Which Company Is Best To Request A Ride From? Uber, Lyftcar, or Sidecar?

If you are traveling and you want to know which Rideshare program is best for you or if want to even consider a rideshare company as an alternative for transportation. Then here is a list of the features of the top rideshare companies that are available so that you can choose which one is right for you.

Can request SMS from:

AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket, Verizon Wireless, Nextel, U.S. Cellular, MetroPCS and Sprint Boost

(If you request by SMS there are fees that apply)

Requirements:

• The default age limited for someone to use the app for a ride is 18 years or older, but you have to abide by the laws of the country, city or state that you're in concerning age limit if it is different.
• Pay by credit card only, will charge your account immediately when you pay
• When you request a ride it is up to the driver to accept your request.
• You can only use an access point or 3G data account (AP)
• Personal Info collected for user profile: Name, Email, Cell Phone Number, Password, Zip code, and Credit Card info, Paypal (or any other electronic bank accounts)

Fees:

• Safe Rides Fee: Additional $1.00
• Fees on the website are the default pricing and may not match the fees that they charge you
• Fees that the company charges you for application and service are nonrefundable
• Clean up fee for interior and exterior damage is approx up to $200 depending on damage (also includes pet pee, vomit, etc.)
• Tolls, airport fee tolls
• $5 cancellation fee on UberTaxi, $10 cancellation fee on UberBlack if you cancel 5 minutes after a driver accepts your request

Types of Vehicles:

• UberX, UberTaxi, UberBlack, UberSUV, UberLux
• List of Cities - Link to find out the rates of different types of Uber cars and the rates in each city or click the link below

Features:

• On the app you'll see information about the driver such as a name, a photo, their license and ratings
• Rides are requested through an app where you have to create an account and provide personal information.
• App detects location through GPS, so you don't need to know the address and the phone will text you when the driver arrives
• It'll automatically refer you to the nearest drivers

Terms of Service:

• Rider and Driver accountability - Both Riders and Drivers can rate each other
• Provides commercial liability insurance.
• If you decide to change your mobile service provider, you will have to reactivate your account to get the notification service, which would be the ability to receive messages from the company. If you want to cancel the notification service, then text STOP to phone number 827-222 and HELP to the same phone number if you need some info from the company or you can just call this number for help: 866-576-1039
• They say in their terms of service that if you request a ride through UberX they may not be professionally licensed or permitted.
• Any disputes or negotiations of payments are between you and the driver and not the company.

For support:

• If you need support, when you rate your driver, reply using the receipt that pops up at the end of the trip, support@uber.com, visit t.uber.com/support, (415) 746-9376

Name of Corporate:

• Travis Kalanick - Co-founder & CEO
• Thuan Pham - CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
• Ryan Graves - Head of Global Operations
• Salle Yoo - General Counsel

Charges:

• Administration Fee: Lyft takes 20% of the charge or donations of more than $0 from the driver and could change at any time
• Trust & Safety Fee: additional $1.00 fee
• All charges, donations and fees are nonrefundable
• If you cancel a ride 5 minutes or more after you request it, you will be charged a $5 cancellation fee
• Damage Fee: If driver reports damage to his car by you. You will have to pay repair and cleaning costs from anywhere between $100 to $250 depending on the damage. The payment will be transferred to the driver. (For pet pee, vomit, etc)

Requirements:

• You have to be 18 or older to use the app for a ride
• Credit Card, Will charge your account immediately

Features:

• If you rate your drivers 3 or below, you'll never be matched again.

Donations (I personally like to call them tips):

• You, as the rider can choose to give a "Donation" or not.
• The Rider has to select whether or not and how much of a donation within 24 hours after the ride is completed. If you do not select your choice of whether or not to give a donation the suggested amount will be automatically deducted from your credit card
• Charges and Donations can not exceed $500 (Not that it should get even close to this amount because that would be an expensive ride)

Types of services:

• Lyft, Lyftline, LyftPlus

Names of Corporate Staff:

Logan Green - Co-founder and CEO

Requirements:

• Have to be 18 years or older to use the app for a ride
• Credit Card and most cashless forms of money, Will charge your account immediately

Charges:

• Drivers set their prices, which shows up when you are requesting a ride. You can choose which one you want based on price

Fees include:

• Tolls, airport and bridge tolls
• Administrative Fee/Sidecar Fee: Sidecar receives 20% or less of the driver's payment of more than $0

Features:

• Should have the photo, name of the driver, license plate, approximately how long it should take to pick you up, the make of the car and the price
• You can select a driver based on: Driver's rating, quality of the car, how close the ride is to your location and the amenities
• You can favorite drivers, so that they will pop up first when you need to make a selection
• A rider chooses which driver they want, but if the driver does not pick you up. Sidecar will choose the driver for you. (Drivers do not have to accept a request since they work independently)
• Sometimes a driver may set a price higher or lower than what is shown, you may cancel the request and get a new driver
• Drivers can also set a price higher or lower at the end of a ride
• Be careful of cancelling requests, if a request is cancelled more than 5 minutes or more past the request. You will be charged with a $5 cancellation fee which is nonrefundable
• If a driver reports vehicle or property damage to car you will be charged up to $250 based on the actual cost of damage (also includes pet pee, vomit, etc)
• If there are taxes, you may have to pay those
• Sidecar does not resolve disputes between you and driver or third parties (such as other passengers)

Cities Available in:

• San Francisco and the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Long Beach, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Charlotte N.C., Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Support:

• support@side.cr - contact about payments
• Use the app, (415) 745-5553, support@side.cr - If driver has alcohol or drugs
• General complaints: Customer Support: support@side.cr
• California: File complaints: California Public Utilities Commission's Consumer Intake Unit Phone: (800) 894-9444
• Anti-discrimination Policy by California Public Utilities Commission: support@side.cr

Names of Corporate Staff:

Sunil Paul - CEO

Jahan Khanna - Chief Technology Officer

List of Countries/Cities having legal issues with rideshare companies:

Columbus, Ohio - sometime in September 2014 regulations will be passed for ridesharing

New York (Statewide) - Black cab lawsuit

California - lawsuit with the California Public Utilities Commission (Against operating ridesharing at airports)

Boston - accused of exploiting drivers

Berlin - Berlin Administrative Court suspends ban on Uber. The ban was because they suspected that the drivers were not properly licensed

Belgium - fining Uber approximately $13,000 for every ride they offer

France - protests

Germany - temporary ban on Uber suspecting drivers of not being properly licensed

*There are far more legal issues from different countries and cities. Check to see what legal issues you have in your country or city.

Also, look at the benefits and advantages including insurance of drivers that may affect you:

Which Company Is Best To Work At? Uber, Lyft or Sidecar?