Uber Drivers Are Getting Deactivated for This (False Reports)

It’s every driver’s worse nightmare, and it seems like it’s happening more often: Some passengers leave false reports that can get us deactivated. What can you do about it?

Dusting over at Dustin is Driving on Youtube recorded a video that shares common false reports that drivers are seeing, and discusses some ways you can avoid this problem.

An Epidemic of False Reports?

What’s going on, all my new, current, and future rideshare drivers and passengers out there? Welcome to the channel. I’m going to talk about the crap riders keep pulling with these scams to getting drivers deactivated and getting refunds back from Uber.

A common message you’ll see: “Trip not taken. This fare was adjusted following a report that the trip was started instead of being cancelled.”

I got an email earlier that had all the screenshots of what people have been posting on Facebook on trying to get free rides, get refunds, and pretty much screw drivers over. Now, I’m going to go ahead and leave a link to his video in the description, because he did a really good job. You guys should go check that out.

But I also want to bring to everyone’s attention, you guys remember seeing this stupid little flyer going around for the last five years now?

The one that tells riders to rate one star, comment that the driver was reckless etc, and to complain?

Yeah. Well, it seems like people are upping their game, going on Facebook, social media, and just telling everybody they should do this.

Uber Typically Sides With Passengers

We get false reports like this all the time, and Uber automatically assumes the passenger must be telling the truth, and either you’re going to be put on hold or they’ll take the money away immediately. And that’s not right.

I strongly believe this is exactly why Uber needs to make passengers provide real names and photos and everything else, so when they pull scams like this and they’re found out to be false, passengers need to be held accountable for it. They should be fined. They should obviously be deactivated, and they should not be able to go on the platform anymore.

I mean, even if it happens on Uber, Uber should send that information over there to Lyft. That way they can’t keep doing this to drivers, because we all know, most drivers drive for Uber and Lyft.

It’s just a big issue, and it just needs to stop, because I am so tired of seeing things like this:

“We received a report from one of your riders stating you appeared to be under the influence during a trip.”

“Service quality: When riders give feedback about service quality, they’re letting you know that the service they received wasn’t what they expected.”

“One of your riders let us know that tires of your vehicle were in bad shape.”

“A rider reported your vehicle smelled like marijuana during a trip.”

It just goes on and on. The crap they will make up to get a free ride, get a refund, is unbelievable. And they give zero F’s that it could affect a driver’s living and his earnings.

I can’t wait for this PIN verification to become mandatory, because then at least that one scam can be taken off the table.

What You Can Do to Fight False Reports

Until then, it’s going to continue to happen and drivers need to know. You need to start looking at your earnings all the time. Anytime you get any kind of report at all, contact Uber or Lyft support.

You want to make sure you say something, because even if these reports are found to be false against you, it’s still noted down into your file and eventually you get enough of those, you’re going to get permanently deactivated.

Uber needs to take a little extra step, whatever their support team is and everything else, to actually note the passengers who do this, because if the passengers keep getting away with this stuff, they’re going to continue to do it.

There should be something in there as well on riders for the simple fact of if they do this too many times or something, they need to get deactivated. There needs to be some fraudulent activity alert on their accounts instead of just against drivers, because a lot of drivers have been deactivated over false stuff.

I’m not going to say every, every report ever by riders was false. I’m not going to be naive and say that. But we all know it happens way too often, and odds are if you’re watching this video, it probably has happened to you in one way or another.

Either you got reported for some crazy conversation, or your vehicle was out of shape, or it wasn’t clean. You didn’t act professional, you took the wrong route.

Have a Dash Cam!

This is why I tell you, have a dash cam too, so whenever some kind of report does come in, you can at least say I have dash cam footage. Tell me what time this happened at, and I can tell you exactly which passenger was in the car.

If we have to give all our info and we can be tracked and traced, just like that, same thing has to be happening to riders. And I hate to say it, but it’s not going to happen until they start making them provide real names so that way there is a way that they can be tracked.

I hate to tell you guys this, but no matter what, you could be a five star driver, if it is somehow found with this magical investigation that you are guilty, you will be deactivated whether the claim against you was true or not.

Have a Bad Ride? Contact Uber or Lyft Right Away

That’s why I tell people if you have a bad ride, you better make sure you contact them first, because if you don’t, you’re going to regret it.

Be safe. Be smart. Please get a dash cam if you don’t have one. And until next time, guys, Uber on or don’t.