# Zeroed Again by a Lyft Rider



## BeachBum (Aug 6, 2014)

Picked up a high school kid yesterday. We were talking about ride sharing and she told me she had used up her last free Lyft ride the day before and that I was her first paid ride. As soon as she said that, I knew. Sure enough, that ride was all zeros on my statement this morning. WTF, 25 free rides is not enough? you have to have 26? Of course Lyft didn't lose a dime. They didn't burn any gas or use their car or time.


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## NCTRNL (Aug 13, 2014)

Happens to the best of us. Just hope that her profile gets flagged and you never hear from her again.


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## BeachBum (Aug 6, 2014)

NCTRNL said:


> Happens to the best of us. Just hope that her profile gets flagged and you never hear from her again.


This is the third time it's happened. Always kids. I'm starting to wonder if the app makes clear about payment, or if it's just a fad with the kids. They may know they get one free ride before getting flagged.


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## NCTRNL (Aug 13, 2014)

I've wondered the same thing. Here in KC, with the Pioneer Program, you sign up and you get 5 free rides so kids like to use those up and get 1-2 zeroed out before they can't get anyone to pick them up. Then they just go back to their business. If there only was some way to explain to them that when they do that, they're not screwing the big company, they're screwing the driver...


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

You can take a Lyft passenger and not get paid? Ive never had that happen before. Are some cities different?


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## NCTRNL (Aug 13, 2014)

Jeeves said:


> You can take a Lyft passenger and not get paid? Ive never had that happen before. Are some cities different?


If you're in one of the "Donation" cities where they have to do business that way to skirt around TLC laws.


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

Ahh, and Lyft doesnt cover it? I know in California Sidecar covers those who don't pay.


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## NCTRNL (Aug 13, 2014)

Nah, they don't seem to really care honestly. The problem is that you don't know they zeroed you out until the next day so you can't rate them accordingly...


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

That is lame.


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## LUXYRIDE (Jul 5, 2014)

I would give high school students a 3 so that I don't get them again. On top of putting up with their attitudes -- all I need is for some kid to say I forced them to get in the car.


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## JUAGAMELO (Aug 19, 2014)

NCTRNL said:


> Nah, they don't seem to really care honestly. The problem is that you don't know they zeroed you out until the next day so you can't rate them accordingly...


Unsane, WTF? is that?


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## TrafficSlayer (Aug 16, 2014)

NCTRNL said:


> If you're in one of the "Donation" cities where they have to do business that way to skirt around TLC laws.


Although i don't see why, uber is in the same cities as Lyft is and they are all "fares".


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## Baron VonStudley (Jun 20, 2014)

That's the million peso question. I smell bullshit


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## TrafficSlayer (Aug 16, 2014)

BeachBum said:


> This is the third time it's happened. Always kids. I'm starting to wonder if the app makes clear about payment, or if it's just a fad with the kids. They may know they get one free ride before getting flagged.


Unfortunately, it sounds like you either take them with the chance of being zeroed, or cancel on them and let them stiff someone else.


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## Optimus Uber (Oct 7, 2014)

BeachBum said:


> Picked up a high school kid yesterday. We were talking about ride sharing and she told me she had used up her last free Lyft ride the day before and that I was her first paid ride. As soon as she said that, I knew. Sure enough, that ride was all zeros on my statement this morning. WTF, 25 free rides is not enough? you have to have 26? Of course Lyft didn't lose a dime. They didn't burn any gas or use their car or time.


That's why I save their pickup address and their destination address and then I stalk them until they pay. Every where they go, they see my truck, just following them. Big Optimus semi, following them around town. Where ever they go, there is Optimus, I hunt them down like prey, watching ever so close. Reving my big diesel engine. The rev says 'rrrr, pay, rrrr, me'


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## Robert420 (Aug 30, 2014)

Optimus Uber said:


> That's why I save their pickup address and their destination address and then I stalk them until they pay. Every where they go, they see my truck, just following them. Big Optimus semi, following them around town. Where ever they go, there is Optimus, I hunt them down like prey, watching ever so close. Reving my big diesel engine. The rev says 'rrrr, pay, rrrr, me'


Is this you Optimus Uber ?


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## cheerose (Aug 29, 2014)

Is there a list of the donation cities?


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## Optimus Uber (Oct 7, 2014)

Robert420 said:


> Is this you Optimus Uber ?


you see that, I make sure you're dead. I'll run over your coffin.


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## Grace A. (Jun 30, 2014)

There was an article in the FAQ called Donations vs Fares or Charges and it listed what city was what, but that article seems to be gone.


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## Rockwall (Oct 10, 2014)

Grace A. said:


> There was an article in the FAQ called Donations vs Fares or Charges and it listed what city was what, but that article seems to be gone.


Here you go I was able to get the cached version of the article
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...elp/article/1415358+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

*DONATIONS VS. CHARGES*
Lyft currently collects donations in some cities and charges a set amount in others. Here's a quick breakdown of how rides are paid for in each city:

*DONATIONS*
In the following cities, drivers collect donations for rides:
_Note: This means that there is not a set amount for what a ride should cost, but rather a suggestion of what the ride should be. It is at the passengers discretion to leave the donation amount of their choosing._


Albuquerque, NM
Ann Arbor, MI
Austin, TX
Buffalo, NY
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH
Columbus, OH
Corpus Christi, TX
Dallas, TX
Fairfield County, CT
Honolulu, HI
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Kansas City, MO
Lincoln, NE
Madison, WI
Miami, FL
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Omaha, NE
Phoenix, AZ
Pittsburgh, PA
Rochester, NY
San Antonio, TX
St. Louis, MO
Tampa, FL
Toledo, OH
Tucson, AZ
Virginia Beach, VA
*CHARGES*
In the following cities, Lyft charges a set amount for rides:


Atlanta, GA
Bakersfield, CA
Baltimore, MD
Boston, MA
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Colorado Springs, CO
Denver, CO
Detroit, MI
Fresno, CA
Inland Empire, CA
Lexington, KY
Louisville, KY
Los Angeles, CA
Memphis, TN
Modesto, CA
Nashville, TN
Napa & Sonoma, CA
Northern New Jersey, NJ
Oklahoma City, OK
Orange County, CA
Providence, RI
Raleigh-Durham, NC
Sacramento, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
Seattle, WA
Silicon Valley, CA
Spokane, WA
Stockton, CA
Tulsa, OK
Washington, DC


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## cheerose (Aug 29, 2014)

So there is a rate listed... but for the donation cities, it is just a suggested amount? Wow...


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

I thought all of Lyft is fare based now... no? I was getting violated big time when Dallas was donation. The tables have turned and now I don't hate getting Lyft requests.


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## troubleinrivercity (Jul 27, 2014)

It’s hard to believe that donation-based fares are still a thing. But for someone who did experience them, did some folks’ overpayment make up for others’ under and non-payment? 
Regarding product promotions, promising a huge quantity of free service is a nasty thing to do to the people responsible for providing it, and who live and die on its viability.


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## haohmaru (Sep 18, 2014)

Happened to me twice, both on significantly long rides (20+ minutes), but hasn't happened to me in a couple of months. Haven't been driving all that much lately for Lyft, though, the numbers just don't make sense.


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

troubleinrivercity said:


> It's hard to believe that donation-based fares are still a thing. But for someone who did experience them, did some folks' overpayment make up for others' under and non-payment?


In theory. In practice all of humanity wants the most bang for their buck. It never EVER worked itself out.


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## Grace A. (Jun 30, 2014)

Most of Texas except Austin have moved off donations and I think all of Florida has.


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## ChrisInABQ (Oct 21, 2014)

Rockwall said:


> Here you go I was able to get the cached version of the article
> 
> *DONATIONS VS. CHARGES*
> Lyft currently collects donations in some cities and charges a set amount in others. Here's a quick breakdown of how rides are paid for in each city:
> ...




Albuquerque luckily just went from Donation to Charges a couple weeks ago. I only got the shaft once, and it wasn't that bad. I think it was about a $25 fare reduced to the $15 that their free ride covered.


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## pengduck (Sep 26, 2014)

BeachBum said:


> Picked up a high school kid yesterday. We were talking about ride sharing and she told me she had used up her last free Lyft ride the day before and that I was her first paid ride. As soon as she said that, I knew. Sure enough, that ride was all zeros on my statement this morning. WTF, 25 free rides is not enough? you have to have 26? Of course Lyft didn't lose a dime. They didn't burn any gas or use their car or time.


You should have rated her what is it a 3? So that you wouldn't be paired with her ever again.


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## IbedrivinUX (Oct 20, 2014)

Rockwall said:


> Here you go I was able to get the cached version of the article
> http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:r3wHvZixuasJ:https://www.lyft.com/help/article/1415358 &cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
> 
> *DONATIONS VS. CHARGES*
> ...


Really? I'm not liking Lyft! That sucks, I see how one can get stiffed!! That sucks! Oh my city is NOT a donation city they charge fares! OK! That works!


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## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

BeachBum said:


> Picked up a high school kid yesterday. We were talking about ride sharing and she told me she had used up her last free Lyft ride the day before and that I was her first paid ride. As soon as she said that, I knew. Sure enough, that ride was all zeros on my statement this morning. WTF, 25 free rides is not enough? you have to have 26? Of course Lyft didn't lose a dime. They didn't burn any gas or use their car or time.


Forgive me but what in tarnation is ZEROED?


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## UberRey (Sep 1, 2014)

Ozzyoz said:


> Forgive me but what in tarnation is ZEROED?


Are you resurrecting threads that have been dead for 2 years?


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## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

UberRey said:


> Are you resurrecting threads that have been dead for 2 years?


I must of accidentally sorted by title in forum and not recent.


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## d0n (Oct 16, 2016)

Kids understand how to abuse systems, don't pick them up, it's against the law?


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## wingzero (Sep 16, 2016)

cheerose said:


> So there is a rate listed... but for the donation cities, it is just a suggested amount? Wow...


I've never heard of this, and it's fcking nuts. So it's legal for Lyft to take a 20% cut of your "donation" for every ride?


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## 58756 (May 30, 2016)

wingzero said:


> I've never heard of this, and it's fcking nuts. So it's legal for Lyft to take a 20% cut of your "donation" for every ride?


The word donation is how Lyft allowed itself to be raped from the beginning. instead of being firm and charging close to what cab drivers charge for the convenience of a nearby driver--lyft and Uber both let themselves get raped.


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