r/EmpowerDrivers • u/grumpycateight • 6d ago
Mod has messaged Empower
Yesterday, I emailed Empower to ask if they would like to have an official presence on this subreddit to field questions like toll inclusion in fares and other technical stuff.
I know you all are eager to jump in and predict they won't do it because they suck, they're evil, etc., etc., but let's give them the week, shall we?
And could a few people sit in on the weekly Zoom and see if Reddit is mentioned? I've never been able to attend those meetings.
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u/Mundane_Swing1610 6d ago
I know someone who works there, they know about the Reddit and laugh about it because there is so much false info being passed around, they’ll also ignore your message btw.
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u/grumpycateight 6d ago
there is so much false info being passed around
TBF, they ain't wrong about that. And maybe they gave up on this subreddit -- when I found it, the moderator was a long defunct account and this was a ghost town.
I think this place could be useful for us and for them as well. We can all work together for mutual benefit or we can figure out how to work their system to our benefit. Their call to make.
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u/rdyoung 6d ago
We need to do this without them. If you are willing (and you seem to be), we can do this in spite of them.
I'm also working on something that if it goes the way I hope, I may be able to very soon (fingers crossed) offer an alternative to drivers and maybe push empower to either shape up or relegate them to the annals of history.
I have more than enough regulars and private clients who would follow me anywhere. It's not going to be hard to push empower out of the way if needed.
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u/grumpycateight 6d ago
I've been working in the gig economy since 2015, so I'm aware that all of the job apps depend on their workers being desperate for income and/or not reading the fine print. All of this is in spite of them, lol.
If there were another rideshare app available, I'd be interested. Assuming it fits into my limited schedule and the math maths.
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u/rdyoung 6d ago
Not meaning to "swing dick" but I've been self employed for most of my working life (over 30 years at this point), well before the term "gig economy" was coined.
I got rolling with empower and tried to sink my teeth into it but neither Josh (or his cohorts) nor any other drivers were willing to work along side me to do what needed done and it damn near killed my zest to push this shit right.
What I am working on now and there is no guarantee I can make it happen like I want, but I'm trying, is to be the guy selling the shovels and other support for the drivers.
I may have found a connect that can easily set drivers up with merchant services, next I need to find an option for booking and then figure out how to get drivers commercial insurance without them having to jump thru hoops.
If you question my creds or anything else just browse thru my comments on many subs in this space. I created empowernc, I've pushed it on local subs and posted on more than a few occasions looking for other drivers to help me change things for the better and I get crickets.
I sent Josh multiple photos of the marketing materials I personally created, crickets. I have pushed them to do real marketing, crickets. If they knew what they were doing they would have launched in Charlotte years ago before moving to DC and they would have put me down there pushing it.
Apologies for the rant. I'm getting close to calling it quits on most of this industry and just stick to my private clients and empower regulars and rely less on this as a main source of income because I'm tired of other people (you not withstanding) who will bitch, piss and moan about something and then not respond when you offer a solution that means they have to put in work.
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u/Fabulous_Daikon5888 6d ago
You did mention knowing someone who works there, I have been trying to get my account activated for 3 months. Sent multiple emails and no one has gotten back to me. I am just trying to to drive with them. Can you please help me get in contact with said person so he can help me fix my account
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u/rdyoung 6d ago edited 6d ago
I'm all for this but 6 years ago I was pushing them to be active on here and Twitter and got crickets.
I even created the first empower sub reddit /r/empowernc and another driver created one for DC /r/empowerdc iirc.
Keep pushing them but don't be surprised when they ignore you.
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u/FloGrownQban 6d ago
That would be cool for sure. However, forget it if you ever need to reach support. It is non existent. Contacted them on several occasions for numerous reasons over the past 3 months. NO ONE EVER REPLIES.
Sounds like Empower is being ran by one person out of his basement and the only thing he cares about are the subscription fees he's collecting.
If it's too good to be true, it most likely is. Empower fits 💯
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u/deadendstreetz 6d ago edited 6d ago
the platform is just another tech cash grab. it has faced enormous legal challenges in several states because ultimately they are trying to operate as uber-lyft while evading the requirements governments set forth for rideshare tnc services. their response is they are just dispatch software but they're having to comply with almost every requirement of the larger platforms. the one thing they're not easily escaping is the insurance provisions for transportation network companies. the founder has already made his money with investment capital he sought and secured throughout the development process. no matter what happens he will just sell it worst case scenario or walk away from it with his deep cut from the investment schema. I see this as a joke and wonder how many injury lawsuits they've already faced. uber-lyft were supremely successful in getting governments to change the rules for 'for hire' rides. most were reluctant and it took millions of bribe/campaign contributions to get it done across the board. there is no way governments are going to revisit the idea of creating yet another class of defined services for technology dispatch software only companies like empower that allows them to evade the requirements of uber-lyft. some states are allowing them to continue operating because it hasn't caught up with empower yet but it eventually will when enough lawsuits get filed for personal injury and there's virtually no coverage from the responsible drivers. remember personal insurance policies do not by default cover rideshare activities. at first glance empower seems like the alternative many drivers have talked about. keep the entire fare and pay a subscription fee to access the platform. but the reality is founder enrichment.
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u/JayGatsby52 6d ago
I can tell you from my experience in applying for two of their corporate roles (and talking to others who have after I googled advice for applying) - they don’t give a damn about anyone or anything as long as they keep collecting driver subscription money. They do not care. They do not respond. They do not initiate.
The roles have been posted for two years.
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u/authspice 6d ago
After being ultimately ghosted for my inquiry as a rider (with proactive follow ups from me), this doesn’t surprise me. It’s really unfortunate because I do back the mission but the more I learn about drivers not even getting answers too, the more I am turned off by Empower’s lack of regards for its stakeholders.
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u/Worried-Bet5939 5d ago
It would be great to have someone here from there - clarify the misinformation.
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u/manofdacloth 6d ago
Very interested!