You accept the ‘work’ one job at a time under the terms that those who have arranged the work have determined. If you don’t like those terms, don’t accept the ride (job). As a person in business for yourself for two decades, you must know that sometimes IC work goes uncompensated. It’s part of business. I certainly know that much prospecting work I put in as a real estate agent went uncompensated, yet I was an IC. As a small business owner, my sister occasionally opens her doors for a loss on the day. That’s part of being out there on your own. Sometimes, a deuce requests a ride that they don’t end up taking and we’re left high and dry. Maybe the driver before you lucked out on a gut feeling and didn’t accept the request, but you did.
Your 4.97 rating says nothing and means nothing to nobody…
In another post you admitted that you are what I call " begging for 5 Stars"
I don’t like that and nobody else likes it either…
If I was your Pax one day and you kept begging me for 5 stars I just would talk nice to you and as I left your car I rated you 1 Star.
You have an interesting POV, to be sure. You’re struggling with working as an IC, and that’s not uncommon with newbs. But you seen like an articulate bloke, so I’m confident you’ll figure this out eventually
The point is, none of us likes to implement the ghost ride and I don’t advise using it often. But as IC’s we simply cannot afford to be taken advantage of and have time stolen from us.
People who are new to consulting/IC eventually figure out that they don’t have to be taken advantage of and they DO NOT have to give away their time. That is, after all, why many of us go into consulting in the first place. As you do more consulting and IC work, you’ll come to value your time more appropriately.
I think what complicates the cancellation situation with either Lyft or Uber is that the fee isn’t paid EVERY time. The monetary situation between the rider and the parent company isn’t my concern, meaning I don’t care if the rider has never canceled before - not really my problem. Just like hotels, airlines & car rental services - they generally charge a “no show” fee - doesn’t matter if you have never rented/purchased before - you are “fined”. Uber and Lyft should charge that fee every time, and if they wish to retract that fee from the rider, it shouldn’t impact the driver because they still preformed a service. EVEN Redbox charges a person who doesn’t retrieve their movie.
I’m glad you clarified that because I actually was surprised to see you in agreement with ghost riding as perpetrates. Re-reading what you wrote, it should have been obvious that meant to up your rating.
If you ghost ride yourself to increase your rates, you’re only charging yourself. Kinda hard to commit fraud against oneself, and I’ve not read anywhere that Uber list such activities as illegal. Nowhere in the contract does it state that I cannot give myself a ride. I’ve never done it, but don’t have any heartache with it.
I’ve already seen the decimation of an entire industry of working class people in the U.S. in the construction industry. Some of the same patterns are going on in this arena currently and NOTHING will be done to stop the abuses by regulators or politicians, largely because of mass population desperation.
Sometimes I get weird pings from people I suspect are drivers trying to distract me and keep me out of a surge area.
I get to the address and then I talk to them on the phone and they sound all awkward like they are pretending to be at some bogus intersection that doesn’t exist.
Got my weekly driver report today. For the fourth straight week Uber congratulated me on receiving only five star ratings. Yes, we know the rating system is statistically flawed, but the kudos are still appreciated.
There is no such animal as a judicious scam on a pax. You may have pulled it off once or twice til they bother to check their credit card bill and/or their rider app or even their email.
You just explained for me why one must be judicious. Again, I’m no fan of the ghost ride. But I’m less of a fan of having my time wasted. As IC’s we have to be compensated for our time, plain and simple. Being compensated for our time is not immoral or unjustified, after all. Playing the gr card more than once a month is likely a risk one may not want to take.
If someone has the time and energy to **** with drivers it would actually actually sadden me a bit. This is why I guess I would feel paranoid - because really to “spoof” a rider, it takes a bit of time, effort, forethought & determination to get that going. Maybe I’m just lazy and wouldn’t put that much effort into screwing with people.
Northbrook is close, it was happening to me in Libertyville/Vernon Hills. The names were different a few times, but Joseph sounds familiar, it could have been one. I can say every time the rider was always had 5 stars, or in other words a new account/rider. Like I said - I don’t want to sound like a paranoid driver. I mean all it takes is a Google number & a new e-mail address. I don’t think they link credit cards or deny credit cards if they use a new e-mail address with a card already registered and a different rider name.
I started and cancelled a ride (I told the drunk I was starting the trip in place in 2 minutes if he isn’t done with his drink) but never left. I could have cancelled and I am sure he would have had the $5 fee but I felt it was better to get it close to $5 (even though I would lose $1 and 20%) so I could leave him a 1 star rating. Cancellation, for some stupid Uber reason, doesn’t allow you to rate the drunk.
You’re obviously bright…
I hope you’ll take the time and make the effort to learn more about something when other’s call you on it… so much of what you post is valuable, it’s a shame to see you post mis-information or call for others to do something that is misguided at best, and illegal at worst.
Actually, I’ve found another accepted means of dealing with lackadaisical paxs by starting a stopwatch as soon as I arrive, then canceling at 5:01 and collecting my $8 fee. That has cut way down on the need to ghost ride, and it’s perfectly within Uber’s rules…so it’s all good! Now you know. Always remember - ABC!