The apps do not offer the value to us or to the customer to justify the amount of money they hold back from drivers and keep for themselves. We are not being compensated fair market value for our services, not even slightly. When gas rates go up, our fees should be passed along to the consumer, because the consumer requires the service and therefore must pay the costs. There is no trusting the app companies who are defrauding us by denying our value and input. It’s the fattest, greediest, most unfair business model that exists, and its only saving grace is feeling like you are helping the people of the community.
Drivers despise the app profit only model they work with. The app isn’t showing a profit, because they are spending easy money that they do not value, because they aren’t doing the work, maintenance, financial support to make it happen. Their misspending of the fruits of DRIVER LABOR AND ASSETS on their dangerous and expensive ludicrously expensive to run self driving car model, meant to put us out of business, is salt in our wounds. This business model has one and only one ethical means of working. Each community should own the app, and the drivers have to be expenses compensated, but volunteers, the money goes to Sr. Citizens, schools and public no entrance fee parks and recreation, roads, etc . This profit model is parasitism, it’s almost like cancer because it grows bigger at the expense of the host (drivers). We lose money, by driving, but it’s hard to see it that way because it blends into our normal personal expenses...
We also do not know how to change this. Nobody is fighting for us, because passengers only care they are getting a cheap ride, they get upset and angry, standing up for the app (which is how they glom us “independent contractors” into, they don’t see us as drivers and have no idea how little we get paid or how unfair our compensation model is) which they are in favor if.
I do love the act of being a rideshare driver, but wish we were considered profit share drivers instead. We do charity work, and it feels like charity to do it. People aren’t appreciative as if it is charity, and that is what hurts.
From a veteran
I’m 71 retired US naval air veteran. I drive for both Uber and lyft for almost a year now, and find the average hourly earnings (no matter the hours I work) are less than the $13.00 per hour minimum wage in New York. It barely supplements my social security monthly, to help me pay my fixed monthly bills.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m truly thankful to Uber and Lyft for giving me at least this opportunity to somewhat subsidize my income. Just wish it would average at least the minimum wage per hour I work.
A side note. Uber and Lyft would send me to pick up a ride 20 minutes and 10 miles away, only to drive that ride 4 minutes 2 miles to earn net $3.64.
A lot of power for a platform
Here is an experience: I just got deactivated by uber for having a “high cancellation rate.” I cancel rides per uber policy due to:
A. No shows
B. Unaccompanied minors
C. Too many passengers or luggage
D. no car seats for toddlers.
E. Belligerent/unsafe riders (the kind who curse and threaten drivers or refuse to wear a seat belt
That is it.
But this is the power a platform uses? Uber claims passengers are counting on me and I let them down. I should have turned off my app and not accepted the rides. But..I cannot know any of the above until I accept the ride and interact with the passenger.
So...how many “platforms” take such punitive action against an independent contractor and get this, my earnings this week are being held hostage and shall be so as long as I am deactivated. Keep in mind this is money I have already earned.
A lot of power for a platform eh.
Receipts
I am currently stuck doing Lyft full time. Most of the horror stories you received don’t even begin to scratch the surface on how truly terrible things are, so I wanted to reach out and give you an idea of how things are going in Austin, Texas.
Lyft dropped their per-mile rate by 33 (THIRTY-THREE!!!) percent. How do they justify it? They announced they were rolling out a new feature that would compensate drivers for the time it takes us to get to a passenger; what they DIDN’T announce was the rate cut. That’s on top of the high percentage of the fare they already take.
I don’t know how and why they’re allowed to lie to the government by telling them that they only take up to 26 percent of fares. That’s a blatant lie, one of many lies that I will disprove by attaching receipts. [The following earnings statement was attached].
Stay away
I’m a driver on long Island in New York. I’ve been driving for Uber and lyft for 2 years now. Actually I stopped driving for lyft a year ago because most of the calls were anywhere between 13 to 25 mins away to pickup. That’s just burning way too much gas.
I’ve stuck with only Uber for the past year.
Ive been driving taxis, town cars and shuttle vans for private transportation companies on long Island for 30 years before leaving them and coming to Uber.
Uber has killed at least 50 percent of the private taxi business on long Island. Last summer I was working 12 hours per night and it was very good actually. I could gross 350 to 400 dollars a night. After gas I could still bring home 300 dollars. Fast forward to this summer.....
I’ve tried working all day for 12 hours I’ve tried working nights for 12 hours I’ve even split up the days so I could do both morning and evening rush hours.. The calls are not close anymore. You have to drive anywhere from 6 mins to 25 mins away. Last summer they were always 4 to 10 mins away.
I gross on a good day or night 185 to 220 dollars. After gas if I’m lucky 150 to 160 dollars a 12 hour period. They saturated long Island with drivers...
They treat their drivers like shit. We are the backbone of the company. Without us there wouldn’t be an Uber... Long story short... Unless you really have no choice... Stay away from Uber... They’ll bankrupt you.... They’ll destroy your car and they’ll make your life so stressful and hard.
One day’s pay
One day I drove for only 3 hours because of a family event. I made $24.15 and drove 65 miles.
I can either consider my operating costs at 10 cents per mile for just gas. However my car payment, insurance and gas cost 40 cents per mile.
Multiply 65 miles x 40 cents=$26.
Cost $26.00
Income: $24.15
Net: <$1.85>
If your company had any jobs available I’m willing to PAY YOU 62 cents per hour to let me work.
Thanks to everyone who wrote in.
GIG LIFE
Uber and Lyft Drivers Say They Want to Change Ridesharing's 'Predatory Business Model'
If Uber Wants It, It's Bad
These Uber and Lyft Drivers Can Tell You in Great Detail How They're Getting Screwed
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