# Account On Hold: Rider Made False Allegations



## NYCFunDriver (Dec 31, 2016)

I really don't know where to start, but here goes. 

I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow. 

Why would a rider do that when there is no evidence to back his/her claim? Is it possible it was a means of getting out of paying the fare? I'm asking, because I just had a chat with a neighbor who took an Uber with her co worker late at night. The account the request was made from was her co worker's. Apparently, he's cheap and can't part with money. When they arrived at their final destination he saw the fare and told her it costed too much and didn't want to pay for it. He said he was going to report the driver for being rude, name calling and wreckless driving. She advised him not to do it as it was completely made up. Unfortunately, he did only to be reimbursed.

I would really appreciate if any of you can offer sound advice regarding the issue. The allegations reported were false. I'm 100% sober. I do not engage in drinking and/or drug use.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Just to play devil's advocate, is there any possibility you might have been nodding off? Were you tired?

If no, then yes, this isn't anything new. 
Pax have figured out they could get a free ride by making something up. 
We have one troll here that even admitted if he saw something like a warning light come up on your dash for low tire pressure, check engine, etc he would contact UBER about it too get a free ride, even if he was taken to his destination without any issues.

Not much can be done to prevent this other than hope there's not too many scumbags out there and this will be an isolated incident.

Keep fighting it. It's all you can do. 
Oh, and a dashcam would also help for false allegations.


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

This sucks and seems to be happening more and more based on multiple threads on here. I would get a dash cam for starters. Not just for false allegations but also helps when police pull you over late at night for no reason just for being out on the road. You can tell uber you have a dash cam and can prove no such thing took place. Chances are they will not ask you to provide a video since you are offering to. Other than that, it is your word against the riders word. If you have many 5 star ratings or a high 5 star rating and many compliments, I would lean on that as well. Uber sides with the pax 10 out of 10 times.


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## NYCFunDriver (Dec 31, 2016)

Cableguynoe said:


> Just to play devil's advocate, is there any possibility you might have been nodding off? Were you tired?
> 
> If no, then yes, this isn't anything new.
> Pax have figured out they could get a free ride by making something up.
> ...


Thank you for your response! The answer is no I was not nodding off or tired. By the time I arrived home twenty minutes later I was awake and alert enough to have done two to three more trips. It was close to three in the morning and didn't want to be out any later while planning on taking the following day off.

The minute I feel sleepy I end my shift.


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## SKuber (Feb 11, 2017)

Well, I went thru this with Lyft, it was awful and offensive. The rider i suspect made the false report said before he got out "my wife is going to be pissed I spent $50 on a lyft". They will never positively provide the riders identity. I'm sure the pax was comp'd the fare and received some incentives for a future ride. I was not impaired and wouldn't even consider driving after consuming drugs/alcohol. I offered lyft video evidence of the ride (not that it would be much help) but they were not interested. After two weeks of nonsensical emails from lyft support I reached out to @lyftsupport on Twitter, the were awsome, understood english and responsive. Two days later I was reinstated. My best advice is while you are dealing with this be perstant and contact them daily to profess your innocence.


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## NYCFunDriver (Dec 31, 2016)

NHDriver said:


> This sucks and seems to be happening more and more based on multiple threads on here. I would get a dash cam for starters. Not just for false allegations but also helps when police pull you over late at night for no reason just for being out on the road. You can tell uber you have a dash cam and can prove no such thing took place. Chances are they will not ask you to provide a video since you are offering to. Other than that, it is your word against the riders word. If you have many 5 star ratings or a high 5 star rating and many compliments, I would lean on that as well. Uber sides with the pax 10 out of 10 times.


I have many five star ratings, compliments and badges with a high rating of 4.78.

It does suck. It's unfair and unjust. How do these people get away with it? I'm done with the late shift. Too many drunktards out there.



SKuber said:


> Well, I went thru this with Lyft, it was awful and offensive. The rider i suspect made the false report said before he got out "my wife is going to be pissed I spent $50 on a lyft". They will never positively provide the riders identity. I'm sure the pax was comp'd the fare and received some incentives for a future ride. I was not impaired and wouldn't even consider driving after consuming drugs/alcohol. I offered lyft video evidence of the ride (not that it would be much help) but they were not interested. After two weeks of nonsensical emails from lyft support I reached out to @lyftsupport on Twitter, the were awsome, understood english and responsive. Two days later I was reinstated. My best advice is while you are dealing with this be perstant and contact them daily to process your innocence.


I plan on stopping by my local greenlight hub tomorrow. This is absolute BS.


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## chitown73 (Jul 18, 2017)

Both Uber and Lyft support are a complete waste of time. They barely even speak or understand English and they're taught to just read/type the same canned bs replies. It's pretty much the same with all of the big companies. You need to go online, Twitter or Factbook and put them on blast. Bad pr is the only real way to get their attention.


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## NYCFunDriver (Dec 31, 2016)

chitown73 said:


> Both Uber and Lyft support are a complete waste of time. They barely even speak or understand English and they're taught to just read/type the same canned bs replies. It's pretty much the same with all of the big companies. You need to go online, Twitter or Factbook and put them on blast. Bad pr is the only real way to get their attention.


I noticed that. It's all scripted and if they are not interested in helping you.


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

One question I have after re-reading the post. You said it was a ride share with 3. Was the person who falsely accused part of that 3 person pool? If so, have uber reach out to the other pax and ask them to evaluate the ride and there is your proof.


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

48 hour suspension or what uber calls "wait listed". The hub can not do anything for you. There will be a message on your account telling them to not manually reinstate the driver. Once you are back online your auto pay will be deactivated for 72 hours.

So much bs for not doing anything wrong. No repercussion for riders that make false claims. While the drivers get bent over. Three claims against us and no more Uber. No trial, no judge, just the Uber executioner.


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## NYCFunDriver (Dec 31, 2016)

The hub cannot reinstate withheld accounts. I was there today. They were very helpful as I spent over an hour discussing the issue with both the hub manager and associate. It was disclosed which trip it was. The rider was a female, picked up a little after 12AM, accompanied by two male friends. They seemed to be having a fun night as I heard them laughing. The rider told them not to be so loud for fear I may give her a low rating. My response was that wouldn't be a reason for me to do so. As we were heading north toward their final destination one of her friends mentioned he was surprised to see how much traffic there was for a holiday weekend given the time of night. Around two minutes later the rider demanded I speed it up, which I didn't as the speed limit in NYC streets is 25MPH. After dropping them off close to 12:30AM she submitted a report. The claim, disclosed by Uber, driving while impaired for going too slow.



Uber_Yota_916 said:


> So much bs for not doing anything wrong. No repercussion for riders that make false claims. While the drivers get bent over. Three claims against us and no more Uber. No trial, no judge, just the Uber executioner.


Once I'm reinstated rating will be changed to one star. Following that I will do what I can to have her account permanently banned from using Uber again. I just went through two days of Hell.


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

NYCFunDriver said:


> The hub cannot reinstate withheld accounts. I was there today. They were very helpful as I spent over an hour discussing the issue with both the hub manager and associate. It was disclosed which trip it was. The rider was a female, picked up a little after 12AM, accompanied by two male friends. They seemed to be having a fun night as I heard them laughing. The rider told them not to be so loud for fear I may give her a low rating. My response was that wouldn't be a reason for me to do so. As we were heading north toward their final destination one of her friends mentioned he was surprised to see how much traffic there was for a holiday weekend given the time of night. Around two minutes later the rider demanded I speed it up, which I didn't as the speed limit in NYC streets is 25MPH. After dropping them off close to 12:30AM she submitted a report. The claim, disclosed by Uber, driving while impaired for going too slow.
> 
> Once I'm reinstated rating will be changed to one star. Following that I will do what I can to have her account permanently banned from using Uber again. I just went through two days of Hell.


That is complete BS!!!! I am sorry but if Uber deactivates a driver for driving to slow there is something wrong. That sounds more like safe driving to me. So now I guess you can be deactivated for driving the speed limit and keeping your pax safe. I am so glad I am back to corporate America in two weeks and off this train wreck. You got bent over big time for providing your service safely and lawfully. Why does Uber support a lying pax over a hard working driver. I just don't get it. I wonder if Uber tracks pax that constantly file complaints for the free ride and deactivate them if they file too many or if they keep giving them some type of compensation.


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## Fubernuber (Jan 15, 2017)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


The people who are most likely to do this are also most likely to be arrested, to.be expelled from school, to vote left, to protest against illegal immigration bans, to be poor, to be on a budget. So if you want to narrow down who did this to you, simply figure out which ones of your pool riders fit that desceiption.....oh wait. They all do


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## Sacto Burbs (Dec 28, 2014)

Dash cam … Dash cam… Dash cam


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

Sacto Burbs said:


> Dash cam &#8230; Dash cam&#8230; Dash cam


For EVERY ride my friend. My point being, oh I want money back because the driver drove too slow? Really?


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## UberCheese (Sep 3, 2017)

Uber and Lyft are sociopath enablers. It's the norm.



NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


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## DexNex (Apr 18, 2015)

In many jurisdictions, ride-share companies are forced to immediately suspend a driver after a report of impairment. It is not just their policy, it could be a local regulation.


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

Understood, how does driving slow imply impairment? Oh wait cos the pax said so. My bad!

Maybe RS drivers should turn the tables and start falsely accusing riders. File complaints we felt unsafe, the pax continuously used vulgar language and made racist comments multiple times, kept touching me during the ride, etc. Maybe the best defense is a good offense.


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## NYCFunDriver (Dec 31, 2016)

NHDriver said:


> That is complete BS!!!! I am sorry but if Uber deactivates a driver for driving to slow there is something wrong. That sounds more like safe driving to me. So now I guess you can be deactivated for driving the speed limit and keeping your pax safe. I am so glad I am back to corporate America in two weeks and off this train wreck. You got bent over big time for providing your service safely and lawfully. Why does Uber support a lying pax over a hard working driver. I just don't get it. I wonder if Uber tracks pax that constantly file complaints for the free ride and deactivate them if they file too many or if they keep giving them some type of compensation.


You're considered driving while impaired for driving the speed limit, providing a safe ride and obeying the laws of the road.


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

NYCFunDriver said:


> You're considered driving while impaired for driving the speed limit, providing a safe ride and obeying the laws of the road.


Apparently. Next you will be deactivated for dressing appropriately, being politically correct and opening the door for the pax. This is just insane to me.


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## luvgurl22 (Jul 5, 2016)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Just have your neighbor corroborate what happened to support.Sorry you went through that but pax do that a lot, lie to get credit.


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## brendon292 (Aug 2, 2016)

NHDriver said:


> I would get a dash cam for starters. Not just for false allegations but also helps when police pull you over late at night for no reason just for being out on the road.





Sacto Burbs said:


> Dash cam &#8230; Dash cam&#8230; Dash cam


This myth that dash-cams help with false allegations needs to stop. Support does not watch dash-cam videos when doing an investigation. The only time anybody at Uber will watch a video is if you bring your story public and it goes viral.


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## June132017 (Jun 13, 2017)

They need to have alcohol testing somehow. I guess they need to build places where we get paid $25 to see if we've been drinking. Then if the complaint isn't true ban the rider? I mean how can UBER be so dumb losing good drivers.


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## crookedhalo (Mar 15, 2016)

Contact lyft through Twitter, they respond with English speaking humans there that can actually solve problems. They will still treat you as if they are doing you a favor but atleast they respond


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

Uber/Lyft should institute a new policy built into the rider's ToS stating falsely accusing drivers of inappropriate driving or behavior may result in an additional charge to the account of up to $100 to cover administration and investigative fees. This would help deter pax looking to get a free ride knowing they could be found out and charged up to $100.

Once the rider makes an accusation, this policy should be sent along with the usual we apologize email and then an app button that asks if they would like to proceed with an investigation into the accusation.


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## ShinyAndChrome (Aug 18, 2017)

brendon292 said:


> This myth that dash-cams help with false allegations needs to stop. Support does not watch dash-cam videos when doing an investigation. The only time anybody at Uber will watch a video is if you bring your story public and it goes viral.


ok so that isn't a myth after all, merely a hassle.

Uber auto default shuts you off for 48 hours and often turns you back on. If you have video and they think they will perma ban you I bet they would be willing to watch it then.

Anyway worst case you are banned over a bs accusation. I am recording all video now to protect against the truly injurious accusations: criminal that could result in arrest or similar.

I have NO CLUE why anybody would drive uber lyft without at least a dash cam. It is patently naive. They cost under $100!!!! Why are people so cheap to not buy one and driving abject strangers around? Makes no sense to me at all.


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## NHDriver (Aug 6, 2017)

Will they watch it at green light location?


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## brendon292 (Aug 2, 2016)

NHDriver said:


> Will they watch it at green light location?


I've heard they will but I'm not convinced. In my market, I've known drivers that were deactivated over false allegations. They went to the greenlight and were told they must go through support for help.


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## NYCFunDriver (Dec 31, 2016)

Folks, sorry for the two week delay in updating my situation. The following morning after visiting the greenlight hub my account was back on. The first thing I did was change the PAX's rating to a one. I sincerely hope her rating dropped to an all time low. Things have been good since getting back on the road. Thanks for all of your support!


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

NHDriver said:


> Uber/Lyft should institute a new policy built into the rider's ToS stating falsely accusing drivers of inappropriate driving or behavior may result in an additional charge to the account of up to $100 to cover administration and investigative fees. This would help deter pax looking to get a free ride knowing they could be found out and charged up to $100.
> 
> Once the rider makes an accusation, this policy should be sent along with the usual we apologize email and then an app button that asks if they would like to proceed with an investigation into the accusation.


Not $100, put some teeth in it.

"If you make an allegation against a driver that is later determined to be false, you can be charged up to $5,000 for administrative fees and recompense to the driver for lost revenue."

Do this, and I guarantee you the number of fake complaints against drivers would come to a screaming stop!


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## sthriftybroke (Aug 23, 2017)

Spotscat said:


> Not $100, put some teeth in it.
> 
> "If you make an allegation against a driver that is later determined to be false, you can be charged up to $5,000 for administrative fees and recompense to the driver for lost revenue."
> 
> Do this, and I guarantee you the number of fake complaints against drivers would come to a screaming stop!


How do send this in to uber and get this made into being a thing?!


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## surlywynch (Jun 22, 2017)

I doubt that will ever happen. It means that Uber will actually have to investigate complaints, so far the the 48 hr time out works for Uber. They couldn't care less how this affects their "drivers", you know the Independent Contractors they treat like employees, that keep their business going...


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

sthriftybroke said:


> How do send this in to uber and get this made into being a thing?!


I don't know - maybe Email the new CEO with ideas for "180 Days of Change - part 2"?

All I know is that if the passengers are aware that false accusations made against drivers can and will have financial penalties - they'll cut the shit. Knowing that Uber may debit their bank account, say $1,500, because they claimed a driver was intoxicated and it was later proven they weren't, is all the incentive the passengers should need to stop making these types of accusations.


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## Uberfunitis (Oct 21, 2016)

June132017 said:


> They need to have alcohol testing somehow. I guess they need to build places where we get paid $25 to see if we've been drinking. Then if the complaint isn't true ban the rider? I mean how can UBER be so dumb losing good drivers.


I doubt that they would pay you to get tested but they may allow you to pay to get tested, I could see them offering a $50 drug and alcohol test to avoid deactivation.



Spotscat said:


> Not $100, put some teeth in it.
> 
> "If you make an allegation against a driver that is later determined to be false, you can be charged up to $5,000 for administrative fees and recompense to the driver for lost revenue."
> 
> Do this, and I guarantee you the number of fake complaints against drivers would come to a screaming stop!


Than Uber gets sued after a driver hurts someone while under the influence. The lawyers will argue that Uber discouraged threw the threat of fees people from reporting impaired drivers.


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

surlywynch said:


> I doubt that will ever happen. It means that Uber will actually have to investigate complaints, so far the the 48 hr time out works for Uber. They couldn't care less how this affects their "drivers", you know the Independent Contractors they treat like employees, that keep their business going...


I've been giving this issue more thought, and what Uber should do is...

1) Change the passenger terms of service to indicate that if an allegation for impaired driving is made against a driver that is later determined to be false, their account may be charged up to $2,500 for administrative fees and recompense to the driver for lost revenue.

2) Eliminate the untimely "after the fact" reporting of drivers. If a passenger suspects a driver is impaired, it needs to be reported immediately, not 12, or 24, or 36 hours later. This should eliminate the passengers who are trying to scam a free ride or retaliating against a driver, from those who are genuinely concerned that their driver is impaired. A report not made within 2 hours of the completion of a trip is dismissed as invalid.

3) Upon receiving a notification that they have been reported for impaired driving, a driver is immediately deactivated and given two options - either report to an approved clinic within one hour for a drug & alcohol test at their expense, or have their account suspended for 48 hours. If the drug & alcohol tests prove to be negative, the passengers account is charged for the cost of the testing, as well as a reasonable amount for lost revenue by the driver.

4) Any driver who has had more than three allegations of impaired driving made against him/her and has not undergone the drug and alcohol testing specified above, will be permanently deactivated.

5) Uber will begin investigating claims made of impaired driving - contacting passengers who rode with the driver immediately prior to and after the ride in which the alleged incident of impaired driving took place. No more 48-hour cooling off periods while they sweep it under the rug, these accusations are taken seriously and actually investigated as to their veracity.

If Uber is going to take 25+% of what is charged riders for the services the drivers provide, they should also have the best interests of those drivers at heart.



sthriftybroke said:


> How do send this in to uber and get this made into being a thing?!


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

Uberfunitis said:


> Than Uber gets sued after a driver hurts someone while under the influence. The lawyers will argue that Uber discouraged threw the threat of fees people from reporting impaired drivers.


If a driver is operating under the influence and causes an accident while on-duty with Uber, Uber gets sued regardless.

At present, if an Uber driver is reported to be operating while impaired, all that is done is that the driver is suspended for 48 hours pending an investigation. Local law enforcement isn't notified of the report, no steps are taken to remove the driver from the road, only to stop them from operating for Uber.

Ask yourself this; If you saw a UPS tractor-trailer weaving down the road and you believed the driver to be operating a vehicle while impaired, who are you going to call first - 911 or UPS?

If I believe the Uber driver that gave me a ride home was stoned or drunk, I know who I'd call first, and it isn't Uber.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

If you have a history of what you've made on the two days of the week that you ended up being banned, Sue the packs for slander, defamation of character, and damages arising there from. You can sue "John or Jane Doe a passenger in my car whose identity will be revealed through discovery", and then you can subpoena Uber for that information and serve the pax.


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## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

Uber_Yota_916 said:


> 48 hour suspension or what uber calls "wait listed". The hub can not do anything for you. There will be a message on your account telling them to not manually reinstate the driver. Once you are back online your auto pay will be deactivated for 72 hours.
> 
> So much bs for not doing anything wrong. No repercussion for riders that make false claims. While the drivers get bent over. Three claims against us and no more Uber. No trial, no judge, just the Uber executioner.





NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


I am so so sorry- this is absolutely infuriating and frustrating beyond belief!! The fact that Uber acts on what a passenger claims without speaking to the driver really blows my mind. I've had pax lie to Uber to get money taken off a bill before- The passenger claimed that I started the trip too early (whatever that means!) and took a route that was too long, but this was about a month ago when the price was fixed and the length of the trip wouldn't have made a difference anyway, which I reminded Uber about and also I told them that the passenger was lying and they could see on the route map from the trip that he was lying. They wrote back and apologized and said that the money was taken off of my earnings accidentally, but just the fact that the passenger tried to lie about it because it was a high surge ride made me want to go apeshit on the passenger .

I am so pissed off on your behalf, the fact that Uber ****s with our livelihood based on lies they are told, without first speaking to the driver, goes against every single business model and protocol for dispute resolution- you will not find any industry or company on this planet that does not speak with both parties of any dispute before taking action. ESPECIALLY when one party is paying for a service that the other party is providing! SO MADDENING!


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## Uberfunitis (Oct 21, 2016)

SuzeCB said:


> If you have a history of what you've made on the two days of the week that you ended up being banned, Sue the packs for slander, defamation of character, and damages arising there from. You can sue "John or Jane Doe a passenger in my car whose identity will be revealed through discovery", and then you can subpoena Uber for that information and serve the pax.


Anybody can sue for anything, that does not indicate that you have any likelihood of wining any such case.


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## yoursonlymine (Aug 21, 2014)

NYCFunDriver said:


> The hub cannot reinstate withheld accounts. I was there today. They were very helpful as I spent over an hour discussing the issue with both the hub manager and associate. It was disclosed which trip it was. The rider was a female, picked up a little after 12AM, accompanied by two male friends. They seemed to be having a fun night as I heard them laughing. The rider told them not to be so loud for fear I may give her a low rating. My response was that wouldn't be a reason for me to do so. As we were heading north toward their final destination one of her friends mentioned he was surprised to see how much traffic there was for a holiday weekend given the time of night. Around two minutes later the rider demanded I speed it up, which I didn't as the speed limit in NYC streets is 25MPH. After dropping them off close to 12:30AM she submitted a report. The claim, disclosed by Uber, driving while impaired for going too slow.
> 
> Once I'm reinstated rating will be changed to one star. Following that I will do what I can to have her account permanently banned from using Uber again. I just went through two days of Hell.


It's not these people's fault it's the company's that able the customer to behave like this


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## CryBaby_Mocker (Aug 17, 2017)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Lesson learned: if you are not impaired, then don't drive like you are.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Uberfunitis said:


> Anybody can sue for anything, that does not indicate that you have any likelihood of wining any such case.


Why wouldn't you? Their lie about you cost you money. You suffered damages. That's exactly what slander and defamation of character or about.


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

SuzeCB said:


> Why wouldn't you? Their lie about you cost you money. You suffered damages. That's exactly what slander and defamation of character or about.


I don't think you'd find a lawyer who would take this on a contingency basis, unless the defendant had very deep pockets, so you'd have to pay the legal fees up front.

How I see a case of this sort playing out is like this --

Uber suspends you from driving for two days, and as a result you lose $500 in potential income. You find an attorney to draft and file a lawsuit against the complaining passenger, suing them for unspecified damages because of their slanderous statements and defamation of character.

The passenger hires an attorney who contacts your attorney, and they make an arrangement for the case to be settled out of court if you agree to dismiss the lawsuit.


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

yoursonlymine said:


> It's not these people's fault it's the company's that able the customer to behave like this


You *CAN!* address this issue and clear the driver much faster than 48 hours. (and more accurately as well)

The cab company i driver for does suspend drivers on a first allegation, but they also send out a company safety officer/insurance investigator to breathalyze on the spot. And then they will refund taxi rental for lost time waiting around.

I had one of these with the cab company, made me blow a breathalyzer, walk the line, I screwed up the alphabet backwards... did the nose thing, was given $14.60 off my taxi rental on the shift. I lost an hour or so of time but got $14.60 for the time...

If uber self insured *would save them a heck of a lot of money* and had insurance investigators going around everywhere trained to handle these issues they could properly investigate these issues as well.

Uber does nothing and the mere fact that they don't properly investigate these allegations could lead to their downfall.

It's not that customer wasn't a total $(*%* and was 100% WRONG,
So was uber for not properly addressing the situation.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

I've already resolved that if this happens to me I WILL absolutely positively sue the passenger for lost earnings, defamation of character and libel/slander. Even if that means I have to do it Pro Se. More important than the money, an example must be made. Passengers need to see it in the papers that a passenger was sued for $10,000 for making false complaints.

Further if there is even the possibility of getting criminal charges against them for knowingly making a false complaint of this nature I will absolutely do all that I can to force it.


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

I have had passengers who made comments on how they were going to rate me while I was in transit with them, I replied that the rating system means nothing and usually shuts them up.


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## touberornottouber (Aug 12, 2016)

peteyvavs said:


> I have had passengers who made comments on how they were going to rate me while I was in transit with them, I replied that the rating system means nothing and usually shuts them up.


I'm not a jerk to passengers and have a rating above 4.9 with over 1,000 trips but if someone ever tells me they are giving me a 1* or seriously threatens it then the ride would be over immediately then and there without exception. I have nothing to gain by continuing to take them and with such a bad attitude in fact the odds are high that the situation would escalate if I did. If Uber has any problem with it I will tell them the truth: I no longer felt safe with an irate passenger.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Spotscat said:


> I don't think you'd find a lawyer who would take this on a contingency basis, unless the defendant had very deep pockets, so you'd have to pay the legal fees up front.
> 
> How I see a case of this sort playing out is like this --
> 
> ...


You don't need a lawyer for small claims court. You sue for your actual damages, and then make up the rest to get to $3,000 in punitive damages. It costs $15 to file a lawsuit in small claims court in New Jersey, you also include litigation costs yeah, and a lot of times they will come in over and above whatever the judgment is.

A small claims court is not all that intimidating. They are well aware of the fact that they are not dealing with lawyers most of the time in small claims. A lot of latitude is granted with regard to courtroom protocol.


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## Pawtism (Aug 22, 2017)

SuzeCB said:


> You don't need a lawyer for small claims court. You sue for your actual damages, and then make up the rest to get to $3,000 in punitive damages. It costs $15 to file a lawsuit in small claims court in New Jersey, you also include litigation costs yeah, and a lot of times they will come in over and above whatever the judgment is.
> 
> A small claims court is not all that intimidating. They are well aware of the fact that they are not dealing with lawyers most of the time in small claims. A lot of latitude is granted with regard to courtroom protocol.


I concur with this. Most states even have clerks that you can make an appointment with and can answer some basic questions. They aren't full on lawyers, but they know their system (and their judges) well. Think People's Court or Judge Judy minus all the showmanship and with a little more preparation (hopefully) on the plaintiffs part. It is totally doable.

Also remember that the burden of proof is on the plaintiff (the person bringing the suit, ie, you), so do prepare well. But I would recommend at least looking into this option.


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

SuzeCB said:


> You don't need a lawyer for small claims court. You sue for your actual damages, and then make up the rest to get to $3,000 in punitive damages. It costs $15 to file a lawsuit in small claims court in New Jersey, you also include litigation costs yeah, and a lot of times they will come in over and above whatever the judgment is.
> 
> A small claims court is not all that intimidating. They are well aware of the fact that they are not dealing with lawyers most of the time in small claims. A lot of latitude is granted with regard to courtroom protocol.





Pawtism said:


> I concur with this. Most states even have clerks that you can make an appointment with and can answer some basic questions. They aren't full on lawyers, but they know their system (and their judges) well. Think People's Court or Judge Judy minus all the showmanship and with a little more preparation (hopefully) on the plaintiffs part. It is totally doable.
> 
> Also remember that the burden of proof is on the plaintiff (the person bringing the suit, ie, you), so do prepare well. But I would recommend at least looking into this option.


That's true, I forgot about small claims court!

You could get depositions or sworn statements from the passengers immediately before and after the ride in question that would establish their opinions of your driving abilities - whether or not they thought you were impaired.

The kicker would be if the complaining passenger didn't report you to the local law enforcement - they cared more about getting a free ride or retaliating against you for some perceived incident, than they did about public safety.


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## Robert finnly (Jul 1, 2017)

touberornottouber said:


> I've already resolved that if this happens to me I WILL absolutely positively sue the passenger for lost earnings, defamation of character and libel/slander. Even if that means I have to do it Pro Se. More important than the money, an example must be made. Passengers need to see it in the papers that a passenger was sued for $10,000 for making false complaints.
> 
> Further if there is even the possibility of getting criminal charges against them for knowingly making a false complaint of this nature I will absolutely do all that I can to force it.


Good luck and i hope you win and teach them a lesson


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## Uberfunitis (Oct 21, 2016)

SuzeCB said:


> Why wouldn't you? Their lie about you cost you money. You suffered damages. That's exactly what slander and defamation of character or about.


You would have to prove that they knowingly lied about you and were not merely attempting to keep an impaired person off the road. The courts are going to go out of their way not to discourage people from reporting suspected impaired drivers as a matter of public safety so you will have a very hard time winning anything. You may argue that they should have notified the police but they will counter that they thought Uber would be in a better place to do such notifications as they have your location tracked and all your contact information that could be passed on to law enforcement.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Uberfunitis said:


> You would have to prove that they knowingly lied about you and were not merely attempting to keep an impaired person off the road. The courts are going to go out of their way not to discourage people from reporting suspected impaired drivers as a matter of public safety so you will have a very hard time winning anything. You may argue that they should have notified the police but they will counter that they thought Uber would be in a better place to do such notifications as they have your location tracked and all your contact information that could be passed on to law enforcement.


Perhaps. It would all depend on what came out in Discovery. When did the Pax first suspect that the driver might be under the influence? What exactly was ut that made them think that the driver might be under the influence? Did they say anything to the driver about it? Did the driver say anything to indicate it? Did they, at that time, request that the driver pull over, and the ride, and get out of the car? Why not? Etc.

Once you have the answers to all of that, if any of it contradicts your dash cam footage and audio recording that we should all be doing with every single trip, you've got them dead to rights.

Uber may not be interested in watching video footage, but a court will.


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## george manousaridis (Jan 27, 2017)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Its happens frequently,Uber will not back you,happened to me here in Australia.


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

Take a trip to San Francisco and visit Uber's head quarters, just sit outside and watch those who walk in to work and then you'll understand why Uber is so F up. I wouldn't hire Uber staff to be dishwashers.


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## Julescase (Mar 29, 2017)

NHDriver said:


> Uber/Lyft should institute a new policy built into the rider's ToS stating falsely accusing drivers of inappropriate driving or behavior may result in an additional charge to the account of up to $100 to cover administration and investigative fees. This would help deter pax looking to get a free ride knowing they could be found out and charged up to $100.
> 
> Once the rider makes an accusation, this policy should be sent along with the usual we apologize email and then an app button that asks if they would like to proceed with an investigation into the accusation.


 That's a really good idea NHDriver, have you suggested that Uber yet? I email them all the time with suggestions, not that they will ever implement any of them but I figure if enough people make a point of complaining about or bringing up an issue, someone in that foolish company might take notice.

It is soooo infuriating that pax get away with pulling the amount of crap they pull and STILL are allowed to remain active riders, when THE DRIVERS, whom are all "partners," are not only deactivated but are always guilty until proven innocent, and hold the burden of proving themselves in every single situation when they are innocent most of the time. That is LUDICROUS for God's sake!!

There are so many things wrong with this always-scandal-filled organization and their business model/ protocol for dealing with drivers & pax, I could go on for hours. How are they still getting away with treating drivers so very poorly yet allowing pax to behave atrociously with zero ramifications? It truly boggles the mind. It's insane and ver insulting.

WTF is wrong with me that I continue to "partner "(lol) with them? Jesus.



peteyvavs said:


> Take a trip to San Francisco and visit Uber's head quarters, just sit outside and watch those who walk in to work and then you'll understand why Uber is so F up. I wouldn't hire Uber staff to be dishwashers.


You've Got me so curious, now I really really want to go see what you're talking about. Find out who these creatures from hell are and what they look like. Do they have horns coming out of their heads and long tails with sharp points at the end of them?


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

The people of San Francisco in general and those who work in the tech field in particular have an attitude that they are better then other people, this is a fact.
Many of Uber employees make 6 figure salaries and think they are privileged above others.

OMFG !!!!!!!!!!!! Uber had actually reversed a complaint against me.


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## nickd8775 (Jul 12, 2015)

The option to report an intoxicated driver should only be available during the trip. And it should notify the police immediately so that the driver gets pulled over during the ride. And if the driver is sober, charge the passenger $200, $50 to the driver, $100 to the police, $50 to Uber. Would rather the cops make money from the false accusations than from tickets


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## JDS5768 (Jan 2, 2020)

nickd8775 said:


> The option to report an intoxicated driver should only be available during the trip. And it should notify the police immediately so that the driver gets pulled over during the ride. And if the driver is sober, charge the passenger $200, $50 to the driver, $100 to the police, $50 to Uber. Would rather the cops make money from the false accusations than from tickets


Ive heard several procedures that are much MUCH better than what the procedure actually is. And full of common sense as well. This is one of the best. It actually takes the possible impairment seriously, AND most importantly a PAX isn't going to make such a claim unless it's extremely legit


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Passengiers LIE & SLANDER DRIVERS BECAUSE CO DEPENDANT UBER REWARDS LYING ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR !!!

UBER IS DYSFUNCTIONAL DOWN TO ITS VERY CORE !

REALIZE IT !
FACE IT !

UBER IS SICK & TWISTED !



Uber_Yota_916 said:


> 48 hour suspension or what uber calls "wait listed". The hub can not do anything for you. There will be a message on your account telling them to not manually reinstate the driver. Once you are back online your auto pay will be deactivated for 72 hours.
> 
> So much bs for not doing anything wrong. No repercussion for riders that make false claims. While the drivers get bent over. Three claims against us and no more Uber. No trial, no judge, just the Uber executioner.


THIS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN AMERICA !


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## JPaiva (Apr 21, 2019)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Sad to say some pax do this to get out of paying. 3 strikes(reports) legitimate or not and you are permanently deactivated without recourse. Wondering if there is any way a police report would force uber to turn over pax info. Then you sue the pax for false allegations, slander and lost wages during your deactivation period. Only way to get pax to stop this is hold them criminally liable. Same as with false service animals. There has to be some law enforcing agency that can force uber to turn over pax info.


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## ColtDelta (Nov 11, 2019)

JPaiva said:


> Sad to say some pax do this to get out of paying. 3 strikes(reports) legitimate or not and you are permanently deactivated without recourse. Wondering if there is any way a police report would force uber to turn over pax info. Then you sue the pax for false allegations, slander and lost wages during your deactivation period. Only way to get pax to stop this is hold them criminally liable. Same as with false service animals. There has to be some law enforcing agency that can force uber to turn over pax info.


File small claims case against unknown Jane Doe. This will enable you to issue subpoena to get all ride records and details of complaint and resolution. Uber / Lyft can not ignore a subpoena. Once info received you can adjust suit to show riders info.


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## BogusServiceAnimal (Oct 28, 2019)

NYCFunDriver said:


> I really don't know where to start, but here goes.
> 
> I was on a three passenger pool beginning in the Upper East Side of Manhattan ending around 2:30AM in Sheepshead Bay located way out in South East Brooklyn. Ten to twenty minutes later on my way home I received a message from support letting me know my account was put on a hold for 48 hours due to a rider falsely accusing me for impaired driving. I'm angry, upset and shocked over the situation. After contacting support in my defense the response was the issue is under investigation with mention of doing a great job at offering respectful and professional trips to my riders. I plan on visiting the Uber Greenlight Hub tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Uber has created this culture where passengers can wreak havoc on a person's income from either caprice, spite, or cheapness. There are no consequences for fraud on the passenger's end and the drivers have ZERO protections. Get three false accusations and you are toast. Get ONE false accusation on a service animal and you are toast.

The issue needs to be addressed via a lawsuit, or Uber will continue to foster a hostile work environment.


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