# Lyft Streak Bonus SCAM



## UpoorPeople (Apr 13, 2017)

Short version: *If a driver has just one more ride to complete for a "streak bonus" Lyft puts them at the BACK OF A QUEUE they haven't even told us exists, so that the driver will give up (log out,take an Uber ride etc.) and they don't have to pay him/her the measly "streak bonus". More detail below. *

Lyft started in my market a few weeks ago. They've been promoting their "Streak Bonus" to drivers, starting with $15/3 rides in a row, but now more often $10/2 rides in a row in morning and afternoon rush hours (CAD dollars, don't get too excited, and gas is killing us up here).

So since Lyft's arrival has tanked the Uber surge, I'll often go for these "streak bonuses". I started to notice that I'd pick up the first two rides easily, then wait well over an hour sometimes, with no 3rd request coming in, _IN DOWNTOWN RUSH HOUR_. Usually after a certain point I'll just give up and accept an Uber ride. Of course, much later I'll sometimes get the 3rd Lyft request in the middle of an Uber ride and have to decline, losing the "streak bonus".

So I decided to do a simple experiment. While waiting for that 3rd ride I went and parked outside of my house (I live downtown), texted my wife inside and asked her to request a Lyft ride. Her app showed 3 cars right on our block. There were ZERO other vehicles on our block with drivers in them. (On a later occasion, I personally witnessed her passenger app showing several cars on our block, then looked up and down the street. No one else there.)

Sure enough, she's matched with a driver 5 minutes away, while I'm parked right out front. She cancels immediately and requests again, while I move the car down the block. Same thing, she's matched to a different driver several minutes away. I replicated this on three separate occasions, parking at different distances from my wife's location. Once even around the block. Twice, after she cancelled three other drivers, I was finally able to be matched to her.

The conclusion is clear: *If a driver has just one more ride to complete for a "streak bonus" Lyft puts them at the BACK OF A QUEUE they haven't even told us exists, so that the driver will give up (log out,take an Uber ride etc.) and they don't have to pay him/her the measly "streak bonus". *They make drivers sit for an hour or longer, swinging at a carrot that they've moved just out of reach.

Just one more example of the sociopathic, manipulative, dehumanizing tactics these companies employ to turn us into little more than obedient dogs sitting up with their tongues hanging out desparately hoping for a "treat" from their masters.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Now that you figured that out, run both apps and take the best ride that comes your way. 
If you get the streak, great. 
But don't try for it.


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## uberparadise (Aug 2, 2015)

UpoorPeople said:


> Short version: *If a driver has just one more ride to complete for a "streak bonus" Lyft puts them at the BACK OF A QUEUE they haven't even told us exists, so that the driver will give up (log out,take an Uber ride etc.) and they don't have to pay him/her the measly "streak bonus". More detail below. *
> 
> Lyft started in my market a few weeks ago. They've been promoting their "Streak Bonus" to drivers, starting with $15/3 rides in a row, but now more often $10/2 rides in a row in morning and afternoon rush hours (CAD dollars, don't get too excited, and gas is killing us up here).
> 
> ...


These Silicon Valley roundtable types spend countless hours coming up with the newest brightest new idea. Then they roll it out on us.


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## UpoorPeople (Apr 13, 2017)

Both apps always running.

9/10 the "best ride" is that 3rd ride that should have $15.00 tacked on to it. I only accept an Uber ride if its a 1.8x surge or above, which does still happen, just much less than it used to. I do not drive for regular rates.

And I didn't say I never get the bonus. I do. I thoroughly EXPECT to get it, according to Lyft's stated terms, if I decide to turn over my engine for them. If they are then going to deliberately handicap me with sleazy underhanded tactics, I'm going to talk about it.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

UpoorPeople said:


> I only accept an Uber ride if its a 1.8x surge or above, which does still happen, just much less than it used to. I do not drive for regular rates.


If this is true, then now that you know you are very unlikely to get that Lyfy streak bonus, you really have no reason to accept any Lyft rides. 
I'm assuming since you were going for the streak you were taking Lyft at base rates.

If more drivers in your market figure this out, maybe some of the Uber surge starts to come back.


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## UpoorPeople (Apr 13, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> If this is true, then now that you know you are very unlikely to get that Lyfy streak bonus, you really have no reason to accept any Lyft rides.


No, I always (except for those few times in the beginning before I got wise to their scam), get the bonus now, just not in the way Lyft would want me to, nor in the way I should have to .


Cableguynoe said:


> I'm assuming since you were going for the streak you were taking Lyft at base rates.


No, never at just base rates. There always also has to be a "power zone" bonus factoring in somewhere during the streak. These together get me into my minimum "surge" territory.


Cableguynoe said:


> If more drivers in your market figure this out, maybe some of the Uber surge starts to come back.


Not likely, although that is my main motivation for posting this here. My impression is the vast majority of drivers lap up whatever us thrown down at them and consider the marketing term "bonus" as just that, a "bonus" that they're not _entitled_ to, a gift, that they're overjoyed about when it's "granted" to them once in a while.

The actual term is "Bone us".


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## UpoorPeople (Apr 13, 2017)

Here's a great example from today. The middle ride (3:37) ended at 3:57 pm. I didn't get another request untiI 4:53 pm, the ride at the top. I sat _downtown_ _in afternoon rush-hour _with no ride request for almost an hour. That is absolutely impossible without Lyft having secretly dropped me to the bottom of an undisclosed queue.

(I know most of you get the point. I just want to shine as much light as possible on these scummy business practices for ALL to see.)


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## Silviaz145 (Nov 14, 2019)

Same here I am sure they have one hour penalty after the 2nd ride, because after the 2nd ride i was in LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN WEEKDAY morning 7:30, and I waited 1hr and 1 min for the 3rd ride to get the bonus which is totally unacceptable!
I think they are playing game with Uber, trying to make Uber lack of driver during rush hours


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## Dekero (Sep 24, 2019)

I've actually had my wife order that last ride to go a block up the street.. agreed it took 3-4 times till it paired her to me... I'm standing next to her WTF... Anyway let them take their $3 surcharge and pay me $3 and I still got an extra $12 F them.... They wanna play games... GAME ON.


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## evad77 (Oct 15, 2016)

run both apps and if you get uber ride and then lyft ping accept it and drive around til pax cancels


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## Tony73 (Oct 12, 2016)

Yes, nothing new.


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## charmer37 (Nov 18, 2016)

Sad drivers gotta play games to get what’s owed to them but it is what it is when it comes to the ride sharing game.


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

I was a software analyst for 6 years and this procedure is exactly how you test programs for bugs/programming compliance etc.

Lyft is busted. Uber does this too.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

I do not know if the business in your federal capital depends on Parliament's being in session, but, the business in our Federal Capital is heavily dependent on Congress' being in session. *Gr*yft rarely even offers "streak bonus" when Congress is on recess for longer that one week. When it offers good ones (three for ten Greenbacks, or better), it is not hard to get the pings. The only annoying thing about it is that sometimes you get a Shared, and those are not worth it if for no other reason than you get Endless Shared on Lyft more frequently than Endless Pool on Uber.

In this market, *Gr*yft does not pay for no-shows on Shared, so you can not make it pay by shuffling. If the streak bonus is fifteen or better, I will dice the Shared. Anything less than fifteen, I decline and try Uber.

Is your Parliament in session, now?


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## nonononodrivethru (Mar 25, 2019)

UpoorPeople said:


> Short version: *If a driver has just one more ride to complete for a "streak bonus" Lyft puts them at the BACK OF A QUEUE they haven't even told us exists, so that the driver will give up (log out,take an Uber ride etc.) and they don't have to pay him/her the measly "streak bonus". More detail below. *
> 
> Lyft started in my market a few weeks ago. They've been promoting their "Streak Bonus" to drivers, starting with $15/3 rides in a row, but now more often $10/2 rides in a row in morning and afternoon rush hours (CAD dollars, don't get too excited, and gas is killing us up here).
> 
> ...


Uber does the same and worse. That's what's the most frustrating about driving for both of these companies is that it's a constant chess match against a series of algorithms and a refusal to cave in. If they **** with me too much I turn it all off and do food delivery instead. Less per hour, but more per mile.

I am the boss. **** with me, lose a driver.


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## Jtk12681 (Oct 15, 2020)

Dekero said:


> I've actually had my wife order that last ride to go a block up the street.. agreed it took 3-4 times till it paired her to me... I'm standing next to her WTF... Anyway let them take their $3 surcharge and pay me $3 and I still got an extra $12 F them.... They wanna play games... GAME ON.
> [/QUOTE
> 
> This is actually a great way to turn their manipulative practices back on them.
> ...


In the same sense, waiting Lyft drivers can just attempt to cash out each other's streak bonuses since I'm sure they all have both the driver and rider apps installed.


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

No problem with streak bonus ... for whatever reason they gave me few today... I appreciate the bonus, thank you lyft 🙏 :laugh:


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## AvisDeene (Jun 7, 2019)

I saw the streak for the first time this morning- 5 rides for an extra 25 bucks. Did one trip, then they tried to send me more than 5 miles away. Haha, eat my shit Lyft *declined*.


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## Nightrider82 (Apr 29, 2019)

Not only that I guarantee you that third ride was probably a 20 mile ride so that way it offsets the $15 bonus.


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