# Has anyone been asked by insurance Co if they drive rideshare?



## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

I had a pax from Philly (in my taxi) tell me he switched insurance companies. He was asked up front if he drove for Uber or Lyft, right up front. That is the first i have heard of that happening.


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## Mr. T (Jun 27, 2015)

No. But I told USAA, and they didn't care


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## naplestom75 (May 3, 2015)

Uber isn't a rideshare!!!!!!!


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## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

Huberis said:


> I had a pax from Philly (in my taxi) tell me he switched insurance companies. He was asked up front if he drove for Uber or Lyft, right up front. That is the first i have heard of that happening.


They've been doing this for a while : some started doing this last year when they realized they may be covering more risk than their policies were designed for.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/12/18/uber-lyft-driver-insurance/


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

naplestom75 said:


> Uber isn't a rideshare!!!!!!!


In name only. It is easier than spelling out Lyft, Uber SideCar. How bout driving as a member of the Shadow Economy?

Forbes Calls them "car-service app startups" in the link provided.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

There are more than a few rumours about this. I would like to know which are true and which are rumours, only.

Supposedly Allstate and Progressive do not care if you rideshare, but, if you hit anything while logged on to whatever platform, do not expect them to pay. If you hit something when not logged on, they will pay. That stated, when I added a car to my policy from one of those two insurers, they did ask the purpose for which I intended to use the car. As the car was my old taxi, it would not be accepted by any rideshare that currently operates here, thus, I was able to state that I was using it for private purposes, only. Once Tap-a-Hoopty comes to Washington, I could use it, but until that day comes.............. The company did not ask me anything when I bought the policy for the car that I was using for rideshare, but, I did secure that policy from an agent, but she did not ask me anything, either. The insurer has offered me renewal every time, but has never asked me for what purpose I am using the original vehicle on the policy. Still, as no admitted insurer will write a rideshare endorsement in the District of Columbia, I have instructed my agent to find a policy that will allow me to do this. So far, this is proving difficult.

GEICO does offer rideshare endorsements in certain states. If you drive without one, or, if you are somewhere that GEICO does not offer a rideshare endorsement, if it finds out that you are doing rideshare, it will drop you, supposedly. Supposedly State Farm and Liberty Mutual will do likewise. From what I have heard, the last two do offer a commercial policy that will allow for rideshare, but only in certain states.

All of this is hearsay. I would be happy to learn what is and _ain't_ true.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

I have heard about all the stipulations. What I had never heard before, and I never heard a member here mention, was a driver being directly asked if they drive for Uber. Most of the talk is concern don't offer don't tell, but don't lie if they do ask. Most insurance agents in my town seven months ago before Uber arrived had no idea who or what they were.

I thought Allstate and Progressive permit the activity but only if it represents less than 50% of your mileage and yes, app on, zero coverage from them.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Huberis said:


> How bout driving as a member of the Shadow Economy?


That term _used_ to refer to cab driving, street vending and a few other occupations where the payments were in cash, thus not necessarily recorded anywhere, thus only payer and payee knew about them. More than a few of those who made their living in that economy did not bother to file taxes, either. The usual term was "underground economy", but I have heard the term that you used apply to it, as well.

As Uber sends 1099s, you can not hide the money. In fact, cab driving largely has emerged from the underground economy as most major cities mandate credit card acceptance (I am not so sure that they can do that, but that is the subject of another post), thus 1099s do come from somewhere.

From 1931-2008, here, the cabs had no meters, so hacking here was _truly_ part of the underground economy. In the jurisdictions that used meters (most of them), in theory, at least, someone _could_ know what a driver was earning, although given the structure of most companies, that was difficult. Drivers would rent different cabs every day or week, or whatever, the trip logs were handwritten, often in heiroglyphics (I have a few stories about that one, as well), the meter readings were unreliable for mechanical meters and could easily be zeroed out on the earliest digitals, so it would have required extraordinary effort to learn what even one driver was earning, never mind several hundred and do not mention, even, several thousand. In fact, in Arlington, where the companies were supposed to turn in the trip sheets to the County, someone there would scrutinse one or two, then throw all of them into the trash and report little or nothing to Richmond. No one in Richmond particullarly cared, as they had other things to do, anyhow.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Huberis said:


> I thought Allstate and Progressive permit the activity but only if it represents less than 50$ of your mileage and yes, app on, zero coverage from them.


Thank you for _that_ tip. Last year, I did run up more private than business miles on the UberXmobile. As for what portion of what I spend on the car I can deduct, that is one reason why I pay an accountant to do my taxes (whose fee I can deduct, as well). For tax year 2014, I did have a fifty-seven/forty-three split in favour of non-business use. One thing that anyone must do on this is record _total_ expenses for the year so that the accountant can come up with an accurate figure on the deductible portion.

I have never been made aware of anyone's insurer asking specifically about Uber, although I have heard of an insurer's asking the general question about rideshare. My insurer did ask for what I planned to use my former taxi when I added it to the policy as a private vehicle.

Then, for those who do finance, there might be the problem of the lienholder's objection to the vehicle's use for rideshare, as at best, the collision coverage is void while logged in. I did finance my UberXmobile for tax purposes, but, if my lienholder were to object to its use, I _could_ pay it off. I did tell the dealer when I bought the car that I had planned to use it for UberX. The dealer arranged the financing. My financier asked me nothing about rideshare.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

I most remember reading mention of a Shadow Economy in an article about Uber's dealing with the organization Women UN. It was either a quote from a Women UN person or that of a world worker's Union rep. Something alon those lines. On a personal note, Peter Matthiessen is one of my favorite authors, he wrote a novel called Shadow Country about a ruthless man in a remote, poor part of Florida, a man who can't be trusted, but who people still find hope in his ability to bring them out of their poverty....... It is an interesting read. A sort of Shadow Self is a recurring theme in his work, so for that reason, I have always thought it Shadow Economy had a nice ring when I heard it. It fits.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> Thank you for _that_ tip. Last year, I did run up more private than business miles on the UberXmobile. As for what portion of what I spend on the car I can deduct, that is one reason why I pay an accountant to do my taxes (whose fee I can deduct, as well). For tax year 2014, I did have a fifty-seven/forty-three split in favour of non-business use. One thing that anyone must do on this is record _total_ expenses for the year so that the accountant can come up with an accurate figure on the deductible portion.
> 
> I have never been made aware of anyone's insurer asking specifically about Uber, although I have heard of an insurer's asking the general question about rideshare. My insurer did ask for what I planned to use my former taxi when I added it to the policy as a private vehicle.
> 
> Then, for those who do finance, there might be the problem of the lienholder's objection to the vehicle's use for rideshare, as at best, the collision coverage is void while logged in. I did finance my UberXmobile for tax purposes, but, if my lienholder were to object to its use, I _could_ pay it off. I did tell the dealer when I bought the car that I had planned to use it for UberX. The dealer arranged the financing. My financier asked me nothing about rideshare.


50% not 50$


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## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

Huberis said:


> In name only. It is easier than spelling out Lyft, Uber SideCar. How bout driving as a member of the Shadow Economy?
> 
> Forbes Calls them "car-service app startups" in the link provided.


In Austin, "RIDESHARE" is clearly defined as carpooling. Uber pushed the term "RIDESHARE" because it helped them force exemptions to existing regulations. When we were in various meetings, several insurance execs were very careful to define the differences. I have been surprised to see that some of those companies have actually used the term on their new hybrid policies. It makes me wonder if they used the term to push the policies for approval from their stakeholders.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

Huberis said:


> 50% not 50$


I did guess that. My mention of "fifty-seven/forty-three was a per-centage, not dollar figure.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

Tx rides said:


> In Austin, "RIDESHARE" is clearly defined as carpooling. Uber pushed the term "RIDESHARE" because it helped them force exemptions to existing regulations. When we were in various meetings, several insurance execs were very careful to define the differences. I have been surprised to see that some of those companies have actually used the term on their new hybrid policies. It makes me wonder if they used the term to push the policies for approval from their stakeholders.


I used rideshare because general speaking...... There is talk of "rideshare insurance" Hybrid insurance etc. Hybrid driver wouldn't be clear. Interesting back story. Thank you.


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## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

Huberis said:


> I used rideshare because general speaking...... There is talk of "rideshare insurance" Hybrid insurance etc. Hybrid driver wouldn't be clear. Interesting back story. Thank you.


Without a doubt, it was a well played use of the word by Uber and Lyft. So many politicians, as well as the public, had no idea what this service was. For crying out loud, who could possibly criticize "carpooling", right? Why would anyone expect CARPOOLING to carry full commercial insurance, follow taxi/limo laws, etc... Brilliant ploy-it worked!!!

There is absolutely no difference between a BMW owner who joins Uber, and a BMW owner who "hangs a shingle" as a black car service. They are both small businesses, but local governments across the land regulate the latter, and call the Uber driver a "sharer". As a black car owner, all I have wanted all along is equality. Slowly, the public is starting to question the "sharing "aspect of this. I predict that the next few years of this 1099 economy will punish these "tax lords", and you will start seeing new regulations to address the loss of immediate tax revenue. (that is not exclusive to car service, I have seen this in the tech sector for quite some time)


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## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

Huberis said:


> I used rideshare because general speaking...... There is talk of "rideshare insurance" Hybrid insurance etc. Hybrid driver wouldn't be clear. Interesting back story. Thank you.


By the way, I don't mean to holler when I say "rideshare". If I type the word on my phone, it instantly capitalizes it, and I cannot make it stop!! Lol!!!


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## UberNorthStar (Jul 7, 2015)

American National will deny a claim if it is ride-for-hire (RFH). Been told that the policy will be cancelled. If the underwriter were to get wind of a policy holder using their personal vehicle as a RFH the personal policy would be cancelled. So far have not found an insurance in TX that will underwrite a policy for me that drops the exclusion for a RFH personal vehicle.


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## joe flood (Jun 4, 2015)

Why would it matter to them you are not on their ins. when you are online with UBER????


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## UberNorthStar (Jul 7, 2015)

B/c it is just a _liability policy, _Uber does not offer _any coverage _for the driver's injuries or damaged property (car). Do you see collision coverage, comp coverage, or personal injury protection on Uber's liability policy?

No! Uber insurance is strictly to protect itself from lawsuits from passengers & the other driver involved in the accident.

NOTICE that Ubr pays comp or collision _only after one's personal insurance pays zero or denies the claim. 
_
Along with denying my claim my insurance will cancel me due to a short phrase excluding "a vehicle used as a ride for hire," an exclusion in most personal auto insurance policies.

Not an opinion--fact.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

I got in a fender bender last summer with a taxi cab. the cab driver told my insurance company I was an Uber driver.

They asked me "do you drive for Uber" I said no. The trade dress and phone came down (mount and all) before we exchanged info... and he did not take pix of the 3 girls getting out of my car after he hit me.

The insurance company called about a month later asking the same question because the taxi driver was calling them to contradict my story... I just said NO. 

O.J. taught me well!


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

LAuberX said:


> O.J. taught me well!


"Hack missed photo op, then you must not drop."


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