# Oooops, I did it again...



## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

So, I went ahead and logged into my Lyft app to do a little driving. Of course now that I know I'm in a "donations" market I am reticent to make too many trips since I am taking a loss on these9 times out of ten.

Anyways, I picked up a rider at the local Enterprise car rentals who never entered a destination on the app. I ended up driving her to three separate Enterprise agencies before she settled on one twenty miles out...and 3 tolls (thanks a bunch, Texas) Probably around 40 miles + $6 in tolls. Question for those of you in the know... did she already make her donation before the trip, or can I count on only mildly getting screwed rather than the thorough fisting of the past week? 

How does that work when the rider doesn't enter a destination? Will I get a guaranteed mileage plus time? 

P.S. Lyft riders are far and away the crappiest riders I have ever driven.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

Whether you get mildly "screwed" or roughly "fisted" will depend on the generosity of the passenger. Good luck!


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## StephenJBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

Honestly. It's a crap shoot. Might get a great donation. Or nothing. I set my minimum to 90% but that doesn't guarantee that you won't get screwed.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

Regardless of whether they enter a destination or not, the suggested donation will be the total time and mileage from the time the ride started and ended. Just like Uber, some people enter the destination and some don't and the ride is calculated by time and mileage.


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## duggles (Aug 25, 2014)

Why don't you try driving for Uber. All you drivers talking about doing Lyft in donation markets and "maybe" getting paid for it, who the **** are you people? Why would you do this if you weren't guaranteed to get paid. Especially since Lyft doesn't even have your back and offer to reimburse in cases where you are not paid. 

This is just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb.


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

StrawJim said:


> Honestly. It's a crap shoot. Might get a great donation. Or nothing. I set my minimum to 90% but that doesn't guarantee that you won't get screwed.


I'm at 90% as well, but that hasn't meant I only got 10% less than what's fair.



duggles said:


> Why don't you try driving for Uber. All you drivers talking about doing Lyft in donation markets and "maybe" getting paid for it, who the **** are you people? Why would you do this if you weren't guaranteed to get paid. Especially since Lyft doesn't even have your back and offer to reimburse in cases where you are not paid.
> 
> This is just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb.


I DO drive for Uber. I ventured into Lyft to fill the gaps in between runs. My kneejerk reaction was to get mildly offended by the "Dumb, dumb, dumb" comment, but I am coming to believe that you are probably correct. I AM dumb. If I get screwed yet again the Lyft app gets tossed until the market becomes fare based. Lyft has made me start disliking people. Oh, and the idea that Lyft gets tips is utter BS.


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

LookyLou said:


> Regardless of whether they enter a destination or not, the suggested donation will be the total time and mileage from the time the ride started and ended. Just like Uber, some people enter the destination and some don't and the ride is calculated by time and mileage.


That's comforting. She can only screw me out of 10% of what I SHOULD have gotten? I can probably live with that. Seriously. No sarcasm intended.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

UberRey said:


> That's comforting. She can only screw me out of 10% of what I SHOULD have gotten? I can probably live with that. Seriously. No sarcasm intended.


No. You can still get screwed out of 100% of the donation, but you are less likely to get screwed with your donation percentage set at 90%. Nothing is guaranteed in donation cities unless you are a special guarantee per hour deal or something.


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

Oh? So what's the point of setting my percentage to 90% if they can just ignore it and pay nothing? What kind of business model is THAT?

Ugh. Me= disheartened.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

UberRey said:


> Oh? So what's the point of setting my percentage to 90% if they can just ignore it and pay nothing? What kind of business model is THAT?
> 
> Ugh. Me= disheartened.


The percentage threshold is to help filter your risk, not eliminate it. If they could eliminate it then your city would be a straight fare based city.

The way this works is by not allowing you to receive requests from any rider who on average lowers their donation by more than 10%. The rider could still be on average above that percentage but still at some point lower it by more than that on your particular ride.

Over a longer period of say 100 rides or more you will probably average over 90% of suggested donation. Most will pay 100%, but you will get the odd balls that lower some and then a few here and there that will completely stiff you. Every one in a while riders will raise their donation above the suggested donation. Overall it all averages out over time. You can't judge what is going on with a small sample of rides.

Maybe Lyft just isn't for you. In my experience Lyft pays a little better, has better riders overall, and is just a better company to deal with as a driver. But everyone is different.


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## ElectroFuzz (Jun 10, 2014)

UberRey said:


> Oh? So what's the point of setting my percentage to 90% if they can just ignore it and pay nothing? What kind of business model is THAT?
> 
> Ugh. Me= disheartened.


Basically they can pull that off one time only.
Next time she will be filtered.

OK, I want to defend Lyft a little.
My market is donation also, out of 125 rides I only got shorted once.
It was a $6 ride and the dude decided to pay only $3.
Put that against all the tips I am getting, the friendlier customer base
and the zero commission if you do 50 hours a week and it's not hard to see why I love Lyft
On top of that currently the Lyft fare is slightly higher then Uber.

Now if I could only get more pings out of Lyft.....


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

ElectroFuzz said:


> Basically they can pull that off one time only.
> Next time she will be filtered.
> 
> OK, I want to defend Lyft a little.
> ...


It must be your market. Uber pays about 25% more than Lyft here. and I have been shorted by Lyft riders 5 times out of 8 so far. Maybe it gets better. Right now I am mostly carting around gypsies and frat boys who treat my car like a clown car. It is disheartening.


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## Former Yellow Driver (Sep 5, 2014)

UberRey said:


> I have been shorted by Lyft riders 5 times out of 8 so far.


You might want to consider not Oooooopsing anymore with that track record. If I was stiffed 5/8 times for Lyft....I would not turn on the app....but that's just me....I'm funny like that.....I get screwed a couple of times and I quit dropping the soap.


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## TheDude (Aug 20, 2014)

I prefer my Lyft riders so far also, just not enough of them. And yes I have been stiffed, but a day does not go by that I don't get tipped through the app. Uber has successfully convinced Houston riders that the tip is included, so I can't remember the last time I got tipped by an uber pax. They just rarely do it.

Lyft riders seem to be friendlier, and less likely to treat you like a chauffeur. The app is also set up to rate you correctly. If they give somebody something less than a 5, Lyft asks them what was wrong or could be improved. Maybe that little bit of clarity is why I have a 5 star rating with over 50 rides.


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## Baron VonStudley (Jun 20, 2014)

We have had regulation in place in Columbus that was passed in July. We are licensed and inspected and double dog background checked. Today we are still donation based. It's a croc period esp since das uber has never been donation based. The second we switch whenever the heck that is I will gauge the difference.


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## duggles (Aug 25, 2014)

Also, per Colorado law vehicles must have an inspection and drivers must do a DOT medical check. Lyft requires neither. That company is sloppy. 

On another note, trade dress is now required whenever we are online or giving a ride. They gave us shitty pieces of paper. No fancy light-up U.


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## OldTownSean (Aug 14, 2014)

The risk is increased anytime you take a "new" passenger. A passenger that has ridden before will have a payment history. If that history shows they "donate" less than your threshold (hopefully 90%) then you won't be matched.

A "new" rider has no history of payment and is treated as a 100% payer for ride matching purposes. You are much more likely to get a 0 here unless they have a promo code. Even so you better make sure they do and show them how to tip out of that free $25.


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## SunSmith (Apr 20, 2014)

They haven't given the light up U for a while. Rumor is the blue lighting is illegal (only police are supposed to have blue lights on a moving vehicle).

My Lyft tips have been going down, I'm certain because many Lyft passengers also Uber and have bought into the 'tips are included' misinformation provided by Uber. Surprisingly, lately my Uber tips are going up. I think the driver education about Uber tips being included is starting to bear some fruit.

So thanks to all the drivers who have joined me, when the topic is raised, about clarifying that tips aren't necessarily, but are greatly appreciated, and they aren't included.


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## CowboyMC (Aug 26, 2014)

Forget this donation crap! I'm in business, I'm not a church. I'll do Lyft when it's a fare and not a donation. Until then UberX on, Lyft off!


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

CowboyMC said:


> Forget this donation crap! I'm in business, I'm not a church. I'll do Lyft when it's a fare and not a donation. Until then UberX on, Lyft off!


It changed to fare based a week later. This is an old post.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

LookyLou said:


> The percentage threshold is to help filter your risk, not eliminate it. If they could eliminate it then your city would be a straight fare based city.
> 
> The way this works is by not allowing you to receive requests from any rider who on average lowers their donation by more than 10%. The rider could still be on average above that percentage but still at some point lower it by more than that on your particular ride.
> 
> ...


They appear to be worse than Uber in response to emailed questions.

They have also stiffed me on every Plus Minimum fare, shortchanging by $2. and double that on 2X surge to a $4 stiff. Pissin' me off fast.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

scrurbscrud said:


> They appear to be worse than Uber in response to emailed questions.


There is no question at this point in time. Lyft has far longer response times on email questions and issues.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

LookyLou said:


> There is no question at this point in time. Lyft has far longer response times on email questions and issues.


Yeah, I'm on several days now with no response for the 'why am I not getting the min. fare on Plus?'


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

You also have to track every ride like a hawk to make sure it actually shows up the next day. Another pain in the ass deal. I really don't have time to be logging every ride to make sure it hits the pay schedule, particularly when I'm busy hunting for long hauls and picking up min. fares continually. Round and round you go, non-stop. You never know where yer at pay wise unless you HAND LOG. 

You have to rate a pax with the possibility of getting stiffed. I jerked the 1 star trigger on an out of towner who handed me $2 and said they weren't going to pay through the app. Oh yeah? ONE! The fare did show up though so I think they meant they weren't going to TIP through the app. Screw it. Ain't playing Russian Roulette with them again. Another pax gave a similar indication. "Well, we're just ride sharing." Oh yeah? When you gonna come and fetch my ass for nothing?

It's a very screwy setup imho. Sometimes you have to question how much brain damage you want to incur.


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## Lyft4uDC (Jul 28, 2014)

im starting to think donations based markets are the reason why we don't get fare totals after ending trips in fare based markets.


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## CowboyMC (Aug 26, 2014)

Maybe it changed in TX but not in NJ.


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## scrurbscrud (Sep 11, 2014)

In behalf of Lyft though, and this is a biggie for me when doing short hops, *my tips are running in the 25-30% range of the fare GROSS amount, which is awesome imho!* And on longer hauls many of the pax are popping an additional $10-15 which is again just freakin' awesome.

That add on makes all the difference in the world to the rate per mile/min. Needless to say if I can get the Plus issue worked out, I'll be doing Lyft exclusively in some situations and at some times. When you get shit for pay on short hops that added net $2. tip is amazing to the bottom line.


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