My Lyft Rental Car Ten Day Driving Experience

Before you decide to rent a car from Lyft to offer rideshare, you need to know

10 days of car rental plus roadside assistance cost me $428.48 in Charlotte, NC

Lyft also considered my refund of $250.00 which was the car rental deposit as "earnings." A refund should be refunded.  

Calling my refund "earnings" and paying me out like a "paycheck" minus additional rental car fees is misleading.

So did I work giving rides?

Yes, 100% Acceptance rate!  Plus, I completed 40 rides in ten days.  That is pretty good considering Lyft gave me a lemon of a rental car for the first 3 days. The Engine light displayed on day 2.  Neither cigarette lighter neither front nor back seats would charge my phone.  The "transmission overheating" light displayed by day 3.  The owner's manual said "DO NOT DRIVE."  I also discovered on day 1 that Hertz roadside assistance is $75.00 extra per dispatch because I picked up a "drill bit" in my rental car tire creating a flat.

So the first weekend of driving was cut short because of Lyft's mechanical CAR FAILURE.

I completed 18 rides within the first three days with a "lemon."  Hurricane Florence came through Charlotte, NC the next week.  So I pick up this college kid who was a rap artist studying music engineering in Charleston, SC who was home because his college evacuated.  On the way to the ATM, the rain plus the dark, winding road created almost ZERO visibility.  It was a long trip.  He was being very dramatic.  He (the passenger Zach) even reached from the backseat trying to turn on my hazard lights.  Luckily, the rain calmed down after ten minutes.  He invaded another bank customer's privacy by running up on him seeking cover under the canopy.  Finally, after finishing his ATM transaction, he gets back in my Lyft rental car to be taken back home.  He is dramatic again worried about creek risings.  Honestly, he was probably under the influence of a controlled substance because Lyft "Trust and Safety" blocked me from accepting rides an hour later saying that "someone reported me for alcohol or operating under a controlled substance" at 9:30pm on a Friday night.  I immediately felt the college kid was the problem, and I went back to lower his rating to three stars so that I will NEVER have to deal with him again. Apparently, Lyft did not like me down rating the  passenger so they subsequently disabled me from being able to adjust the passenger ratings.

Notice: "Rating Not Available" - Rating ability was disabled by Lyft.

Passenger Zach did not want to pay for his ATM run during Hurricane Florence, and he requested two stops.  One to the ATM and Another stop to take him back home.  Apparently, he felt safe enough to get back in my Lyft rental car to return home. Lyft's "NO TOLERANCE" policy had me blocked from working for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Lyft gave me a "green light" at 11pm on Friday night, but they never unblocked my account.  Did "Trust and Safety" take the weekend off?  My Lyft car rental charges continued.  Lyft did not give me any credit toward my rental rate.

So I was paying Lyft out of my own pocket for their Hertz rental car because I had not earned enough rides before getting blocked to cover the rental rate. So they took $97.58 out of my account to cover their weekly rental and they KEPT my $144.84 in earnings to cover the Lyft rental car as well.  Lyft is so greedy!

They only have one pickup and dropoff location in Charlotte, NC.  I have called and emailed Lyft asking for relief and rental credit.  They are being unresponsive.  I don't want to travel across town to be denied any credit.  My Lyft account was still blocked when I returned the rental car as soon as I could.  The local Lyft office questioned whether or not I had the car a whole week because they do not accept early returns on their rental cars.  I could not believe that returning the car had a potential to be an issue.  Luckily, I was at my one week period.

I am now reactivated to drive for Lyft. I just have to update my vehicle information, but I need Lyft to make this situation right before patronizing them again.

I had been a faithful Lyft passenger before becoming a Lyft driver.  Now, I suggest everyone to consider Uber.  Time to Move Forward!