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Banned from Charging Cleaning Fee

12K views 121 replies 54 participants last post by  TheHoff 
#1 ·
So I've been driving for a while. I always drive late at night--it's the only time it's busy in this college town. Lots of people make messes (puking out window, into window, getting food/drink in car etc). I always report messes--basically anything that makes me have to go offline to scrub or break out cleaning supplies. I don't report things that can be picked up by hand (e.g. the lime or lemon that falls off of the passenger's drink). I don't report a lot, but I drive every weekend and about twice a month is normal.

Suddenly, this weekend, after having perhaps two dozen cleaning fees approved over the past year, I get a notification that I can no longer charge cleaning fees. I always take good pictures etc (and they are always approved). Uber support is unhelpful--they just say that the evidence was "not credible." That seems ridiculous since they've been approving them all along anyway and I just can't figure out what's going on.

Anyone experienced this or have advice?
 
#2 ·
To me if seems like a lot since I've driven over a year of mostly late nights and only have 1 Uber and one with Lyft.

Not saying yours aren't legit, but obviously your cleaning fee percentage is much higher than the average driver.

Now you'll really be screwed on the next puke.
 
#32 ·
Abusing the system. I do a lot pickups from the beach and at least 4/5 times a week I have to vacuum the back seat area of sand. I've never once reported this to goober.
You say that like it something to be proud of lol. You been costing yourself hundreds if not more.

Seriously, you have admitted that you let pax walk all over you. Bringing drinks in the car with lemon slices being left on the floor? No, just no! Food, nope!
Like others have said, I drive late night and college, 7500 rides. I recall 4 cleanup fees and 2 i didn't charge because dates were stand-up, cleaned up the minimal mess themselves and dropped a few bucks on me for the cleaning supplies. I every 400 or 500 trips i could see but 1 fee every 35 trips that's nuts. Sounds like a rip off to me.
Mine is about that average. A couple a week hopefully..your costing yourself a lot of money by not submitting cleaning fees.
 
#4 ·
It's drunk college kids and they make a lot of messes. I'm not abusing the system. I literally have someone puke out the window once a month. Other than that, it's mostly stuff like kids dripping sauce (ketchup, bbq) on the seats and (cloth covered) door panels. I have racked my brain trying to figure out what is "not credible." I think they just don't like it that I've reported so many and aren't actually reviewing the evidence.
 
#5 ·
So I've been driving for a while. I always drive late at night--it's the only time it's busy in this college town. Lots of people make messes (puking out window, into window, getting food/drink in car etc). I always report messes--basically anything that makes me have to go offline to scrub or break out cleaning supplies. I don't report things that can be picked up by hand (e.g. the lime or lemon that falls off of the passenger's drink). I don't report a lot, but I drive every weekend and about twice a month is normal.

Suddenly, this weekend, after having perhaps two dozen cleaning fees approved over the past year, I get a notification that I can no longer charge cleaning fees. I always take good pictures etc (and they are always approved). Uber support is unhelpful--they just say that the evidence was "not credible." That seems ridiculous since they've been approving them all along anyway and I just can't figure out what's going on.

Anyone experienced this or have advice?
If they're legitimate disgusting puked up messes, I'd keep fighting it and when they write "resolved" send another message regarding "this issue" and keep at it. Make sure the photos are as clear and obvious as possible and explain the mess.

The thing is, if that particular pax didn't get sick in YOUR car, they would've been sick in someone else's car. So Uber would be paying for it either way. But if you claim pax puked at 1:30 am then had another ride picked up and completed from 1:45-2:00 am, to Uber it looks like it wasn't a sufficient mess.

It could also mean that the passenger is fighting the cleaning fee and lying about it. When that has happened to me, I told Uber that I was going to the pax's residence to deal with it them person (and said I was going to tell the passenger that Uber forced me to do that and I had Uber's blessing). Uber doesn't need to know that you don't have the actual address of that particular pax. And quite honestly if I had human puke in my car that someone was refusing to pay for, I would find the grossest most heinous way for that person to have to deal with it if it turns out they're fighting it. You don't know where that pax lives? Deal with account holders. Send invoices - bombard those ****ers with threats of cancelled Uber accounts.

Whatever it is - if it's a real puke mess, and it forced you to stop driving- you need to be compensated.

(Ps: this is so unfortunate and Uber is doing this because some drivers truly do scam pax and Uber on fake puke and all kinds of fake animal stuff, I read a lot about it recently and it pisssed me the hell off. I don't mean to say OP is faking anything, but certainly other unscrupulous drivers have done so in the past.)
 
#12 ·
So I've been driving for a while. I always drive late at night--it's the only time it's busy in this college town. Lots of people make messes (puking out window, into window, getting food/drink in car etc). I always report messes--basically anything that makes me have to go offline to scrub or break out cleaning supplies. I don't report things that can be picked up by hand (e.g. the lime or lemon that falls off of the passenger's drink). I don't report a lot, but I drive every weekend and about twice a month is normal.

Suddenly, this weekend, after having perhaps two dozen cleaning fees approved over the past year, I get a notification that I can no longer charge cleaning fees. I always take good pictures etc (and they are always approved). Uber support is unhelpful--they just say that the evidence was "not credible." That seems ridiculous since they've been approving them all along anyway and I just can't figure out what's going on.

Anyone experienced this or have advice?
I wouldn't let them bring food and begs in there
 
#13 ·
You might make way higher than average claims for cleaning fees in your area. College town or no, 24 cleaning fees in a year sounds extreme. That’s averaging one about every two weeks.

To be blunt, you seem to have no rules whatsoever in your car and will let anyone in, regardless of how many chili dogs they have or how drunk they are. There are a few people on this site that encourage picking up such riders to get easy money from cleaning fees. As you can see, that strategy can backfire. Not that you are doing so, but you definitely don’t seem to be setting any kind of rule as to who or what you’ll let in your car.
 
#14 ·
Do you give out stuffed animals when they puke like at the carnivals? Lol

You were 1 shy as after the 25th time I would of recommended buying barf bags

Out of curiosity how many rides have you completed?
 
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#21 ·
24 clean fees in 850 rides?

Wow, give me a break.
No kidding, Uber should have stopped you sooner. It's not Uber's fault that the inside of your car is a free-for-all.

2.5 years for me, 7k rides, only night time driving, 4 total clean up fees.

Sounds to me like you're allowing your riders to act like animals in your car - eating, open alcohol, puking, do you have any rules at all? I don't care if they are college kids, I have three colleges in my town and drive plenty of them. Your car, your rules, stop letting them run all over you and then expecting Uber to foot the bill.
 
#26 ·
So I've been driving for a while. I always drive late at night--it's the only time it's busy in this college town. Lots of people make messes (puking out window, into window, getting food/drink in car etc). I always report messes--basically anything that makes me have to go offline to scrub or break out cleaning supplies. I don't report things that can be picked up by hand (e.g. the lime or lemon that falls off of the passenger's drink). I don't report a lot, but I drive every weekend and about twice a month is normal.

Suddenly, this weekend, after having perhaps two dozen cleaning fees approved over the past year, I get a notification that I can no longer charge cleaning fees. I always take good pictures etc (and they are always approved). Uber support is unhelpful--they just say that the evidence was "not credible." That seems ridiculous since they've been approving them all along anyway and I just can't figure out what's going on.

Anyone experienced this or have advice?
You submitted 24 cleaning fees? That's excessive
 
#27 ·
Wow 24 in 850 rides... yeah that’s a lot, can’t say I blame them even though I wouldn’t take their side if ask to. But that’s a bit much... been driving a little over 3 yrs, over 3000 rides and only have three.. all pukers... regular cleaning of your car is part of the job... you include that in your expenses, 100% tax deductible.
 
#28 ·
I offer a couple points of advice.

First, if you don't want to pop for vimit bags (walgreens or cvs should carry them) just keep some gallon size ziplock bags handy. Some guys even put a feminin pad in them to absorb liquids.

Second, try to be more dicriminating in terms of how drunk a rider you will allow. If they can't walk straight or talk without slurring, keep the doors locked and move on.

Third, scotch guard spray is cheap. Hit any cloth upholstry with it.

I strongly advise against taking matters into your own hands. No visits to passengers homes. You might ask they pay you the fee in cash, to avoid an 80 to 100 dollar fee on their card. But if they refuse, just go through uber.
 
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