Uber will now charge to have drivers return forgotten items

[Greg S]

No matter how careful you are with your electronics and other personal belongings, at some point you have probably forgotten something in your car or at home. Now, you might want to be a little more careful about leaving your precious belongings in an Uber vehicle.

If you leave something behind in an Uber, getting it back is now going to cost you an additional $15 and optionally a tip to thank the driver for returning something irreplaceable or just expensive to replace.

This move is part of an ongoing effort known as 180 Days of Change by Uber to improve both customer and driver satisfaction as well as fixing their own reputation after controversy over whether Travis Kalanick should remain the CEO.

Some may see this is purely as taking advantage of customers, but Uber claims this move was made to ensure that drivers are being fairly compensated for their work. Uber states that "on average, a driver returns 11 lost items a year," which accounts for a significant amount of time spent driving without being paid.

Rival company Lyft has made no comment regarding this change by Uber and has not expressed any plans to implement a similar charge at this time. In addition to the new item return fee, less than perfect ratings for drivers will now require a reason. If Uber determines the reason for a low rating was out of the driver's control, the rating will not be factored in to their overall performance score.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/70325-uber-now-charge-have-drivers-return-forgotten-items.html

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

Maybe the fee should be negotiable... sometimes people realize it moments after the driver leaves. I do like that less than perfect ratings require a reason though, as a driver I would like to know what it is that needed improvement.

 

[Humza]

Hmm, so the money is fixed at $15, a few questions:

1. What if the driver got very far away till I remembered my forgotten stuff? (dude above me already asked this)
2. How long do I have to wait for the driver to come back? If he's already taken another ride?

Also, while rating the driver at the end of a ride, Uber could also add in a reminder/pop-up to make sure the customer doesn't leave anything behind. Maybe they already did.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It makes sense to me but as the post above mine alluded to, it should be negotiable depending on circumstances. Paying the driver 15 bucks to return from the stop street he has just gotten to just after dropping you off to return your goods is extortionate. If he has to return when he is 150 Km away, then it's a different story altogether.

 

[m4a4]

Also, now that there's money involved, I feel like this could easily be abused (or at least the drivers won't bother mentioning something was forgotten if they think they can earn a quick $15).
But on the other side, if the driver is 20 mins away and has to take the time and gas to drop it off to your forgetful self, then there should be some compensation.

 

[wiyosaya]

I have to agree with this, but I don't use uber.

It is the responsibility of the owner of the devices to keep track of them; after all, most people who have them seem to be unable to live without them. I would be surprised if uber were charging extra if the item was discovered in a short period of time.

Perhaps this is a way to encourage mindfulness of uber passengers.

 

[djb247365]

Honestly, unless a driver has to travel a lengthy distance to return an item to a customer, then it should be no more than say, $5 or $7 at most for most instances. $15 is too much, especially if a driver doesn't have to go a long distance to return a lost item. I'm very much on the fence about this change.

 

[Stiqy]

Honestly, unless a driver has to travel a lengthy distance to return an item to a customer, then it should be no more than say, $5 or $7 at most for most instances. $15 is too much, especially if a driver doesn't have to go a long distance to return a lost item. I'm very much on the fence about this change.

Because you get to decide what other people's time is worth?

 

[ddferrari]

I think a fairer system would be to charge by the mile- say $1.50 that caps at $15?

Or better yet, use Lyft exclusively if it's in your area- they don't have this fee (yet). I've found the prices to be very similar, and a lot of the drivers seem to own nicer vehicles.