An Uber driver’s hack for customers to get cheaper rides is sparking a debate over saving money vs safety concerns.
“Let’s say you request a ride somewhere and it’s $40 where you have to go,” Josh (@badboyjoshyyy) suggested in a TikTok that’s been viewed over 506,000 times this week. “You take the ride for $40. When the Uber gets to you, you ask the Uber, ‘Hey, how much are you getting paid for this ride?’”
The gist of Josh’s method is that once you find out how much a driver is making, you can ask them if they would be willing to cancel the ride and take you to your location if you directly pay them an amount somewhere in the middle.
Specifically, he recounted two instances where it made a huge difference in the final cost.
Once, he said the driver was only getting paid $10 while he was being charged $40. Another time, as a driver, he would have made around $50 while he says his passengers would have been charged $115. They instead settled the rides for $20 and $75, respectively.
“I’ve done that so many times,” he admitted. “And, as an Uber driver, I have offered that to people also, and everybody is always down.”
Viewers praise Uber hack to save on rideshare costs
From the numbers, it’s easy to see why making this sort of side deal would appeal to both drivers and passengers.
Anyone who uses rideshare services regularly has undoubtedly noted the prices creeping up over the years. The average cost of an Uber ride reportedly rose 83% between 2018 and the end of 2022, while the percentage of that amount pocketed by drivers appears to be dropping.
“Its still crazy to me that the drivers dont get at least 75% of the fare,” wrote one viewer. “Theyre doing all the work. Developing the app should be a 25% cut at most.”
And it’s clear from the comments section that Josh isn’t the only one who has circumvented rideshare apps to cut out the middleman.
“As a former driver I always did this,” wrote a user.
“I’ve been doing this for years!” another chimed in. “It’s a win win.”
“I did this when I was stranded in Fort Lauderdale,” a third recalled. “I was supposed to spend $80 and when the driver told me he was getting $25 I cancelled and gave him $50.”
What happens when you bypass the Uber or Lyft apps?
But while Josh’s suggestion makes sense on the surface, there are things to consider that could ultimately cause issues for both drivers and passengers.
For example, when a passenger spills something or otherwise damages the interior of a car, the rideshare company can automatically charge them a fee once the driver files a claim. Going outside of the app will take that assurance away.
There also may be insurance issues if an accident occurs during the ride, depending on the driver’s personal coverage and what takes place. And there’s always the possibility that the rideshare service will catch on and deactivate a driver’s account.
Safety concerns may also come into play for both parties.
“Ladies don’t listen to him!!” one user urged. “At least you and Uber have details about the driver.”
“That’s dangerous. I need a record of who’s in my car,” another agreed.
“I’m too scared to do this,” a third admitted. “a driver offered this option and I thought they were trying to traffic me so I canceled. it was also a guy driving on a girl’s account.”
“Drivers always ask my lil sis this and I tell her every time to say no. I’ll give her the extra money if she needs it, I rather her whole ride is tracked and has some driver info in case of an emergency,” said a further user.
@badboyjoshyyy This has saved me so much money #uber #lyft ♬ original sound – Josh
None of us would lose sleep over rideshare companies not getting a cut of the often exorbitant amounts charged for Uber or Lyft these days. But whether this is a good way around those charges or not remains up for debate.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @badboyjoshyyy via TikTok comment and Uber and Lyft via email.
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