# Lost Item Payment Limitations



## Maven (Feb 9, 2017)

Boston and Chicago are the *only* cities currently implementing the $15 Lost item return fee. There is no timetable for further implementation. If you try to follow the procedures outside those cities or otherwise email Uber support then they'll reply:


BINNER said:


> _*W*_*e understand that it requires time and effort to return a lost item to a rider. At this time we are only able to provide lost item return payments in specific cities where we are testing this process. We do this to ensure that when this becomes available in your city, it provides the best experience possible. Thank you for your understanding.*


The Uber web site recommends to riders:

*Lost item return fee *
In some US cities, a $15 fee is charged to you once your lost item is returned. Drivers are independent contractors and this is to compensate them for their time. The entire fee is passed on to the driver.

If you leave an item in a driver's car, we'll help you contact your driver to get it back. To do this, open the Uber app:

1. Tap the menu icon, then "Help"
2. Tap "Trips and Fare Review" and select the trip you took
3. Tap "I lost an item," then "Contact my driver about a lost item"
4. Enter your phone number and tap "SUBMIT"

If your driver picks up and confirms that your item has been found, be considerate of your driver's schedule and find a time that is convenient for both of you. Once the item is returned, you'll be sent a receipt for the $15 fee.

Note: Lost item return fees are currently in Boston and Chicago only. [UPDATE: Now available in more cities]  _*If you live in another city, and would like to pay your driver for their time, you may do so by adding a tip to your trip within the app. *_

Neither Uber nor drivers are responsible for the items left in a vehicle after a trip ends. We're here to help, but we cannot guarantee that a driver has your item or can immediately deliver it to you.​
As a driver, you can point out what the Uber web site states and hope the riders takes the hint. If not you can take down the rider's information (or have it texted) and explain something like: _*"I am not often in your area and I am so busy that I cannot say when I will have the time to deliver the lost item."*_ You may wish to add: "_*traveling the distance required for the return, I would normally receive more than $15*_."

Related threads:

https://uberpeople.net/threads/180-days-returned-item-fee.187427
https://uberpeople.net/threads/returning-lost-items.118366/
Once again, Uber highly-publicizes efforts to improve driver relations that have little real benefit for drivers and are limited to a tiny fraction of the country.


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## Buddywannarideagain (Jun 29, 2017)

Bottom line- throw the lost junk in the garbage.


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## Yulli Yung (Jul 4, 2017)

Buddywannarideagain said:


> Bottom line- throw the lost junk in the garbage.


 And, never, never, admit to anything ever being left in your vehicle. If you try to do the right thing, it will come back and bite you in the butt every time


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## Buddywannarideagain (Jun 29, 2017)

I once returned a wallet that had $147 in it. No tip. Barely a thanks. Not worth it.


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## Maven (Feb 9, 2017)

Returning items is a individual decision for the driver, less likely if you have been burned before. Yet more likely with empathy, especially if the item is important like keys or a cell phone. If you lost the item then what would you hope the finder would do?

Regardless, if you do find the lost item and are willing to attempt a return then *reasonable compensation for your time and trouble* should be established before any attempt is made. If you and the rider cannot agree then you can take down the rider's information (or have it texted) and explain something like: _*"*I am not often in your area and I am so busy that I cannot say when I will have the time to deliver the lost item."_ You may wish to add: "_traveling the distance required for the return, I would normally receive .._."

A lot of the time I am called to look for a lost item that (truthfully) was lost elsewhere. Unless you have a dashcam (yes dashcams can be used against you too) there is no demonstrate otherwise. Another alternative is to bring the lost item to the nearest Greenlight Hub, if convenient, and let them deal with the return.


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## UBERPROcolorado (Jul 16, 2017)

I drive only nights and rarely does a night go by without leaving something in my car. Last night was $15 that fell out of the drives pocket. I notified uber, they contacted the rider and found that I was 10 min away from him. When I arrived he told me to keep it and gave me another 20 for being honest. Honesty pays.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

One of my best all time days driving a taxi I drove from Orlando to Tampa One and a half times. I was probably half way back when I heard a phone ringing in the back seat... I missed the next exit and got off the highway.

WOOPS...

Not my fault not my problem, an extra $80 in revenue for that. The customer totally understood and felt really bad making me turn back around for Tampa again.


Had i been doing uber I may have chucked the cell phone in a 711 dumpster.


The extra i got for returning it was less than the entire trip would have paid out on uber...

The $15 doesn't come close to covering it. It should be the drivers choice of taking the $15 to drive the item back, slapping a shipping label on a shoe box to mail it back, or paying a full uber trip to drive it back.


To make it accross town (orlandoish) by uberX is only... $50-$60... ON UBER X...
Which are the worst uber rates in the country... by a lot.


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## UBERPROcolorado (Jul 16, 2017)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> One of my best all time days driving a taxi I drove from Orlando to Tampa One and a half times. I was probably half way back when I heard a phone ringing in the back seat... I missed the next exit and got off the highway.
> 
> WOOPS...
> 
> ...


I certainly get your point. I guess it is a personal preference. I prefer to be kind to others and in turn they are kind to me. The old what comes around goes around. I am glad that that the rider was happy and OK with paying the bounty fee on the phone.

As for uber, we do not have the option to mail it back and we can only reach the rider via uber. Ubers options are......return it yourself and apply for the $15 and hope you get it. Drop it by a green light location or 7-11 it.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

UBERPROcolorado said:


> I certainly get your point. I guess it is a personal preference. I prefer to be kind to others and in turn they are kind to me. The old what comes around goes around. I am glad that that the rider was happy and OK with paying the bounty fee on the phone.
> 
> As for uber, we do not have the option to mail it back and we can only reach the rider via uber. Ubers options are......return it yourself and apply for the $15 and hope you get it. Drop it by a green light location or 7-11 it.


When I am paying $6.60 to $8.40 an hour to rent a taxi returning items for free is a different matter. But if your dumb enough to leave your cell phone in the back of a taxi, you kinda deserve to pay the driver to bring it back for you.

Most of the time lost or founds end up going to the company Lost or found locker, and the customer *can* pick them up for free from the shop if they don't want to pay for it. Most of the locals who lose cell phones/ keys/ whatnot end up going this route. The tourists will abandon low value items and they never get claimed, and pay to have high ticket items returned (Like wallets and cell phones).

Either way, (in an Orlando taxi) i have zero motivation to destroy/toss anything since after 30 days lost and founds come back to me.

Lost and found return costs are usually <$5.00 or over $30.00... depending on how quickly they catch the fact they don't have the item.

Last time I lost my cell phone I swung by the shop and picked it up for free (but I left $5.00 for the driver anyway).

Just doing it for free *May* get you a sympathy tip, and charging them money *does* make you a jerk...

I'd rather be a jerk that get's paid 100% of the time than a chump who get's paid 1/2 the time, or an uber driver who get's to choose between losing money or the karmic imbalance of throwing something away.

I have however made deals and driven items back to people for a deep discount. I'll go as low as $1.00 a mile to be frankly honest.


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## Woohaa (Jan 15, 2017)

Picked up a PT pax and the trip was a shortie. No tip. So I take a break at a restaurant and notice she ended up leaving not 1 but 2 bags/purses in my car. Toss 'em in the trunk and continue my night. After my shift (and almost an hour away from her drop off) I find a police station and leave them with a desk cop.

No tip equals me not bothering to do anything other than tell you which police station has your belongings.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

Maven said:


> Boston and Chicago are the *only* cities currently implementing the $15 Lost item return fee. There is no timetable for further implementation.


They just sent me an email yesterday that they rolled out the $15 fee here in central Florida.

Myself if I find the item within a couple minutes and haven't traveled far then I will take it back for free. I am no jerk. If it is an hour later and 20 minutes away then I'm sorry but I am expecting the fee to be paid. It's not my fault you left the item and I am not being paid an hourly wage for doing this.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Maven said:


> Boston and Chicago are the *only* cities currently implementing the $15 Lost item return fee.


It's been here in the Cleveland market for a while now to. I used it last night for the first time - and received this notice and email from Uber after I first reported the item 'found' and then reported it 'returned':

Thanks for letting us know, Michael.
We're glad to hear that you are providing great service to your riders and helping reunite them with their forgotten item.
We have added a return payment of $15 to your next pay statement. This will appear under the miscellaneous payments section.
Thanks again.​
It was from a $9.91 XL ride on a 2x surge at 1:30AM- only went a few blocks.
The rider called me soon after to ask about the phone - I had it and told them I'd bring it over as soon as I dropped off my current riders. 
They tipped me $6 in the app. 
When I showed up with the phone they gave me another $5. 
And then Uber paid me $15.


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## Leo1983 (Jul 3, 2017)

Maven said:


> Boston and Chicago are the *only* cities currently implementing the $15 Lost item return fee. There is no timetable for further implementation. If you try to follow the procedures outside those cities or otherwise email Uber support then they'll reply:
> 
> The Uber web site recommends to riders:
> 
> ...


My customer a 20 mile $15 ride left his new Bose $350 headphones in my car. Waited a few days to see if he tips me. 
Now I'm enjoying my $350 bonus.


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## xotravelbaby (Aug 23, 2017)

Just two weeks ago I got a $500 dollar tip for a returned item. The lowest tip I ever gotten for retuning an item was $10 so I really won't even be using this. Guys be a little be more open and honest if you generally don't like people you shouldn't be in the service industry. It really pays to be nice!


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## tryingforthat5star (Mar 12, 2017)

I had cell phones left twice in my car. First return college girl gave me $5 as I was driving by her school on my way home from work so no biggie. 2nd one guy left a phone in my car and I was circling the block for another pickup and he ran out of the hotel into the street and I handed it off to him from my drivers seat for $10 tip. College kids left a bottle of Vodka, Rum and Tequila in my car one time, tried to get a hold of them.. 2 weeks later I kept it put it in my liquor cabinet.


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## corniilius (Jan 27, 2017)

Buddywannarideagain said:


> Bottom line- throw the lost junk in the garbage.


I oddly feel pretty good when doing this.


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## keb (Jul 8, 2017)

I tried dropping off something at the police station and they laughed, saying, "What do you think this is, a lost and found or a storage unit? We do not accept personal belongings!" YMMV on going the police station route.


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## Leo1983 (Jul 3, 2017)

I


xotravelbaby said:


> Just two weeks ago I got a $500 dollar tip for a returned item. The lowest tip I ever gotten for retuning an item was $10 so I really won't even be using this. Guys be a little be more open and honest if you generally don't like people you shouldn't be in the service industry. It really pays to be nice!


 I love people. Just not uber drivers or passengers.


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