I barely take Uber or Lyft. I don't drink, prefer to drive myself places, and rent cars when I travel. I've taken Uber a total of 3 times in my life, with two being good experiences, and one being awful (the guy just stalled and stalled and never showed up).
However, I first learned of "vomit fraud" only recently from my friend and character actor Dave Lerman, who has appeared before on PFA Radio.
It's exactly as it sounds. The driver reports to Uber that the passenger vomited in the car, and that they need to be reimbursed for the cleaning bill. This typically ranges from $80 to $150, and is automatically charged to your credit card.
The driver can get you charged simply by sending in pictures of the vomit. They do not have to prove that you were the one who did it.
This has become a big scam to where a lot of drivers are raking in extra money. The following types of passengers are most likely to be targeted:
- Drunk passengers. They may not even remember whether or not they really vomited, and possibly won't question the charge!
- Passengers returning from nightclubs or bars, as their vomiting on the way home is very believable.
- Passengers going to or from a rich neighborhood. It's sometimes assumed they won't notice or bother to fight an extra $150 on their credit card statement.
- Passengers whose rides are being paid for by businesses. The driver doesn't know who is paying, but if the passenger indicates that a business ordered the ride for him, the driver is more likely to commit fraud, as businesses are far less likely to catch or fight such charges.
Vomit fraud also happens far more often at night than during the day, simply because it's more believable.
The appeals process is a pain in the ass. You have to repeatedly exchange e-mails with Uber customer service, which tends to favor the driver. In many cases, defrauded passengers are ultimately ruled against. Uber will take action against drivers with an excessive number of vomit fraud accusations, but some basically have it down to a science where they have figured out the maximum number of times they can pull it.
How can you fight vomit fraud?
Here's my suggestions to prevent and fight it:
- The best way to prevent it is to take a cell phone video of you exiting the car, and tell the driver you're doing it. You can say something like, "I've been hit with two bogus cleaning fees for fake vomit claims, so now I video myself exiting the car. It's no offense to you personally, and I believe you're an honest person." As you're exiting, take a video of the area where you were sitting, including the dashboard, and state the date and time you're exiting the vehicle. Knowing that you've taken this preventative measure, the driver will almost never victimize you at that point.
- If you feel uncomfortable letting the driver know, you can also take a surreptitious video of yourself exiting the car, and then when you're out of the car, quickly take a video of the car (you can have your hand over the screen as you take the video in the car, and then pretend you're texting once you get out of the car). Also state the date and time once you're out of the car.
- If hit with a vomit fraud charge, aggressively appeal it with Uber or Lyft. In the appeal, never admit to drinking or feeling sick, even if you were.
- If your appeal is rejected, call your credit card company and appeal through them. You will likely win. However, Uber may delete your account, and you'll have to create another one with a different credit card.
Here's a July 2018 article from the Miami Herald regarding vomit fraud: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/bus...215299675.html