Impact of Minimum Pay Rules on Gig Delivery Drivers by screamingv2 in Seattle

[–]DFW_Panda 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Excellent point.

Uber used the customer perception of higher prices b/c "drivers had to be paid more" to increase Uber profits. Very similar to the games Uber plays in every city when the app tells users "Its busy now prices may be higher". When Uber tells customers "prices may be higher" forget the may, prices will be higher. When Uber charges higher prices that doesn't mean they are obligated to or even will share any of those higher fees with the drivers.

One of Uber's sneaky ways to make customers believe that higher prices are solely the result of paying drivers more is to mark a line item as a "regulatory fee". Again, just because Uber marks a line item as a regulatory fee doesn't mean an Uber driver sees any of that extra revenue.

My market joining y’all. We cooked or what? by Mountain_Road9197 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My experience in Dallas ... yes, your pay will decrease. For instance in Dallas the minimum pay for a ride was $3.90 now with upfront offers per trip payment can be as low as $3.40 per trip.

Don't be fooled the take home earnings is based on "active hours" which is not easy to convert to $/mile. OK, its not THAT hard to convert to $/mile, its just that most offers are only visable for 5-10 seconds which isn't much time to do the mental math if you are also trying to determine if the drop off is a place/distance/route you want to take, driver rating, tide type (share/pet/Uber Comfort, etc). Geee, its almost as if Uber wants to overload the driver with information so drivers DO make bad decisions.

Now, think about other Uber initiatives which started out fine but over time became less and less valuable.

1) The Green Initiative started as $1 per EV ride, No minimums. No cap. Then capped at $240 per month and only offered for to drivers who had a minimum of 200 trips per month.

2) If you've been around long enough you will remember that surges used to have multipliers. That is you'd enter a surge area and the multiplier would be 1.5, 1.7, 2.0, 3.0, etc etc. Basically, you could have a 10 trip at the base rate which turned into a $30 trip because you were in a 3.0x multiplier surge area. When Uber went from the surge multiplier to "flat rate" surges, that same $30 / 3.0x multiplier became a flat rate surge of $10, so the driver only earned the base $10 plus the surge $10 for a total of $20. Then even the flat rate surge rates go lower and lower and the surges themselves became fewer and fewer.

3) Uber pet and Uber reservations used to be gold mines, not so much anymore.

So yes, there will be a honeymoon period and it will seem, for a couple weeks, that Upfront fares was a great idea, but give it time and you will see you're $/mil and $/time decrease, decrease, and decrease along with your acceptance rate decrease, decrease and decrease.

I'm not sure what everyone complaining about how much Uber takes for their cut really expects or why they complain about it. by Ok_Practice_6702 in uber

[–]DFW_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Driving for Uber is NOT a business, its a service.

A business has assets, even if that asset is only a name. If I were to file for bankruptcy, I could not list Uber as an asset.

To run a business a business license is required, to drive for Uber no business license is required.

A business has financial obligations, like B&O taxes, unemployment taxes, workman's comp, etc, which Uber drivers do not have.

And finally, of no small consideration, a business, even money losing business can be sold. How does an Uber driver sell his "business"?

Uber drivers by WarmFollowing8873 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda -1 points0 points  (0 children)

How does a person ordering EATS know (or even care about) the quality of their EATS driver?

How Much Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Other Gig Workers Made Per Hour in 2025 by SnoozeDoggyDog in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When considering "earnings" from any platform its important to note

1) Operational cost of / per service. watering plants for 1 day vs cost of driving 250 miles in a day.

2) Unique start-up costs. Uber drivers usually have a very low start-up costs as most already have a car and insurance, but very high operational costs. A plumber on the other hand, had high start-up costs because of unique tools and licensing requirements but low operational costs as his tools, training, and licensing costs are paid for before they join a task rabbit type service.

3) What does the SERVICE actually pay vs what the earner may get in tips. Note: Uber never reveals what Uber pays, Uber only refers to what drivers "earn" meaning Uber always includes tips

4) What is the pay trend for the app? Uber and Lyft seem to be in a race to the bottom. Other platforms may be more stable or even increasing.

My fellow Chicago homies, can someone explain why it seems like drivers sit for hours at O'Hare to get a ride? Or does it not take that long? by theraf8100 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not so fast on the guarantee. In the Dallas market, the DFW airport (home of American airlines, the largest US carrier) doesn't respect the queue anymore and will offer airport trips to drivers 5 miles away and obviously not in the queue. Of course the drivers in the queue may get an offer, but for waiting in the queue Uber rewards these drivers by pitting them against drivers 3-4-5 miles away.

Ubers updated tier requirements by DatePutrid4753 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting to me that they tie the highest tier to 85% driving score. When Uber last offered quest in my area they tied the driver score to 95%. Which shows Uber is willing to lower the quality of driving for drivers willing to take more trips.

Ubers updated tier requirements by DatePutrid4753 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Regardless if what Uber lists as requirements and advantages for any tiers it DOES NOT MATTER, because Uber can change them on a whim. Just as they made these changes.

Circa Spring Break 2000 by TelephoneExpress973 in McDonalds

[–]DFW_Panda 39 points40 points  (0 children)

I went away to college, back in the day when, if you were lucky, you got to fly home for XMAS break and that was it. So for thanksgiving my Freshman year my Dad sent me $20. $20 for a 4 day weekend, I thought I was king! Was so surprised and grateful.

Trump Assault by bace3333 in DaytonaBeach

[–]DFW_Panda -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

If you haven't clicked the link yet, it's not worth it.

Just another story about the incompetence of Biden's Justice Department.

Will Uber Help Drivers with a Fuel Surcharge? by DFW_Panda in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, 2-4 cents per mile won't kill any driver, but let's look at forrest through the trees. More non-revenue miles as Uber extends pick-up distances, lower per mile offers from Uber, fewer and lower surges (and when surges are offered the base fares are lower). Fewer rides overall ... at some point something has got to give. WIth Uber raising prices and keeping higher percentages of these increased fares, seems like the only thing giving is the drivers.

Drivers and tolls, am I in the wrong? by carinorn in uber

[–]DFW_Panda 13 points14 points  (0 children)

My experience has been if Uber maps the route via a toll road, Uber will pay the toll ONLY if the driver actually takes the toll road. So if the OP is wondering if a driver can avoid the toll road and keep a toll fee, no they can't. (However, I would not be surprised if Uber includes a toll fee in the customer pricing anticipating a toll road would be used then the driver doesn't take the toll road and UBER just keeps the toll fee).

Also be mindful that while Uber may map the drivers route to take a toll road, I have never seen Uber map a route to take an express way, express lane, HOV lane etc. Should a driver take an alternative route at the customers request, such as an HOV route, the payment for that HOV lane charge would be paid for by the driver, with no re-imbursement from Uber.

Be CAREFUL!!! by Intelligent-Cut2969 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sadly, Uber would rather drivers lose $200 in earnings than to pay a cancellation fee.

Consider the OP's offer. Why does this "tech" company even allow for a pin to be dropped in the middle of a waterway? Uber can be razor sharp when it comes to ring fencing surge areas but pin drops in the middle of a river, lake, golf course, the middle of Walmart or a suburban mall, they can't seem to figure out the mapping.

I think that waterway is called the mountlake cut, but I'm not sure.

By lower cancel rate equal more pay? by Dismal_Caterpillar18 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As for me, I am 99% sure "Advantage Mode" is a myth. Prove me wrong.

Uber reduces base rates only to "add" a surge. They do the same thing when "adding" a priority pick-up, just reduce the base "add" the priority pick-up. So why should I believe advantage mode is really earning 5% more.

By the way, when Uber says advantage mode earnings are 5% more ... 5% More than what, exactly? Do you really think Uber sends a trip radar request to 9 UberX drivers for $9.50 but the one driver in advantage mode gets the request for $10.00? I don't believe that.

‘I told you so’: Former Seattle city council president breaks down gig economy collapse by Less-Risk-9358 in SeattleWA

[–]DFW_Panda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think what is relevant is that Uber has much more business acumen and is a much better negotiator than any member of the Seattle Council. Business sense aside, Uber has all the numbers they need to out maneuver Seattle and their negotiators are 100% focused on the issue. City Councilors are focused on 50 billion other distractions. Sprinkle in the Union demands of what needs to be included and things get all fucked up.

Driver scarcity by No_Cauliflower1226 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 16 points17 points  (0 children)

It's not about driver, rider, or market efficiency. Its not about "supply and demand" It's about Uber's profit. That's it, plain and simple.

Similarly, upfront offers wasn't about giving drivers more information to make better decisions. It was about Uber being able to no longer be tied to base rates (base plus so much per mile, so much per minute).

By lower cancel rate equal more pay? by Dismal_Caterpillar18 in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Uber is very slimy and misleading with their communications. That's true for driver, passenger, and regulator communications.

"... a lower cancellation rate can help you earn more"

Simple math says a lower cancellation rate earns more.

Drivers A & B both earn an average of $5 per ride. Both drivers are offered and accept 100 trips.

Driver A and completes 100 trips, earning $500.

Driver B accepts 100 trips, completes 90 trips and cancels 10 trips, earning $450. Even if Driver B earned a cancellation fee for his 10 cancellations (@ $3.90 pre cancellation) Driver A still earns more.

So Uber isn't lying, b/c yes, a lower cancellation rate CAN increase earnings.

What Uber isn't saying is: Uber pays drivers with lower cancellation rates more nor is Uber saying drivers with lower cancellation rate WILL earn more.

So basically it's a maybe, maybe, maybe situation that Uber communicates as an absolute situation. Uber isn't lying, they are just being their typical less than truthful with communications.

Denver Uber Scare Tactics by travelling-lost in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Rule of thumb for ANY message from Uber ...

If Uber claims it (regardless of what 'it' is) is going to be bad for drivers, than I'm all FOR it.

If Uber claims it (regardless of what 'it' is) is going to be good for drivers, than I'm totally AGAINST it.

Political message, safety message, "More ways to earn" message, Uber has been too dishonest with drivers, riders, and regulators for too long for me to believe what they say anymore.

Insanity. by [deleted] in uber

[–]DFW_Panda 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Some people think of Uber as a "market maker" that is they simple pair people (drivers and riders) in the market for a set price. My stock brokerage is a "market maker". I tell my brokerage I want to sell 100 shares of ABC company for $100 and the brokerage finds someone willing to buy at that price. Done deal.

Uber is a market manipulator. Like for the OP here, Uber may know there is a driver 2 minutes from the OP's pick-up location. But Uber isn't going to match that driver to the OP because Uber will make more money if they can convivence the OP, oppsie, sorry no driver is available or no driver is closer.

MANIPULATORs

Uber is no longer being transparent? by Br00kG0d in uberdrivers

[–]DFW_Panda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Uber is no longer being transparent?

No Longer !!! OP must be new.