If it ever happened to you, you know this can get tricky.
The car takes off, you pat your jeans. Oh no. Your phone (or your wallet or keys or something) is now in the backseat of the Uber that drove you back home after drinks at Las Vegas Lounge, the very same Uber that’s now on its way to pick up Jill a mile away.
There was no strict playbook to follow in this case other than dealing with customer support to somehow retrieve the item. What was clear is that the driver wouldn’t be compensated for returning your stuff.
Now, as part of the company’s 180 Days of Change initiative, drivers will get a $15 fee for the trouble (which users will pay). It’s part of a series of changes designed to improve Uber’s reputation among drivers, a workforce that companies are increasingly competing over.
Round-the-clock phone support, quick fare fixes and faster review of documents like licenses were announced alongside the lost-item fee.
Drivers were informed of the change in a letter sent Tuesday.
Read the letter“We’re just getting started, and we couldn’t be more excited to share what’s next,” said Craig Ewer, Uber’s comms lead for Philly.
Join our growing Slack community
Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!
Donate to the Journalism Fund
Your support powers our independent journalism. Unlike most business-media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational contributions.

Lunatrain wants to bring overnight rail travel to major US cities

Healthcare providers and digital navigators join forces to close the health equity divide

Everything you need to know about immigrant work visas under the Trump administration
