# Really not liking Lyft



## Arrta (Aug 20, 2016)

Drove for Uber for a month, was making $400+ a week working just Fri/Sat. Rating 4.98, one rider dinged me because I could not pick her up at her location as the "street" she was on was a walkpath, big deal..

Have been driving for Lyft for just over 1 week. I stopped Uber for the time being and devoted the same hours to Lyft. First week made $281, this week is also looking like its a failure as Friday alone was only $70 when I would normally get $150-200+ working for Uber. I'm guessing because of the promotion they started here there are way too many drivers, but that's just a guess.

Next we have the passengers, Lyft riders don't seem to tip often or very much if they do even with the built in feature. I have done more than 50 rides, and 5 tipped. One tipped $5 on a $5 ride, but the others gave a measly $1 on rides ranging from short to long distances. They have advertisements airing on the radio in town saying that 60% of all riders tip.. That's a load of bull.
They seem to be more abusive, badmouth the service itself, the driver, or the car, and treat the car bad (slamming doors). I once picked up 4 overweight people who all 300+ lbs and they complained that my car was too small. No, you are too big and should have requested an SUV.

Lyft ratings are lower too. Current average is 4.8 and the comments... Had one person say we had a weird conversation, and another claim I charged them more because I got lost..
1st, I didn't get lost, you put the wrong pickup location. After I confirm I'm at the right pickup location and finding they are not there, driving to the correct locations causes the app immediately starts the ride assuming I had them in the car.
2nd, this city sucks for streets, and there have been times I have called before I even started on my route to confirm the pickup locations as we have highway tunnels going under legitimate addresses. Recently I had to call a rider because the GPS wanted me to pick them up in the I90 tunnel, and don't get me started on all the back alley pickup locations or if you place your pin in the south station building.. That wants me to pick people up in the parking garage at the top of the building instead of on the street in front, and there are 2 completely different convoluted paths to take to get to each one.
Oh and here is another good one. Check the attached image. Yes that's an on ramp on one side and an off ramp on the other. The GPS believes trying to make it across 3 lanes of traffic in the distance of maybe 2 car lengths doing 45+ is doable.. It thinks this is a great way to get from one side of the city to another...
3rd, I don't charge you, the app does.. so the fact it starts the ride when I start hunting for where you really are is not my problem.

Ride frequency also seems to suck. Yes I understand there are dry spells. I once sat parked for over an hour in Boston with no rides and no surge areas on Uber, but still made over $150 that night. But when I drive to and stay in the heat areas and still don't get rides.. That's nuts.
11 Rides in Boston on a Friday night, working for 6h 38m and there were only $85.47 in payments. I say payments, because its hard to check how much you actually made on the Lyft app where as Uber shows you a item by item breakdown immediately.
Another thing, with Uber I seem to get a lot more pickups following drop offs, more often then not, I have a pickup scheduled near the dropoff location for my current passenger. I don't seem to see that with Lyft. Once I drop someone off, I could have 15 - 30 mins or more between rides.


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## Hunter420 (May 1, 2016)

Yea, it seems to be less n less... Its such a scam.


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## Flarpy (Apr 17, 2016)

That's why Lyft is not profitable and is desperately trying to sell itself with no takers so far.


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## Arrta (Aug 20, 2016)

I actually canceled a ride last night. Was driving home because I was not getting any requests, but left the app on. I then got a request to pick someone up 25+ miles from my current location to drive them 6 miles.. Said eff that, canceled and turned it off. I got my $500 bonus for 40 rides, and thats all I cared about. Switching back to Uber starting tonight.


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## Jo3030 (Jan 2, 2016)

Lyft is dying.


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## Lag Monkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Lyft is more popular the uber in SF but when I drove for lyft in Raleigh it was way slower then uber. I do lyft and get higher fares and free car rental with express drive. I love lyft, but I know outside of SF lyft is struggling. It will probably eventually be bought by uber at a fire sale price.


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## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

Arrta said:


> I actually canceled a ride last night. Was driving home because I was not getting any requests, but left the app on. I then got a request to pick someone up 25+ miles from my current location to drive them 6 miles.. Said eff that, canceled and turned it off.


I'm guessing you called them to ask where they were going? Why not ask them to cancel ride too? (I suppose if you don't care about acceptance rate it doesn't matter, granted)


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## Jon H. SFBay (Oct 29, 2015)

Depends on your market drove yesterday afternoon, went home had dinner and hit the late night crowd and brought in


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## scamp (May 2, 2016)

Opposite experience as my Lyft PAX are so much more respectful and nicer than Uber. I drive in Boston/Cambridge area and Uber users tend to be much younger and drunker!

Definitely get more Uber requests and on a Saturday especially can get non-stop requests, but a growing percentage are cheapo UberPool where I too often lose money and THEY NEVER ever tip. I had a Lyft Line PAX tip me $5 last night for a $8 ride, nice lady. That's not first time either Line PAX especially late night gave me a nice tip.


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## Arrta (Aug 20, 2016)

CatchyMusicLover said:


> I'm guessing you called them to ask where they were going? Why not ask them to cancel ride too? (I suppose if you don't care about acceptance rate it doesn't matter, granted)


You can actually see where someone wants to go in Lyft, unlike Uber. Wish they would take the best of both apps and make a better one.


Jon H. SFBay said:


> Depends on your market drove yesterday afternoon, went home had dinner and hit the late night crowd and brought in
> View attachment 56093


But you got lucky there with those two $70 plus fares.


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## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

Arrta said:


> You can actually see where someone wants to go in Lyft, unlike Uber.


Unless they changed since Monday, you have to actually arrive to see. What you're saying is you drove the 25 miles to pick them up and then cancelled. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing.
Yes they USED to show you the destination right when you accepted, but they changed it in April? May? Whenever it was.


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## Arrta (Aug 20, 2016)

CatchyMusicLover said:


> Unless they changed since Monday, you have to actually arrive to see. What you're saying is you drove the 25 miles to pick them up and then cancelled. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing.
> Yes they USED to show you the destination right when you accepted, but they changed it in April? May? Whenever it was.


After you accept, if you look at the map, there is a light grey line from the pickup location to where they want to go. Doesn't give you the address, but let's you know where they want to go.


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## DSLRreel (Jan 28, 2016)

How much you make, in profit, depends on your strategy. I drive to make the most while putting minimal miles on my car. Uber alone does not allow for that. Just because you made $400 a week driving for uber and $280 a week from Lyft says nothing. How many hours did you work each week? How many miles did you drive? What car are you driving. It's funny how you left all of that out.

What's also funny is that you state that Lyft passengers don't tip. Maybe that has to do with the driver. Regaurdless drivers still have the opportunity to receive tips through lyfts platform. $1 is better than nothing.

My experience driving both platforms is the opposite of yours. Lyft passengers are the exact opposite of what you describe. They are polite, respectful, and thankful. Uber passengers are degenerates who used to take the city buss but can now afford to pay an Uber Chump (partner) to pick them up.

Last night I drove 72 miles all night from 7 to 3am. I drove 90% lyft and the remainder uber surge. I made about $200+ total. I could have made more if I focused more on my strategy.

I have to say you sound green or an uber shill.


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## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

Arrta said:


> After you accept, if you look at the map, there is a light grey line from the pickup location to where they want to go. Doesn't give you the address, but let's you know where they want to go.


Huh, I thought that only showed up when you arrived. Will have to check it out next time.


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## Sibilance7 (Jul 8, 2016)

Arrta said:


> After you accept, if you look at the map, there is a light grey line from the pickup location to where they want to go. Doesn't give you the address, but let's you know where they want to go.


When I accept a ride it shows me a light gray line from where my last dropoff to where the pickup is. I have no idea why it does this. For a while I thought it was where they were going, but then I realized it was always going back to where I just came from. Like once I got sent to a far flung neighborhood, then deadheaded back downtown because it was dead out there. My next ride appeared to be going back to Hyde Park, and I got super irritated, but when I got there, I realized they were going somewhere completely different. The line was showing where I'd just come from, not where the pax was going.

However, you're saying you could see it was 6 miles and the pickup was 25 miles away, so it doesn't seem we're talking about the same thing, which leaves me with confusion. I won't be driving again until Tuesday morning, so I'm going to have to pay close attention then.


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## Madrigal26 (Jul 22, 2015)

Sibilance7 said:


> When I accept a ride it shows me a light gray line from where my last dropoff to where the pickup is. I have no idea why it does this. For a while I thought it was where they were going, but then I realized it was always going back to where I just came from. Like once I got sent to a far flung neighborhood, then deadheaded back downtown because it was dead out there. My next ride appeared to be going back to Hyde Park, and I got super irritated, but when I got there, I realized they were going somewhere completely different. The line was showing where I'd just come from, not where the pax was going.
> 
> However, you're saying you could see it was 6 miles and the pickup was 25 miles away, so it doesn't seem we're talking about the same thing, which leaves me with confusion. I won't be driving again until Tuesday morning, so I'm going to have to pay close attention then.


I"m using iOS, and I had that on my phone for a few weeks back in the Spring. I could see where they were going before I started my car. I think it was national, and everyone could see it, but Lyft removed it pretty quickly. I'm sure everyone was using it to decide whether the trip was worth it or not.

Now I don't see anything besides the pick up address until I arrive. When I hit arrive, I can see the light gray line (no address) if they've put in their destination. I can't see anything beyond the pick up address before I hit arrive.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

CatchyMusicLover said:


> Unless they changed since Monday, you have to actually arrive to see.





Arrta said:


> You can actually see where someone wants to go in Lyft, unlike Uber. Wish they would take the best of both apps and make a better one..


In my area, that is only on a Lyft Line request where you can still see the destination, on regular Lyft requests, you cannot see the destination.

To the OP, when I started a year ago, I did Lyft only for the first month, I had some very good weekends, then I started to do both. Uber is busier still, about 3 to 1, but, I get tips on Lyft, in the last 45 days, I think I've had one tip on Uber, and been averaging about 10% of my total fares in tips on Lyft. Uber crowds tended to be older couples, while Lyft tended to be younger, self righteous millennials with an attitude. Lately though, it's changed, they are both about equal in the demographics, but I've had several d-bag Uber pax as compared to Lyft pax.


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## eberglar (Jun 29, 2016)

I'm not sure why your lyft app is starting your rides automatically when u hit "arrive". Are you sure you've mastered using the app?


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...-UZlcBy-hAEZl9U-UXMCYc3dqw/edit?usp=drive_web

Doing just fine on Lyft only here in Boston.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

eberglar said:


> I'm not sure why your lyft app is starting your rides automatically when u hit "arrive". Are you sure you've mastered using the app?


He's sure

"Arrive" reveals address,"Pick up" starts ride

On android the address is now under the same button as before (where only the pickup addy is after ping), but only post-arrival


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## Hunter420 (May 1, 2016)

I think new drivers get more, my roommate drives lyft and is new, and he gets incentives, promos, and better longer rides. Ive done 1500+ rides , and I get rides 5 -8 miles away, no insentives, or promos, and short tiny rides, its like they cherry pick. It takes me 8 hours to make 100 dollars now. And my roommate makes 100 in less then 5 hours. Does anyone else have this issue, or seem like, older drivers are being singled out? Its been obvious too I get no surges when its all pink, I get rides far away out of surge. I use too make about 3 times as much, but its hard to drive to the airport from Hollywood for 16 dollars or less. It should be about 36, or 45, or 50.. Its so different.


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## Daniel Harbin (Sep 23, 2015)

I like Lyft better in the Vegas market. As far as making money its all about strategy and luck. We are in a game of numbers where we don't control the numbers. But like in any gambling game you can understand the odds and go for a strategy that has the best percentage of payout. Bottom line learn what your market is doing and act accordingly. Uber seems to have more traffic but in my market the payoff is less due to short 1 mile rides or less.


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

Adieu said:


> He's sure
> 
> "Arrive" reveals address,"Pick up" starts ride
> 
> On android the address is now under the same button as before (where only the pickup addy is after ping), but only post-arrival


Arrive starts the "meter" on Lyft. Pickup reveals destination address and stops the 5 minute counter.


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## JimS (Aug 18, 2015)

If you hit "Arrive" and then start moving, Lyft will assume you forgot to start the trip, and the ride will begin.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

BostonBarry said:


> Arrive starts the "meter" on Lyft. Pickup reveals destination address and stops the 5 minute counter.


Pickup OPENLY reveals destination

Arrive RELEASES lyft equivalent of uber waybill

Yoy sure youve been doing anything for Lyft recently but milking referrals and mentor fees?


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

JimS said:


> If you hit "Arrive" and then start moving, Lyft will assume you forgot to start the trip, and the ride will begin.


Soon, but not immediately

Also, unlike uber, you can still cancel out easily


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

I time my rides and check the totals. I'm a beta tester. The passenger is charged and you're paid as soon as the Arrive button is pressed. It is Uber that doesn't start driver pay until driver starts the trip. Adieu, you need a hobby. You have nothing useful to add to any conversation. As such, you're now being added to the ignore list. Have a nice life.


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## CatchyMusicLover (Sep 18, 2015)

I remember reading the 'meter' starts a minute after you hit arrive, though this was before they added the 'pickup' button.
Also you can see the destination when you hit arrive by hitting the trip summery button, as well as zooming out on the map.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Barry, Barry...didn't they give you ANY of their literature along with the koolaid?


*Lyft has an ADVERTISED FEATURE of charging for waits
*Cancel-nocharge is ALWAYS available to the driver. Even by dropoff location.
*ARRIVE button ACTIVATES NOTIFICATION for rider to get to curb, LAUNCHES the timers (2mins Line, 5 mins Lyft) for cancel options like charge $5 after 5 or leave scot-free in 3 or 4
*your pax won't know you're there unless they watching, UNTIL you hit arrive
*its not the pick up button SPECIFiCALLY because its the "start waiting" button, abd there IS a separate pickup button


*You're no beta tester and no driver. You're a salaried Lyft employee with a background in something like HR....which is why you don't understand the strangest parts when it comes to basics.


*DOES LYFT KNOW YOU MAKE MONEY ON REFERRALS *WHILE* BEING ON THE CLOCK??? And that these are NOT people that you scouted, either!????


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## Dan The Lyft Man (Dec 25, 2015)

Lyft is starting to pick up in Boston again since schools are starting up again. This past weekend I just did all Lyft request. Most of the time if Lyft goes flat for a period of 15 minutes. I turn on Uber and work them both at the same time. But if both ping at the same time, I take Lyft all day everyday over Uber.


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