# Cancelled Uber - Boston



## PartTimeUberBoston (Sep 30, 2014)

Well after 5 weeks of driving for uber, I have decided to pull the plug on them. While the experience was interesting, it was clearly a losing proposition for me, especially with the amount of wear and tear put on my vehicle.

The three things that drove me to cancel were:

1. Insurance - In speaking to my Insurance broker (Progressive), they indicated that rideshare/taxi services are not covered under my policy. Furthermore Uber's failure to clarify this for their drivers concerns me as it is deceptive and dishonest. 

2. Pay - in the 5 weeks that I drove, I only earned $297 (before taxes and after expenses). With the rates being ever so slow and stagnant and the time sink to commit to this it doesn't look to be profitable. I work full time, so any additional time I have on the side is highly valuable to me. In the end it wasn't a very valuable proposition on my end 

3. PAX Behavior - The more I drove, the more I had become unhappy with passenger behavior. Whether it slamming of my car doors very hard, one passenger who I tossed because he was high, or rudeness in general - it made the experience less than palatable. Now not all of the passengers were rude, but many of them, especially the college kids (Boston) would just not be considerate.


I will say you drivers who continue to stick with the company have my admiration as it isn't an easy job. Furthermore, the overall concept is a good one with certain tweaks added (tips, higher fares, and insurance clarification). Good luck and I will still be here on the forums to follow up!


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## Blerg (Oct 14, 2014)

I am sending my phone back today. The only time you can make a profit is when Uber is gouging the passengers. This really has become a bad economic proposition all the way around.

It is funny that pax behavior was one of your reasons. There are too many that feel they are entitled to, and expect Jason Statham to pull up in a black Audi A8L in a black suit with leather driving gloves for a $4 ride 2 blocks away. That plus they throw a temper tantrum when you can't magically make the open container laws go away in your personal vehicle while they poke at your A/C and radio controls with their Ebola-ridden fingers.


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## PartTimeUberBoston (Sep 30, 2014)

Blerg,

Between the insurance issue (which I found out through this board) and the pax behavior on Saturday night, those two issues became the tipping point. Saturday night alone, I transported two stoned and drunk 19 year old coeds shouting at their lungs and watching youtube clips full blast in my car. Furthermore, the 5 people who tried to cram into my Q5 later on and demanded that I turn on this street and that street (being from Boston I know my roads well) sealed the deal for me. If I had more control over the process and was able to truly identify bad passengers (to quote one of the party of 5 to her friends - "I had to use a different uber since I get bad reviews all the time") I figured it was time to say goodbye to the process. I will most likely use the service as it is a great idea; however, unless selected for the Blackcar program I have zero intentions of returning driving.


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## Blerg (Oct 14, 2014)

If you can weed through the noise, you might find something for a little extra cash at thepennyhoarderDOTcom. I'm not associated in any way, but I did find something to replace the income I was getting from uber.


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## PartTimeUberBoston (Sep 30, 2014)

I will check it out blerg. Maybe if they change some of the policies and increase fares I will be back. I want to make sure that in driving though I am completely insured, which it doesn't appear to be either. Right now I have a rating of 4.85, so I could return if and when things change.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

PartTimeUberBoston said:


> Well after 5 weeks of driving for uber, I have decided to pull the plug on them. While the experience was interesting, it was clearly a losing proposition for me, especially with the amount of wear and tear put on my vehicle.
> 
> The three things that drove me to cancel were:
> 
> ...


Perfectly said...and it was prioritized correctly (in my opinion). Is it possible that UBER'S end could come crashing down quickly by virtue of the ILLUSION of insurance coverage??? Once the media really gets hold of this story, cities, municipalities and governmental agencies would be forced to put and end to our "beloved" UBER (and it's arrogance). I am surprised that Taxi and Limo companies (and their cartels) have not seized on this issue.

Good luck to you sir....I will not be far behind. Turning on my app is getting tougher and tougher....just like Russian roulette.


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## PartTimeUberBoston (Sep 30, 2014)

Worcester Sauce said:


> Perfectly said...and it was prioritized correctly (in my opinion). Is it possible that UBER'S end (and Achilles' heel) could come crashing down quicly


A friend of mine who also drives for Uber, indicated that the insurance coverage was sufficient (according to his legal team), I am still extremely concerned about it. Being that I have a family and a full time job, assuming such a potential high risk for an extra hundred bucks a week isn't something I really want to do at this stage. I did send an email to a CSR to see the response regarding murky insurance issue, so it should be interesting to see what response I get.


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

PartTimeUberBoston said:


> A friend of mine who also drives for Uber, indicated that the insurance coverage was sufficient (according to his legal team), I am still extremely concerned about it. Being that I have a family and a full time job, assuming such a potential high risk for an extra hundred bucks a week isn't something I really want to do at this stage. I did send an email to a CSR to see the response regarding murky insurance issue, so it should be interesting to see what response I get.


please let us know...good luck to you


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## PartTimeUberBoston (Sep 30, 2014)

So I got a response from Uber:

"
Hi XXXXXXXX,

Thanks for the email. You can return the device a number of ways. If you fill out the form here we'll send you a pre-paid mailer so you can return the device to us free of charge. Alternatively, you can drop the device off at our Boston office. We're located at 186 South Street, Boston, MA 02111.

Happy to help answer your insurance concerns*. I can't speak to your personal insurance policy, however, Uber has best-in-class insurance coverage, which is outlined below. All P2P partners are required to have at least the state minimum for personal insurance, but are covered under Rasier's $1 million policy below.*

*Details on the insurance policy held by Uber:*

*$1 million of liability coverage per incident.* Uber holds a commercial insurance policy with $1 million of coverage per incident. This policy covers drivers' liability from the time a driver accepts a trip request through the app until the completion of a trip. This policy is excess to the driver's own policy, but it acts as primary insurance if the driver's policy is not available for any reason, covering from the first dollar. We have provided this coverage since commencing ridesharing in early 2013.
*$1 million of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per incident.* In December, we also added uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. In the event that another motorist causes an accident with an uberX vehicle and doesn't carry adequate insurance, this policy of $1 million per incident covers bodily injury. This is important to ensure that riders are protected in a hit and run.
*$50,000 of contingent comprehensive and collision insurance.*If a ridesharing driver holds personal comprehensive and collision insurance that is found not to apply, this policy covers physical damage to that vehicle that occurs during a trip, for any reason, up to $50,000 and with a $1,000 deductible.
*$50,000/$100,000/$25,000 of contingent coverage between trips.* During the time that a ridesharing partner is available but between trips, most personal auto insurance will provide coverage. However the driver is also backed by an additional policy that covers driver liability for bodily injury up to $50,000/individual/accident with a total of $100,000/accident and up to $25,000 for property damage. This policy is contingent to a driver's personal insurance policy, meaning it will only pay if the personal auto insurance completely declines or pays zero. This policy meets or exceeds the requirements for 3rd party liability insurance in every state in the U.S.
As always, all UberBLACK, UberSUV, or uberTAXI rides are provided by commercially licensed and insured partners and drivers. Those transportation providers are covered by commercial insurance policies, in accordance with local and state requirements."

I underlined the part of the response, which in essence shows that I was operating without proper insurance. In order to access their policy, your must have a policy, which covers the basic minimum. My personal policy becomes null and void when I begin to use my car for ride sharing. My coverage (and to my knowledge any personal automobile insurance coverage in Mass) does not cover and potentially voids if I opt in to do Uber. In speaking to my insurance rep, they indicated that the policy would be voided, because of the intent of the personal policy is for personal use - not business. With that said, unless selected for Black, I will no longer drive for Uber or any other ride share company.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

PartTimeUberBoston said:


> A friend of mine who also drives for Uber, indicated that the insurance coverage was sufficient (according to his legal team), I am still extremely concerned about it. Being that I have a family and a full time job, assuming such a potential high risk for an extra hundred bucks a week isn't something I really want to do at this stage. I did send an email to a CSR to see the response regarding murky insurance issue, so it should be interesting to see what response I get.


NEVER take some other idiots word for it. It is soooo easy to pick up the phone and call your OWN insurance company to find out. There is literally no excuse for not doing that. Drivers who don't deserve every bit of risk and illegality they take upon themselves and MANY will pay the piper in unpleasant ways for not doing the simplest of excerise by CHECKING for themselves. It's just idiocy NOT TO.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

PartTimeUberBoston said:


> *I underlined the part of the response, which in essence shows that I was operating without proper insurance. In order to access their policy, your must have a policy, which covers the basic minimum. My personal policy becomes null and void when I begin to use my car for ride sharing.* My coverage (and to my knowledge any personal automobile insurance coverage in Mass) does not cover and potentially voids if I opt in to do Uber. In speaking to my insurance rep, they indicated that the policy would be voided, because of the intent of the personal policy is for personal use - not business. With that said, unless selected for Black, I will no longer drive for Uber or any other ride share company.


InDEED. Any basic ahole can read, pick up the phone and find out the same facts. Not doing so just tells you how many ignorant financially desperate drivers Uber and Lyft are taking advantage of, knowingly I might add!

The fact is though, it just AIN'T Uber's problem to do YOUR basic homework. Uber and Lyft know full well that personal auto insurance isn't sufficient, but remember, it was only up to YOU to check. Not THEM.

State agencies all over the U.S. keep telling us and telling us this is the case by publicly issued warnings...but drivers just don't seem to give a damn do they?


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## Blerg (Oct 14, 2014)

I took my uber phone to Fedex and told them I needed to send it back. They had a database (I guess uber gave it to them) where they looked up my name by the phone number I had on file with Uber, took the phone and all the accessories, gave me a receipt with the tracking number, and I was on my way.


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## UberDriver2014 (Oct 31, 2014)

I think it all totally depends what market you are in. I've been in OKC for a long time now (well, since Uber's been here) and its well worth all the effort. My personal vehicle insurance provider simply told me this is a grey area and that while they most likely would not cover an accident, they could obviously not speak for Uber's insurance provider and whether or not they'd cover the accident. They advised I print out Uber's insurance coverage policy and keep it handy in case I have to sue to get them to honor it. She explained its not that much different than when 'reputable' insurance companies try and deny a claim after tornadoes and such in our area. You never really know how good your coverage is until you try to use it.

As for me, I still pay the $10 for the Uber phone and I still add about $1,500/month to my savings based on only working part time in the OKC area. But, every area is going to be different.


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