# Uber SUCKS for drivers!



## Uber SUCKS for drivers! (Jan 1, 2015)

NYE was a complete flop! at least here in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. Zero surging! Absolutely no action, with over 500 cars online because of all the "make a $1,000" hype, it was worse than a regular nite. Almost impossible to get hit, I got very lucky to gross $50, a lot of people made $0! I have completed over 1200 rides for Uber & Lyft since May, and have a 4.9 with both. They have completely saturated and totally ruined it for drivers. Besides waaaaay 2 many drivers, the price has been cut nearly in half. It was actually better at $4 gas, than it is now at $2 gas. Its no longer economically feasible to net any real money at this! If gas goes back to $4, its over!


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

Uber SUCKS for drivers! said:


> NYE was a complete flop! at least here in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. Zero surging! Absolutely no action, with over 500 cars online because of all the "make a $1,000" hype, it was worse than a regular nite. Almost impossible to get hit, I got very lucky to gross $50, a lot of people made $0! I have completed over 1200 rides for Uber & Lyft since May, and have a 4.9 with both. They have completely saturated and totally ruined it for drivers. Besides waaaaay 2 many drivers, the price has been cut nearly in half. It was actually better at $4 gas, than it is now at $2 gas. Its no longer economically feasible to net any real money at this! If gas goes back to $4, its over!


POST # 1 / USFD! : Until and unless an in-
ve$tor of $ignificance puts his boot up T.K.'s
a$$ & demands that advertising for drivers
CEASES and all that ad revenue/effort goes
into selling/acquiring CUSTOMERS (PAX) the viability
of "partnership" will continue to erode!


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## Uberdawg (Oct 23, 2014)

Casuale Haberdasher said:


> POST # 1 / USFD! : Until and unless an in-
> ve$tor of $ignificance puts his boot up T.K.'s
> a$$ & demands that advertising for drivers
> CEASES and all that ad revenue/effort goes
> ...


In one of our "You are going to be overwhelmed with PAX this NYE" emails from Uber, they did say that they had taken out an ad in a local magazine with limited distribution that almost no one reads to increase ridership.

Uber on....


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

Uberdawg said:


> In one of our "You are going to be overwhelmed with PAX this NYE" emails from Uber, they did say that they had taken out an ad in a local magazine with limited distribution that almost no one reads to increase ridership.
> 
> Uber on....


POST # 3 / UBERDAWG:..... There Travis goes
again ..... " advancing to the rear ".


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## Roogy (Nov 4, 2014)

The thing is this job is never again going to be one where you work a 9-5 type of day and make $50k a year. It's too easy to get this job. It is easier to get a job driving for Uber than it would be to get a job at a McDonalds. Thus expect the supply and demand will eventually balance out to where it's not much better than a minimum wage gig. Seems like that's about where it is right now.


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## SgtMurphy (Apr 28, 2014)

My days are numbered anyways, but I'm lucky to have Boston: the intersection of a few things:
-Cold as shit
-Crappy public trans
-College kids in greater numbers than any other place
Also I'm XL so on nights like last night I am in demand.
I had no illusions about doing really well, and stayed in for most of the night because I knew would be flooded with dummies thinking they would get rich but I went out for 3 1/2 hours and made 200 bucks


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Roogy said:


> it's not much better than a minimum wage gig. Seems like that's about where it is right now.


Minimum wage in FL is over $8 now. I'm not averaging that after expenses!


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## Worcester Sauce (Aug 20, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> Minimum wage in FL is over $8 now. I'm not averaging that after expenses!


...most (many) drivers who are honest with themselves about their expenses are in the same boat. The kid at the McDonald's drive-thru has a safer job, makes more money (in many cases) and has a predictable schedule and paycheck.


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## CityGirl (Nov 29, 2014)

Uberdawg said:


> In one of our "You are going to be overwhelmed with PAX this NYE" emails from Uber, they did say that they had taken out an ad in a local magazine with limited distribution that almost no one reads to increase ridership.
> 
> Uber on....


My partner got an email as a passenger that told him how to avoid surge pricing (What?!) and I got no passenger email. Ignoring for a moment how nonsensical it is for Uber to notify people how to avoid paying us, how do they not notify all passengers? His was from a FL office, we live in San Diego. Baffling.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

CityGirl said:


> My partner got an email as a passenger that told him how to avoid surge pricing (What?!) and I got no passenger email. Ignoring for a moment how nonsensical it is for Uber to notify people how to avoid paying us, how do they not notify all passengers? His was from a FL office, we live in San Diego. Baffling.


Uber is here to make money not get rich quick by ripping off customers for a year. That's business to constantly ripp off customers. There will be no repeat business and then no repeat work for you. You can't get rich with someone's money due to surging. Taking people down the street or home does not justify 200 bucks and not good for return business.


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## CityGirl (Nov 29, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> Uber is here to make money not get rich quick by ripping off customers for a year. That's business to constantly ripp off customers. There will be no repeat business and then no repeat work for you. You can't get rich with someone's money due to surging. Taking people down the street or home does not justify 200 bucks and not good for return business.


Then they shouldn't have the surge model.

There should be an IQ test for passengers. If they can't understand that accepting a surge, confirming a surge, agreeing to a surge at a particular rate and typing that rate in as a further confirmation means they are going to pay a surge, they should not be allowed to ride.


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## UberBlackPr1nce (Dec 28, 2014)

Lol that is not practical. And second the surge is to prevent a bombardment of request that can't be honored by a driver network. It basically says to pax how bad do you need this ride? If you can wait few minutes until other drivers get online or arrive then it will be cheaper for you. If not then you got to pay 3 times the going rate because our driver pool is limited. This is a transportation business not hooters.You don't have a hostess informing you on a wait time. So they use numbers to help you make your decisions. Surge pricing is their way of telling you there is a wait and if you can't be patient then you can pay VIP and go right in.


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## Barbara Bitela (Jul 14, 2014)

Here's my double nickels worth:

*SURGE:* During the month's of Nov and through Dec just before NYE I tell all my pax: "If you get surge pricing you have a choice. Do. Or do not. There is no one forcing you to do this but CONSIDER THIS: all year long uber is so cheap that IF you get nailed with a 100 tab vs your usual ten dollar bill for a ride, amortize it over one year: I think it's less than a tenth of a penny or darn close. *It's also a great way to let the drivers know you want us out here and support our efforts." *Without exception PAX said, "good to know, thanks. You guys rock."

*SURGE: MORE TO THE POINT: UBER, what a missed opportunity! *

DEAR Passenger: we see that you had a surge pricing charge, so we are OFFERING you a $100 credit towards your account for future rides (in short, UBER to kick BACK TO PAX 20 percent of what the surge total fare was for the PAX: Uber still makes money!) DOH! How easy and PR? Priceless --(except for those Negative Nellie's who complain about everything.)

*JOB:* Uber is a great gig to add a few bux to your life; it's not a business model that is great for full time IN EVERY city. It's solid fun too, if you like to get out and about. So if you can't make it on full time uber may I suggest you do what I did: adapt. I found a gig to offset the dead hours. It's working, too. As now when I do uber it's a lot more fun. The pressure's off.

*PRESS:* As far as Travis: he needs new PR folks handling him: Sorry, Travis, love ya man but ---

1. totally not cool for him to use the F bomb in an interview: dude, I have no trouble speaking truth to 'power': stop it, Travis. Why? It's demeaning.
2. please do not refer yourself as a 'pimp': words MEAN THINGS: see number one herein as to why. 
3. you're scrappy: I get it, and I dig it. But how about your PR folks tell the news about the charities you support and what you are doing with MADD and the DUI class support? Shallow? Maybe. so what -- those causes are noble and folks should at least get a hint as to what you're up to.
*
DRIVERS: *

Treat the drivers better: SO EZ! How? So glad you asked, simple stuff: 
a) waive any and all commissions for one day: perhaps their birthday.
b) offer a 4.8 for at least forty weeks: $100 bonus. Congrats, Driver, for keeping your pax happy.
c) partner with all the coffee shops: "you drive for uber: twenty percent off select drinks."
d) the week the driver renews their regi for you: offer a no commission take on that day if they drive.
e) connect with a LOT more car dealers: let them know we are coming and may be buying.

I'll bet you all guys on the thread here can offer great ideas, too: (if you offer crude here on the post, I block you. Plain and simple: life's too short.)
I email all my ideas to uber.
You never know.
God please bless us and keep us safe on the road!
John 3:16
Amen.


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## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> Lol that is not practical. And second the surge is to prevent a bombardment of request that can't be honored by a driver network. It basically says to pax how bad do you need this ride? If you can wait few minutes until other drivers get online or arrive then it will be cheaper for you. If not then you got to pay 3 times the going rate because our driver pool is limited. This is a transportation business not hooters.You don't have a hostess informing you on a wait time. So they use numbers to help you make your decisions. Surge pricing is their way of telling you there is a wait and if you can't be patient then you can pay VIP and go right in.


Exactly! Well stated...
Not to mention this $100 ride (not like I had one, but anyway) is much cheaper than a $10k+ DUI


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

CityGirl said:


> My partner got an email as a passenger that told him how to avoid surge pricing (What?!) and I got no passenger email. Ignoring for a moment how nonsensical it is for Uber to notify people how to avoid paying us, how do they not notify all passengers? His was from a FL office, we live in San Diego. Baffling.


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## cybertec69 (Jul 23, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> Minimum wage in FL is over $8 now. I'm not averaging that after expenses!


And destroying your car, and yourself in the process.


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## CityGirl (Nov 29, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> Lol that is not practical. And second the surge is to prevent a bombardment of request that can't be honored by a driver network. It basically says to pax how bad do you need this ride? If you can wait few minutes until other drivers get online or arrive then it will be cheaper for you. If not then you got to pay 3 times the going rate because our driver pool is limited. This is a transportation business not hooters.You don't have a hostess informing you on a wait time. So they use numbers to help you make your decisions. Surge pricing is their way of telling you there is a wait and if you can't be patient then you can pay VIP and go right in.


So why are you saying they are ripping off passengers then by doing this once a year?

I was being facetious, obviously people have other choices. They can take the city bus. Oh, wait, the drivers aren't working holidays? Hmm...maybe if they got paid more to work holidays...they would. Yeah, just like US!


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## bb2014 (Dec 27, 2014)

SgtMurphy said:


> My days are numbered anyways, but I'm lucky to have Boston: the intersection of a few things:
> -Cold as shit
> -Crappy public trans
> -College kids in greater numbers than any other place
> ...


what is the percentage of xl trips would you average?


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## JaxBeachDriver (Nov 27, 2014)

Just found out from a passenger that Uber texts passengers to let them know when surge has ended!


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## Just_in (Jun 29, 2014)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> Just found out from a passenger that Uber texts passengers to let them know when surge has ended!


Just because UBER SAY"S their is a supply and demand issue to charge a hire price doe's not make it so. Just because a area on the driver app say's empty doe's not mean their is a supply and demand issue. Supply and demand issue's occur where their are tourist's, hotel's DT area where by the way are Taxi Stands providing the same service. Sporting event's etc..follow the money trail.

However how come their is no supply and demand issue in the some neighborhoods. Does Southwest LA in Los Angeles ever surge??

No, But Manhatten Beach usually surges quite often, as other beach communities do.

Inglewood, CA. Oh but it does when there is a Sporting Event at the Forum.

It's simple Surge Pricing is Price Gouging.

If anyone can offer any proof other than your rider/driver app proof of what Uber states is supply and demand I'd like to see it. Just because UBER SAY's does not make it so..not good enough...


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## Barbara Bitela (Jul 14, 2014)

I am pretty sure I disagree with Just In. Gouging is when it's TAKEN: ie 'no choice', wherein our pax have MANY choices. And for those of you who believe uber somehow 'owes' you minimum wage: welcome to independent contractor status. Uber does not owe us therefore we either do or do not or do and adapt ie can another gig to supplement. Hugs on ya'll! b


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## RideshareGuru (Nov 17, 2014)

SgtMurphy said:


> My days are numbered anyways, but I'm lucky to have Boston: the intersection of a few things:
> -Cold as shit
> -Crappy public trans
> -College kids in greater numbers than any other place
> ...


Driving a bunch of college kids around in an XL, can't say that I envy you, I avoid the colleges where I am like the plague. As the number of college kids in a car increases, the problems with them exponentially increase.


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## RideshareGuru (Nov 17, 2014)

Barbara Bitela said:


> I am pretty sure I disagree with Just In. Gouging is when it's TAKEN: ie 'no choice', wherein our pax have MANY choices. And for those of you who believe uber somehow 'owes' you minimum wage: welcome to independent contractor status. Uber does not owe us therefore we either do or do not or do and adapt ie can another gig to supplement. Hugs on ya'll! b


Problem: Uber does not treat their drivers as ICs. They have several policies in direct contradiction to their contract. One of which is deactivating drivers due to acceptance rating. Another is summary deactivation (the contract states that there is a 30 day notice required in most circumstances). The contract also states that drivers can negotiate their own rates with the pax, however their lawyers have gone on record in public hearings stating that while that is in fact in the contract, the company would not allow it to happen in practice. They also openly push for legislation and regulation that undermines the IC concept, the biggest of which is regulations forcing drivers to work for only 1 TNC. If we are ICs, then we need to be treated as such, if we are not ICs, then we need the same benefits that all other employees are entitled to under law.


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## Uber Cancel (May 1, 2015)

It's harder with fare cuts Uber implemented.


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## UberRidiculous (May 19, 2015)

Just_in said:


> Just because UBER SAY"S their is a supply and demand issue to charge a hire price doe's not make it so. Just because a area on the driver app say's empty doe's not mean their is a supply and demand issue. Supply and demand issue's occur where their are tourist's, hotel's DT area where by the way are Taxi Stands providing the same service. Sporting event's etc..follow the money trail.
> 
> However how come their is no supply and demand issue in the some neighborhoods. Does Southwest LA in Los Angeles ever surge??
> 
> ...


I read surges are mostly Uber's way of redistributing drivers in an area.


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## JLA (Mar 26, 2015)

Barbara Bitela said:


> I am pretty sure I disagree with Just In. Gouging is when it's TAKEN: ie 'no choice', wherein our pax have MANY choices. And for those of you who believe uber somehow 'owes' you minimum wage: welcome to independent contractor status. Uber does not owe us therefore we either do or do not or do and adapt ie can another gig to supplement. Hugs on ya'll! b


If Uber drivers were truly"Independent Contractors" then guess what? They'd set a price where they felt they could earn an appropriate living. Definition of an Independent Contractor....."they are rarely tied to an employer, they are free to set their own rules of business".

You might want to read up on this. The government says that Uber calling their drivers Independent Contractors is a misclassification. The reason Uber doesn't want to call you an employee is simple.

"Employees are entitled to the protection of wage and hour laws and are protected from discrimination and retaliation by employers."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misclassification_of_employees_as_independent_contractors

"pax have MANY choices"
They do but most of them like cheap. Uber is still the cheapest game in town surge or no surge.

Yes Uber can and will gouge based on location. I live in the SF Valley. There's allot more demand here as say Manhattan Beach but it's almost never surging.


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## Cooluberdriver (Nov 29, 2014)

Roogy said:


> The thing is this job is never again going to be one where you work a 9-5 type of day and make $50k a year. It's too easy to get this job. It is easier to get a job driving for Uber than it would be to get a job at a McDonalds. Thus expect the supply and demand will eventually balance out to where it's not much better than a minimum wage gig. Seems like that's about where it is right now.


It's below min wage already for X


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## Cooluberdriver (Nov 29, 2014)

UberBlackPr1nce said:


> Uber is here to make money not get rich quick by ripping off customers for a year. That's business to constantly ripp off customers. There will be no repeat business and then no repeat work for you. You can't get rich with someone's money due to surging. Taking people down the street or home does not justify 200 bucks and not good for return business.


But Mr black prince, I made good money back in the day doing that when I did X at 2.85 a mile and then 7x surge in top. Ah those were the days...sigh


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

"Uber SUCKS for drivers!" One the best thread titles in this forum. Love the simplicity of it. You don't need to write a 100 word post to describe it.


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## Dapper (Feb 28, 2017)

JaxBeachDriver said:


> Minimum wage in FL is over $8 now. I'm not averaging that after expenses!


2 months of uber was enough for me - I'm done -it is less than minimum wage - waste of time


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## shiftydrake (Dec 12, 2015)

Dapper said:


> 2 months of uber was enough for me - I'm done -it is less than minimum wage - waste of time


Zombie thread why post after 1 and 1/2 years?


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