I had this happen once. I turned my app off and went to meet a friend. Somehow, in my pocket, the app got turned back on and a ride was accepted. The person called me twice, and sent a couple of messages. I had no idea of any of this. When I found the passenger still waiting to be picked up 20 minutes later, I tried to respond, but they canceled the...

    As a driver, I had this happen once. I turned my app off and went to meet a friend. Somehow, in my pocket, the app got turned back on and a ride was accepted. The person called me twice, and sent a couple of messages. I had no idea of any of this. When I found the passenger still waiting to be picked up 20 minutes later, I tried to respond, but they canceled the ride before I got a chance. I did call Uber and tell them about the issue because I didn't know how many rides my phone declined, accepted, canceled, ect. while in my pocket. Turns out it was just the 1 ride, and their cancelation fee was refunded, but I still felt bad about the situation. Now I make sure my app is offline and the screen is completely off of Uber before.pocketing my phone!

  404. Luther Guest

    Aha! I always thought it was Uber drivers trying to cherry pick fares at LHR. It happened on so many occasions, I voted with my wallet and booked minicabs instead.

    Now it makes sense why they drove right past. But I don’t get it: Uber must realise this is happening, so there has to be a benefit for them somewhere. Once again, daylight will be the best disinfectant for yet another unsavoury Uber business practise.

  405. JKOrlando Guest

    I’m seeing lots of Uber stories but I’m here to tell you Lyft has the same issue! Happened to me and as an unknowing customer (thanks for this article, btw! I’m now enlightened to the scam) I got the text (as he drove by me) stating “sorry got another call to Tampa please cancel your ride” - and I now had 10 minutes to get through 30 minutes of traffic to an appointment! I went...

    I’m seeing lots of Uber stories but I’m here to tell you Lyft has the same issue! Happened to me and as an unknowing customer (thanks for this article, btw! I’m now enlightened to the scam) I got the text (as he drove by me) stating “sorry got another call to Tampa please cancel your ride” - and I now had 10 minutes to get through 30 minutes of traffic to an appointment! I went ahead and cancelled it and didn’t realize he was getting $ by my canceling. I have since found out that Orlando is riddled with the issue!

  406. Squee Guest

    Uber drivers do NOT keep the cancellation fee if a passenger requests a refund for that cancellation fee. I know since I drive for uber and had a cancellation fee reversed on me when a passenger disagreed with that fee. Btw, the uber driver only receives $3.75 cancellation fee. If it is actualky costing the passenger $10 to cancel, well, that's uber doing what they do best....sticking it to everyone :)
    .

  407. Steven New Member

    The only time I've been rideshare scammed has been arriving at airports in South Florida.

    In the MIA case, twice, Uber drivers have picked me up, had a normal conversation with me, then dropped me off without ending the ride. Then, they tried as carefully as possible to follow the exact route back to the airport from the way they came, so that it would appear that nothing is out of the ordinary to...

    The only time I've been rideshare scammed has been arriving at airports in South Florida.

    In the MIA case, twice, Uber drivers have picked me up, had a normal conversation with me, then dropped me off without ending the ride. Then, they tried as carefully as possible to follow the exact route back to the airport from the way they came, so that it would appear that nothing is out of the ordinary to me when I look at the map afterward, even as I'm getting charged double for the ride. Unlucky for them, not only am I not an idiot who can keep track of roughly when I entered and exited the car, but knew how much I should be paying for the ride. I immediately reported and was refunded, while urging Uber to permaban these scumbags.

    In the FLL case, twice, Lyft drivers have picked me up and taken the long route to bring me to Miami, heading west on 595 almost to the Everglades, and taking me down 575, claiming this was the fastest route due to traffic, although the app and Google Maps clearly indicated otherwise. The first time I was basically asleep for the first 10 minutes of the ride and didn't notice, and in the second, the driver just refused to turn around and take the route suggested by the app. Knowing that I would get my money back anyway for the ride after this happened to me the first time, and not being in a particular rush nor combative mood, I decided to just relax and let this man waste his own time driving me around, and reported him immediately afterward.

    I can't believe these scumbags ever get away with these scams, but the fact that I've been scammed four times in three years with the methods described above means it must be working enough for them to keep repeating it. Even worse, it makes me wonder whether Uber/Lyft are even banning these people at all.

  408. SST Guest

    Drivers now know the destination in advance, according to a driver yesterday.

  409. Pusiek Guest

    could not agree more

  410. Driver007 Guest

    I drive for Uber and Lyft. The amount of fraud is overwhelming. What's worse, Uber and Lyft are well aware of it but VERY disinterested in doing anything about it.
    I have reported my experience and knowledge to Uber and Lyft. At first they act as though they have never heard of it. As you make it apparent that you know exactly what is going on, they admit to knowing what you are talking...

    I drive for Uber and Lyft. The amount of fraud is overwhelming. What's worse, Uber and Lyft are well aware of it but VERY disinterested in doing anything about it.
    I have reported my experience and knowledge to Uber and Lyft. At first they act as though they have never heard of it. As you make it apparent that you know exactly what is going on, they admit to knowing what you are talking about but state there is nothing they can do about it and then try to assure you they are doing everything they can to combat fraud.

    Two of the biggest scams occur at the airports and mostly only impact other drivers.
    The first is something called phone holding. There will be one or two people holding other drivers phones. Those phones are set to only except the higher fares such as Select, Lux and XL. The owners of those phones will be out in the city picking up other fares on another platform using a second phone. When the phone at the airport gets low in the queue, the phone holder will call them and let them know to come back to the airport. They will them hand over the phone they were out on and set it to the higher fares while they take this fare and the process starts all over again. Sometimes they will call the rider after accepting the ride to find out where they are going. If it is not far enough to be a big fare, they will cancel with one of the options that retains their place in the queue. For honest drivers this means unless you are in on the scam you have no hope of getting a higher fare out of the airport.

    The second scam is more widely known. It is called "cooking the surge". The drivers watch various apps including the airports Blue Board to see when the flights are coming in. When they see a large block of flights they will go offline and wait for a surge to build. Once the surge is high, they will come back on line and start accepting rides. The drivers make excuses such as Uber or Lyft is ripping them off with low payouts and it is the only way they can make money. Whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess.

    Another popular airport scam is to fake your GPS location. Using various apps, you can be seen in a location you are not. For instance, you c an be seen at the airport, waiting in the queue all the while you are actually out giving rides in the city or suburbs.

    Some drivers will take the long way. If you are from out of town, chances are you are taking the long way so the driver can make a few extra bucks.

    Another popular scam is to ride the meter. They driver will not end your ride for a few blocks or miles after they drop you off. This is most likely to happen if your destination is way out in the suburbs where the driver will most likely not get a ride back to where it is busy.

    The ride share platforms don't care because most people don't complain or even notice. At best, the platforms are complicit by way of having a blind eye to it all. In most cases they know very well what is happening but it is money in their pockets also.

    It is becoming more and more difficult to be honest and make a buck driving for any ride share platforms.

  411. FRGII Guest

    You'd be surprised at how few people actually bother too request refunds. I know friends who just don't care. They're usually the ones who don't have the money to waste too. But I guess stuff like that is probably why they are broke.

  412. Mary Member

    I don't understand everybody saying to just use Lyft. Where I live every single driver does both Lyft and Uber. That doesn't change bad behavior unless Lyft's policies are different.

  413. erik a Member

    every second time everywhere. Ride cancel by driver to

  414. Uber Needs Regulation Guest

    I had numerous issues with Uber and documented all of them through the messaging system, but Uber doesn't seem to know how to read or care about facts. One driver took me around the corner and tried convincing me we reached our destination. As an NYer, I knew he was scamming me.

    Don't dare tell the driver you are going to report them, or they will say you were verbally abusive. Too many reports...

    I had numerous issues with Uber and documented all of them through the messaging system, but Uber doesn't seem to know how to read or care about facts. One driver took me around the corner and tried convincing me we reached our destination. As an NYer, I knew he was scamming me.

    Don't dare tell the driver you are going to report them, or they will say you were verbally abusive. Too many reports and Uber will drop you. Better to stay silent and not allow the driver to fix the issue and deal with Uber after-the-fact.

    The dropped call is widespread internationally, especially by airports. Everything below is based on information and belief. I think it was in Portugal; I watched the driver drive right past me and not slow down. The prices surged after I ordered a car, the driver wanted the higher pricing, and my hotel was too close. The driver can't see your location until after they accept the ride. The driver wished to a further destination and the surge pricing, so the drivers dropped my fare multiple times. I had a similar issue in Poland.

    In Argentina, Uber was illegal. Drivers want cash and don't want credit cards. Americans are known for paying with a credit card, so they drop the Americans. My driver demanded money, I told my driver I was going to report him, and he filed a complaint against me. After too many reports, Uber dropped me, claiming too many complaints despite every issue documented and my monies refunded. At no point did Uber ever warn me or say there was ever a problem.

    How do I prove that I didn't verbally assault a driver who didn't speak English and demanded cash?

    Uber needs regulation, the cars need video monitoring, so passengers have proof of what occurs in the vehicle, and passengers need a way to contact Uber during a ride and reach a live human.

  415. Pusiek Guest

    Just amazing, you all want to pay peanuts for the trip, but expect top service? Time to wake up to yourself, please. You get what you pay for. That stuff happens everywhere in the world now, and it is a music for my ears as I run limousines service. My clients do pay more, but I do wait for them, I do carry their luggage and I do have a clean and reliable cars and...

    Just amazing, you all want to pay peanuts for the trip, but expect top service? Time to wake up to yourself, please. You get what you pay for. That stuff happens everywhere in the world now, and it is a music for my ears as I run limousines service. My clients do pay more, but I do wait for them, I do carry their luggage and I do have a clean and reliable cars and I never lie to my clients or charge them for service I have not provided. Uber drivers or even taxi drivers cannot make a living out of this job, when government or business dictate them how much they are allow to charge. You all need to understand that basic of the economy and next time think twice if you want to waste your time, play the game alone and spend time complaining to someone who does not care or just get a proper service.

  416. Patrick Guest

    I ordered an Uber from my office in midtown Manhattan and a few minutes later guy drove right past me. Assuming he didn't see me, I called him but didn't pick up. He just kept going, further and further from me for a few more minutes. Finally I just hailed a yellow cab, but kept the Uber trip intending to cancel it in a few minutes. Got distracted, and never did. Later that night realized...

    I ordered an Uber from my office in midtown Manhattan and a few minutes later guy drove right past me. Assuming he didn't see me, I called him but didn't pick up. He just kept going, further and further from me for a few more minutes. Finally I just hailed a yellow cab, but kept the Uber trip intending to cancel it in a few minutes. Got distracted, and never did. Later that night realized I never canceled, but trip was still active nearly 5 hours after the request. Uber gave me back my cancellation fee, and suggested that the driver may have accidentally accepted two rides from two apps at the same time.

  417. Florian Toth Guest

    Uber can't take a lot of actions on these cancel issues. They're adamant that drivers are independent contractors so they have to be very careful and limit what they dictate to drivers as policy. There are many drivers that want them to be required to designate drivers as employees. The more they interfere with drivers decisions to cancel or accept rides they're putting themselves in the position of having employees designation which they're trying to...

    Uber can't take a lot of actions on these cancel issues. They're adamant that drivers are independent contractors so they have to be very careful and limit what they dictate to drivers as policy. There are many drivers that want them to be required to designate drivers as employees. The more they interfere with drivers decisions to cancel or accept rides they're putting themselves in the position of having employees designation which they're trying to avoid at all costs as being witnessed in California. There many attorneys in a lot of states watching to see how much control Uber is trying to have over the drivers. The exploitation of cheap drivers that Uber practices is becoming a bigger issue every month and many eyes are watching the decisions and steps Uber takes.
    Therefore the more action Uber takes against drivers the more they put themselves in jeopardy of losing independent contractor status of those drivers.

  418. Brett New Member

    Just at LAX, Friday at 5pm. Used Uber. Wait in line gave driver the code. Off we went. No waiting for a specific car. The line of people I was in was long but waited only 5 minutes for my turn. All drivers I spoke with, both Uber and Lyft, likes the system since some kinks have worked out. Compare to the nightmare in Seattle or any other place waiting for a specific ific car.
    I never thought I'd say this but LAX may be on to something!!

  419. Question Guest

    Here's my contribution to the conversation. The driver's don't just work for Uber. They work for Lyft, Via, Juno as well. When they accept your ride, they can actually still be driving for one of the other companies. They may be getting your cancellation fee, keeping their rating up. Or it's refunded. But they are on multiple apps. And that's fine. That's their right.

  420. Hoc Guest

    I had a similar thing happen, also in MIA. I had rented a car, but my flight was delayed and when I got to the rental center, the rental agency was closed. So, I called an Uber through the app. The driver drove around the airport for 10 minutes, but was unable to find the rental center, and cancelled the ride. I took a taxi, which was waiting right there. I was charged a $3...

    I had a similar thing happen, also in MIA. I had rented a car, but my flight was delayed and when I got to the rental center, the rental agency was closed. So, I called an Uber through the app. The driver drove around the airport for 10 minutes, but was unable to find the rental center, and cancelled the ride. I took a taxi, which was waiting right there. I was charged a $3 cancellation fee. This was a couple of years ago, though and I did not know I could challenge the fee, so I paid it, but I was really irritated by the entire situation.

  421. mdwstnr Guest

    I switched to Lyft going to and from airports and now earn Delta miles, good decision. My only Uber rides are outside the US and last two trips had the same issues work no show, Amsterdam and London.

  422. Jacob Member

    This happened to me just last month in Florida as well

  423. Jascha Guest

    You Americans started all this b******* so now you have to live with it... don't complain. You brought this misery up on us so now it's up to you you to better yourself..... don't criticise the system you made big in the first place. Delete your uber app and delete your lyft app . Just take a taxi and learn how to deal with real people again instead of complaining over bullshit.

  424. Bour Guest

    I don't know how it is in USA but if the driver was driving (and that includes being stuck in stationery traffic eg near an airport) then it would have been a criminal offence to answer your texts.

  425. Gene Diamond

    @ Pete nantista -- The tip is already included with uber and Lyft, so not sure why you expect another one

  426. neil Diamond

    This happened to me in London several years ago. Ordered an Uber pool to Heathrow. Map showed me as second person to be picked up. Just as the Uber was a block away, the app now shows me as being picked up and heading to LHR.
    Once I was shown as picked up, it appeared I could not do anything with the app (cancel. complain, text Uber...) until the app thought I was dropped...

    This happened to me in London several years ago. Ordered an Uber pool to Heathrow. Map showed me as second person to be picked up. Just as the Uber was a block away, the app now shows me as being picked up and heading to LHR.
    Once I was shown as picked up, it appeared I could not do anything with the app (cancel. complain, text Uber...) until the app thought I was dropped off at which point I could challenge the charge which was reversed immediately.
    I am infrequent Uber/Lyft user and my question for the more experienced is what can a rider with the app once the app thinks you have been picked up?
    Thanks

  427. Sean S. Guest

    I’m assuming most people are talking about UberX here. As one person mentioned, if you think that for the absolute bare minimum of pricing you are going to get the same experience as someone paying for a black sedan you are being ridiculous. At this point I think everyone knows the pricing of ride share apps is totally unsustainable, and once the VC money runs out, everyone’s prices are going to go through the roof....

    I’m assuming most people are talking about UberX here. As one person mentioned, if you think that for the absolute bare minimum of pricing you are going to get the same experience as someone paying for a black sedan you are being ridiculous. At this point I think everyone knows the pricing of ride share apps is totally unsustainable, and once the VC money runs out, everyone’s prices are going to go through the roof.

    I’m also amused by the guy with the ID 305 complaining about people not knowing English in Miami. Born and raised in Miami, and if you don’t know the diversity of language in the place or some rudimentary Spanish, than I suggest you go live in Poughkeepsie.

  428. Matt Guest

    Had this in Hamburg on Thursday. Guy called me and said he had been about switch off for the night. I told him then he better cancel himself. Obviously Uber is kinda new to Germany so he assumed I wouldn’t know has this all works. After a few minutes he cancelled of his own accord. The audacity I’m from these guys is crazy.

  429. SEAguy Member

    I agree with @Julian, deleted Uber app on account of this cr@p. Even though a lot of drivers work for both companies, cancellation problems (and other nonsense) seems less common with Lyft. Part of the annoyance is that the cancellation fee and credit screws up an expense report. I don’t want to reimburse a cancellation fee and I also don’t want to submit a full fare reimbursement when the receipt shows a credit. so I...

    I agree with @Julian, deleted Uber app on account of this cr@p. Even though a lot of drivers work for both companies, cancellation problems (and other nonsense) seems less common with Lyft. Part of the annoyance is that the cancellation fee and credit screws up an expense report. I don’t want to reimburse a cancellation fee and I also don’t want to submit a full fare reimbursement when the receipt shows a credit. so I end up eating the fee. No bueno. Deleted Uber. Good decision.

  430. Sean Guest

    Hi Everyone,

    I'm an Uber Driver in Denver, about 5000 trips over 4 years with a 4.85 rating.

    Personally, I think one of the biggest issues facing Uber right now is a lack of both passenger and driver education. Whether you are using Uber or Lyft, drivers do not see your destination until they start the trip... Unless of course, they are of sufficient Uber Pro status (don't get me started). Most of the...

    Hi Everyone,

    I'm an Uber Driver in Denver, about 5000 trips over 4 years with a 4.85 rating.

    Personally, I think one of the biggest issues facing Uber right now is a lack of both passenger and driver education. Whether you are using Uber or Lyft, drivers do not see your destination until they start the trip... Unless of course, they are of sufficient Uber Pro status (don't get me started). Most of the time I consider this one of ridesharing's biggest strengths. The exception is when I get a trip which leaves the Denver metro area, or I get a short trip from the airport after a ridiculous wait time. Wait times for return trips in the Denver Airport Lot can stretch to as long as 3 hours, if you're silly enough to wait that long. There's nothing quite so frustrating as being faced with a guaranteed hour-long wait for a return trip, or (in Denver anyway) to drive back to the city empty-handed. These days, Uber has an "auto-accept" feature for trips (which I do not approve of or use) but it may simply be your driver fell asleep during the wait and didn't even hear your request.

    That, of course, is a generous interpretation of your driver's behavior. I've heard of these cancellation fee scams too... But for all that I am a smrt fellow, I can't fathom how you would make a living off of them.

    In the normal course of business, drivers can receive a $4.00 cancellation fee (the difference between what customers are charged and what Drivers receive is usually vast) in one of two scenarios: The first is when we [Drivers] cancel after 5 minutes of waiting upon arrival at your pickup destination. If I am your driver, even if you text that you're going to be late, the moment my timer goes over 5 minutes I cancel -- ain't no one got time for waiting longer. You may be thinking, "but Uber charges a 'waiting fee' after two minutes." The value of that waiting fee is psychological at best, as the most I've ever seen a passenger charged for keeping me waiting the additional 3 minutes, and arriving at the last possible second, is $0.25.

    The 2nd scenario is when a passenger cancels after two minutes (but there's a caveat). A few years ago this time frame used to be longer, 5 minutes, but there's little more frustrating in the world than to be 4 minutes in your passenger's direction, be canceled on, and to not receive a cancellation fee -- 2 minutes is very fair. The caveat is this: if the passenger cancels after 2 minutes, but the system's algorithm detects that the driver is at least 5 minutes behind where the GPS predicts they should be, the driver does not receive a cancellation fee. I discovered this one day when I had to stop for gas before picking up a passenger. They canceled, I thought I should have received a cancellation fee, I wrote in to request it, and I was told the policy. While I would have preferred to have had this told to me up front -- Uber has a charming habit of making policy changes without telling anyone -- I still think the policy is fair. Passenger's Time is just as valuable as mine.

    Assuming this policy is consistent across the United States, then my dear passengers, if you are keeping your driver "occupied" by not canceling after 7 minutes of the car not appearing to move, (2 minutes following acceptance of your request + 5 minutes of the driver being outside of the GPS estimate) you're only wasting your own time. I think in that scenario, any wait fee you're charged goes directly to the company, who are probably relying on you to not complain about it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Uber told you that? One way or the other, what a hassle!

    Ridesharing is less than a decade old, has only become really popular in the past 5 years, and is very clearly experiencing growing pains. Given the time frame, as compared with older companies, both Uber and Lyft are reacting to complaints with remarkable swiftness... The key word being "reacting." And, like all public entities, the thing Uber and Lyft react to the fastest is public outrage. So, my first counsel is patience. This is still very new, and we're all trying to figure it out.

    My second counsel is that passengers adopt a "Zero-Tolerance Policy for Driver Shenanigans," (rather like I counsel Drivers do for passengers). What do I mean?

    If your spider-senses tingle with a ride share situation, cancel the ride, get out of the car, and report immediately. Now, I don't mean, your driver is in a bad mood -- surely, given all of the recent headlines, you can understand that every Uber driver has the perfect right to be in a bad mood. The goal of rideshare is to get you from point A to point B safely, not to serve you tea and crumpets along the way. (If your driver does go above and beyond getting you to your destination safely and without shenanigan, it would be nice if you tipped. Remember, both Uber and Lyft are still charging well below the established market price of taxis, and that's still before Driver earnings.)

    But if the car that arrives at your location isn't the car on the picture? Cancel. If the driver has clearly not moved in 10 minutes? Cancel. If the driver in the car doesn't match the profile picture? Cancel. If the car does arrive, and clearly has some mechanical issue? Cancel. If the driver isn't responding to your text messages (assuming he isn't driving to you, we mustn't text and drive mustn't we)? Cancel.

    While I implore you to be empathetic to the plight of the drivers, do not tolerate any lack of professionalism. If the driver is driving like a maniac? Report it. If the driver is handling his phone excessively (not just changing a playlist or something reasonable), report it. (It's beyond "1984" creepy, but through the app, Uber can detect the phone's movements and can independently confirm your opinion.) Ladies especially, do not tolerate "Creepy Dude Syndrome" for even a second; if a driver makes an untoward advance, I suggest you call Uber immediately even if you're still in the car. If, on the other hand, you should have some disagreement with your driver... Cool off before you report something that is untrue, which has a plethora of negative consequences for everyone. (Again, don't get me started.)

    All of these driver shenanigans make my life as an honest driver much harder. Nothing irks me like seeing some dingy Uber car go past me filled with passengers, when my car is empty.

    Both Uber and Lyft have a huge flaw in their business model. Perhaps you have noticed that almost all of Uber's advertising is for new drivers? Uber relies very heavily on a steady flow of new drivers. That is, they are more focused on getting new drivers than keeping existing. In fact, I think this particular issue is at the core of almost all of Uber's problems. Uber driving is a very hard and generally thankless job. It takes a very special type of person to make it past a thousand trips.

    Regardless of the fact that Uber or Lyft survive the public outrage they have brought upon themselves, rideshare is here to stay. It is up to us, both passengers and drivers, to teach each other and these companies what we are willing to tolerate. The only way to do that is to be completely open. Whether it's drivers, passengers, or the companies themselves, unscrupulous behavior feeds on itself until there is nothing left and will [eventually] be weeded out.

    Meanwhile, be patient, be empathetic, be safe, and tolerate no shenanigans.

    I hope this sheds some light on the situation.

    Yours,
    @UberTzu insta

  431. DB Guest

    If I order an uber/lyft and my driver doesn't start moving within the first 60 seconds, I simply cancel and order a new one.

  432. D3KingAmerican Diamond

    @Lucky I need more info. How many minutes of a drive from MIA to your home is it ? Also by no fault of your own I reckon you don’t have a good uber passenger rating. Some drivers tend to over analyze that.
    Maybe it’s a short ride and the driver is on a phishing mission for a long ride to Homestead ?

  433. ron Guest

    @Jason

    Correct, never had any issue with Grab. Anyway most of South East Asia is already Uber free.

  434. rich Gold

    I've seen this happen a few times and none of them were for airport rides.

    There definitely needs to be a way to penalize the driver for this kind of behavior.

    Uber/Lyft needs to fix:
    1. Background checks on all drivers.
    2. Insurance
    3. Ride cancellations.

    Most drivers are good but there needs to be a way to remove/penalize the bad ones. I think too many people don't complain and the driver continues the behavior.

  435. don Guest

    Something like this happens to me about 50% of the time I've used Uber. It's a scammy, scummy company and that's reflected in their drivers.

    I concluded long ago: if you have all day, Uber may be fine, and may save you some money. If you need to get somewhere, get a taxi.

  436. Deborah New Member

    I really hope you review the AA flight since you rarely fly in the back of the bus. Why did Ford not pick you up? We tend to use Lyft more than Uber. Uber always starts out with “2 minutes away” and then it turns into 15 or more. No thank you.

  437. Jason Guest

    Not sure why Uber can't implement the no nonsense approach used by Grab in Asia.

    1) No cancellation fees no matter what if you cancel within 5 minutes of job confirmation
    2) If you cancel after 5 mins, you will not be charged if its already longer than first-shown ETA + 5mins (e.g if you were shown 3mins ETA when booking was made, after 8mins you can cancel for free)
    3) You'll be...

    Not sure why Uber can't implement the no nonsense approach used by Grab in Asia.

    1) No cancellation fees no matter what if you cancel within 5 minutes of job confirmation
    2) If you cancel after 5 mins, you will not be charged if its already longer than first-shown ETA + 5mins (e.g if you were shown 3mins ETA when booking was made, after 8mins you can cancel for free)
    3) You'll be charged if GPS detects driver is already at your location and have waited for 5 mins (or more)

  438. Jeff New Member

    @Lucky I think I know why this happens. The Uber’s are lined up and the airport and there is no order as to which one gets picked so one stuck in the middle is literally stuck there. That’s what I think happens since one time in LA every single ride I requested turned out to be like this.

  439. Thomas Guest

    I have had that happen multiple times. I don't understand why Uber can't fix this automatically.
    1) the app can tell whether the driver is moving towards the pickup point or is just sitting, or is moving away from you
    2) just like the rider only gets 5 min grace period for pickup, the driver should get the same
    3) if a driver cancels over and over again, it should be easy...

    I have had that happen multiple times. I don't understand why Uber can't fix this automatically.
    1) the app can tell whether the driver is moving towards the pickup point or is just sitting, or is moving away from you
    2) just like the rider only gets 5 min grace period for pickup, the driver should get the same
    3) if a driver cancels over and over again, it should be easy to flag

    Here is something even crazier that happened to me. I called an Uber, had to go to the airport. Driver was moving towards me for pickup, but about 3-4 mins before he reached me, it suddenly claimed that I was already on the ride! And a minute later, guess what, my ride destination was switched from the airport 15 mins away to a destination 300 miles away, and yeah, I was "virtually" on some really expensive trip to some far away location. Unreal!
    I called Lyft instead, then canceled the uber and demanded my money back. But boy, it's insane that this is even possible. First of all, the app can tell that the driver never picked me up in the first place as he never reached the pickup point. Secondly, if you change destination, there needs to be a way for the rider to first have to agree on this.
    Uber is the worst, and their customer service is just non-existent.

  440. James Guest

    How can Didi have lower morals than Uber? Uber has no morals.

    And for the disgruntled former Uber driver in Vegas: what are you doing now?

  441. Robert Guest

    As a driver and rider myself a lot of you seem to forget that:
    1. Getting an Uber or Lyft doesnt mean you will get a "professional" driver anymore than going through the drive thru will get you a "chef" experience.
    2. There are great drivers and not so great drivers and sadly some that are horrible drivers.
    3. Sadly most riders want a Limo experience on a rental scooter budget.
    ...

    As a driver and rider myself a lot of you seem to forget that:
    1. Getting an Uber or Lyft doesnt mean you will get a "professional" driver anymore than going through the drive thru will get you a "chef" experience.
    2. There are great drivers and not so great drivers and sadly some that are horrible drivers.
    3. Sadly most riders want a Limo experience on a rental scooter budget.
    4. Uber and Lyft is a service industry much like waiting tables or mixing drinks. The hours are long and the pay is low. Tips while not mandatory are appreciated.
    5. Attitude goes both ways if you want a 5 star driver perhaps be a 5 star rider.
    6. Uber doesnt care about you the rider or me the driver...your answer may be Lyft, but it's the same over there as well. If you dont like rideshare try taxis it will help you remember why you like rideshare.

  442. Nick in Chicago Member

    Happened to me in Delhi Airport. The only difference is the uber driver accepted the ride and then sped off away from the airport. I just let him go and go and go and never cancelled. Eventually the driver cancelled the trip on his end, at the time I suspected he wouldn't be paid the cancel fee..... I wonder if I was wrong about that and never checked.

  443. Nightliner Member

    Had a different one some years ago in Seoul: Driver didn't show, but stayed in vicinity and marked me as "picked up" while I was still standing at the curb...ride was a fairly short but non-walkable distance in the airport vicinity. Got my money back.

  444. Jeff Guest

    Drivers do not know the destination, even after accepting. With uber, you don’t know where the destination is until the ride is started, with lyft, you see the destination once you’ve arrived to pickup. Sometimes, drivers look to see where the passenger is going by messaging them in advance, starting a ride before a passenger is there, or, in the case of lyft, hitting arrive early. If the trip doesn’t make sense for the driver...

    Drivers do not know the destination, even after accepting. With uber, you don’t know where the destination is until the ride is started, with lyft, you see the destination once you’ve arrived to pickup. Sometimes, drivers look to see where the passenger is going by messaging them in advance, starting a ride before a passenger is there, or, in the case of lyft, hitting arrive early. If the trip doesn’t make sense for the driver or they don’t want to head in the direction the passenger wants, the driver will cancel. This isn’t the problem. The problem is that both uber and lyft penalize a driver when they cancel a ride after they’ve accepted it. There may be a consecutive ride bonus that they’ll lose or maybe they will lose their status level as a driver and lose access to free online college classes for themselves and their family. They are not doing it for the cancel fee, which they get in full with lyft but only a percentage with uber. If drivers could see a destination before accepting a ride this behavior would decrease. Drivers should be able to see a destination before acceptance and be able to decide wether or not the trip is worth the time and money for them. They’re independent contractors after all.

  445. 121Pilot Guest

    Hey Lucky have you tried reaching out to Uber to get them to comment on the situation? I’d be very curious to hear what they do or don’t say about this.

  446. Justin Guest

    Something similar happened to me this week with Lyft. When I initially was paired with the driver, the app said 3 minutes estimated pickup. I could see the driver continue to drive in the wrong direction for 10 minutes. I finally canceled the ride and was charged the $5 fee. I contested it and was refunded. I really wish I could leave feedback on the driver in these scenarios.

  447. Pete nantista Guest

    As a former driver in las vegas, sometimes the cancellation fee pays more than doing the trip which here ends almost the same way everytime 5 stars no tip. As far as leaving the trip open to screw the driver. The driver is probably already on a lyft ride while your playing with his uber account. Now personally i dont have it in me to screw people over or play games so i do not...

    As a former driver in las vegas, sometimes the cancellation fee pays more than doing the trip which here ends almost the same way everytime 5 stars no tip. As far as leaving the trip open to screw the driver. The driver is probably already on a lyft ride while your playing with his uber account. Now personally i dont have it in me to screw people over or play games so i do not agree with drivers doing this, but with it being reported by several news outlets that 90 percent of you low life passengers dont tip, but do complain you get what you give

  448. Julian Guest

    I've had similar issues and my theory is that once a driver accepts the ride, they get to see where you are going. And perhaps they don't like the fare and just want you to cancel so they can get a different rider. Especially at airports drivers have to wait a long time, so they want to score a expensive ride.

    Side note, I quit using Uber in the US years ago and find the...

    I've had similar issues and my theory is that once a driver accepts the ride, they get to see where you are going. And perhaps they don't like the fare and just want you to cancel so they can get a different rider. Especially at airports drivers have to wait a long time, so they want to score a expensive ride.

    Side note, I quit using Uber in the US years ago and find the customer service in Lyft fantastic. You might want to switch services. I only keep Uber for when I'm abroad.

  449. Anonymous London Guest

    Have had this in London a few years ago and Uber customer service then was the worse. Since then, I’ll look at other options before I consider Uber, even a black cab which is more expensive.

  450. Luke M Guest

    I’ve had this happen a few times in NYC, including one particularly long one at LGA that gave me time to realize I had forgotten to claim my checked bag and go get it. Driver called to ask me where I was going first, said “Ok be there soon,” then, evidently not pleased with my response, just waited for me to cancel. That’s somewhat common in NYC, but usually they will cancel. Really frustrating, and Uber support is such a nightmare, even at Diamond.

  451. Ethan Guest

    Didi has a surprising easy way to handle this - They also estimate a reasonable maximum time for driver to arrive, once longer than that, even driver is really coming to you, you’re free to cancel without penalty.
    Their moral standard is lower than Uber which is almost a miracle, but they did handle this pretty well.

  452. Mattt Member

    As mentioned, do exactly what you did (Lyft, taxi, etc) but do NOT cancel it.

    I’ve discussed with many drivers- they say it’s the only way to combat it bc Uber can’t combat it currently.

    I think Uber’s not fixing it bc driver supply is tight. If they kicked off every scam (almost all split scamming and actually driving), we might see crazy prices and no availability.

  453. DLPTATL Diamond

    I’ve had this happen to me a handful of times in NY, once for over 45 minutes at LGA before my constant texting that I intended to report him for fraud/abuse at Uber unless he cancelled which did eventually result in the driver canceling. Still reported him to Uber.

    The “scam” I get most often in FL is drivers putting in their profile that they are deaf. None have been deaf, they just didn’t speak any English.

  454. Ross Guest

    When I return a Hertz car to a nearby city location they give me a free ride home -- with Lyft. Maybe they know something you don't. I always use Lyft from airports because it is always cheaper, although most of the drivers also do Uber.

    With more than 3,000 sexual assaults reported to Uber in a year, you may be Lucky they just tried to screw you out of $10.

  455. Sam Guest

    Happens everywhere now, I had it last night in Switzerland. I just waited, caught public transport after 15 mins and the cancelled and requested a refund as he clearly didn’t move. Uber *has* to be aware of this scam, everyone I know who uses Uber has experienced It more than once. They probably don’t care as they still get a cut of the cancellation fee which aren’t refunded.

  456. Malc Guest

    @Steve Aston -- the link in your name doesn't work.

  457. Kyle B Guest

    I had the same thing happen to me in Cairo 2 days ago. Driver just sat and sat though we were in the same parking lot. Messaged him like 5 times. Still nothing.
    I was going to walk to his car since he was maybe 100 feet away but then I thought 'is this the guy I really want driving me?'

    I wasn't charged any cancellation fee though even though the whole ordeal...

    I had the same thing happen to me in Cairo 2 days ago. Driver just sat and sat though we were in the same parking lot. Messaged him like 5 times. Still nothing.
    I was going to walk to his car since he was maybe 100 feet away but then I thought 'is this the guy I really want driving me?'

    I wasn't charged any cancellation fee though even though the whole ordeal was about 10 minutes.

    The other thing I've noticed is lately I'll book an Uber Black but an Uber X car will show up listed as the wrong thing. Thankfully Uber around Orlando has a lot of drivers so it's within the cancellation period by the time the guy shows up.

  458. Steve Aston Guest

    In London City area uber drivers are arriving at pick up point by bicycle, standing close by to waiting passenger looking out for his car then claiming the £4 no show fee after 6 mins,

  459. Gene Diamond

    @ Ben -- Just take Lyft and leave the "ride" running indefinitely. The driver will eventually cancel. The uber driver may have been somewhere else using a fake GPS app.

  460. ron Guest

    Have seen drivers colluding and collectively logging out from the system to simulate demand>supply, waiting for rates to go up and voilá, they get back online in pre-agreed sequence.

  461. Darrick Guest

    This happened to me 3x in a row while staying at the Park Hyatt in Paris. I had the hotel get me a cab.

  462. Frank Member

    That just happened to me yesterday as well! His name was Leonardo though and did exactly the same thing at the Miami airport! I took a taxi and just left him hanging so he cannot take any other riders while 'waiting'. It took him 1.5 hours to finally him cancel the ride and sure I got a $5 cancellation which I disputed but I didnt let him work for 1.5 hrs.
    My recommendation is to make the uber driver wait and at the same time take a lyft or taxi.

  463. Bob Trial Guest

    Another trick played is drivers who drive under someone else's profile. I notice you said this guy had thousands of rides under his belt. But maybe not. That profile could be one used by multiple drivers. It is a way for numerous drivers to avoid registering with Uber, they use a shared profile. It was the hot topic du jour a few when London revoked Uber's license again. Some of the drivers apparently wouldn't have...

    Another trick played is drivers who drive under someone else's profile. I notice you said this guy had thousands of rides under his belt. But maybe not. That profile could be one used by multiple drivers. It is a way for numerous drivers to avoid registering with Uber, they use a shared profile. It was the hot topic du jour a few when London revoked Uber's license again. Some of the drivers apparently wouldn't have been approved; some didn't even have a valid license. It seemed like this wasn't just native to London, but the US and other countries too. And the high number of rides serves as a confidence trick working against passengers.

  464. Vijay Guest

    Every platform has its scammers, like buyers on eBay raising charge backs. How do you even know it was Alejandro in the taxi? I had a driver once tell me how driver accounts with great feedback get rented out to those who can't clear the platform's sign up requirements.

    TfL is ranting against Uber in London but there are plenty of minicab drivers with not even basic English skills yet have passed TfL's English test.

    ...

    Every platform has its scammers, like buyers on eBay raising charge backs. How do you even know it was Alejandro in the taxi? I had a driver once tell me how driver accounts with great feedback get rented out to those who can't clear the platform's sign up requirements.

    TfL is ranting against Uber in London but there are plenty of minicab drivers with not even basic English skills yet have passed TfL's English test.

    Bottom line - check the photo, compare against reality and then decide to get in or not.

  465. Dan C Guest

    I have experienced this several times with Uber drivers. Recently, I was trying to get TO the airport. I requested a ride, the app said the driver was 9 minutes away. A quick check of the map showed the driver needed to exit the highway and come back one exit, etc. so all seemed reasonable. I made my way to the pickup location 8 minutes after the original request, looked at the app....12 minutes away,...

    I have experienced this several times with Uber drivers. Recently, I was trying to get TO the airport. I requested a ride, the app said the driver was 9 minutes away. A quick check of the map showed the driver needed to exit the highway and come back one exit, etc. so all seemed reasonable. I made my way to the pickup location 8 minutes after the original request, looked at the app....12 minutes away, The driver was now on a different highway, moving further away, quickly. I called, no answer. I messaged, no response. The app now shows 15 minutes ETA, for a 25 min trip to the airport, after waiting 10+ minutes already. Now at risk of missing my flight, I called once more, no answer. I cancelled the trip.

    I disputed the cancellation fee which was refunded, but I wanted to give feedback on the situation.... I was in serious danger of missing a flight because of this driver's unprofessional behavior. I messaged Uber 6 times through the app over a month with no response. I finally reached out through their facebook page and received a response that completely missed the mark: "Sorry you had trouble finding your driver". I responded that this in fact was NOT the issue and that they needed to review the situation, clarify the impact it had on my day. I received a followup message from Uber support stating that the original statement was "in keeping with Uber guidelines" and that they considered the matter closed. Also, it was no longer possible to message or reply, i was simply presented with various emoji's to indicate my rating of the support experience. Sadly, "smiling pile of poo" was not an option, so i went with red frowning face.

    Uber simply does not care about their customers or this issue. I've switched to Lyft... $8K annual ride share spend to the other guys.

    1. Earl Woodland Guest

      I do not know what city you are in but in the DC are Uber drivers do not like going to the airport. They get charge extra fees for going to the airport.

  466. Ross Guest

    Huge issue with that in Romania (Bucharest airport, to be precise). Sometimes, they even cancel on you and you get five or six different registration numbers presented in a row so you have no idea that your Uber just picked up another passenger once they saw how far/how much that one was worth. Waited 60mins for one to finally turn up. Got two really decent guys after that.

  467. YGeorgeW New Member

    This is hardly limited to Miami. I've had this happen to me in D.C., Toronto, Austin, Chicago, Stockholm, etc . . . all over the place. It happens for rides to/from the airport most commonly, but I've had it happen for a ride to/from restaurants or to a meeting. I've also had it with Lyft as well as Uber. Anytime you have these kind of apps, you're going to have exploiters like these people. What's...

    This is hardly limited to Miami. I've had this happen to me in D.C., Toronto, Austin, Chicago, Stockholm, etc . . . all over the place. It happens for rides to/from the airport most commonly, but I've had it happen for a ride to/from restaurants or to a meeting. I've also had it with Lyft as well as Uber. Anytime you have these kind of apps, you're going to have exploiters like these people. What's frustrating is when you are in more of a rush.

    I wish Uber and Lyft would add an option to report the driver. It doesn't fit any of the negative feedback categories when reporting an issue with a ride.

  468. 305 Guest

    How long have you lived in Miami, Lucky? That response is typical of any and every cab driver down here, they’re the absolute worst scam artists out there. I’ve had cab drivers start driving and then force me out when I said no cash. I’ve had them not start the meter, claim it’s a flat rate, and then force me out when I say they’re wrong.

    And in regards to your uber ignoring you,...

    How long have you lived in Miami, Lucky? That response is typical of any and every cab driver down here, they’re the absolute worst scam artists out there. I’ve had cab drivers start driving and then force me out when I said no cash. I’ve had them not start the meter, claim it’s a flat rate, and then force me out when I say they’re wrong.

    And in regards to your uber ignoring you, that’s also typical of Miami. Some SJW will 100% take this the wrong way, but there’s a solid chance the driver ignored you because he/she doesn’t speak English. I’d say 75-80% of the Uber/Lyft drivers I’ve had in Miami can’t speak even basic English such as “turn right here” let alone answer your text/call. I’ve since learned directional Spanish and have been able to get by, but it’s still hard to phone the driver and figure out why they’re so late.

    I honestly wish there was a minimum English requirement for drivers. Most are unsafe to begin with, driving around with phone in hand relying on GPS for every single turn. Sometimes the GPS tells them to do things that no Miami driver should ever attempt, and it’s impossible for a passenger to communicate with the driver that they’re risking their safety. Best example: drivers having 500 feet to dart across 5 lanes of traffic to get off 112/195 into Edgewater/Midtown. GPS tells them to do it, signs and common sense say otherwise. (Or you know, the time my uber was rear ended and the driver couldn’t even ask me if I was ok/needed medical attention. He just drove off instead).

    Bienvenido a Miami

  469. Anonymous Post Guest

    You could be right. Keep in mind, though, Airports are sometimes difficult for drivers. My famously busy local airport has a horrible waiting lot. Albeit the driver should have responded to the texts. I was once trapped in the airport lot for 40 minutes trying to get to my rider due to poor traffic control.

  470. Will Guest

    The only time I’ve ever been scammed by an driver Uber was in Miami but it happened several times in one week when I was there for a conference - rides like yours where the guy just wouldn’t show up so I had to cancel, rides that didn’t finish when I got out of the cab and “best” of all the totally made-up vomit accusation (on a ride where the guy didn’t even show up)...

    The only time I’ve ever been scammed by an driver Uber was in Miami but it happened several times in one week when I was there for a conference - rides like yours where the guy just wouldn’t show up so I had to cancel, rides that didn’t finish when I got out of the cab and “best” of all the totally made-up vomit accusation (on a ride where the guy didn’t even show up) where I was charged. $150. Took three weeks and multiple messages and calls to get that back - zero apologies from Uber and a feeling they absolutely couldn’t care less about me. I will not ride with Uber in Miami again. I googled after my experience and this kind of thing is happening there a lot. And yet Uber seems just not to care at all.

  471. Malc Guest

    Yeah, this happens a huge amount in Saudi and especially Egypt. More the ignoring than the asking to cancel.

  472. CARLOS Member

    Why didn't you order Lyft. They are cheaper out of MIA and always available.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

C Anderson Guest

I also have MIA as my base airport. Tonight I was scammed. The Uber driver claimed she was at Arrivals door 9. She was not. I texted asking where she was. Ignored. Then she canceled the ride. We had the inconvenience of having to wait 15 minutes for another driver. I later received a notification from Uber that I was going to be charged a cancelation fee because I wasn’t there at the pickup spot. I disputed and it was refunded to me. I wrote that their driver was a cheat and dishonest. I sure hope the scamming drivers don’t receive that money when Uber refunds the money to riders who complain.

0
B Lewis Guest

If you had the Uber driver’s location on the app and was able to pull off getting the taxi to drop you off behind him, then just opening the door and getting in that would of been one for the ages. He probably would have shi*t himself not knowing who you are. I use Uber a lot I don’t think I have had a driver scan me but there are some riders scams that I have seen. *if you don’t have enough for your entire fair you put in a location that is closer to you and just change it after pick up. Your account will go negative but in a desperate situation it’s a good little hack even though they have seemed to crack down on it a little more, from when me and my coworkers were living check to check and did not want to ride the bus lol Also another little hack is changing your payment method, now I haven’t this done since back in Uber early days but also have not tried it. It allows your card boy to get charged and whatever is remaining in ur balance for the account u switched too(visa prepaids were a common way to get some free dollars from the multinational company that can’t just give the lowered income a break here or there allowance for overdraft and timeframe yo repay it.

0
Trevor Guest

Do you realise the latency in messages. How some never arrive. How many times Uber’s system cancels the ride, both rider and driver are advised it’s the other that has cancelled. How many times drivers are offered two rides at without having started the first. How some riders cancel a ride but the ride is still live to the driver.

0
Meet Ben Schlappig, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

32,614,600 Words Written

35,045 Posts Published

Keep Exploring OMAAT