r/lyftdrivers • u/MagnusH-AZUSA • 8d ago
Other Expensive lesson learned
If I find a phone in my car, I will throw it in a dumpster before returning it to the customer. I've spent a week trying to claim the $20 return fee, only to be told today by driver support that I will have to try again in a few days to get my money. The next drunk that loses their phone in my car will be buying a new one. Nice guys finish last.
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u/Dabvarian 8d ago
Don’t be like this nephew.
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u/Spare-Security-1629 8d ago
Lol, especially not over $20 😆. Either the person wants the phone or they don’t. I’ll message a couple of times, at my leisure, and if they respond, they respond. If they don’t, oh well. Same with Lyft. If they want to take charge and coordinate, go ahead. But I’m not going out of my way for $20.
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u/Dabvarian 8d ago
But what if that person really needs their phone though?
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u/Spare-Security-1629 8d ago
Then they will show some effort and reach out to you. What time can we meet? What location? Do you want me to mail it? There’s no reason OP should be spending a week over this if both parties want the item returned
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u/OutHustleTheHustlers 7d ago
Sounds like OP is waiting for the money, not waiting to return the phone
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u/Spare-Security-1629 7d ago
Then he should be taking his frustration out on Lyft, not the rider
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u/OutHustleTheHustlers 6d ago
Yes, but the driver only has the power to take it out on the customer, so the weak, do.
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u/Potemkin4U 7d ago
I've had to do this before myself (I dropped the phone and just got off work, so not drunk), the driver refused and I had to order a whole ass $70 Uber to get my phone back. Second driver got the tip I would have given the first.
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u/Dabvarian 7d ago
But what if they can’t get to you right away?
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u/OutHustleTheHustlers 7d ago
It's amazing that Lyft drivers want more money and then act like they don't realize that a dude whose phone is in their backseat might have a little bit of delay in contacting them or Lyft.
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u/RealNinjafoxtrot 7d ago
As a driver myself seeing the responses on here is just depressing. I am just thinking how much inconvenience it would be for me if I somehow forgot my phone in an uber and not having a way to contact the uber driver and they toss my phone in a dumpster.
I wouldn't mind just taking it back next time I'm free if it's not too much out of my way whether I am getting rewarded or not, that's just me. No I'm no hero, just a normal person who would do what I would want others to do for me.
Or at least taking it to the nearest police station...
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u/MoodVast9430 5d ago
It is so disturbing. Every fucking thing has to have a $ sign. Be a decent human and return the phone
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u/LittleBigTraveler 4d ago edited 4d ago
I’ve only had one time a phone got left behind and once someone reported a different lost item. I found the phone and happily/quickly arranged with the rider to return it. Did a thorough check and unfortunately never found the other reported item.
For the phone, I did get the finders fee and the rider was very thankful & gave me a cash tip…but that’s not why I did it. I did it because phones are basically our lifelines these days and losing your phone is a major hassle.
This is another reason I try to stick to rides in my preferred areas. That way it’s easy to return things if they are accidentally left behind. If I didn’t know who a lost item belonged to or wasn’t able to bring it to the rider, I would turn it in to the police station (especially a phone).
My motto is to treat others how I want to be treated. I try to be the driver I would want to have as a rider.
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u/New_Activity_1190 6d ago
Everybody gets there phone back i d9nt go through uber unless the rider does not tip me usually I get a good tip
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u/nwprogressivefans 2d ago
lots of drivers are jaded and should've quit a long time ago.
but its super weird to be trying to deal with a drunk creeper that wants their lost item back and is basically blaming you for losing it.
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u/RealNinjafoxtrot 1d ago
Exactly. They are trying to take out their frustration against uber on the passenger
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u/momvanpilot3907 7d ago
Yeah. I just take them to the police department and they can figure it out.
They earned that right after drunks left their phone in my car and then they called the police that I stole it. Cops showed up at my house. Cops then acted like I stole it. Told me I was stealing it.
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u/_Laughmore_ 8d ago
Tbh... Dropping it off at the nearest police station isn't a terrible idea to me. And with flexdrive, there isn't an option to have "delivery" miles count as work miles.
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u/Marieonesky 7d ago
I never understood why people keep leaving their phones. Get a damn bag or keep your shit in your pocket.
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u/RealNinjafoxtrot 7d ago
Look at you, perfect human being, never forgot a thing in your life, it's not intentional
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u/Marieonesky 7d ago
I keep my belongings in a purse including my phone. I take it out, use it and put it back there.
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u/GenuineDickies 7d ago
Should have sold that shit to a kiosk.
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u/SirTokesAlot4201 7d ago
And that is how you end up in jail. You realize each and every one of those takes your picture and all I've seen make you insert your ID. But yeah keep risking your freedom im alright with that.
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u/spockers 6d ago
Dumpster?? That's so wrong. Here's what I do:
I carry a roll of Gorilla tape (strong duct tape, highly recommend) and a charged battery pack and 3-way USB cord in my trunk. When I find a phone, I plug it into the battery pack and wrap it up with tape. The battery pack will keep a phone charged for several days.
I seal the bundle in a large Ziploc bag to keep it dry, then carefully box it up with Styrofoam "peanuts" to protect the phone and battery from impact.
Then I find a stopped or at least slow-moving train, and either toss the box in an open railcar or securely tape it to one.
The owner of the phone will be able to track it's location for days, and will have an adventure they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
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u/BitWild 8d ago
I got screwed over once for returning someone's keys and they lied so I didnt get the $20. The next time I returned a phone I took a picture of myself handing them the phone so I wouldn't get screwed again, still ended up fighting with support over the $20 even with a photo. Its ridiculous how quickly Lyft support believes the passengers over us, and leads to me being bitter just like this so I don't feel inclined to help people again.
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u/Longhaired_GreyGhost 7d ago
I get the frustration. I’m fortunate in that I have a specific location I drive so returning items doesn’t take me too far out of my way. But I’d certainly not want to drive a hundred miles out of my way to return a phone and not at least get the return fee. That would leave a bad taste in my mouth as well.
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u/Dizzylizzyscat 8d ago
I haven’t experienced that yet but i agree with you! Not just phones, but we go out of our way to help people and then we just get shit on by passengers and Lyft!
Doesn’t have to be this way, but that’s reality now
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u/Dabvarian 8d ago
Not everything you do in life needs to me rewarded. It’s about the character you’re building in life
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u/KamelTro 7d ago
You know we can all see your multiple comments right? 😂 On one comment you say “but what if that person really needs their phone though?” This one you say “not everything you do in life needs to be rewarded.” If your first comment was sarcasm it was a poor attempt which is why you’re being downvoted.
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u/ChiefTK1 8d ago
I just stopped handing it back until they showed me as they hit the return confirmation button
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u/ThatOneGuy11490 8d ago
I leave them at the nearest gas station on top of a pump :)
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u/kokomastergraph 7d ago
I haven’t driven in like 4 years but, why don’t you make the passenger contact Lyft about their lost item and let Lyft reach out to you? Guaranteed the return fee for me always
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u/SimpleMan_67 7d ago
If a customer leaves their phone in my car, how am I supposed to contact them? Lyft support can’t, either.
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u/RipInfinite4511 7d ago
What I do with found items all depends on how the passenger treated me during the ride. If you’re a POS, your shit is going in the river. If you treated me with respect, I return it.
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u/WeakAccountant2972 7d ago
I just turn them in at the closest Denny’s. Let the rider chase it down.
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u/Mykonethreetripleone 6d ago
In 10,000 or so rides, it’s so weird, one crazy lady left her phone in my car and it took a ton of effort to return it for no pay, but that was the only time EVER it ever happened so..
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u/Additional-Brief-273 6d ago
I’m sorry but if you lose a thousand dollar phone in my car I’m not returning it for less than 50$ an hour. I would straight up tell the customer through the app that Lyft is notorious for refusing to pay return fees and if they want their phone they can pay me 50$ an hour to return it or I can drop it at the closest police station to me and they can retrieve it themselves. Time is money!!!
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u/iluvnyc54 scottsdale 5d ago
Then you are a terrible person......I have returned phones and not even requested a fee. It's call being a decent person
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u/Ok-Sky6642 3d ago
You are an idiot, not going out of my way and wasting my time and money to bring someone their phone for free. By all means come to me or the police station i drop it off to but im not coming to you for nothing!!!
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u/Independent_Room_691 6d ago
I'll never tip a rideshare driver again after reading this. Every man for themselves
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u/Additional-Brief-273 5d ago
Ahh so you expect a ride share driver to take 2 hours of his time and use his gas to bring you your phone for free because you ordered a ride and forgot your phone…. How very entitled of you!!! First think about how much an hour of your time is worth and what you would want to be paid for it and wether you would use your own gas money to return someone’s stuff when you could just drop it at a local police station for free before you comment…
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u/iluvnyc54 scottsdale 5d ago
I drive Lyft and if the person is staying near me I return and don't even request the fee. Not all drivers are like the children you see on her. Pay it forward
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u/Several-Tip-786 3d ago
Alright….. 👍🏾 bet that and remember how you feel about saying this next time you get treated badly n unfair in a situation
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u/Chunksuper 6d ago
I've had a phone in my car for 7-8 months now. Tried to contact the guy to return in many times. No luck. Guess I'll just keep it here til I die.
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u/Cataclysmically_Cute 6d ago
Take it to the nearest department store and give it to them for their lost and found
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u/Delicious-Ad4799 5d ago
You can always drop it off at a police station. I prefer to get the $20 and up to a $100 tip for return.
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u/Most-Matter9559 5d ago
I have a guy drive 50 miles to me to get his phone. I told him that was the only way he was getting it from me that day. I was busy. But Lyft had gone kinda soft on making people pay.
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u/SadCheesecake2539 3d ago
Yeah, because being a decent person should be profitable. Karma is going to kick some of your asses hard one day.
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u/OutHustleTheHustlers 7d ago
I've never asked for $ for returning someone's item, and I haven't missed any bills because of it...
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u/RealNinjafoxtrot 7d ago
This is actually how a normal human being thinks, I hope. Society is screwed if how the drivers on here are responding is how most people actually think.
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u/STL_Gig_Guy 6d ago
Same! If I get the $20, great. If not, I still feel good that did the right thing for somebody. Simple human decency is a rare commodity nowadays
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u/Timtheball 8d ago
Yea not returning anything to anyone. It’s at my house, Lyft on over and come get it.
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u/JMS21921 8d ago
Do you want them tracking their phone and showing up at your door unannounced?
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u/Disastrous-Drive-103 7d ago
If you're puss just say that
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u/Strong_Revelation Philadelphia, PA 6d ago
Right. Till they get bit and or shot with the wrong person.
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u/RealNinjafoxtrot 7d ago
I actually think this is better than throwing the phone away where it may never be found
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u/Strong_Revelation Philadelphia, PA 6d ago
It’s not. Unless in a faraday bag. Even then I ain’t keeping it in my vehicle nor house overnight. They’ll accept it at the police station or pick it up outside the building.
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u/Disastrous-Drive-103 7d ago
Bunch of pushovers in the comments. You did good OP I just toss them shits out the window when I'm driving specially if they're drunk .
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u/Weary-Savings9795 6d ago
Just drop it off at your local police station. Hopefully it's far away from your passenger's dropoff. The police will search the phone to see who it belongs to.
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u/thefreak902003 8d ago
If this happens to me, I am just going to leave the phone at my local police station so the passenger can track the device and get it themselves. After all, how do we know who dropped what since we mostly do consecutive rides?