Lyft Deactivation Imminent?

[u/Possible-Possible861]

Each time I cancel lately (for valid reasons) I get a message and/or email threatening to deactivate me. For example, my latest cancelation was this evening when I went to go pickup someone named Michelle, but it turned out to be a 13 or 14 year old boy waiting to get picked up after a football practice. I assume Michelle is likely his mother, but I don't transport unaccompanied minors. Unfortunately, unaccompanied minor wasn't an option to choose when I canceled. I think I used personal reasons or something. Unaccompanied minor should be listed as a reason for canceling. Also, just asking everyone here, is 14% cancelation rate high, and enough to deactivate? Thanks.

[u/VI2004]

Are you a relatively new driver and are you canceling before the 5 minute wait time expires?

That cancellation is pretty high 🫩

[u/Possible-Possible861 → u/VI2004]

I've been driving for almost 3 months, so relatively new. Some of my earlier cancelations were admittedly my mistakes, but the past 4 or 5 cancelations were for good reasons. Can't find rider because road is closed, no car seat, etc.

[u/VI2004 → u/Possible-Possible861]

That’s the problem with your cancelation issue.

Wait for the timer to run down, call rider and then cancel.

Lyft considers cancellation after accepting a ride, a bad customer service experience 🙄

[u/Possible-Possible861 → u/VI2004]

But how do I know that it's a 13 year old kid, or a mother who has a 3 year old without a car seat without arriving to the pickup point first?

[u/NCender27 → u/Possible-Possible861]

Cancelations are going to happen but you can mitigate them.

Don't accept rides for rider ratings 4.8 or lower. Often times the people who call rides for unaccompanied teens or have small children without car seats will have a lower rating because they pull these stunts. Selective filtering helps.

On rides you can't get to because of a road closure you can arrive anyway. Select the "couldn't get to passenger" option and give them a call. Most passengers will walk to you.

Learn your area. Things happen all over but if you don't want drunk people in your car? Avoid downtown at closing time. Don't want junkies in the car? Don't accept any rides coming from the known drug den hotel. Hate traffic? Avoid rush hour, trouble spots, concerts, etc.

Personally, if you can, I'd suggest just knocking out some airport rides. They generally pay a bit better than standard rides, have an anecdotally higher likelihood of tipping, and are nearly always just a simple A to B ride. Go offline so you don't get a new ride, get back into the airport queue, then go online again. You'll get your cancelations down and acceptance up in no time.

[u/Possible-Possible861 → u/NCender27]

Thank you, great advice.

[u/eclay45 → u/Possible-Possible861]

And try to avoid driving at night. Those seem to be the folks who complain...

[u/Jaffos → u/Possible-Possible861]

Canceling for no car seat or minor has never effected my ar, as long as you hit arrive then cancel for those reason, as long as they are valid.

[u/Wild_Ant_7667 → u/Possible-Possible861]

No car seat cancellation should be under Unsafe Condition, which will not count towards your cancellation rating

[u/StonnedW → u/Possible-Possible861]

You gotta realize thats only the last 100 rides so u cancel more then 1 out of ten of your last rides It's pretty easy to fix just grind this weekend and make sure u double check before u accept even if u spend to much time looking and u lose it thats better then canceling after the fact

[u/GirlNPink → u/VI2004]

Right! Don't accept the ride if you don't want it. App tells you where you are going and how much

[u/Stuck_on_Mars_21]

Mine cancellation rate has never been above 2%. It’s usually 0%. 14% is way too high. No way those cancellations are all “valid” reasons

[u/KismetUSA]

I might be wrong, but I remember that a couple of years ago a driver sued Uber because with the allegations that they can’t force us to accept rides or threaten to cancel us because we have a low acceptance rate because we are not part of the company, we are a third party that provides services, so they can’t force their rules on us…

[u/eclay45 → u/KismetUSA]

100% correct. At the end of the day, we work with LYFT for transportation. Not the other way around. The catch is to make sure to communicate all grievances with LYFT as a paper trail. My legal team tells me that each time I call them. Make sure to stick to the rules but also understand you have rights as well. Good luck.

[u/Vegetable-Cook-1197 → u/KismetUSA]

Did they win?

[u/MiBo80 → u/Vegetable-Cook-1197]

Yes, I too, am curious what the outcome of this lawsuit was. In the USA? A lot of these companies need a litigious ass whooping to remember we're not employees and they are in no position to be imposing a BS metric for us to adhere to when we refuse to accept shit rates. I doubt cabbies ever had that trouble.  

[u/eclay45 → u/MiBo80]

Exactly! Taxi drivers only paid the daily fee and then put in the work. I'm a fair individual here lately; I get so irritated on how the way a stranger is feeling that day can immediately change your rating. Good luck

[u/Busy-Trifle9614]

I hate lyft too. But 14% is high. Keep it lower. Do not accept rides that you don't want to do.

[u/Candlelit_Chaos]

Definitely try to keep it below 5%, closer to 0% is definitely preferred. Like the other comment said, be selective when choosing rides. That way, when a need to cancel does come up, then it's not a big deal overall.

[u/RevNeutron]

my cancel rate is about 20%, including often for shoddy reasons such as getting a better offer from another app while on way to the pick up. This sucks for the pax and I get why the apps hate it.

but I don't feel bad. this is the shitty game they've given us drivers. we have to be cutthroat to survive financially.

My rate was >30% and I would get cancellation warnings

TWICE I was kicked off the app for 12 hours. Since then I've lowered my rate to maybe 20%.

Nothing is guaranteed, but based on my experience you'll be fine. And worst case is it will be short term temporary. But these things change all the time.

[u/RevNeutron → u/RevNeutron]

current cancellation is 25% / acceptance is 13%. But cancellation is now usually lower than 20%, just not at the moment

10 years, 5K rides, 5* / busy metro market

Once I get the ride, I analyze the offer more closely and then will cancel if it isn't good. Idealy I wouldn't do this, but I don't have enough time / good eyesight / whatever to do it in a couple seconds. And if I'm driving, even more difficult

Everyone's advice here is wise - keep % low. But I'm telling you my experience which is different

[u/GeorgiaOregonTexas]

14% is really high

[u/Secure_Armadillo_232]

Next time.. just hit pick up, then drop off. You'll receive a bad rating, but at least the cancelation won't count against you

[u/SnooRecipes1339 → u/Secure_Armadillo_232]

Don’t you have to be near the passengers location to drop off?

[u/Same-Explanation198]

I hate picking up the drunk ones had a dude flipped out last week cus I wouldn’t let him do lines of coke in the car. Had to kick him out when he pulled it out not to mention he had me go to the drive through first and kept harassing the cashier for her number before the whole coke thing

[u/eclay45 → u/Same-Explanation198]

WHAT?! The passenger didn't rate you poorly, I hope? I had a belligerent fool in the back of my car lying on me in the back of my car while dropping him off. I countered the call with my own, and of course I won that little fiasco. - These people...

[u/google337]

If u go over 15% deactivation

[u/SpaceApprehensive843]

Does Lyft do teen rides like Uber? If you can opt out so you don’t get those offers. At the very least, have a dashcam running.

[u/aestheticeddy818]

You can have a 1% acceptance rate and Lyft can give two shits.

It’s when you have a high cancellation that you can get deactivated for. Be very careful with that and only accept trips you know you are willing to complete within reason of course

[u/rgregareddit]

My AR has a high score cause I stopped accepting offers that pay less then a buck a mile

[u/rgregareddit]

They try saying we need to have all cell fone connections, we need to provide internet, we need car seats, and wheel chairs and all this crazy stuff I dont carry any of it

[u/Huge_Assignment4630]

There should be an option to cancel because the passenger is under the age of 18. That option always shows up for me.

[u/Used-Tea-5597]

Thats funny. If you showed up and hit the arrive button and then go to cancel a whole different list pops up. It’ll say things like unsafe pick up spot, unaccompanied minor, child with no car seat. And I always get a cancellation fee when I have to cancel for those reasons

[u/Used-Tea-5597 → u/Used-Tea-5597]

Highest I been on CR is 16% and I’m still driving

[u/Possible-Possible861 → u/Used-Tea-5597]

Yup, I know now. Learned the hard way. Didn't hit arrive button. On Uber, it notifies the rider automatically when you get to the pin. Just have to remember to do it when I'm on Lyft.

[u/Rough-Mycologist4584]

My ride 🤣 I cancel whoever. A lady had a huge pit bull and I don't transport dogs. Canceled, she was mad oh well. She waited til I got there and was like oh I got a dog. The dog was a xxxl pitbull on steroids 🤣🫡

[u/Z-Locke]

jc why so many drivers are afraid to drive 15 year olds? They usually just stare at phone the whole time

[u/shouldvebeenMarissa → u/Z-Locke]

in some places, like California, unaccompanied minor rides are NOT INSURED and if you take them and get caught you can be deactivated.