Post: #1

I know a guy who was driving his car last Thursday. A pick-up truck hit him hard in the rear end, so much that he ended up hitting another car. He was pretty upset by it all. He apparently also came close to hitting a pedestrian.

Unfortunately for him, the truck which caused it all somehow got away. He filed a police report.

Then, something even worse happened a couple days later, Geico told him he wasn't covered. Why? He was driving for Lyft and giving someone a ride. He even said that he'd asked them about it and asked if it was okay. He was under the impression that everything was fine.

So, he has no working car because of an accident that someone else caused and ran away from. Now he has to pay for his car because Geico has refused to cover it.

I'm posting this as a warning to all of you who may consider or are already driving for Lyft, Uber, or anyone else. An auto accident can be a financial nightmare, especially if you're with Geico.

Post: #2

Having interviewed with Uber for a middle management position a while ago, you're really getting fucked over if you're a driver. The extra cash is not worth it.

Post: #3

That sucks. I hear UBER is a really good way to make money on the side. i was considering doing it for my self

Post: #4

Your friend is a retard for telling his insurance that. He learned a lesson.

And Geico is about the best you can get.

Post: #5

If he was driving under Uber or Lyft then he is covered by their insurance policies.

http://blog.uber.com/uberXridesharinginsurance

Quote:From the time a driver accepts a trip request through our app until the completion of the ride, our partners have $1 million of coverage for driver liability. We were also the first ridesharing request service to include $1 million of coverage for uninsured/underinsured motorists, meaning that passengers and drivers are also covered for injuries when another party is at fault and lacks sufficient insurance. This $1 million coverage from trip acceptance to drop-off is consistent across cities. This coverage kicks in regardless of whether the driver’s personal insurance applies to the trip. We have also added contingent comprehensive and collision insurance during trips, up to $50,000/incident with a $1,000 deductible.

https://www.lyft.com/drive/help/article/1229170#!

Quote:Our primary liability insurance is designed to act as the primary coverage during the period from the time you accept a ride request until the time the ride has ended in the app. The policy has a $1,000,000 per accident limit. Note: If you already carry commercial insurance (or personal coverage providing specific coverage for ridesharing), Lyft’s policy will continue to be excess to your insurance coverage.

Sounds like your buddy is a liar or a moron. No matter what, he should be getting covered.

Post: #6

(03-17-2015 01:57 PM)puckerman Wrote:  Then, something even worse happened a couple days later, Geico told him he wasn't covered. Why? He was driving for Lyft and giving someone a ride. He even said that he'd asked them about it and asked if it was okay. He was under the impression that everything was fine.

So, he has no working car because of an accident that someone else caused and ran away from. Now he has to pay for his car because Geico has refused to cover it.I'm posting this as a warning to all of you who may consider or are already driving for Lyft, Uber, or anyone else. An auto accident can be a financial nightmare, especially if you're with Geico.

Correction:

Quote:"Geico rightfully refused to cover it."

I though everyone knew this (drivers not forum members). He using his car for livery/commercial purposes and personal auto coverage didn't cover what he was using it for. Some states even require a different class of driver's license for taxi/limo drivers.

Insurance companies want to pay out as little money as possible so they were more than happy to reject that claim.

Why didn't he just tell Geico that he was driving a friend?

Post: #7

The insurance situation has been the Achilles heel of Uber/Lyft and others like it - you are using your personal vehicle with your insurance as a privately owned, non-livery, non-taxi vehicle.

Insurance for taxis and livery vehicles is sky-high for a reason, and neither GEICO nor others will cover anyone for turning their car into a taxi equivalent. I'm not even sure GEICO offers taxi/livery insurance but if they do most drivers probably could not afford it. Hence, there are bound to be more situations like this.

That said, if Uber has insurance to cover the gap left by GEICO then he needs to chase them down and never stop. If they don't cover things like this which aren't even the fault of the driver that needs to be much better understood.

Post: #8

Cant wait to see SF trial outcome. Hope it goes against them just to see what their next move is.

Post: #9

Does an Uber/Lyft driver make as much as a regular cab driver? And is there any evidence that Uber and Lyft are putting Taxi companies out of business? I wonder if they are stealing marketshare from cabs or are they just creating a new market. People thought Airbnb might put hotels out of business, but I don't see any evidence of that based on the prices of rooms.

These apps may be appealing to a market that would be too cheap to hire a taxi anyway.

Post: #10

(03-17-2015 02:18 PM)LouEvilSlugger Wrote:  Having interviewed with Uber for a middle management position a while ago, you're really getting fucked over if you're a driver. The extra cash is not worth it.

Elaborate?

Post: #11

(03-17-2015 05:29 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  Does an Uber/Lyft driver make as much as a regular cab driver? And is there any evidence that Uber and Lyft are putting Taxi companies out of business?

To your first question, the answer would be no. I read an article awhile back that Uber was claiming that their drivers made $30 an hour or some nonsense. When you look at that claim more closely it doesn't accurately factor in a lot of overhead expenses, traffic, and off peak hours.

There's a lot of evidence out there that Uber directly competes with local taxi service which is why some third world capitals are trying to limit their coverage or outright banning Uber. The taxi app using population is such a small percentage of the mainstream still that it's not relevant in most cities.

Quote: People thought Airbnb might put hotels out of business, but I don't see any evidence of that based on the prices of rooms.

The reason why airbnb hasn't put hotels out of business is because the vast majority of the traveling mainstream wants an experience or hospitality service when they travel. They want it to _not_ feel like home. Plus the average clueless tourist mainstream tends to have serious problems getting around in unfamiliar cities without being hand held.

Airbnb competes more with serviced apartment or executive condo providers.

This forum favors airbnb more because a lot of us are intermediate stay travelers who are in one place a month or more before moving on. The advantages of a condo are way better than a hotel.

Post: #12

All the responsibility is shouldered by the driver.
I have a business and we do about 25,000 miles per year. Insurance is for business use. We cannot let others drive the vehicle or transport customers. That would bump it up to comercial use and much higher premiums.

Post: #13

Dumbass. I got in a fender bender back in October and the first question out of the insurance claims rep ' s mouth was "Do you drive for a car sharing service such as Uber?" I had been an Uber driver for the 5 months before that accident and even though I wasn't on duty, there is no way in hell I would have said yes even if I was because I knew they would void my policy right then and there.

Regarding the money, it's moderately worth it. I haven't driven for them since Halloween but they do guarantee driver income now but after you take out their fees and your gas/maintenance, it's probably not worth your time if you can't commit yourself to at least 10 hrs per week.

Post: #14

It all depends where you drive as far as rates go. I had an LA driver tell me last fall that their rates got cut from 20something down to 15 per hour. That same month, a DC driver told me he was getting closer to 25 an hour. Supply and demand at work. He also said they were paying him a one time award of $250 for any Lyft driver that he could switch. The lyft drivers were also awarded $500 if they switched to Uber. Not sure if that deal is still going on, but I also know that some drivers use both systems.

I rarely take an actual taxi anymore since they suck, usually. More expensive, not as available, shitty dirty cars, drivers with B.O. and attitudes who take long ways whenever they can to milk my wallet. Fuck it, I've had enough. The cab industry had it coming and I've got zero sympathy.

Post: #15

(03-17-2015 02:39 PM)Samseau Wrote:  If he was driving under Uber or Lyft then he is covered by their insurance policies.

http://blog.uber.com/uberXridesharinginsurance

Sounds like your buddy is a liar or a moron. No matter what, he should be getting covered.

He's getting $2500. That isn't enough.

Check your assumptions.

Post: #16

(03-18-2015 01:40 AM)puckerman Wrote:  

(03-17-2015 02:39 PM)Samseau Wrote:  If he was driving under Uber or Lyft then he is covered by their insurance policies.

http://blog.uber.com/uberXridesharinginsurance

Sounds like your buddy is a liar or a moron. No matter what, he should be getting covered.

He's getting $2500. That isn't enough.

Check your assumptions.

You're not telling the whole story. How bad was the damage to his car?

Post: #17

(03-18-2015 02:09 AM)Samseau Wrote:  

(03-18-2015 01:40 AM)puckerman Wrote:  

(03-17-2015 02:39 PM)Samseau Wrote:  If he was driving under Uber or Lyft then he is covered by their insurance policies.

http://blog.uber.com/uberXridesharinginsurance

Sounds like your buddy is a liar or a moron. No matter what, he should be getting covered.

He's getting $2500. That isn't enough.

Check your assumptions.

You're not telling the whole story. How bad was the damage to his car?

This doesn't make any sense so the insurance is only paying to kinda fix his car because he was driving for uber?

They don't work that way none of this works this way..

   

Post: #18

Uber drivers do (typically) have insurance, but it varies: The high-end (black car) Ubers have commercial insurance; the lower-end ones have a lesser insurance.

Post: #19

I liked both Samseau and Puckerman's posts. I don't think puckerman was lying, his friend probably had the kneejerk reaction to call his own insurance company. The low-ling on the other end of the line in a call with his own insurance company probably doesn't know to tell him to check with his company on what they provide.


More importantly, Uber/Lyft probably don't educate the drivers very well on their options - to minimize their own collateral.

Post: #20

(03-17-2015 02:18 PM)LouEvilSlugger Wrote:  Having interviewed with Uber for a middle management position a while ago, you're really getting fucked over if you're a driver. The extra cash is not worth it.

Man, I just read that Uber has a valuation of $41 billion dollars! That is just un-fkg-real. You would think they could afford to pay their drivers better.

We're moving more towards a "gig economy" where there are fewer opportunities for stable, long-term employment with any hope of benefits or retirement unless you work for the government. I think companies that rely on crowdsourcing like Uber or even sites like odesk and 99 designs are really moving us in that direction of low paying, low stability gigs that are immensely profitable for the very smart people that own these services, but fuck over middle income people. I think the crowdsourcing economy is only going to get bigger.

Post: #21

(03-18-2015 02:09 AM)Samseau Wrote:  

(03-18-2015 01:40 AM)puckerman Wrote:  

(03-17-2015 02:39 PM)Samseau Wrote:  If he was driving under Uber or Lyft then he is covered by their insurance policies.

http://blog.uber.com/uberXridesharinginsurance

Sounds like your buddy is a liar or a moron. No matter what, he should be getting covered.

He's getting $2500. That isn't enough.

Check your assumptions.

You're not telling the whole story. How bad was the damage to his car?

I haven't seen the car or him in person. I only know this from his Facebook posts. He's getting $2500 from Lyft, and that's not enough. The accident did render his car undrivable. He got hit so hard that it made him hit another car, so it's quite easy to believe that his damage is worse than $2500.

I shouldn't have responded to your troll bait earlier. Are you here to contribute something productive and helpful? Or do you just come on this board to call people liars?

Post: #22

(03-18-2015 02:09 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  This doesn't make any sense so the insurance is only paying to kinda fix his car because he was driving for uber?

They don't work that way none of this works this way..

Geico is paying him nothing. He gets $2500 from Lyft.

Post: #23

(03-19-2015 12:37 AM)puckerman Wrote:  

(03-18-2015 02:09 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  This doesn't make any sense so the insurance is only paying to kinda fix his car because he was driving for uber?

They don't work that way none of this works this way..

Geico is paying him nothing. He gets $2500 from Lyft.

Probably because he wasn't properly insured as others have mentioned.

Quote:http://www.rogersinsurance.ca/blog/2014/...Qpj7Y7F8wA

What Uber fails to mention is the scope of insurance needed to participate if you plan on becoming an uberX driver. And even though the uberX platform is backed by $5 million of contingent auto liability insurance, drivers must make sure their own coverage is adequate.

As a regular driver (not a commercial driver) your personal auto insurance is not purchased on the basis of being compensated; if it were, the expectation is full-disclosure to your insurer. Therefore, if anything should happen while taxiing someone as an uberX driver, there are two major questions to keep in mind:

(1) Is your insurance valid or void?
(2) And, if the insurance is not void (despite failing to disclose the use of your own personal vehicle for compensation) do you have adequate insurance coverage? (a minimum of $2 million liability)

Each day we drive people around using our own personal vehicles. The difference in the Uber case is that your personal insurance could become void as a result of non-disclosure to your insurer.

Post: #24

(03-19-2015 12:34 AM)puckerman Wrote:  I haven't seen the car or him in person. I only know this from his Facebook posts. He's getting $2500 from Lyft, and that's not enough. The accident did render his car undrivable. He got hit so hard that it made him hit another car, so it's quite easy to believe that his damage is worse than $2500.

I shouldn't have responded to your troll bait earlier. Are you here to contribute something productive and helpful? Or do you just come on this board to call people liars?

You're getting pretty offended when people are calling you out or asking probing questions.

Perhaps you shouldn't post about a situation in which you're taking the word of your buddy over any actual knowledge of the situation. You only saw information about this on Facebook by your own admission. Why do you expect to have nobody question your post? Let's go through your original post:

(03-17-2015 01:57 PM)puckerman Wrote:  I know a guy who was driving his car last Thursday. A pick-up truck hit him hard in the rear end, so much that he ended up hitting another car. He was pretty upset by it all. He apparently also came close to hitting a pedestrian.

Unfortunately for him, the truck which caused it all somehow got away. He filed a police report.

Then, something even worse happened a couple days later, Geico told him he wasn't covered. Why? He was driving for Lyft and giving someone a ride. He even said that he'd asked them about it and asked if it was okay. He was under the impression that everything was fine.

So a guy you know "asked" his insurance and took it at the word of a single employee (with no written statement) that he was covered when driving for Lyft. He didn't review his policy word for word, he didn't actually research properly if he was covered. Then he was shocked when everything wasn't fine.

(03-17-2015 01:57 PM)puckerman Wrote:  So, he has no working car because of an accident that someone else caused and ran away from. Now he has to pay for his car because Geico has refused to cover it.

Actually, that's not true. Later you state that he received $2,500 from Lyft's insurance provider, and we still have zero details on this. It's likely we won't get any details because your acquaintance is unlikely to follow up with enough detail in order to see what the reality of the situation is.

(03-17-2015 01:57 PM)puckerman Wrote:  I'm posting this as a warning to all of you who may consider or are already driving for Lyft, Uber, or anyone else. An auto accident can be a financial nightmare, especially if you're with Geico.

While a warning is appropriate, it's not like anybody is getting screwed in this situation. The warning should be to read the fine print in your insurance policy and get anything you want covered IN WRITING.

In addition, I'll make a warning. Insurance companies are in the business of making money. The less they cover, the less they pay out, the more money they make. That claim's adjuster coming out to inspect your vehicle? He doesn't get paid to fix your vehicle the best it can be. If you sign off and accept a check before the car is fixed to 100% and if you don't get a second opinion to refute the adjuster (or have another adjuster or supervisor involved), you're fucking yourself. It is YOUR duty to get compensated appropriately from the insurance company.

It's likely that the Lyft insurance company made it seem like $2,500 was all that they were going to pay out and your friend just accepted it.

Hopefully some more details are posted or a link to the standard Lyft/Uber insurance policy is provided so that we can discuss the actual situation instead of what you're defending (which I think is likely improbable and mischaracterized).

Post: #25

Uber drivers in Amsterdam have been beaten and threatened with baseball bats by regular taxidrivers.

Uber is illegal in Holland. Weed, prostitution, abortion and euthanasia are not. Go figure.