Driving for Uber for most is a dream come true. Flexible hours, an honest income, and the ease of signing on and off whenever you'd like. Sure, the passengers can be a pain the neck sometimes, but hey, it's worth it right?
Because Uber hires drivers as independent contractors and not employees, they are much more inclined to deactivate a driver in the event of an issue between a driver and a passenger. If a passenger reports a driver for hitting on them, being creepy, dangerous, etc., many times Uber will be inclined to deactivate the driver immediately, without any questions at all. Why do they do this? Well, they do this to avoid potential future issues and they know that they have a line of people ready to signup to be a driver at a moment's notice.
Luckily, there are services like Driverly that does help gig drivers who have been wrongfully terminated. While it isn't guaranteed, Driverly will do everything that they can to help a driver who has been canned through the Driverly Premium membership. Driverly also helps gig workers with education, tips to earn more, tax prep help, and a slew of other benefits and perks. Reactivation services is just one of many perks that come with a Driverly Premium membership. Keep in mind this works for Uber, Lyft, Instacart, DoorDash, Postmates, Amazon Flex, and other major gig apps.
So, what are the main reasons drivers get deactivated? And, what are the main steps drivers can take to get reactivated? Let's discuss the options...
Why Uber Drivers Get Deactivated
Too low of Rating - Uber wants its drivers to stay above a 4.6 rating. If drivers fall below this rating, they will probably be deactivated. This is due to too many low star ratings. This is why it's important to ask your passengers to rate you 5 stars at the end of the ride, so you can keep your average high!
False Reports - Passengers who are cheap and scammers love to leave false reports in order to get a refund on the ride. They will lie and say the driver was under the influence, speeding, or creepy, even though they are the nicest driver in the world. For some odd reason, Uber loves to deactivate drivers without any warning, and the driver is left without being able to log online.
How Uber Drivers Can Get Reactivated
Uber Greenlight Hub - Head to a Uber Greenlight Hub and be super nice to the Uber representative. They are used to dealing with angry drivers all day, so if you're nice and respectful, they will probably want to help you as much as possible. Also come with any screenshots, paperwork, or dash cam footage ready to watch to review your case. Ask them politely if you could please go online again, and hopefully they will say yes. If they say no, try going back another day and talking with somebody else, or to a different location.
Call Uber Support - Unfortunately, dealing with Uber customer support can be a nightmare, because they outsource their customer service overseas and they are essentially just reading a script. Uber support is usually of very little help and you will end up wanting to scream after a phone call with them. You will usually end up getting transferred 3 to 4 times, having to re-explain yourself each time you get transferred, and you will just want to hang up because you have given up.
File an Appeal in the Uber app - Once you've been deactivated, Uber has given you an option to file an appeal in the app. Try this and explain yourself. Again, be as nice as possible.
Driverly - Driverly Premium members have access to what is called reactivation services. While this isn't a guarantee by any means, Driverly will reach out to the company on your behalf and try to get your account reactivated. They will do this for any of the major gig apps. And, it has proven to be helpful for some gig workers thus far. If you're interested, you can browse the Driverly site and see for yourself if this is something that might be helpful to you. They have an FAQ section that answers many commonly asked questions.
We are all aware how frustrating it can be to get fired from any job, so we wish you the best of luck in your next venture if you have been deactivated. And, if you haven't yet been deactivated, make sure to be nice to your riders to keep a high rating and active driving status. And most importantly, be safe out on the road!
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