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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 13, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Houston ( 9 ), lyft ( 15 ), ride sharing ( 6 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), vomit fraud, vomit scam   

  Lyft driver accused of sick scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft were created so passengers could avoid some of the problems that came with taxi services. For example, one of the classic taxi scams was when a cab driver would get a fare who was from out of town. Instead of taking the direct route to get to the fare’s destination, a shady cab driver would take the long way in order to increase the fare. But as time and technology progress, new scams are born out of a new generation of scammers.

  A couple from Houston, Texas, were allegedly taken for $150 by a Lyft driver. The couple got a Lyft so they could attend a concert. It was a fairly short ride, with the charge only being $7. The next morning, the couple discovered $150 had been charged to their Lyft account. The couple had their Lyft account connected to their bank account, and this caused their bank account to be overdrawn.

  According to Lyft, the $150 was for a cleanup and damage fee. The driver is said to have claimed that one of the couple became physically ill in the Lyft car. The couple disputed the charge, stating that the picture the driver submitted as evidence was not even of the driver’s car. Lyft reportedly sided with the driver, stating they evaluated the case and were not issuing a refund. It wasn’t until the couple sent Lyft pictures of them right after they had exited the Lyft, showing that neither of them were sick or incapacitated. While Lyft eventually issued a refund, they did not reimburse the couple for the overdraft fees that had with their bank.

  Lyft’s main competitor Uber also had this problem with some of their drivers. This caused Uber to instigate a more thorough process for driver’s claiming damages, including submitting cleaning receipts before they get reimbursed.

  Now, we’re not saying that all Lyft drivers are scammers. More often than not, it’s the drivers themselves who are fending off scammers in one form or another. That’s not to say that this can’t happen to you the next time you get into a Lyft. To avoid this scam, it’s recommended that you take a photo of the inside of the car as you’re leaving. Lyft riders should also link their accounts to a credit card whenever possible, as credit cards provide more protection when charges are disputed.

   

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  Geebo 9:05 am on July 24, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Scams ( 1,354 ), Uber ( 24 ), vomit fraud   

  Uber drivers accused of using sick scam to fleece riders 

  

  Ride-sharing service Uber is no stranger to controversy. From its former CEO having to step down amid accusations of harassment against female employees to a driver who was recently live streaming his passengers without their permission, Uber has been a PR nightmare for the past couple of years. Now, a report out of Miami says some drivers are committing a scam that leaves customers sick to their stomachs.

  According to the Miami Herald, some drivers are committing what’s been dubbed ‘vomit fraud’. An Uber driver can claim that a passenger was physically ill in the driver’s car and add a hefty cleaning fee to the passenger’s bill. Driver’s try to get away with this by sending photos of the ‘evidence’ to Uber who add the charge to the customer’s fee. Often these pictures are fake and customers who try to dispute the fee find themselves entangled in a customer service nightmare trying to get the charges taken off as Uber usually sides with their drivers.

  Mashable takes the Herald’s report even a little further by reporting on Uber drivers who claim to have committed the fraud on an anonymous Reddit board for Uber Drivers. While some drivers are said to do it just for the money, others say they do it out of spite to rude customers.

  So if you want to avoid fraudulent charges like this if you use Uber, keep a close eye on your debit or credit card statements and don’t be afraid to wage an uphill battle with Uber’s customer service. If that doesn’t work you can always dispute the charge with your credit card company or bank.