# No Reimbursement from Uber for Rider Vomit



## Precious (Oct 10, 2014)

Last Saturday, I picked up 3 girls. The one that sat in the back right seat, rolled down the window and stuck her head out throughout the ride, while the girl that sat next to me kept me busy with conversation, apparently to distract me. When we got to their destination, she helped the girl that stuck her head out, out of the car and left. 

I got another request and when I got there, the passengers did not get in on the side the girl stuck her head out and told me there was vomit on that side. I came out and saw the vomit ALL OVER THE OUTSIDE OF MY CAR! but the riders said I should take them to where they wanted to go because it was 3am and did not want to wait for another Uber driver. 

After I dropped the passengers, called a mobile detailing company and they came out in the middle of the night where I parked to disinfect and do a preliminary clean and came back at daylight to finish the cleaning. I sent Uber photographs, the bill for $65 last Saturday Jan 3, 2015, have followed up twice and got NO RESPONSE till this moment of typing here.

Please share your experience and as to whether Uber will reimburse me for the cleaning and 5 hours that I was offline. Thanks.


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

I'm a tad confused. Why did you need to pay $65 for vomit on the outside of your car? A car wash is a lot cheaper. We had someone vomit inside our car NYE and could not take anymore fares until it was cleaned, but I did it myself because we couldn't get anyone to come out at 4am NYE or on NYD. I took pictures, explained that because we have heated and ventilated seats that the entire back seat had to be removed to clean it and told them the quotes I had gotten to have someone do it on the 2nd. They immediately gave us the max amount of $200. There is no compensation for the time you are offline (hence the reason I did it myself, couldn't afford the downtime.)


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## UberUber (Sep 21, 2014)

Precious said:


> I came out and saw the vomit ALL OVER THE OUTSIDE OF MY CAR! but the riders said I should take them to where they wanted to go because it was 3am and did not want to wait for another Uber driver.


I don't care what a pax says. if they throw up in your car, or on the outside of your car, or whatever, I would make them wait outside my car while they found another means of transportation. Think about it...the woman that threw up is now sitting in your car. It is not only a health issue but a safety issue.


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## ElectroFuzz (Jun 10, 2014)

They are not going to pay because you took another ride after the reported incident.
It's part of their rules.
Hopefully you will get a friendly CR that will make an exception
but I wouldn't count on it.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

what electrofuz said. if you take another passenger or in other words continue to work Uber will not pay cleaning fees.

I don't get out to check the outside of my car between each ride it could have happened to any of us.

you have a detailer that works in the middle of the night? that's crazy! Even crazier is he only charges 65 dollars!


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## uber genesis (Nov 24, 2014)

sorry for the vomit, i had that on NYE, but i was prepared and my minivan has a built-in wet/dry vac..took me 15 mins to clean..made uber give me 30 for my troubles 

i know of no 24 hr response detailer..Ga got it good


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

There seems to have been a lot of upchucking on NYE. Maybe I should be thankful I got only one ping and a ten-dollar fare.


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a debate going on about it. There was a trip directly after and the fee IS high for the mess. It might take longer for them to decide what to do with it.


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## contactone (Oct 28, 2014)

Why would you pay to have the outside of the car cleaned specifically for puke? I had a female passenger puke out the window and all it took was a bottle of water some Windex, paper towels and air freshener (all in trunk) to clean it up.


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if there was a debate going on about it.


An internal Uber debate would be like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory debating with a Magic 8 Ball.


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

UberHammer said:


> An internal Uber debate would be like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory debating with a Magic 8 Ball.


They get interesting, especially for cleaning fees and other things we get to use our judgement on.


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

thehappytypist said:


> *They get interesting*, especially for cleaning fees and other things we get to use our judgement on.


Hence why The Big Bang Theory is such a popular show.


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

Precious said:


> Last Saturday, I picked up 3 girls. The one that sat in the back right seat, rolled down the window and stuck her head out throughout the ride, while the girl that sat next to me kept me busy with conversation, apparently to distract me. When we got to their destination, she helped the girl that stuck her head out, out of the car and left.
> 
> I got another request and when I got there, the passengers did not get in on the side the girl stuck her head out and told me there was vomit on that side. I came out and saw the vomit ALL OVER THE OUTSIDE OF MY CAR! but the riders said I should take them to where they wanted to go because it was 3am and did not want to wait for another Uber driver.
> 
> ...


POST # 1 / PRECIOUS: ... Welcome to the UP.net
Community and Happy New Year. Also, if your
reserve of patience if ALL USED UP after only
3 months in these Forums, then you HAVEN'T
BEEN PAYING ATTENTION or this job category
just isn't for you.


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## Uberslop (Dec 29, 2014)

Casandria said:


> I'm a tad confused. Why did you need to pay $65 for vomit on the outside of your car? A car wash is a lot cheaper. We had someone vomit inside our car NYE and could not take anymore fares until it was cleaned, but I did it myself because we couldn't get anyone to come out at 4am NYE or on NYD. I took pictures, explained that because we have heated and ventilated seats that the entire back seat had to be removed to clean it and told them the quotes I had gotten to have someone do it on the 2nd. They immediately gave us the max amount of $200. There is no compensation for the time you are offline (hence the reason I did it myself, couldn't afford the downtime.)


You are lucky, I got into same situation, and i washed my car by myself; This is the uber respond: (copy and paste)

Hi Uberslop,

Thanks for writing in, and we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy new year!

In the light of this matter, we won't be able to reimburse without a receipt. For future references, please do send us pictures as you did previously, but also make sure to hold on to any receipt related to any cleaning fee claim as we need it to charge the rider accordingly.

Thanks for your understanding, and sorry for the trouble!

Let us know if we can help with anything else!


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## UberOne (Oct 31, 2014)

Yup... the rules are pretty clear.. you cannot pick up other pax after a puking incident within an hour of it happening, otherwise any requests for reimbursed are forfeited.


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## Precious (Oct 10, 2014)

Casandria said:


> I'm a tad confused. Why did you need to pay $65 for vomit on the outside of your car? A car wash is a lot cheaper. We had someone vomit inside our car NYE and could not take anymore fares until it was cleaned, but I did it myself because we couldn't get anyone to come out at 4am NYE or on NYD. I took pictures, explained that because we have heated and ventilated seats that the entire back seat had to be removed to clean it and told them the quotes I had gotten to have someone do it on the 2nd. They immediately gave us the max amount of $200. There is no compensation for the time you are offline (hence the reason I did it myself, couldn't afford the downtime.)


I called a mobile car detail company who cleans my car to come to downtown Atlanta where I was at 3:30am.


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## Precious (Oct 10, 2014)

UberUber said:


> I don't care what a pax says. if they throw up in your car, or on the outside of your car, or whatever, I would make them wait outside my car while they found another means of transportation. Think about it...the woman that threw up is now sitting in your car. It is not only a health issue but a safety issue.


The one who threw up had left and DID NOT THROW UP INSIDE my car.


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

I got that part. The question was why? It was on the outside of the car. It's something you could have easily have done yourself and kept right on driving. The only issue with any liquid mess left by a pax is when it's inside the car. The moron who puked in our car also puked on the back of it after he got out, but I didn't send a picture of that because it took about a minute to clean up and there's no risk of permanent damage to the car. The Uber rules are clear that you can't take another passenger for at least an hour if you want reimbursement. That coupled with the fact that you're asking for a ridiculous amount for something you could have done yourself for free and you're really surprised you haven't heard back from them?


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## Precious (Oct 10, 2014)

I was afraid to go near it. I don't know if she has any diseases and don't want to contract anything. I had no gloves in my car.


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

You could have driven it through a gas station car wash....


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## Precious (Oct 10, 2014)

Thanks Casandria. Experience is the best teacher :=( ...now I know. I have stopped driving nights since then.


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## John Anderson (Jan 12, 2015)

Having assholes puke in your car after talking to you like you're a piece of shit while eating your candy and freezing your ass is a patriotic duty, I thought.


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

You might want to spend some time on the boards to see what others have done in various situations. My first instinct is to spend as little money as possible so I work from there. I also refuse to pay someone else to do something I can do myself. If it's worth $65 to someone else, then pay yourself that money and find a way to do it on your own. When we were getting quotes for the cleanup in our car, because of the kind of seats, it was $250-300. Now, because it was a tricky job, I would have been wiling to pay someone else and get reimbursed, but since no one would do it at 4am NYE or on NYD, that wasn't an option. 

I wouldn't necessarily stop driving nights just because of that unless you're doing well enough doing only days. Just take time to think things through if you have another incident. I found this forum before we were approved to drive so I had already been reading about various things that have happened to drivers and had researched the reimbursement requirements. A lot of people think you can just clean your car, turn on the app and hit the road, but you need to do some research so you are prepared for the bumps that you will invariably hit on said road.


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

New year's eve... Its cold in the middle of the night, even if you're in the south. Anyone that rolls down the window... You know you have to check something. If it was all on the outside, then a $10 gas station car wash should have taken care of it. 

When trying to get reimbursed for cleaning fees you need to take pics, and make them as unflattering/gross as possible. Also, don't take a ride for the next hour. Do this and Uber will be more forthcoming with the cleaning fees.


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

Precious said:


> Last Saturday, I picked up 3 girls. The one that sat in the back right seat, rolled down the window and stuck her head out throughout the ride, while the girl that sat next to me kept me busy with conversation, apparently to distract me. When we got to their destination, she helped the girl that stuck her head out, out of the car and left.
> 
> I got another request and when I got there, the passengers did not get in on the side the girl stuck her head out and told me there was vomit on that side. I came out and saw the vomit ALL OVER THE OUTSIDE OF MY CAR! but the riders said I should take them to where they wanted to go because it was 3am and did not want to wait for another Uber driver.
> 
> ...


Jeez, you didn't need a detailer, I carry a detailing kit, disinfectant, etc, in the car ( I used to be a detailer long ago ) and use a dust pan to scoop it up. After scooping all you can, go to one of those self service car washes where they have powerful vacuums and finish it up. Then scrub the carpet and the seats with witha good brush using simple green, disinfect, wait a couple hours, and you're good to go. Okay, now I keep plastic trash bags, and at 2 pm, which is puker time, I say to every passenger, puke bags are in the pouch behind the front seats. Also, I have now have throw rugs covering my carpet. I learned all this the hard way when someone puked in my car, a year ago . But, Uber reimbursed me for 3 hours down time, at $15 an hour ( which was the average at the time I was down, and they billed the rider for it ). I'm a nice guy, I gave him 3 stars. That smell is tough to get rid of, of course. Carry hydrogen peroxide, its' a non-toxic disinfectant., it's also a great spot remover, cleaner. I've driven a cab for years, and the truth is, pukers are rare, maybe one every year or every two years. Just be on the lookout, they give you warnings, "would you open the windows? ' etc. Also, pukers are always super smashed. If you see someone walking to your car obviously tanked to a level that you feel might harm you or your property, you DO NOT have to take them. They cant rate you if you do not engage the app, remember.

Another thing I started doing, I stop driving at 1 am. The bar crowd always want to stop in some fast food joint, and trash my car. Enough is enough. I just don't do the bar rush, anymore, and I come out a couple hours early. Doesn't make up for the loss in income, but that it spares me the super hassle of dealing with young, obnoxious, drunks, and possible bad ratings therefrom, its' worth it to just shine that income on and keep my car clean.


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## puber (Aug 31, 2014)

http://www.uberpeople.net/threads/puke-pix-database-please-contribute.7001/#post-82980


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## SDUberdriver (Nov 11, 2014)

Precious said:


> Thanks Casandria. Experience is the best teacher :=( ...now I know. I have stopped driving nights since then.


_Wow ,it really amazes me hearing all these stories of people puking in vehicles. I have been driving limousines for 18 years . And Ubering for a year and half. I have drove every thing from sedans to mini buses . And not once have I had a person puke in any vehicle. _


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

Casandria said:


> You could have driven it through a gas station car wash....


Not at 3 am.


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## driveLA (Aug 15, 2014)

I don't know how one does not notice someone hacking up vomit but ya a detailing really seems like overkill for vomit on the door.

I would suggest you try to get your money until you get a definitive no though. You might convince someone. 

You live you learn.


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

We have many 24 hour self serve gas stations here and the car washes are self-serve as well so it's not a problem here. Might be in other places, but regardless, popping into a 24 Walmart or drugstore for gloves and doing it yourself would have been cheaper and involved less downtime.


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## SDUberdriver (Nov 11, 2014)

Casandria said:


> We have many 24 hour self serve gas stations here and the car washes are self-serve as well so it's not a problem here. Might be in other places, but regardless, popping into a 24 Walmart or drugstore for gloves and doing it yourself would have been cheaper and involved less downtime.


_Yes you . I was in San Antonio back in Aug. I couldn't believe all the car washes I saw. Not to mention all the fast food joints. Wasn't to crazy for Whataburger. Loved Freddy's _


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

Whataburger is a Texas tradition, but if you're going to be in San Antonio, you have to eat Mexican food. Teka Molina, Chachos and Las Palapas are my favs.


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## SDUberdriver (Nov 11, 2014)

Casandria said:


> Whataburger is a Texas tradition, but if you're going to be in San Antonio, you have to eat Mexican food. Teka Molina, Chachos and Las Palapas are my favs.


_Did not partake in any Mexican food. Here in San Diego ,we have plenty of fine Mexican food. _


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

Ours is better


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## Precious (Oct 10, 2014)

Thanks.


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## UberUber (Sep 21, 2014)

Precious said:


> Last Saturday, I picked up 3 girls. The one that sat in the back right seat, rolled down the window and stuck her head out throughout the ride, while the girl that sat next to me kept me busy with conversation, apparently to distract me. When we got to their destination, she helped the girl that stuck her head out, out of the car and left.


Oh I'm sorry I misunderstood. You just let the friends of the woman who threw up in your car and were trying to distract you while she horfed stay in your car. You're a lot better person than I am.


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## thehappytypist (Oct 9, 2014)

The policy is SUPPOSED to be no receipt required now, just pictures, and we reimburse based on how bad the mess is. Sounds like not everyone got that memo.


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## Drivingmecrazy (Oct 21, 2014)

Casandria said:


> Ours is better


 Disagree... Tex-mex is not Mexican food. Just me two cents


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## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

Drivingmecrazy said:


> Disagree... Tex-mex is not Mexican food. Just me two cents


It is to the Mexicans who prepare it and eat it


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

If you have a puke suspect, stop the car. Request either a $100 cash deposit held until ride completion and returned if they don't puke OR if they puke it, they forfeit it. 

OR they just have to get out on the spot. 

Bypass Uber. Too much headache.

I had a pax tonight that could barely get in the car. I was more worried he was going to pass out so I turned the a/c on to keep him on ice. Fortunately it was a short trip. 2.5 miles or so. He kept closing his eyes and I kept talking to him. He was seriously jacked. So, the sad part is, when I dropped him off, HE GOT IN HIS CAR AND DROVE AWAY. I took off as soon as he opened the car door but I saw him pull out in the rear view mirror. Couldn't believe what a freakin' idiot he was. I should have just called the cops on him when he pulled out. Thought about it.


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## DjTim (Oct 18, 2014)

SDUberdriver said:


> _Wow ,it really amazes me hearing all these stories of people puking in vehicles. I have been driving limousines for 18 years . And Ubering for a year and half. I have drove every thing from sedans to mini buses . And not once have I had a person puke in any vehicle. _


This is surprising to me as well. I had one girl puke on me, but she was totally polite about it, asked me to pull over, she got out and puked. It was motion sickness and she was totally embarrassed. Gave her a bottle of water, she gave me a tip and kept on apologizing. I've had over 200 riders between Lyft and Uber, so really i'm one out of 199+.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

scrurbscrud said:


> If you have a puke suspect, stop the car. Request either a $100 cash deposit held until ride completion and returned if they don't puke OR if they puke it, they forfeit it.
> 
> OR they just have to get out on the spot.
> 
> ...


$100 refundable cash deposit for HPP (High Puke Probability) paxs. Now that is the best post we have had on this thread, bar none. That's brilliant! And if the pax refuses or doesn't have cash, simply cancel the ride and wait for the next ping. In my case I accept credit cards for one of my other businesses, so I could even take a credit card for the deposit. And since we're all IC's Uber has no say over what policies we abide by regarding use and treatment of our cars. Again, brilliant suggestion. Well done!


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

@Drivingmecrazy We have both. Depends on which restaurant you go to, but there are more Hispanics here than any other place in the country and they are the majority of the population. Further up north in Dallas, you get more of the Tex-mex, but here it's more authentic.


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

Casandria said:


> @Drivingmecrazy We have both. Depends on which restaurant you go to, but there are more Hispanics here than any other place in the country and they are the majority of the population. Further up north in Dallas, you get more of the Tex-mex, but here it's more authentic.


Folks, let's get back on topic. We're discussing puke here, not the merits of Mexican food. And although the two may be separated by only a few minutes or a couple hours of gastro activity, you really should take your culinary discussions to a different thread. Again, we're focused on puke - or the state of Mexican food after ingestion.

Thank you,


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

SDUberdriver said:


> _Wow ,it really amazes me hearing all these stories of people puking in vehicles. I have been driving limousines for 18 years . And Ubering for a year and half. I have drove every thing from sedans to mini buses . And not once have I had a person puke in any vehicle. _


Cheap rates attracts a different quality of customer. The cheaper the rates get, the cheaper the alcohol in your riders' stomachs will be.


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## Casandria (Dec 20, 2014)

@Desert Driver You're no fun


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## UberUber (Sep 21, 2014)

OK, back to puke. One time I was driving a Pax and his pals to a local brewery. They were already pretty drunk at about 9 pm. Near the end of the ride one of his friends said "Pull over he is gonna get carsick" so I pulled into the closet parking lot, which was a McDonalds (poetic justice) where he stumbled out of my car and ralphed all over the parking lot, his legs, his feet, his flip-flops. Bleh. I wouldn't let him back in my car, and I told his friends I could finish driving them to their location or they could seek other transportation but I couldn't let him back in my car. 

They left. One star ratings were exchanged. I swore never to wear flip-flops again


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

Casandria said:


> @Desert Driver You're no fun


Generally I try not to be Davie Downer, but when discussing driving the porcelain bus with Ralph and Earl, we gotta stay focused.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

Desert Driver said:


> Generally I try not to be Davie Downer, but when discussing driving the porcelain bus with Ralph and Earl, we gotta stay focused.


Yes indeed. If yer gonna do this gig ya gots to pay close attentions to your environment. In our case that is the demeanor of the pax PRIOR to getting in your ride. And you only have few seconds to assess the situation.

Even doing all of this everyone will get nailed sooner or later. Ride share drivers get a much larger share of these types of pax because the system is too easy to use. When drunk pax have to actually call and coherently speak to someone there is more opportunity to engage their sufficiency.

SO, that being said, late hour pickups require a phone call as soon as you pull up to the bar. Even before you hit the arrive button.

It is right there that you do your personal screening.


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## UberHammer (Dec 5, 2014)

scrurbscrud said:


> Yes indeed. If yer gonna do this gig ya gots to pay close attentions to your environment. In our case that is the demeanor of the pax PRIOR to getting in your ride. And you only have few seconds to assess the situation.
> 
> Even doing all of this everyone will get nailed sooner or later. Ride share drivers get a much larger share of these types of pax because the system is too easy to use. When drunk pax have to actually call and coherently speak to someone there is more opportunity to engage their sufficiency.
> 
> ...


In some twisted form of irony, the cab industry's phone call dispatching system has been, and still is filtering out some of the potential puking incidents. Obviously not all of them given most cabs smell like puke. But some potential pukers are unable to successfully get a cab ride because they can't communicate their location via a phone call. The cabs have been and are avoiding those pukers.

So yes, the technology makes the UberX driver at a higher risk of pukers than cab drivers. Add in the drunks who can't afford a cab, but CAN afford an UberX and the risk of getting pukers rises exponentially as UberX rates continue to drop.

As many have said, if you drive people home from bars, you should expect puking. If you haven't had it yet, it's just a matter of time. It's unavoidable, as even the phone call scrurbscrud does gives no info on the caller's friend who is coming too and is about to burst.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

UberHammer said:


> In some twisted form of irony, the cab industry's phone call dispatching system has been, and still is filtering out some of the potential puking incidents. Obviously not all of them given most cabs smell like puke. But some potential pukers are unable to successfully get a cab ride because they can't communicate their location via a phone call. The cabs have been and are avoiding those pukers.
> 
> So yes, the technology makes the UberX driver at a higher risk of pukers than cab drivers. Add in the drunks who can't afford a cab, but CAN afford an UberX and the risk of getting pukers rises exponentially as UberX rates continue to drop.
> 
> As many have said, if you drive people home from bars, you should expect puking. If you haven't had it yet, it's just a matter of time. It's unavoidable, as even the phone call scrurbscrud does gives no info on the caller's friend who is coming too and is about to burst.


The call is only the first step. IF someone else has requested a ride for a passenger or someone else answers their phone, that is the FIRST ALERT that you have a problem on your hands. I immediately cancel all such requests made by others because the pax more than likely was incapable of running the app.

You also have to ask how many passengers will there be. If more than one, then it is also wise to NOT LET anyone in the vehicle until you do your few second curb side evaluation. Since I drive XL, when the pax drunkeness levels, easily assessed, starts rising, my awareness meter also must rise.

It is only MY responsibility to make sure everyone is capable of completing the journey "safely." Any risks I assume in engaging to do that are only mine to bear.

It is very helpful to step out of the vehicle. Smile. Be nice. Ask how everyone is doing. Having a good time, etc. and to set the tone for the trip. During this brief evaluation you can figure out everything you need to figure out. This is just a mandatory exercise for late night routine or it's gonna cost YOU.

Delayed pax arrival or pax coming to the vehicle 'not together' is also another clue that the latecomers might be in worse shape. I will let the early arrivals in, leaving the door open and the lights on until the others arrive, but I still stand outside waiting to assess the others.

There are many little ditties that can be asked. "Is everyone doing OK?" is a good one too.

You have to 'engage' them. It's unavoidable.

With the screaming drunk, they will assuredly 'engage' in a very very different manner.

If a friend or a bouncer/attendant has to help a buddy to the vehicle, big trouble. They are just passing their troubles to you. NO THANKS. It's not worth the headache.


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## Sanfordius (Sep 3, 2015)

Precious said:


> Last Saturday, I picked up 3 girls. The one that sat in the back right seat, rolled down the window and stuck her head out throughout the ride, while the girl that sat next to me kept me busy with conversation, apparently to distract me. When we got to their destination, she helped the girl that stuck her head out, out of the car and left.
> 
> I got another request and when I got there, the passengers did not get in on the side the girl stuck her head out and told me there was vomit on that side. I came out and saw the vomit ALL OVER THE OUTSIDE OF MY CAR! but the riders said I should take them to where they wanted to go because it was 3am and did not want to wait for another Uber driver.
> 
> ...


Last night a guy puked all over the inside of my car ruining a new mat and staining the backseat terribly. Without going too much further into detail the response I got from Uber in the beginning was well there are millions of uber drivers and we try to answer each one of their problems.
I had to trash the new mat because I couldn't very well card it all the way back home filled with puke. And I was way out in the boonies very late at night so it was pitch black. Also like any corporation when they "apologize for the inconvenience" it is insulting. Meanwhile I have to clean the car as best as I can so I can take more riders today if I don't then they will smell it


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