# Best way to not accept a ping



## caligal (Mar 6, 2016)

I've been driving in Bakersfield for about 3 mo. My question. I get a ping 20 min away I don't want to drive that far for a 5.00 ride. What is the best way not to do the ride? Let it time out or accept it then cancel.


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## MR5STAR (May 18, 2015)

Just be a good soldier and take it.


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## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)




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## bestpals (Aug 22, 2015)

Best way not to take a ping is not to drive for these cheapass rates. Shut off the App and you won't have to worry about taking any of these pings ever again.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

caligal said:


> I've been driving in Bakersfield for about 3 mo. My question. I get a ping 20 min away I don't want to drive that far for a 5.00 ride. What is the best way not to do the ride? Let it time out or accept it then cancel.


Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

caligal said:


> I've been driving in Bakersfield for about 3 mo. My question. I get a ping 20 min away I don't want to drive that far for a 5.00 ride. What is the best way not to do the ride? Let it time out or accept it then cancel.


This is direct from Uber:

"If the trip is far away, its best if you contact the rider and advise them of the updated ETA. If they choose to cancel, it will not affect your acceptance rate. If the cancellation occurs after 5 minutes, you will be compensated according to the cancellation policy."

When I call rider I tell them I see on the passenger app there are cars closer than me. Once they cancel I go off line for a few so I don't get the ping again.


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## grayspinner (Sep 8, 2015)

I find 30 seconds is usually not enough to to evaluate if I'd like to take advantage of a lead provide by uber. Typically I accept all pings when I'm online (I'm not online with uber often - I only go on line when the pax app indicates a surge high enough to make it profitable) and then I take the time to evaluate the lead more thoroughly. If I determine it will not be profitable or am otherwise unwilling to complete the ride, I cancel and select the 'do not charge rider' option. I try to do this quickly so the rider can re-request right away. Sometimes, I will go offline - it really depends on the situation.


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## scooterabc (Feb 19, 2016)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


There is no way in hell I'm going to drive 20 miles to pick up a $5 fair. If the passenger can't get one at base rate, it will surge and then someone will accept. That _IS_ how it is supposed to work isn't it?


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


Say Hi! to Travis for us when you get to work tomorrow.


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## Thatendedbadly (Feb 8, 2016)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax.


Not necessarily, *you could simply be the next in line*, first driver times out, second driver ACRO, next! You could simply be sloppy seconds or thirds, you have *no *way of knowing. Or do you believe that no one *ever* lets pings time out or cancels fares?


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## GILD (Feb 8, 2016)

Just dont accept it. If uber times you out. Drive lyft for that time.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


You are incorrect, yesterday I was pinged several times for rides originating over 11 miles from my location. When I checked the pax app there were cars all around the request address. At current rates I will not drive 11 miles for a $2.84 minimum fare. I'm driving to make money, not lose it.

This is the problem with the uneducated drivers, they don't understand there's a cost to drive to the request. The IRS says that cost in $0.54 per mile. At my market rates I would be losing $3.10 on that request. $0.54 x 11=$5.94 $2.84-$5.94= -$3.10, it's more if you'd like to factor in Ubers rate per minute, $0.12 in my market $0.12x22mins=$2.64

At your market rates how many minimum fare rides would you have to complete to make up $3.10 or $5.74? I'm not in the business of playing catch up, I'm in the business of making money.


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## SECOTIME (Sep 18, 2015)

Last year when I drove for a couple months.. (Wtf was I thinking..I was such a loser omg) I found that if you accepted a ping and cancelled do not charge within 10 seconds that it wouldn't affect my weekly acceptance rate.

Ymmv

Ground beef and canned tomatoes made the best fake vomit


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## Phoenix666 (Mar 6, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


Screw over another driver? That's laughable, we're not co-workers. We're all independent contractors (partners lol), if someone is dumb enough to drive 20 minutes for a pax that's sad.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

Beur said:


> You are incorrect, yesterday I was pinged several times for rides originating over 11 miles from my location.
> 
> This is the problem with the uneducated drivers, they don't understand there's a cost to drive to the request. The IRS says that cost in $0.54 per mile.


I love how u accuse me of being uneducated and incorrect, then ramble on with completely false information.

The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


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## Coachman (Sep 22, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I love how u accuse me of being uneducated and incorrect, then ramble on with completely false information.
> 
> The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


It was lowered to 0.54 for 2016.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I love how u accuse me of being uneducated and incorrect, then ramble on with completely false information.
> 
> The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


As I said this is a problem with uneducated drivers, the IRS reduced the per mile dedication from $0.57 to $0.54 for 2016.

Now please point out the completely false information? Point out the rambling?


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## JimS (Aug 18, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I love how u accuse me of being uneducated and incorrect, then ramble on with completely false information.
> 
> The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


https://www.irs.gov/Tax-Professionals/Standard-Mileage-Rates/


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

Hmm looks like both of you guys are wrong. Looks like 14 cents per mile for at least the last 5 years.


JimS said:


> https://www.irs.gov/Tax-Professionals/Standard-Mileage-Rates/
> View attachment 30989


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## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

doyousensehumor said:


> Hmm looks like both of you guys are wrong. Looks like 14 cents per mile for at least the last 5 years.


Clever.


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## naplestom75 (May 3, 2015)

ACRO


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

Beur said:


> When I call rider I tell them I see on the passenger app there are cars closer to [you than] me. Once they cancel I go off line for a few so I don't get the ping again.


*We have a winner!*

I could be wrong (I've only been driving for a month). But given what I've learned so far, that sounds like the best option.


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## JimS (Aug 18, 2015)

doyousensehumor said:


> Hmm looks like both of you guys are wrong. Looks like 14 cents per mile for at least the last 5 years.


Har har. Was going to mention it, but knew someone else would...


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

Beur said:


> As I said this is a problem with uneducated drivers, the IRS reduced the per mile dedication from $0.57 to $0.54 for 2016.
> 
> Now please point out the completely false information? Point out the rambling?


Either way, your obnoxious and your primary agenda on this site is to belittle others to make yourself feel empowered.


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## galileo5 (Jan 16, 2016)

naplestom75 said:


> ACRO


This is dangerous while driving.


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## PTUber (Sep 16, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


Are you insane? How does it "screw another driver over"? Maybe 1% of the drivers on this forum will take this ping 20 minutes away. Most say 8 minutes if its slow maybe 10. With current rates risking a 2 mile drive or worst yet they cancel is not worth it. I've heard on here and from PAX drivers are calling to get details then canceling if they don't like the destination. I don't do that because PAX hate it. 
To answer Caligal's questions you can just ignore it and you won't get pinged from them again but Uber may bounce you for a few minutes if you do 2 or 3 of these in a row (not a big deal) or you can accept and cancel but Uber doesn't like this either so you can't do it often.


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## Ubernewschannel (Feb 27, 2016)

I ever pick up a pax unless there 5 min. or unless and in surge . reason being i no the time and days to drive here big plus when i first started out as a newbie i was going all out just going for all the pings and racking up tons of miles on my car for 3 and 4 dollars but as gas, uber fees and maintence go up i had to adjust my driving to benefit me also this is called rideshareing right


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

Ubernewschannel said:


> I [n]ever pick up a pax unless the[y']re [within] 5 min. or unless and in surge ....


(I hope I interpreted that correctly.)

So, what's your secret to avoiding the pings over 5 minutes away? Do you just let them time out? Do you Accept-Cancel-Reason:Other ("ACRO")? Don't you get "punished" by Uber?


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## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RichR said:


> (I hope I interpreted that correctly.)
> 
> So, what's your secret to avoiding the pings over 5 minutes away? Do you just let them time out? Do you Accept-Cancel-Reason:Other ("ACRO")? Don't you get "punished" by Uber?


ACRO doesn't work. I've dealt with it first hand. It's a stepping stone to deactivation. Let it time out. Lesser of the two evils.


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## Ubernewschannel (Feb 27, 2016)

@ Rich i use the pax app and watch till it surges because i have noticed in my market there is about a 30sec delay between the too the pax app surges first here and yes i do use ACRO if its to far away .We are not getting punished here yet for cancels because if we were it would really throw surge up not that many drivers here crazy enough to drive for uber lol


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## UberLou (May 5, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I love how u accuse me of being uneducated and incorrect, then ramble on with completely false information.
> 
> The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


It is $.54 for 2016. Here is a Kleenex to wipe the egg off your face.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

doyousensehumor said:


> Hmm looks like both of you guys are wrong. Looks like 14 cents per mile for at least the last 5 years.


Hahaha. You are correct!


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## naplestom75 (May 3, 2015)

Ubernewschannel said:


> @ Rich i use the pax app and watch till it surges because i have noticed in my market there is about a 30sec delay between the too the pax app surges first here and yes i do use ACRO if its to far away .We are not getting punished here yet for cancels because if we were it would really throw surge up not that many drivers here crazy enough to drive for uber lol


I've been waiting for them start reacting to ACROs here. I shouldn't even say it, but so far it does not seem like they are paying attention to that data in my market. I can only guess it's because there are so many other drivers not doing it that it does not disrupt the flow at this point when I ACRO and it just goes to another guy nearby and he takes it.


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## Ubernewschannel (Feb 27, 2016)

To be honest i wonder how it effects surge and service times by disrupting drivers and putting them in a so called timeout mode . I may be wrong but i could have sworn on the good book that Uber promotes this as a way to make extra money in your spare time and you are a IC not a employee that has to perform a service when Uber pings you


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## vegetto (Dec 21, 2015)

easy solution. Accept Ping 20+m or whatever your not cool with and don't move your car. THey will see this your not coming and cancel you. this way you didn't hurt your acceptance rate and your square with uber. you might even get lucky. maybe itll go over 5m before they cancel you and you get $ for not going anywhere


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## DudeCity (Jun 22, 2015)

There was a time U could check the way bill ( Destination )

If U don't like it ACRO with no issues if ur quick enough

One idiot took this to the Media and Fuber came down

very hard on this one.............


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## ATL2SD (Aug 16, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


Damn, you described it better than the CSR's in Manila. Bravo! But I'll continue to pass on non-profitable pings & let the dummies who can't do simple arithmetic have all the cheap rides they want.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

ATL2SD said:


> Damn, you described it better than the CSR's in Manila. Bravo! But I'll continue to pass on non-profitable pings & let the dummies who can't do simple arithmetic have all the cheap rides they want.


It's mainly frustration bro. I'm tired of driving 15 minutes when I know for a fact there was someone closer.


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## Ubernewschannel (Feb 27, 2016)

What picking up a pax 15 mins. away ..... Aint nobody got time for that


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## ATL2SD (Aug 16, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> It's mainly frustration bro. I'm tired of driving 15 minutes when I know for a fact there was someone closer.


Who says you have to drive 15 min. to pick up pax?


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

ATL2SD said:


> Who says you have to drive 15 min. to pick up pax?


Dude I get it's a choice, but uber uses scare tactics to make us or we risk deactivation. I really need this job right now.


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## Wally1954 (Mar 9, 2016)

My wife threatens to kill me everyday


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## Ubernewschannel (Feb 27, 2016)

Reversoul said:


> Dude I get it's a choice, but uber uses scare tactics to make us or we risk deactivation. I really need this job right now.


Hey i get it and am not trying to down grade anyone on here. I understand that this can get you out of a blind and i guess thats why most of us starting driving to begin with. BUT the threats are on called for on UBER behalf


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## 45821 (Feb 15, 2016)

Reversoul said:


> It's mainly frustration bro. I'm tired of driving 15 minutes when I know for a fact there was someone closer.


Then do not drive, so you won't be so tired and frustrated.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RichR said:


> *We have a winner!*
> 
> I could be wrong (I've only been driving for a month). But given what I've learned so far, that sounds like the best option.


That advice comes directly from an Uber CSR. The best part is its writing.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Either way, your obnoxious and your primary agenda on this site is to belittle others to make yourself feel empowered.


No one belittled anyone. It's the truth drivers are uneducated about the ways of TNC. Suck it up buttercup you fall into that group as was proven by your attack response to me and your fear of Uber.

I've been driving with Uber for 3 years I've learned their ways and I've also learned how to counter them. Maybe instead of going on the defensive you should listen and learn, if something doesn't sound right do some research. Most of us senior drivers remember when driving was profitable and we don't mind sharing the lessons we learned along the away after major price cuts with newer drivers on how to drive profitably.

I challenge you to take the weekly miles you put on your car driving Uber, that means all dead miles + pax miles, multiply that by the IRS rate of $0.54. Take your answer and subtract that from your Uber pay, I'll bet you're driving for little to no profit.

Just helped another new driver figure it out. The week they gave me, they drove 301 miles x $0.54 = $162.54 cost to drive. Their Uber pay that week was $234.50 - $162.54 = -$71.96 (the larger the negative the more profit you have). Their profit margin was very slim. Lucky for them they had some surge fares, had they all been minimum fares for their market they would have had to complete 57 rides just to break even.

Most businesses have somewhere between a 150 to 300% markup. We already know from listening to other drivers on the forums that driving for a 150% markup isn't profitable $0.54 x 1.5 = $0.81, we also know driving at $1.10 per mile isn't cutting it in some markets $0.54 x 2.0 = $1.08. So that leaves us needing a 300% or more markup on the IRS rate of $0.54 to be able to consistently turn a profile while driving. $0.54 x 3 = $1.62.

No one should be driving for less than $1.62 per mile if they want all rides to be profitable. It really and truly is a case of simple math, once you learn what that profitable rate is for you, you shouldn't accept rides below that.


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## Ubernewschannel (Feb 27, 2016)

Bon Jovi said:


> Then do not drive, so you won't be so tired and frustrated.


About 3 months ago i found myself behind the 8 ball so to speak. So i stucked it up and took what ever ping came my way . but since then am in a better position and only try and drive surge but i had to pay my dues but one of the best things that happened was that i learned my area and how to max out my drives to be honest when i first tryed to drive surge i bombed , I cant say i make more then anyone else but i feel a hella lot better about driving around some of this cheap stakes now. So i really do understand you do what you got to do


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

Beur said:


> That advice comes directly from an Uber CSR. The best part is its writing.


Considering that advice was "When I call rider I tell them I see on the passenger app there are cars closer to [you than] me. Once they cancel I go off line for a few so I don't get the ping again." ... I want to be sure I get your point.

Surely Uber would never (officially) recommend we lie to the pax. So, I'm thinking you mean the CSR is (unofficially) giving good advice. Because, unless I'm missing something, when I can get the faraway pax to cancel within the first 5 minutes, that's potentially a win for everybody (except maybe Uber). The driver doesn't get punished and the rider doesn't pay a cancellation fee (as some drivers seem to want to happen).

Or, are you saying it's bad advice?


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RichR said:


> Considering that advice was "When I call rider I tell them I see on the passenger app there are cars closer to [you than] me. Once they cancel I go off line for a few so I don't get the ping again." ... I want to be sure I get your point.
> 
> Surely Uber would never (officially) recommend we lie to the pax. So, I'm thinking you mean the CSR is (unofficially) giving good advice. Because, unless I'm missing something, when I can get the faraway pax to cancel within the first 5 minutes, that's potentially a win for everybody (except maybe Uber). The driver doesn't get punished and the rider doesn't pay a cancellation fee (as some drivers seem to want to happen).
> 
> Or, are you saying it's bad advice?


Here's the quote from Uber's email:

"If the trip is far away, its best if you contact the rider and advise them of the updated ETA. If they choose to cancel, it will not affect your acceptance rate. If the cancellation occurs after 5 minutes, you will be compensated according to the cancellation policy."

I add the part about the passenger app. I take anything a CSR puts in writing as an official response from Uber.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax.


Nope. It could also mean closer drivers didn't accept the ping. If you want to drive at a loss, have at it, WE are in charge of what rides we accept. Read your TOS.



Beur said:


> The IRS says that cost in $0.54 per mile.


The IRS allows a .54 per mile deduction for 2016. In no way are they saying that is your cost. Inflating actual costs serves no one.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> The IRS allows a .54 per mile deduction for 2016. In no way are they saying that is your cost. Inflating actual costs serves no one.


Directly from the IRS:

"The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile."

Based on their study the IRS is saying that $0.54 per mile is the average cost of operating your vehicle. Now it's true that for some that might be higher or it might be lower. If the cost is higher than one would be wise to use the actual cost of operating the vehicle, if the cost lower one is permitted to use the per mile rate allowed by the IRS. It's not inflating the actual cost, its taking the deduction the IRS allows.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> I challenge you to take the weekly miles you put on your car driving Uber, that means all dead miles + pax miles, multiply that by the IRS rate of $0.54. Take your answer and subtract that from your Uber pay, I'll bet you're driving for little to no profit.
> 
> Just helped another new driver figure it out. The week they gave me, they drove 301 miles x $0.54 = $162.54 cost to drive. Their Uber pay that week was $234.50 - $162.54 = -$71.96 (the larger the negative the more profit you have). Their profit margin was very slim. Lucky for them they had some surge fares, had they all been minimum fares for their market they would have had to complete 57 rides just to break even.


You didn't help anyone spreading false information. Hating on Uber is fine but misleading others is not. Please tell me how a person driving a 2006 beater is paying the same per mile as a brand new fully financed mercedes right off the lot. Thanks.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> Directly from the IRS:
> 
> "The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile."
> 
> Based on their study the IRS is saying that $0.54 per mile is the average cost of operating your vehicle. Now it's true that for some that might be higher or it might be lower. If the cost is higher than one would be wise to use the actual cost of operating the vehicle, if the cost lower one should use the per mile rate allowed by the IRS.


The study is for a brand new fully financed vehicle in its first 5 years of life, not an average. Completely irrelevant to most drivers.

My ACTUAL costs in 2015 were .17c per mile.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> You didn't help anyone spreading false information. Hating on Uber is fine but misleading others is not. Please tell me how a person driving a 2006 beater is paying the same per mile as a brand new fully financed mercedes right off the lot. Thanks.


Where have I spread false information? Please point that out to me? The IRS states you're allowed to use the IRS standard mileage deduction of $0.54 per mile. As a business person you have to take into account your own expenses, if they're higher than the allowed IRS standard deduction you shouldn't use the standard deduction, you should be using your actual costs. It really is quite simple to understand.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> The study is for a brand new fully financed vehicle in its first 5 years of life, not an average. Completely irrelevant to most drivers.
> 
> My ACTUAL costs in 2015 were .17c per mile.


And I'm sure when you filed your taxes you used the $0.17 per mile actual cost as your deduction instead of the allowable $0.575 IRS standard deduction.


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

Beur said:


> Here's the quote from Uber's email:
> 
> "If the trip is far away, its best if you contact the rider and advise them of the updated ETA. If they choose to cancel, it will not affect your acceptance rate. If the cancellation occurs after 5 minutes, you will be compensated according to the cancellation policy."
> 
> I add the part about the passenger app. I take anything a CSR puts in writing as an official response from Uber.


Ohhh, my bad. I didn't realize _you_ had written the post I'd originally quoted. Now I get it. Sorry for my confusion.  I'll definitely remember your solution the next time I get a faraway ping (even if the part about the pax app is... _resourceful_)!


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> My ACTUAL costs in 2015 were .17c per mile.


You can drive 100 miles for 17 cents? THAT is AWESOME!


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RichR said:


> Ohhh, my bad. I didn't realize _you_ had written the post I'd originally quoted. Now I get it. Sorry for my confusion.  I'll definitely remember your solution the next time I get a faraway ping (even if the part about the pax app is... _resourceful_)!


One has to be resourceful to survive and make a profit driving. No need to apologize happy to clarify.


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## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

Beur said:


> And I'm sure when you filed your taxes you used the $0.17 per mile actual cost as your deduction instead of the allowable $0.575 IRS standard deduction.


You do know that both of you guys are talking about two different rates, right? He's talking about vehicle depreciation, you are talking about tax deductions. Two separate but related quantities.

http://www.smbiz.com/sbrl003.html#smr


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RichR said:


> You can drive 100 miles for 17 cents? THAT is AWESOME!


He likes to argue, you'll notice he left out the part of the post where I said:

"No one should be driving for less than $1.62 per mile if they want all rides to be profitable. It really and truly is a case of simple math, once you learn what that profitable rate is for you, you shouldn't accept rides below that."

Part of figure out what that profitable rate is for you is determining your costs. Guess next time I'll have to be more literal in my response.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> You do know that both of you guys are talking about two different rates, right? He's talking about vehicle depreciation, you are talking about tax deductions. Two separate but related quantities.
> 
> http://www.smbiz.com/sbrl003.html#smr


Actually if you read the IRS link I posted you'll see that if you use the depreciation method under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) you cannot use the standard mileage deduction.

It doesn't matter what year car you're driving you have the option of using MACRS, actual cost, or the IRS standard mileage deduction. Why one would use the actual cost when it's below the allowable mileage deduction is beyond me, who can afford to leave money on the table?


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## ottodawg (Feb 12, 2016)

I use the ALRC method. Accept and Let Rider Cancel..


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> Where have I spread false information? Please point that out to me? The IRS states you're allowed to use the IRS standard mileage deduction of $0.54 per mile. As a business person you have to take into account your own expenses, if they're higher than the allowed IRS standard deduction you shouldn't use the standard deduction, you should be using your actual costs. It really is quite simple to understand.


You are claiming .54c as a cost when it is not. It is a deduction. For any sensible driver making sensible decisions, that number is far higher than actual costs. It really is quite simple to understand.



Beur said:


> And I'm sure when you filed your taxes you used the $0.17 per mile actual cost as your deduction instead of the allowable $0.575 IRS standard deduction.


Nope. My COSTS were .17c per mile, my DEDUCTION was .575c. You see the difference? So when you tell newbies that the deduction amount should be used as their costs to "educate" them, you are misleading them.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

RichR said:


> You can drive 100 miles for 17 cents? THAT is AWESOME!


Uhhhh, what? Do you not see per mile?


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> You do know that both of you guys are talking about two different rates, right? He's talking about vehicle depreciation, you are talking about tax deductions. Two separate but related quantities.
> 
> http://www.smbiz.com/sbrl003.html#smr


No, I'm talking about costs, all costs, he is talking about the standard mileage deduction and pretending that is actual costs.


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> You are claiming .54c as a cost when it is not. It is a deduction. For any sensible driver making sensible decisions, that number is far higher than actual costs. It really is quite simple to understand.
> 
> Nope. My COSTS were .17c per mile, my DEDUCTION was .575c. You see the difference? So when you tell newbies that the deduction amount should be used as their costs to "educate" them, you are misleading them.


 That 17 cents needs to include all expenses if you want to compare it with the 57c deduction. Gas, insurance, wear and tear, maintainance.


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> You are claiming .54c as a cost when it is not. It is a deduction. For any sensible driver making sensible decisions, that number is far higher than actual costs. It really is quite simple to understand.
> 
> Nope. My COSTS were .17c per mile, my DEDUCTION was .575c. You see the difference? So when you tell newbies that the deduction amount should be used as their costs to "educate" them, you are misleading them.


You're being way to literal. Most who are driving don't know their actual costs, the post was simply meant to give them a base line to go by. I noticed you conveniently left out this last part of my post:

"No one should be driving for less than $1.62 per mile if they want all rides to be profitable. *It really and truly is a case of simple math, once you learn what that profitable rate is for you, you shouldn't accept rides below that.*"

Part of figure out what that profitable rate is for you is determining your costs. Guess next time I'll have to be more literal in my response.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> That 17 cents needs to include all expenses if you want to compare it with the 57c deduction. Gas, insurance, wear and tear, maintainance.


Yes. That's what I said. ALL costs.

And no, I don't include insurance, which would have little impact anyways, because it is a cost I would have regardless. It's not a cost of Ubering for me. If I added TNC insurance or an insurance rider, then I would add it.


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Yes. That's what I said. ALL costs.
> 
> And no, I don't include insurance, which would have little impact anyways, because it is a cost I would have regardless. It's not a cost of Ubering for me. If I added TNC insurance or an insurance rider, then I would add it.


Good luck with your ubernomics. If you are driving a '93 Camry that runs on water, yeah, I believe your running costs are 17 cents a mile.


----------



## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Uhhhh, what? Do you not see per mile?


Of course I did. Do you not understand what your decimal point means?


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> You're being way to literal. Most who are driving don't know their actual costs, the post was simply meant to give them a base line to go by.


It's a meaningless baseline and most drivers I've seen on here who choose to use it are doing so to inflate actual costs as part of an anti-Uber agenda. YOU presented that number as an actual reliable cost calculation based on what the IRS says are typical average costs. That's inaccurate. Perhaps you are not agenda driven and you are just not aware of what realistic costs are.



Beur said:


> Guess next time I'll have to be more literal in my response.


Yes, you should be. Presenting a deduction as a usable cost estimate is either inaccurate or deceptive.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> Good luck with your ubernomics. If you are driving a '93 Camry that runs on water, yeah, I believe your running costs are 17 cents a mile.


That is my actual cost. I own a vehicle that was valued at $5,000 when I started driving and am devaluing it over 100,000 miles of Ubering. My fuel, maintenance, repairs, taxes, and ALL costs are 17c a mile. Actually, they were less because I have a $2,000 repair allowance in there I didn't use in 2015 that I am carrying forward in anticipation of future repairs.

You may need to note I live in the midwest, not NYC. We don't get hosed in taxes raising all driving associated costs. For example, today gas is $1.55 gal in my town.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

RichR said:


> Of course I did. Do you not understand what your decimal point means?


OK, you got me. I used to do $.17 but I saw another post use 17c and liked it better. Oops.


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> That is my actual cost. I own a vehicle that was valued at $5,000 when I started driving and am devaluing it over 100,000 miles of Ubering. My fuel, maintenance, repairs, taxes, and ALL costs are .17c a mile. Actually, they were less because I have a $2,000 repair allowance in there I didn't use in 2015 that I am carrying forward in anticipation of future repairs.
> 
> You may need to note I live in the midwest, not NYC. We don't get hosed in taxes raising all costs.


I must apologize. Make that a '94 Camry with a sunroof.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> I must apologize. Make that a '94 Camry with a sunroof.


Today, I will pay $1.55 a gal for gas. What will you pay?


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> It's a meaningless baseline and most drivers I've seen on here who choose to use it are doing so to inflate actual costs as part of an anti-Uber agenda. YOU presented that number as an actual reliable cost calculation based on what the IRS says are typical average costs. That's inaccurate. Perhaps you are not agenda driven and you are just not aware of what realistic costs are.
> 
> Yes, you should be. Presenting a deduction as a usable cost estimate is either inaccurate or deceptive.


Give it up it's a deductible cost set by the IRS and I'm willing to bet you there are drivers who are driving at a much higher cost than what the IRS allows. The fact remains that it was given to help the less knowledgable drivers figure out their profit point.

You do understand what a baseline is right? Here let me define it for you so you'll have a better understanding:

*Baseline*: a starting point by which to compare other information.

From that starting point costs could be higher or they could be lower. Giving someone a starting point to help them figure out their actual costs is not "false information" or a "meaningless baseline."


----------



## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Yes. That's what I said. ALL costs.
> 
> And no, I don't include insurance


Given that you're telling others to be literal, you should use better terminology (not to mention your use of decimal points and/or currency symbols).

Apparently, your 17¢ (or $.17, not .17c) per mile does not include "ALL" costs. Rather, you seem to be quoting the _*variable cost* _of driving (e.g. fuel, maintenance, repairs, and mileage-related depreciation). You are not including _*fixed costs *_such as insurance (although mine will go up if I put over 7500 miles on any one car in a given year) and time-related depreciation.


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Today, I will pay $1.55 a gal for gas. What will you pay?


That's 10 cents a mile ,my man, if your lemon gives 15 miles to the gallon. 7 cents left for everything else. I visit Jersey once a night, $1.30.


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## uber strike (Jan 10, 2016)

accept it and let them cancel. if they don't cancel press arrived. and after 5 minutes cancel and receive the $4 cancellation fee


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> That's 10 cents a mile ,my man, if your lemon gives 15 miles to the gallon. 7 cents left for everything else. I visit Jersey once a night, $1.30.


Man we get hosed for gas in California $2.19 per gallon, then again I'm driving a Prius and averaging 55.2 miles per gallon.


----------



## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RichR said:


> You can drive 100 miles for 17 cents? THAT is AWESOME!


You should know by now that Ramzfanz's car runs on dodo-bird farts, is lubed by rendered unicorn fat, is maintained by a leprechaun who works for Lucky Charms, rolls on cast-iron tires that are guaranteed for life, and it will never wear out or break. It's magic!


----------



## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Uhhhh, what? Do you not see per mile?


You wrote ".17 cents" per mile. You are therefore saying you can drive 100 miles for 17 cents.


----------



## wethepeople (Oct 10, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


Muahahaha.... nice try Uber !



Reversoul said:


> Dude I get it's a choice, but uber uses scare tactics to make us or we risk deactivation. I really need this job right now.


to be true: you're right many of us need this job right now.. however there's no future so it's short term anyways.
About the scare tactics : you're once again absolutely right, BUT WE CAN SCARE THEM BACK if we all stick together and don't give a crap at all.. what they're gonna do deactivate 80% of their drivers????? I do NOT think they so and Uber knows that too and that's the reason why currently no one gets deactivated, at least not for that. THEY NEED US MORE THAN EVER !

To stay on top about when to get carefully again, very easy:
When they stop sending you messages to refer a friend to drive for Uber and offer us money and incentives and hourly guarantees..

THAT will be the time to get more careful, but right now leverage is still with us.



uber strike said:


> accept it and let them cancel. if they don't cancel press arrived. and after 5 minutes cancel and receive the $4 cancellation fee


Yep, brother you're clearly one of my kind and I am one of your kind 
That's how it's done right.


----------



## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> OK, you got me. I used to do $.17 but I saw another post use 17c and liked it better. Oops.


All kidding aside, though, I do agree with you that, for most of us (probably not everyone), those _variable _costs might be the biggest factor in deciding whether driving for Uber is worthwhile.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> Give it up it's a deductible cost set by the IRS and I'm willing to bet you there are drivers who are driving at a much higher cost than what the IRS allows. The fact remains that it was given to help the less knowledgable drivers figure out their profit point.
> 
> You do understand what a baseline is right? Here let me define it for you so you'll have a better understanding:
> 
> ...


It's a deduction, not a cost, and not an estimate of real world costs for a typical Uber driver. It is a _very_ generous deduction. Anyone paying anywhere near that would have to be just throwing money away.

So, as a baseline, it is worthless. I have read at least at least 100 posts on here of actual costs drivers have documented and not only has none been higher, none were even close.
_
What were your actual costs per mile?_


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

RichR said:


> All kidding aside, though, I do agree with you that, for most of us (probably not everyone), those _variable _costs might be the biggest factor in deciding whether driving for Uber is worthwhile.


Yep. It's imperative that people know their actual costs. If you don't know them, you can't make good decisions on what costs you can drive down or if there is even profit to be made. I just tire of the "The IRS says this is what it costs" deception.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Greguzzi said:


> You wrote ".17 cents" per mile. You are therefore saying you can drive 100 miles for 17 cents.


Yes, we already determined that. Thanks though.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Greguzzi said:


> You should know by now that Ramzfanz's car runs on dodo-bird farts, is lubed by rendered unicorn fat, is maintained by a leprechaun who works for Lucky Charms, rolls on cast-iron tires that are guaranteed for life, and it will never wear out or break. It's magic!


Don't be jealous that I have lower costs. You can too if you are smart.

So, what are your costs per mile?


----------



## ottodawg (Feb 12, 2016)

Wow, this thread has gone off the rails...


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> That's 10 cents a mile ,my man, if your lemon gives 15 miles to the gallon. 7 cents left for everything else. I visit Jersey once a night, $1.30.


I get 18-20 depending on traffic. Most of my miles are suburbs and highway.

What are your actual costs per mile?


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ottodawg said:


> Wow, this thread has gone off the rails...


People get upset when you call them out for misleading people. Sorry about that, I just tire of the nonsense.


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> I get 18-20 depending on traffic. Most of my miles are suburbs and highway.
> 
> What are your actual costs per mile?


A '94 Camry with a sunroof does NOT get 18-20 miles/gallon. Get yourself checked.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> A '94 Camry with a sunroof does NOT get 18-20 miles/gallon. Get yourself checked.


I drive a 2008 kia sedona.

What are your actual costs?


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> I drive a 2008 kia sedona.
> 
> What are your actual costs?


I can make shit up like your 17 cents a mile or give you an actual answer.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> I can make shit up like your 17 cents a mile or give you an actual answer.


Mine are hard numbers. We both know you have no idea, so I guess make them up?


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## ottodawg (Feb 12, 2016)

You two need to get a room...


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> A '94 Camry with a sunroof does NOT get 18-20 miles/gallon. Get yourself checked.


Neither does a 2008 Kia Sedona.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> Neither does a 2008 Kia Sedona.


You never tire of misleading people, do you?

Please don't tell me you "help" new drivers with MPG estimations based on hummers too.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

_Why is it that when I asked what everyone's actual per mile costs were you all went silent?_

Just kidding. We know why.

I'll make it easy, just reply with a number:

1) I have no idea.

2) I don't want to say because it's half of what we are pretending it is when we Uber bash.


----------



## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> You never tire of misleading people, do you?
> 
> Please don't tell me you "help" new drivers with MPG estimations based on hummers too.
> 
> View attachment 31291


An 8 year old car is still getting the same miles/gallon as when it was sold? Damn these ubernomics! I've been foiled.


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> People get upset when you call them out for misleading people. Sorry about that, I just tire of the nonsense.


No one is upset, you're too literal and you don't understand the term baseline.

With your claim of 18-20 miles per gallon, your per mile cost to drive based on $1.55 per gallon of gas is $0.08 leaving you $0.09 per mile to cover all your other costs of driving. Based on EPA MPG estimates a 2008 Kia Sedona get 16 city/23 highway which gives you a cost of $0.07 per mile highway and $0.10 per mile city.

The fact that you don't include insurance in your cost negates your claim of $0.17 per mile cost to drive. Any tax expert will take your yearly insurance cost divided by 12 divided by 30 to get your per day cost of insurance. You multiply the per day rate by the number of days you drive to get your cost of insurance. Which is by the way a cost of driving as Uber nor Lyft will allow you on their platform without insurance.

It's kind of like using a room in your house as an office, there's a formula the IRS uses to determine how much you can deduct as a business expense.

When people don't use the full costs of driving, all costs, their claims of their cost to drive are false and meaningless.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> No one is upset, you're too literal and you don't understand the term baseline.
> 
> With your claim of 18-20 miles per gallon, your per mile cost to drive based on $1.55 per gallon of gas is $0.08 leaving you $0.09 per mile to cover all your other costs of driving. Based on EPA MPG estimates a 2008 Kia Sedona get 16 city/23 highway which gives you a cost of $0.07 per mile highway and $0.10 per mile city.
> 
> ...


False. I don't include my insurance as it's a dead cost. I have to pay it when I don't Uber therefore it is not a cost of Ubering unless I have Uber specific coverage.

I don't include my house payment either even though I park my car in my garage.

You are correct in that if I didn't or wouldn't have insurance anyway, I would count it as a cost. Hence my specific reply "It's not a cost of Ubering for me." Even if I did need to include it, and I don't, it would be insignificant compared to the whole cost.

You again are confusing deductions and costs. I have no insurance costs for Ubering.

Back to the elephant in the room: _What are your actual per mile costs?_


----------



## Ziggy (Feb 27, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


Do the research before you accuse others of being wrong ... IRS mileage rate is $0.54 in 2016 (according to IRS); though it was $0.575 in 2015. Unless you consider yourself a charity in which case it was only $0.14/mi


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> _Why is it that when I asked what everyone's actual per mile costs were you all went silent?_
> 
> Just kidding. We know why.
> 
> ...


2015 Prius average 55.2 miles per gallon
Gas $2.19/55.2= $0.04 per mile gas cost, average 100 miles a day/55.2= 1.81 gallons used x $0.04= $0.07 per day
Insurance $480 per year/12= $40 per month/30days = $1.33 per day
Maintenance $0.00 per year until 2017
Car payment $270.00/30= $9.00 per day
Tire Insurance (includes free balance and rotation anytime I want) $54.00 per year/12= $4.50 per month/30= $0.15 per day
Car Registration $236/12 months =$19.67/30 days =$0.66 per day

Now let's add up all the per day costs and divide them by 100 miles to get our per mile cost

$0.07 + $1.33 +$9.00+$0.15+$0.66 = $11.21 per day cost/100 miles driven per day= *$0.112 per mile cost*

There you have my true cost to drive, that includes all real expenses like insurance and car payment.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

So, Beur , let's review:

You tried to convince people that it costs 54c per mile to operate an average Uber car. We both now agree this is false.

You tried to convince people a 2008 Kia Sedona doesn't get 18-20 MPG. We both now agree this is false.

We're making progress!


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> 2015 Prius average 55.2 miles per gallon
> Gas $2.19/55.2= $0.04 per mile gas cost, average 100 miles a day/55.2= 1.81 gallons used x $0.04= $0.07 per day
> Insurance $480 per year/12= $40 per month/30days = $1.33 per day
> Maintenance $0.00 per year until 2017
> ...


I'm very proud of you! You did it!

Now, is that anywhere near your 54c "baseline" unicorn you're trying to sell? No? Then why not use actual numbers as a baseline? What is your train of thought on presenting a 500% inflated estimate?


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> So, Beur , let's review:
> 
> You tried to convince people that it costs 54c per mile to operate an average Uber car. We both now agree this is false.
> 
> ...


You sir like to hear yourself argue.

1. I never tried to convince people it cost $0.54 per mile to operate - It was a baseline, which clearly you don't understand the meaning of or are to ignorant to acknowledge that is what the IRS deems to be the "fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile." Keyword variable.

2. I didn't try to convince people that your 2008 Kia Sedona gets 16 city/23 highway a simple Google search for "2008 Kia Sedona MPG" reveals the EPA numbers which anyone with any car buying or operating experience knows cars typically get less MPG than the EPA estimates.

3. You have convinced yourself that insurance isn't a cost of driving for Uber and with you house payment example you are (alluding to), trying to convince people that a their car payment isn't a cost of driving.

Every expense that you incur with your car is an expense to drive for Uber. You don't have to have insurance unless you have a loan on your 2008 Kia Sedona, in which case the lender requires it. You could be like millions of others who drive without insurance.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> You sir like to hear yourself argue.


No, I like to clear away the common myths so people aren't duped.



Beur said:


> 1. I never tried to convince people it cost $0.54 per mile to operate - It was a baseline, which clearly you don't understand the meaning of or are to ignorant to acknowledge that is what the IRS deems to be the "fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile." Keyword variable.


[_to_ ignorant] <--- That's what we call irony.

You went on and on about how you tell new drivers their costs are 54c a mile to "help" them. Might as well make the baseline 75c a mile, it's just as useful.

"Just helped another new driver figure it out. *The week they gave me, they drove 301 miles x $0.54 = $162.54 cost to drive.* Their Uber pay that week was $234.50 - $162.54 = -$71.96 (the larger the negative the more profit you have). *Their profit margin was very slim.* Lucky for them they had some surge fares, had they all been minimum fares for their market they would have had to complete 57 rides just to break even."

We now know you believe an actual realistic baseline should be far less, based on your actual costs which are 1/5 of what you are selling newbies, so why the inflating of the numbers? Do you acknowledge, based upon your per mile, mine, and every other driver on here that has presented theirs, that 54c is not realistic?



Beur said:


> 2. I didn't try to convince people that your 2008 Kia Sedona gets 16 city/23 highway a simple Google search for "2008 Kia Sedona MPG" reveals the EPA numbers which anyone with any car buying or operating experience knows cars typically get less MPG than the EPA estimates.


Yes, it does get less than the EPA estimates. I acknowledged it did in my real world MPG and I explained most of my miles were suburbs and interstate which helps a lot. You said "Neither does a 2008 Kia Sedona" as a statement of fact when I had already given you my real world MPG.



Beur said:


> 3. You have convinced yourself that insurance isn't a cost of driving for Uber and with you house payment example you are (alluding to), trying to convince people that a their car payment isn't a cost of driving.


Insurance, for me in my situation, isn't a cost of Ubering, it's a cost I had before Ubering and will after. I Uber without buying any additional insurance at this point, so, no expenditure or loss of value in an asset, no cost.

A car payment isn't a cost of Ubering unless you are purchasing it for that purpose. Loss of equity in your personal asset is the cost, not the payment.



Beur said:


> Every expense that you incur with your car is an expense to drive for Uber. You don't have to have insurance unless you have a loan on your 2008 Kia Sedona, in which case the lender requires it. You could be like millions of others who drive without insurance.


False. Only expenses you experience in order to Uber are costs. My garage isn't an expense even though I park my Uber vehicle there because I was already purchasing it for my personal vehicle and the cost didn't change.

You are being intentionally obtuse. I own my van outright and insure it as state law requires. Actually, much better than law requires because I choose to protect myself personally from a debilitating economic situation. I can Uber or not, my personal insurance cost doesn't change. Yes, I could be a law breaker and not pay it. I didn't know we were considering what we could illegaly do to save money.

Insurance while Ubering may be deductible, but again, costs and deductibles are not the same thing. One you pay money out (cost), it costs you actual money from your account or pocket, the other saves you money (deduction), you have more money in your account or pocket. You see? Opposites.


----------



## Bart McCoy (Nov 4, 2014)

Beur said:


> "No one should be driving for less than $1.62 per mile if they want all rides to be profitable. *It really and truly is a case of simple math, once you learn what that profitable rate is for you, you shouldn't accept rides below that.*"


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> No, I like to clear away the common myths so people aren't duped.
> 
> [_to_ ignorant] <--- That's what we call irony.
> 
> ...


The only one here being obtuse is you. Enjoy living in your imaginary world


----------



## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

Ziggy said:


> Do the research before you accuse others of being wrong ... IRS mileage rate is $0.54 in 2016 (according to IRS); though it was $0.575 in 2015. Unless you consider yourself a charity in which case it was only $0.14/mi


I've already been corrected about the new mileage rate for 2016. The dispute was resolved and we were moving on.

The fact you are bringing it up again means that you are either an instigator or like drama. I'm guessing both.

Get lost.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> The only one here being obtuse is you. Enjoy living in your imaginary world


I'll see you next time you try to dupe a newbie. Have a great evening.


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> I'll see you next time you try to dupe a newbie. Have a great evening.


PS - I'll let my taxman know he's got the costs of driving wrong according to you.


----------



## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

I was about ready to kick a couple of idiots out of my car earlier this evening.

They were hanging out the window shouting at female pedestrians. I was very embarrassed and angry.

They also took 4 of my waters and all of my mints. They even refused to give me a destination.

I felt scared to kick them out because I didn't want to get a low rating.

How should I have handled that situation? I only have 53 rated trips, 51 are 5 stars. With so few ratings a 1* would really hit my rating.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> PS - I'll let my taxman know he's got the costs of driving wrong according to you.


Your taxman deals with deductions, not costs. Ask him to explain the difference, I'm done trying.


----------



## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Don't be jealous that I have lower costs. You can too if you are smart.
> 
> So, what are your costs per mile?


Your costs aren't lower than mine. You just think they are. But whatever. Fool yourself all you want. I'm just doing what I can to prevent you from encouraging others to fool themselves.


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I was about ready to kick a couple of idiots out of my car earlier this evening.
> 
> They were hanging out the window shouting at female pedestrians. I was very embarrassed and angry.
> 
> ...


You pull over, have them exit your car, end the trip, then go to your trip history, select help, and use the "I had an issue with the rider" option. Report the issue to Uber, it likely won't protect your rating, but it lets Uber know the account holder is a problem.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I was about ready to kick a couple of idiots out of my car earlier this evening.
> 
> They were hanging out the window shouting at female pedestrians. I was very embarrassed and angry.
> 
> ...


Never let the pax take charge. Pull over, end trip, order them out. Ratings are overrated. See what I did there?


----------



## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Your taxman deals with deductions, not costs. Ask him to explain the difference, I'm done trying.


Yeah, the IRS just hands out deductions that aren't based in reality because they secretly want to not do their job. LOL.


----------



## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> Your taxman deals with deductions, not costs. Ask him to explain the difference, I'm done trying.


And thanks for proving to everyone that you don't understand how to run a business. Well done!!!!!

PS - In the IRS allowable mileage deduction insurance is included in the fixed and variable costs.


----------



## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Greguzzi said:


> Your costs aren't lower than mine. You just think they are. But whatever. Fool yourself all you want. I'm just doing what I can to prevent you from encouraging others to fool themselves.


Ding ding ding! Another Uber driver testifying that actual costs are far lower than the standard mileage deduction Beur is selling to newbies as cost. Thanks for helping!


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Greguzzi said:


> Yeah, the IRS just hands out deductions that aren't based in reality because they secretly want to not do their job. LOL.


Oh, they're realistic, if you are Ubering with a fully financed brand new car and paying full retail at a dealership for suggested maintenance.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Never let the pax take charge. Pull over, end trip, order them out. Ratings are overrated. See what I did there?


Now that it's over, I'm mad at myself for letting them act that way.
Uber should disregard a low rating in situations like that.
I think I should still report the account holder for yelling perverse obscenities out the window.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> And thanks for proving to everyone that you don't understand how to run a business. Well done!!!!!
> 
> PS - In the IRS allowable mileage deduction insurance is included in the fixed and variable costs.


I see you've confused allowable deductions and actual costs again...


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Now that it's over, I'm mad at myself for letting them act that way.
> Uber should disregard a low rating in situations like that.
> I think I should still report the account holder for yelling perverse obscenities out the window.


Always report this type of behavior, they may not get banned this time, but if enough reports of inappropriate behavior are levied against a rider they'll eventually be banned.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Now that it's over, I'm mad at myself for letting them act that way.
> Uber should disregard a low rating in situations like that.
> I think I should still report the account holder for yelling perverse obscenities out the window.


Definitely report.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> I see you've confused allowable deductions and actual costs again...


You do realize without an associated cost there wouldn't be an allowable deduction, right? Mortgage interest is a cost of owning the home with a mortgage, hence the mortgage interest tax deduction. Every deduction has an associated cost. Geez you are thickheaded.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

Speaking of deductions, are car washes considered a business expense to the irs?

I'm spending $20 a week washing 2 vehicles.

I should probably get a monthly pass, but I hate recurring charges.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Speaking of deductions, are car washes considered a business expense to the irs?
> 
> I'm spending $20 a week washing 2 vehicles.
> 
> I should probably get a monthly pass, but I hate recurring charges.


If you are required to keep your car clean for your business, yes. The IRS allowable mileage deduction takes into consideration all costs associated with operating a vehicle for business. This is why it's important to know your actual costs of driving, as you might have a higher cost than the $0.54 the IRS allows. When it comes to taxes you can itemize or take the standard $0.54 deduction. Consult you tax person for what method is best for you.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> You do realize without an associated cost there wouldn't be an allowable deduction, right? Mortgage interest is a cost of owning the home with a mortgage, hence the mortgage interest tax deduction. Every deduction has an associated cost. Geez you are thickheaded.


You're confusing actual costs and deductions again. Let me illustrate:

This is Little Jimmy...









_Little Jimmy
_
Little Jimmy has to buy a school lunch every day at Michelle Obama Public School because he lives in a lefty state where they have decided the state will now choose what kids get to eat, not parents, because the parents have surrendered their inalienable rights. On Wednesdays, the standard lunch comes with tapioca pudding. Jimmy does NOT like tapioca pudding and just throws it away.

One day Little Jimmy is throwing his tapioca pudding away and the janitor, Melvin, asks _why do you throw away your pudding Little Jimmy?_









_Melvin_

Little Jimmy says _I don't like it_. Melvin says, _I do, I do so very much! I'll give you a dime for it every wednesday_. Little Jimmy says _Yes_!

So, you see, little Jimmy was already purchasing tapioca pudding (tapioca pudding represents insurance you are paying for but not using for profit) because he had to in order to go to school (going to school represents owning a car). This is what we call a "dead cost", one that is going to be paid if he sells the tapioca pudding or not.

So Little Jimmy happily saves a dime (the dime represents the profit you are making from Uber using a product you had to pay for anyway) every Wednesday to put towards that Red Rider BB gun he wants so much it hurts, so he can shoot his b#&%h sister Millie in the face, and without paying out any more than he would have to anyways! No additional costs and he gets something! No costs! How cool is that!

Now, if his parents are able to take a standard lunch deduction that includes tapioca pudding as an associated cost, they are actually deducting a cost they didn't have! Sweet!









_Happy Parents_

Everyone is happy except Little Jimmy's sister Millie, who lost her left eye, The End!

(Well, also except Melvin who went to prison for having pictures on his computer from the locker rooms, but that's unrelated, he was perfectly happy with the 10c tapioca pudding Little Jimmy had to pay for anyways.)


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## KekeLo (Aug 26, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Dude I get it's a choice, but uber uses scare tactics to make us or we risk deactivation. I really need this job right now.


You should try to get the pax to cancel. You must learn how to Uber. I hope, you find a real job, so you don't have to depend on Uber. Good luck, my fellow driver.



Reversoul said:


> I was about ready to kick a couple of idiots out of my car earlier this evening.
> 
> They were hanging out the window shouting at female pedestrians. I was very embarrassed and angry.
> 
> ...


You kick them out, and then, immediately report a serious issue to Uber. Get them before they get you.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> Speaking of deductions, are car washes considered a business expense to the irs?
> 
> I'm spending $20 a week washing 2 vehicles.
> 
> I should probably get a monthly pass, but I hate recurring charges.


Wow, that's high. Is that a monthly plan? I spend about $5 a week.

And yes, you can deduct it if you itemize. I don't know of any Uber driver who itemizes though being the standard mileage deduction is way way more than anyone should be paying to Uber. For example, Beur 's actual costs are 1/5 of the standard mileage deduction. Mine is 1/3. Greguzzi says his are even less than mine.


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## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

Beur said:


> 2015 Prius average 55.2 miles per gallon
> Gas $2.19/55.2= $0.04 per mile gas cost, average 100 miles a day/55.2= 1.81 gallons used x $0.04= $0.07 per day
> Insurance $480 per year/12= $40 per month/30days = $1.33 per day
> Maintenance $0.00 per year until 2017
> ...


You forgot an important quantity, the equity of your car which you're cashing out, it's called depreciation, unless you didn't pay a dollar for buying your car. You bought a finite number of miles when you purchased your vehicle.


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## ninja warrior (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> _Why is it that when I asked what everyone's actual per mile costs were you all went silent?_
> 
> Just kidding. We know why.
> 
> ...


Everyone went silent because they can't believe the level of idiocy being demonstrated by you and your numbers. 17cents/mile? You're the one who hasn't shown anything tangible, just a made up number. Uber's favorite kind of driver.


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

Reversoul said:


> Speaking of deductions, are car washes considered a business expense to the irs? I'm spending $20 a week washing 2 vehicles. I should probably get a monthly pass, but I hate recurring charges.


Only if you're not using the standard mileage deduction (54¢/mile for 2016). You can either deduct your _actual expenses _(keep all your receipts, use the depreciation schedules, most everything prorated for business vs. personal--it could be very tedious) OR use the mileage deduction to keep it simple(r).

The vast majority of us will come out ahead taking the mileage deduction.


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## kideyse (Oct 22, 2015)

Hi all,
Each mile that u drive lowers the value of your vehicle both book value and market value. What does the IRS say about depreciation per mile? Is that where the $.17 comes in. I'm sorry if it was already covered on the thread.


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## Beachbum in a cornfield (Aug 28, 2014)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.[/
> 
> wrong....it's Uber's job to make rides compensatory.....period. Otherwise Uber (and it's employees...wink wink) are doomed!!!!!


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Oh, they're realistic, if you are Ubering with a fully financed brand new car and paying full retail at a dealership for suggested maintenance.


LOL. If you take the standard deduction, you cannot deduct the finance costs, let alone the "full retail" maintenance costs, so the "financed" and 'full retail" nonsense is a laughable canard.

Have you ever operated any other "business" other than your laughable Uber "business?"

Lemme guess: You've been sucking on the government tit your whole life?


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

ninja warrior said:


> Everyone went silent because they can't believe the level of idiocy being demonstrated by you and your numbers. 17cents/mile? You're the one who hasn't shown anything tangible, just a made up number. Uber's favorite kind of driver.


Exactly right. As we all know, Ramzfanz's car runs on dodo-bird farts, never needs maintenance, and will never wear out or break.

Any prospective Uber/Lyft drivers who listen to this clown deserve what you will get.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

ninja warrior said:


> You forgot an important quantity, the equity of your car which you're cashing out, it's called depreciation, unless you didn't pay a dollar for buying your car. You bought a finite number of miles when you purchased your vehicle.


I have depreciation factored in which for me is negligible because:

1. the Prius believe it or not holds value pretty well. Traded in my 2004 last year for $10k.

2. I put very limited miles on my car. I work from home so the most I put on it is 30 miles a month. The 2004 had 9800 & change after 12 years. The 2015 will be a year old next month & has just over 2,000. Uber driving is not a regular thing for me.

And, I didn't want to confuse RamzFanz further. Using his thought process depreciation is a normal cost of car ownership like registration and insurance so why claim it.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

I think the best thing for me is to do the standard deduction of .54 cents a mile.

Hondas hold value really well so when I reach the 90,000 mile mark I'll just trade her in.

Though I use my Honda oddysey for xl fares which will split the mileage a bit.

Uber delivery (not eats) is starting later this month in Atlanta. I went and picked up my delivery bag a few days ago. Supposedly, it's 3.50 base and then $1.20 per mile.

I'd rather deliver packages and food than people. Plus the rates are better.


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## Manotas (Dec 2, 2015)

Phoenix666 said:


> Screw over another driver? That's laughable, we're not co-workers. We're all independent contractors (partners lol), if someone is dumb enough to drive 20 minutes for a pax that's sad.


Thank you Phoenix666 Thanks to guys like you I keep getting pings 20 min away that I also have to ignore because hell no! I'm not driving that far for a possible $2.60 fare... And for that Ewber employee, he can kiss my rusty bumper


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

kideyse said:


> Hi all,
> Each mile that u drive lowers the value of your vehicle both book value and market value. What does the IRS say about depreciation per mile? Is that where the $.17 comes in. I'm sorry if it was already covered on the thread.


The only "depreciation per mile" the IRS allows is built into the standard mileage deduction (54¢/mile for 2016).


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## Tenzo (Jan 25, 2016)

Reversoul said:


> Every time you cancel or don't accept, u screw another driver over. There's a reason u were pinged...you're the closest car to the pax. Now someone even further away than u has to drive to pick up the pax. It's part of the job. Some pings are close, some are far. In the end, it has a tendency to balance out. If u don't want to drive, don't go online.


Byte me. I'm not doing this for other drivers and I'm not "taking one for the team"


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Greguzzi said:


> LOL. If you take the standard deduction, you cannot deduct the finance costs, let alone the "full retail" maintenance costs, so the "financed" and 'full retail" nonsense is a laughable canard.
> 
> Have you ever operated any other "business" other than your laughable Uber "business?"
> 
> Lemme guess: You've been sucking on the government tit your whole life?


I was saying the 54c deduction is based upon a fully financed brand new car with full retail dealership maintenance. It's all included in that number and has no resemblance to the average cost per mile of a UberX/XL vehicle. Try to keep up.

I've been a contractor/contractee for 24 years and owned fleets of up to 22 vehicles. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what I'm talking about.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Greguzzi said:


> Exactly right. As we all know, Ramzfanz's car runs on dodo-bird farts, never needs maintenance, and will never wear out or break.
> 
> Any prospective Uber/Lyft drivers who listen to this clown deserve what you will get.


What is your per mile cost?


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

I wish I got more xl requests. I've only had one today so far.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I wish I got more xl requests. I've only had one today so far.


I do two things to get more XL:

I let the X cars get closer to high demand locations. So, for example, if I'm at an event that's ending, I try to be the closest XL but let the Xs ahead of me. This works well.

I also send a text to every X requests asking that they enter their destination and telling them I can carry up to 6 pax. I think it helps in that they invite more to ride with them, especially college kids. Then, after the ride, I bump the fare to XL.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

Beur said:


> I have depreciation factored in which for me is negligible because:
> 
> 1. the Prius believe it or not holds value pretty well. Traded in my 2004 last year for $10k.
> 
> ...


I depreciate by the mile. It's in the 17c. It's not a normal cost of ownership, it's a cost of Ubering. You seem to be having trouble with the concept.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

Good idea actually. I'm thinking about hanging around the hawks game as xl only.
Maybe I'll get a long ride out to the suburbs.


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## Beur (Apr 14, 2015)

RamzFanz said:


> I depreciate by the mile. It's in the 17c. It's not a normal cost of ownership, it's a cost of Ubering. You seem to be having trouble with the concept.


Continuing to make yourself look like a fool, keep up the good work.


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> What is your per mile cost?


Ask me when I've sold it off. There is absolutely no way to know until then.


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> I was saying the 54c deduction is based upon a fully financed brand new car with full retail dealership maintenance. It's all included in that number and has no resemblance to the average cost per mile of a UberX/XL vehicle. Try to keep up.
> 
> I've been a contractor/contractee for 24 years and owned fleets of up to 22 vehicles. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what I'm talking about.


It has nothing to do with the vehicle being financed. It's the cost to operate the vehicle in a sustainable way. I keep up just fine.


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## RichR (Feb 12, 2016)

"What is your per mile cost?"


Greguzzi said:


> Ask me when I've sold it off. There is absolutely no way to know until then.


If you're referring to the depreciation part, you can come up with a decent estimate.

Go to kbb and/or edmunds.com. Get the value of your car with the actual odometer reading. Do it again, with 10K additional miles. Then, do the math to calculate the cost per mile.


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## msvalwhite419 (Dec 15, 2015)

PTUber said:


> Are you insane? How does it "screw another driver over"? Maybe 1% of the drivers on this forum will take this ping 20 minutes away. Most say 8 minutes if its slow maybe 10. With current rates risking a 2 mile drive or worst yet they cancel is not worth it. I've heard on here and from PAX drivers are calling to get details then canceling if they don't like the destination. I don't do that because PAX hate it.
> To answer Caligal's questions you can just ignore it and you won't get pinged from them again but Uber may bounce you for a few minutes if you do 2 or 3 of these in a row (not a big deal) or you can accept and cancel but Uber doesn't like this either so you can't do it often.


well Uber needs to give us our 80% back


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

RichR said:


> "What is your per mile cost?"
> 
> If you're referring to the depreciation part, you can come up with a decent estimate.
> 
> Go to kbb and/or edmunds.com. Get the value of your car with the actual odometer reading. Do it again, with 10K additional miles. Then, do the math to calculate the cost per mile.


It's way, way more than depreciation. What if a part or many major parts break? Planning for such things are all part of sustainably managing your costs. And doing that amounts to much more than $0.17/mile.


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## UofMDriver (Dec 29, 2015)

caligal said:


> I've been driving in Bakersfield for about 3 mo. My question. I get a ping 20 min away I don't want to drive that far for a 5.00 ride. What is the best way not to do the ride? Let it time out or accept it then cancel.


I only drive Uber when I am in a surge area. If I get a ping outside the surge area , I let the ping expire then I go off line for a few minutes. Only exception is if its a UberXL run. I been driving those with or without a surge.


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## negeorgia (Feb 1, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I love how u accuse me of being uneducated and incorrect, then ramble on with completely false information.
> 
> The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


The 2015 rate was .575.... The 2016 rate is .54


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## JuanIguana (Nov 24, 2015)

Reversoul said:


> I love how u accuse me of being uneducated and incorrect, then ramble on with completely false information.
> 
> The irs compensation is 0.57 cents per mile, not 0.54.


Nanny nanny booboo!


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## JuanIguana (Nov 24, 2015)

doyousensehumor said:


> Hmm looks like both of you guys are wrong. Looks like 14 cents per mile for at least the last 5 years.


Still freaking lmao!!


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## El Janitor (Feb 22, 2016)

You accept it, show up and:


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