# Uber is changing its surge pricing policy. It could cost workers up to $1,000 a month, driver says



## KevinH (Jul 13, 2014)

https://www.abc15.com/news/national...-cost-workers-up-to-1-000-a-month-driver-says
Posted: 12:57 PM, Feb 16, 2019

Updated: 59 minutes ago
By: Amanda VanAllen



















CLEVELAND - John Booth drives for Uber full time.
"By last Friday, I just hit 15,000 rides in three and a half years," Booth said.
The Uber driver said he works strategically, mostly during what Uber calls "surge times."
"When the demand goes up, if there's no drivers available, the price goes up, therefore it attracts more drivers to come out and drive," Booth said.
Booth recently got an email from Uber about surge pricing changes. Instead of drivers getting a percentage of those more expensive rides, they will now get a set dollar amount.
"Under the old model, the driver would have made about $23 after the airport fee and the booking fee and the split, now its going to be about $15," said Booth.
Now when you call an Uber during a high-profile time like a weekend evening or after a big concert, you'll still be charged more, but Cleveland Uber drivers say they'll get much less.
"And not to say its a money grab to bad mouth the company, but it looks like its a money grab," Booth said. "I haven't really out a pencil to it yet, but I would imagine that's going to wipe out $800 to $1,000 a month."
Booth said not only will this diminish his salary, he's also worried about the riders.
"The full timers were the ones that depend on that extra money cause we drive all the time and I think it might seriously hurt the quality of service," Booth said.
An Uber spokesperson emailed WEWS a statement explaining the changes are suppose to help drivers make more money:


> We are testing changes to surge, designed to make it a more reliable way for drivers to earn extra money more often. We are always looking for ways to improve the earning experience for drivers.


Booth said he's not experiencing any benefit to the new policy.
"I could understand maybe and I think all the drivers everywhere could understand maybe if they weren't basically charging the passenger the same rate, if it was less as a whole all around, OK it is what it is, but its not," Booth said.


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## Frozenhawaiian (Feb 10, 2019)

the company seriously expects drivers to believe that we're going to make more money with the new system? give me a break...


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

KevinH said:


> *An Uber spokesperson emailed WEWS a statement explaining the changes are suppose to help drivers make more money*


What is he smoking?


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## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

Imagine working for a place and every year or every other month they cut your pay. Great job!


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## UberBastid (Oct 1, 2016)

Frozenhawaiian said:


> the company seriously expects drivers to believe that we're going to make more money with the new system? give me a break...


Yes. Of course.
They (we) have always done that in the past.
Why should they expect a change?
We are fully trained and conditioned.
They know exactly what they doing, and they know the reaction: grumbling.

Let it commence.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

This is the Charlotte Surge. F*ub*a*r* has been implementing it all over the U.S. of A. We have had it in the Capital of Your Nation for some time, now.

We just do more Shirlington Shuffles on base rate hours and when we have hit our bonus quotas.

We also have more drivers who start the trip when they are a block away from the customer. If they do not like the trip, they do not take it.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Pax Collector said:


> What is he smoking?


Coming from the same people who claimed "Lower prices mean more money"

It's another lie and another system that hurts drivers.

I'm not surprised in the least that they are claiming that.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

atleast it's finally being reported on


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## mrpjfresh (Aug 16, 2016)

In a way these changes do help drivers make money... it is just the ones who work harder and not smarter. The type that instead of thinking critically and asking "why do I keep missing out on surges?" instead complains that the Uber surge cloud always disappears and multiplication is just too difficult. Well, Uber listened alright and are here to help! 

Now that they will adjust the surge on longer trips, you do not see the examples much, if at all, where Uber is getting >80% on a trip. Uber doesn't want the blowback from essentially "mugging" drivers in these situations. They prefer the nickle and dime method via things like upfront pricing, rate rebalancing and flat rate surge where they can spin it as a good thing. Not even the most skillful conman can spin taking 80% a cut as "good" in any conceivable way.

Basically, just think of new surge as a giant pot of money that Uber redistributes to a greater mass of drivers. They take a slightly bigger rake, of course, but running Uber is expensive, y'know. S1.8B in losses last year despite record ride requests and taking, on average, 40% of what the customer pays. It will be quite interesting when almighty Uber opens their books to investors. Who knows? Maybe they'll just try the same old songs just on a new audience.


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## Wraiththe (Nov 26, 2017)

BurgerTiime said:


> Imagine working for a place and every year or every other month they cut your pay. Great job!


This is the way of corporations now. More than half the businesses in the USA...

SUCKS. It is no wonder the suicide rate is so high in the US.


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

Welcome to the new economy, we’re all being pimped out by corporate America.


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## Lee239 (Mar 24, 2017)

You know they are only going to cheat the driver but not charge the customer any less.

It's a slippery slope for Uber because you do agree to terms that Uber can do what it wants, a judge can later rule against them and Uber would go bankrupt if it had to pay back it's drivers for all the money they have been cheated out even if they did go public and got $120 billion.


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

Uber will die on the vine, sooner or later, hopefully sooner, a new player will enter the rideshare market and many of those who have been loyal drivers will bail on them. Uber has abused drivers repeatedly and will pay a hefty price.
If you think hiring non-English speaking drivers will keep Uber going, passengers are already complaining about this issue, it will get worse.
Uber if you’re monitoring this message board you would be wise to heed this comment or suffer the consequences.
As for Lyft they’re just a joke, they’ll be RIP within the next two years.


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## amazinghl (Oct 31, 2018)

Surge/Boost? What's that
?


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## Ssgcraig (Jul 8, 2015)

KevinH said:


> https://www.abc15.com/news/national...-cost-workers-up-to-1-000-a-month-driver-says
> Posted: 12:57 PM, Feb 16, 2019
> 
> Updated: 59 minutes ago
> ...


Why is this news? We haven't had a multiplier for a while now in Boston. Should be in a regional thread perhaps?


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## Ricardo Resolute (Feb 18, 2019)

U/L don’t want careerist drivers.
They continue to dissuade and discourage drivers from considering TNC driving an actual “Job” .

Most banks concur its a gig.

To be candid, we will die before the app based Transportation Network Companies (TNC). U & L is what the public wants. Driver sentiments don’t count when u have an unending supply


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## MiamiUberGuy5 (Feb 20, 2019)

Pax Collector said:


> What is he smoking?


He's not wrong if its a short ride


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## Sconnie (Apr 3, 2018)

It’s good to see it actually made the local news somewhere.


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