# Anyone renting with Flex Drive? [Edit: DON'T. IT'S A SCAM]



## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

I am on a rental program called Flex Drive from Lyft, where I am being charged $0.17/mile for "Lyft miles" and $0.38/mile for "personal miles".

So far, it looks like distance to pickup on a Lyft ride isnt charged, but then again, the pickup distances have been so close that it might be just a bit of a rounding error.

Do any of you know for sure what the terms are, and whether driving around while waiting for pickups with the app on is being charged as lift miles, or free?

If it's free, are there any conditions attached to it, such as being required to accept any ride requests that come in for those miles to be free? Or is it unconditional, where I can just turn down every ride and get free miles?


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Ok nevermind I just added up totals after 6 rides and looks like every mile is being charged, pickup or not.

14.41 miles by fare calculation, 20 miles by rental mileage charge. Wow this is really expensive.

I am on a $900 guarantee for 48 rides which means $18.75 average per ride, hoping for a bunch of short rides.

Lyft rental fares used to pay a fixed rental rate card rate which was about $0.20/mi less than if you had your own car. I thought that was really bad, but this is a tricky way for Lyft to screw you even more. And they charge $0.38/mi if you don't have the app on!!!!!


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## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

NewLyftDriver said:


> Ok nevermind I just added up totals after 6 rides and looks like every mile is being charged, pickup or not.
> 
> 14.41 miles by fare calculation, 20 miles by rental mileage charge. Wow this is really expensive.
> 
> ...


Wow so you rent a car from Lyft.... They charge you by MILES?

And Yes, Lyft don't pay LONG DISTANCE PICK UP (They use to 3 years ago)

Come on Lyft, the management in Lyft team is messing it up badly


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## NicFit (Jan 18, 2020)

You need to find something that don’t charge by the mile, I regularly drive 200-300 miles per day and that’ll eat up a huge part of your profits. You need to find a car that’s 1-2 years from aging out to start with and hope it’ll stay together long enough to buy a 3-4 year old used car. Renting by the mile isn’t advised for this gig


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Completely agreed, it was intended to be a very temporary solution. If I fully realized how terrible this really is, I wouldn't have done it. I actually did a ride for a -- no exaggeration -- loss earlier. A semi-long trip 50+ miles round trip almost 1.5 hours w/ traffic into the suburbs, no ride back. Cost me about $9 in mileage ON TOP OF the base $220/wk rental cost, about $6-7 in gas. We're talking $16 + base rental, for what ended up being a $20 total fare which INCLUDED a $1.75 ride bonus.

I'm going to try and return the rental tomorrow, hopefully they're open and won't make me keep it the full 7 days. The rep told me I could return any time, even after only 1 day, but I'm pretty sure she was clueless and didn't know there was a 7 day minimum.

If I can't, I guess I'll finish out the 48 ride $900 guarantee and cancel anything longer than 10 miles or so and park it immediately after 48 rides.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

This Flex Drive program is a *complete scam* and screws you over much harder than their previous "unlimited free miles" program that featured a reduced-fare rate card, usually about $0.20/mile reduction in fare. I thought that was terrible and a predatory nickel&diming scam practice, but this is FAR worse.

I am certain this move was not only to increase their profits directly, but also to bypass the Prop22 minimum earnings guarantee as well as guarantee-bonuses. Since, a reduced rate card would mean more $$ paid out by guarantee bonuses and Prop22 minimum guarantees, as it would be near impossible to hit Prop22 minimum guarantee with a reduced rate card.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Started the day with another terrible one.

30 minute 18 mile trip + 1 mile pickup from a shit-rate area to a shit-rate suburban area. $16 fare. No quick and easy trip back meaning likely 37 mile round trip.

$16 fare - $6.29 mileage - $4 gas = $6/hr BEFORE base rental rate = work for free 1 hour & water down earnings guarantee.

Such a soul-crushing experience.

*DO NOT RENT LYFT FLEXDRIVE IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE A SLAVE WORKING FOR FREE*


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Trying to salvage this trip, I'm sitting here waiting like the idiot that I am, with the hope and prayer for a trip that will get me at least somewhat closer to a better area without wasting a destination filter. Even though deep down I know the chances are slim and I know better, I'm desperate.

And of course, I get shit like this.

Going to cost me probably $2-3 worth of pickup mileage fees, gas, and God knows how much worse it's going to position me. All this and I'm not even counting my time, bills, cost of living and so forth. If it's a minimum fare, it will quite *literally cost me money out of my pocket*. If it's a medium-length trip, I will be lucky to break-even.


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## June132017 (Jun 13, 2017)

Have you seen the used car prices on Carmax? The prices for cars really went up. So it might be a ripoff, but it means they aren't paying us enough.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Maybe... but to me it's more like working at McDonald's, except they require you to rent a licensed spatula from them to flip the burger with, which they charge $17 an hour for the rental.


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## June132017 (Jun 13, 2017)

NewLyftDriver said:


> Maybe... but to me it's more like working at McDonald's, except they require you to rent a licensed spatula from them to flip the burger with, which they charge $17 an hour for the rental.


Yeah, people who don't have a car are biting at this crap pay. Right now I could use the rental though.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Why?

Your market might not be as predatory and scandalous, and you might be able to get the Express Drive rental partnered through Hertz for a fixed price. But, that might come with a reduced rate card. If you put in a good amount of miles it's not as expensive as the Flex Drive scam, but it's still going to cost you a lot. It's going to be a similar driving experience as a 6 mpg gas guzzler.


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## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

NewLyftDriver said:


> Why?
> 
> Your market might not be as predatory and scandalous, and you might be able to get the Express Drive rental partnered through Hertz for a fixed price. But, that might come with a reduced rate card. If you put in a good amount of miles it's not as expensive as the Flex Drive scam, but it's still going to cost you a lot. It's going to be a similar driving experience as a 6 mpg gas guzzler.


my suggestion to you it's just work more hour a day and get your own car 

Second hand car and pass SMUG . You good


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

It's a long story but I have my own car... for complicated reasons not worth explaining right now, I just can't get it added to Lyft and my Uber account is in background-check-pending-lockout blues.

If I knew the FlexScam would be this horribly terrible, I would have just done some DoorDash and Amazon. I got lazy and thought I'd make more $$ and not have to get off my fat ass doing rideshare instead of deliveries. Boy was I wrong.

Now that I'm probably stuck with the rental for at least the weekend, I'm just trying to make the best of it and get my money's worth. If it weren't for the $900/48 guarantee I'd just cut my losses completely, park the rental for the weekend and do deliveries, but the guarantee gives me a glimmer of hope


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)




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## SpinalCabbage (Feb 5, 2020)

https://help.lyft.com/hc/e/articles/360033718874-Flexdrive-mileage-plans



Lyft is becoming straight up predatory.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

I'm guessing that the California version is specifically tailored to defeat prop22 minimums , since they know no one will be able to make prop22 minimum on a consistent basis if they simply offered reduced rate cards like they used to pre-22


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## EagleWolfSparrow (Aug 7, 2021)

NewLyftDriver said:


> It's a long story but I have my own car... for complicated reasons not worth explaining right now, I just can't get it added to Lyft and my Uber account is in background-check-pending-lockout blues.
> 
> If I knew the FlexScam would be this horribly terrible, I would have just done some DoorDash and Amazon. I got lazy and thought I'd make more $$ and not have to get off my fat ass doing rideshare instead of deliveries. Boy was I wrong.
> 
> Now that I'm probably stuck with the rental for at least the weekend, I'm just trying to make the best of it and get my money's worth. If it weren't for the $900/48 guarantee I'd just cut my losses completely, park the rental for the weekend and do deliveries, but the guarantee gives me a glimmer of hope


Did your car have exterior damage? or it's too old ?
Uber Back ground check take forever (Even thought it's same comapny as Lyft use "Checkr"
They finally approved me this Friday. Which took 3 months!


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## Lazy Suzan (Sep 9, 2021)

SpinalCabbage said:


> https://help.lyft.com/hc/e/articles/360033718874-Flexdrive-mileage-plans
> 
> 
> 
> Lyft is becoming straight up predatory.


It is set up like a lease, but unlike a lease it is a rental so you have no rights to possession of the vehicle, which means they can kick you out of it anytime.


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## Lazy Suzan (Sep 9, 2021)

NewLyftDriver said:


>


Find a real job. Rideshare is all a scam.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

But you keep coming back to rideshare forums 

You must be a deactivated rideshare driver. Only deactivated drivers keep coming back after getting repeatedly banned to talk smack about how they're above rideshare


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Got the 48 rides done for the guarantee and a $15 streak bonus. They gave me another 48-ride guarantee next week so I guess I'll keep it for the full 7 days and park it after next week's 48.

Did my best to keep rides under $10 average.

Hopefully by then my Uber BG check will be done.


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## Lazy Suzan (Sep 9, 2021)

NewLyftDriver said:


> But you keep coming back to rideshare forums
> 
> You must be a deactivated rideshare driver. Only deactivated drivers keep coming back after getting repeatedly banned to talk smack about how they're above rideshare


You should take the advice of former rideshare drivers and become one yourself.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Why do you keep coming back to rideshare forums if you're done with it and have moved on to greener pastures? Will no one else in life give you validation?


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## June132017 (Jun 13, 2017)

Any update with this rental program? It seems awfully expensive. What kind of car did they give you by the way? I guess if I had a choice of a car that's reasonable maybe Toyota Avalon would be pretty sweet. Maybe a Chevy would be sweet to rent. I think they usually give out Hyundai's though.


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## KK2929 (Feb 9, 2017)

You are waaaay over thinking the car rental issue..
First, if you think it is a scam -- Stop doing it.. Use your own car and trash it in less then 18 months.. 
No matter what Lyft charges, you will always think that it is too much. No matter what Lyft pays you, you will always think it is not enough..
You do not state what city you drive in ( I assume it is somewhere in Calif because of your reference to Prop22) but every market is different and charged differently by Lyft. In L.A. there are two options -- (1) the 200 personal miles per week for $209 (2) the unlimited free miles per week for ?? about $340.. It is your choice to accept or not .. 
I choose to rent BECAUSE I am driving a newer car then my own car and my car is collecting no miles and maintenance cost.. NOTE: The rental car is a Hybred and cost me $50+ LESS in gasoline each week.. That saving comes off the top of the rental fee. Now the rental car cost me $159 per week..
There are many ways to look at renting a car verses using a personal car.. I choose to rent for several reasons.. It is expensive but I made the choice and do not regret the decision. I certainly do not complain about how much I am being cheated when it was my choice to rent. 

Also, NewLyftDriver, you remarked that you use destination filters to get to a more active areas. You might rethink that strategy.. Poor use of the filters.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

@June132017 It is insanely expensive. If you drive a lot of miles, it could be as high as $600+/wk, even higher if you use "personal miles". On top of that, I believe you are eligible for less bonus opportunities as well.

You're never getting an Avalon, at least not in this market. I got a small hybrid.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

@KK2929 I already explained the situation


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

KK2929 said:


> L.A. there are two options -- (1) the 200 personal miles per week for $209 (2) the unlimited free miles per week for ?? about $340.. It is your choice to accept or not ..


Let me guess, your rate card has lower fare amounts than a non-rental driver? If so, your rental is costing you a lot more than you think


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

KK2929 said:


> Also, NewLyftDriver, you remarked that you use destination filters to get to a more active areas. You might rethink that strategy.. Poor use of the filters


To clarify, I want to get out of a shit-rate zone to a higher-rate zone that is also busier and higher frequencies of shorter trips. In the shit rate zone I will have to put down many more costly miles and time to get the same fare as the better rate area.

Want me to keep explaining? In the shit rate zone the likelihood of picking up ghetto hood rats goes up dramatically and having to take a long money losing trip burying you much deeper in shit rate zonr and an area that's even slower is much higher.

I would bet you any amount of money you can borrow and name that I profit a lot higher than you ever have in your entire miserable rideshare career.

Keep driving that $500+/wk rental, Lyft loves you

Do you want me to keep explaining how to not be a slave idiot driver?


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## Saluki11 (Nov 11, 2020)

NewLyftDriver said:


> Ok nevermind I just added up totals after 6 rides and looks like every mile is being charged, pickup or not.
> 
> 14.41 miles by fare calculation, 20 miles by rental mileage charge. Wow this is really expensive.
> 
> ...


I was paying a lot for my rental....still am...they want to charge me $520 for two small chips in the windshield.


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## Saluki11 (Nov 11, 2020)

EagleWolfSparrow said:


> Did your car have exterior damage? or it's too old ?
> Uber Back ground check take forever (Even thought it's same comapny as Lyft use "Checkr"
> They finally approved me this Friday. Which took 3 months!


3 weeks here.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Saluki11 said:


> 3 weeks here.


3 weeks delay on uber? Did you finally get reinstated, or are you still waiting after 3 weeks?


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Saluki11 said:


> I was paying a lot for my rental....still am...they want to charge me $520 for two small chips in the windshield.


A DIY chip repair kit can be had for a $10 and is very effective and easy to use. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, you can search for places on Craigslist that will do it for you for like $20.


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## Lazy Suzan (Sep 9, 2021)

NewLyftDriver said:


> And you keep coming back to rideshare forums after you claim to be done with rideshare, keep getting banned, then claiming to be driving a bootleg rideshare account from your previous banned accounts, all the while trying to maintain the story that you're done with rideshare on your new sock puppet account, because....... Why?


I am trying to help you man. You live in US or Canada and are under 40 no reason you can't bring in 100,000 a year. Come on man, straighten yourself out man. Look in the mirror and ask yourself why you basically just put yourself in slavery to Logan? Get it together man.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

And you keep coming back to rideshare forms when you're trying to tell the story that you're done with register because,..... Answer that question for me..... You keep trying to dodge it because you are not telling the truth


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## Lazy Suzan (Sep 9, 2021)

NewLyftDriver said:


> And you keep coming back to rideshare forms when you're trying to tell the story that you're done with register because,..... Answer that question for me..... You keep trying to dodge it because you are not telling the truth


I am trying to help you guys. You are so indebted you can't see that can you?


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Why did you talk about how you're driving a bootleg rideshare account on your previous banned account, after getting deactivated from all gig apps, if your narrative is rideshare is so terribly not for you?

Go away, nobody wants your faux-woke attitude


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## BestInDaWest (Apr 8, 2021)

it's ironic how lyft has turned out to be by far the worse of rideshare..what happened to pink mustaches and the village people? they make darth vader look like a choir boy


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Thanks for confirming that you are Pirate O'Doyle and still hate yourself so much you keep coming back to rideshare forums where they keep banning you, while trying to tell the story that you're "above" rideshare while you're driving your bootleg rideshare account because you couldn't figure out how to make money driving a taxi cab after being deactivated from Uber and Lyft


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Terribly unlucky today, already got 2 airport trips which I have been dreading and afraid of.

To start with, it's a roughly $18 trip which means that at face value, it is a neutral value towards the guarantee since the $900/48 means $18.75. but to make matters worse, it is a (1) ~15mi trip meaning about $3 in FlexScam mileage fees just to get there, and (2) even if you get an immediate rematch it is probably going to be a ~$20 trip which makes it a neutral value again, but to make matters even worse (3) it might take you in a direction you don't want to go to shit-rate areas, and if that's not bad enough, (4) you might not even get a rematch meaning it'll have cost $6 in mileage fees + gas + time + opportunity all for less than $10/hr, and you'll either (5) waste time in the queue for #2 or (6) see #3.

I thought about making up some BS story about "I don't have my airport placard with me today and I don't wanna get in trouble and get fined" but I don't want any more cancel flags.

God I hate Lyft and FlexScam.


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## NewLyftDriver (Sep 10, 2021)

Even more annoying is the fact that neither has tipped yet and probably won't, and the most recent one was standing right in front of a ****ing bus stop ($350 fine) right under a sign that says NO STOPPING ANY TIME on a busy street.

I wish it were easier to cancel on people like this for things like no mask (she wasn't wearing one), nowhere to stop, etc, on Uber I would have canceled immediately after seeing suitcases.

Can't ****ing wait to finish out the 48 and return the god-awful scam rental ASAP


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