FAIR APP

If in case you’re unaware of this news then, we must tell you that recently, Fair obtained the Uber’s Xchange Leasing portfolio. Also, it has entered into a partnership agreement with Uber wherein, it can now offer rideshare cars to Uber drivers. However, this opportunity is right now limited to only three states:

• California
• Philadelphia
• Seattle.

If you’re living in any of these three states, then we highly recommend you to begin your application with Fair. Furthermore, you can download Fair app from the Google Play Store or iOS App Store. From there, you can sign in through your Uber account to search for a suitable car.

But, one thing that Uber drivers have to keep in mind is that Fair also provides car to non-rideshare drivers. Therefore, it’s imperative to always sign in using the Uber option of the app before searching for a vehicle.

LYFT EXPRESS DRIVE

Lyft rental car program:

Like Uber, Lyft is also focusing on promoting car rental among Lyft drivers.

• Hertz, one of the most important and major partner of Lyft have prompted an express drive program for the Lyft drivers. According to this program, Lyft express provides you with the offer of weekly car rental rates for the rented vehicles.
• MONEY CHARGED BY LYFT TO RENT A CAR: If you’ve deposited $250 in the Lyft account, then your rate could go down to $209 per week. However, there’re few limitations to this such as:

1. You can only use your rented car for Lyft riders.
2. Your minimum number of rides should amount to 85.

In case you fail to exercise these two things then, you may not be able to utilize this exclusive Lyft rental discounted rate.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The car rental fees of Lyft is charged from your Lyft earnings.

• They offer unlimited mileage.
• Places where you can find Lyft express service:

1. Washington D.C.
2. Tampa Bay
3. San Jose
4. Portland
5. San Diego
6. Sacramento
7. San Francisco
8. Phoenix
9. Philadelphia
10. Orlando
11. Orange County
12. New Orleans
13. Nashville
14. Miami
15. LA
16. Las Vegas
17. Houston
18. Denver
19. Dallas/Fort Worth
20. Chicago
21. Boston
22. Baltimore
23. Austin
24. Atlanta

• The driver should be at least 25 years old if he/she wants to rent a car through Lyft express.
• Every 28 days, your rented car will have a maintenance inspection as stated by Lyft. During this time period, you’ll be temporarily unemployed as you would have to return the car for inspection. In addition to it, availability of another car while your rented car is being inspected is close to none.
• Repairs are included through the mechanics. They’re in a partnership agreement with Lyft.

Lyft rates:

Lyft rates consists of the following taxes and fees:

• Always make sure that the car tank is full when you return the car because if the car tank contains fuel with the quantity less than quarter/is quarterly filled, then you’ve to pay $18.75.
• Desist smoking in the car and also, don’t allow any rider to do so. Any damage caused due to smoking, will result in a fine of $300.
• The dropping of the car results in a fee of $33.
• Don’t allow entry of pets in the car. Any damages caused due to pets will result in a fine of $250.

Lyft insurance:

• EXPRESS DRIVE RENTER’S INSURANCE: This insurance highly depends upon the driving periods you’re in, when you unfortunately meet an accident. These riving periods are:

1. PERSONAL DRIVING: It indicates of the time when your Lyft app isn’t open while you’re driving.
2. RIDE IN PROGRESS: The time period when you’ve accepted a ride request and have reached the final destination.
3. WAITING FOR REQUESTS: This includes the time when you’ve successfully logged in and are now waiting for a ride request.

Vehicles provided to you through Lyft Express will not be according to your choice. These vehicles mostly include midsize sedans such as Chevy Malibu or Nissan Altima.

• COVERAGE PROVIDED: In case of accidents, the insurance provides coverage:

1. LIABILITY: The insurance offers coverage $1,000,000 per accident for liability.
2. PHYSICAL DAMAGE: You’re given $2,500 deductible on any type of physical damage.

Furthermore, in case of an accident where there’s an involvement with an uninsured or under-insured motorist, Lyft is going to provide you with coverage. However, that coverage will be to the limit of local regulations and/or state laws. Therefore, it’s always advised to drive safely and within limits to avoid such circumstances.

Takeaways:

• To be able to drive on the road, you’ve to pay $459 as a weekly rental. This amount includes the deposit as well.
• The fee of the rental car depends on the number of rides you’ve done in a given week.
• Driving for Uber is prohibited. If found, the driver’s profits would cut down.
• Lyft drivers aren’t qualified for Express Pay or driving bonuses.
• The rental period should be at least 7 days.
• As Lyft Express Drive is only available at specific places, you’re required to call for an appointment before you want to apply. However, receiving your rented car can take several weeks.

UBER-HERTZ RENTAL PARTNERSHIP

Since many people are opting for rideshare companies these days, Hertz has entered into a partnership agreement with both the TNCs i.e. Uber and Lyft. As mentioned above, the rental fee of Hertz is less according to Enterprise at $180 per week.

About Hertz:

• There’s no requirement of credit.
• The rental fee of Hertz is $180 per week including both taxes and fees. However, there’s no start-up fee.
• The refundable deposit amount equals to $250.
• It offers you unlimited mileage.
• The maintenance is taken cared for by Hertz.
• The drivers have to maintain a rental period of 7 days minimum and a maximum of 28 days.
• Hertz Loss Damage Waiver provide insurance to the drivers only in periods 1 and 2. However, Uber provides insurance only in period 3.

Vehicle types:

Vehicles similar to Toyota Corolla.

GETAROUND

The Getaround car rental service is a peer to peer vehicle sharing service. It provides car rental solutions to rideshare drivers.

Pricing:

• The price depends upon the year, make and model of your rented car. Usually, it’s $5-$8 per hour or $41 on average per day.
• Late fees starts from $50 per hour and can go to a maximum of $500. Also, there’re other fees that can add into it.
• If you’re a first time renter then, you’ve to pay a deposit fee of $150. Also, if the drivers who are the members of Getaround, have one or more violations on their record then, they have to pay $250. It’s called Good Faith Deposit which means that it’s refundable.

Mileage limits:

There’s a mileage limit of 20 miles per hour i.e. 200 miles in a 24 hour period. If you continue even after that, $0.50 per mile is charged extra.

Locations:

If you want to drive for Uber and Lyft and use the rented car of Getaround then, you can drive only in San Francisco/Bay area. However, if you want to rent a car, you can use the app. Through that, you can unlock the vehicle that you’ve selected at a pre-selected location.

Other facts:

• AGE FACTOR: If you’re an international driver or you drive for specialty cars, the age should be 25 years.
• INSURANCE: The renter is held responsible for any incident and have to pay $1000 for damages.
• MAINTENANCE: Every 28 day there’s an inspection. The repairs are included by a partnered mechanic.
• TYPES OF VEHICLES: Vehicles include Compact cars such as Honda Fit, Sedans such as Toyota Camry and Luxury cars such as BMW and Audi.

Takeaways:

• The rental fee is between $437-$537 which includes the deposit as well.
• It’s used for short term rentals mostly.
• The rates are highly expensive due to the per hour rental fees.
• The late fee is very costly.

We provide you insurance as well as information based on any type of rideshare service you want to apply. For more information, click here.

As the Uber vehicles are of different categories, the Uber car requirements for each type of car will accordingly be different. In order to be selected by the company before you applying to drive, you’ve to consider the following:

• Determining the type of vehicle you would like to drive for and
• Accomplish basic Uber car requirements.

This step is taken by the company to ensure the safety of its passengers.

Restrictions:

Furthermore, Uber has also accorded some vehicle restrictions in place so as to provide a quality experience to its passengers. These are:

• Prohibition of the use of Crown Victoria.
• Salvaged vehicles aren’t accepted.
• Taxis and other marked vehicles aren’t favored. However, there’s an exception of UberTAXI.
• You cannot drive for Uber with a full-size van. These include: Ford Transit, Ford E-Series and GMC Savana.

UBERLUX REQUIREMENTS

Here’re the requirements you’ll need to meet for UberLUX:

• CHARACTERISTICS: The vehicle must be in a good condition as well as have a black exterior and interior.
• IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS: The car should have in-state car insurance, registration and plates.
• INSPECTION: The chosen vehicle must pass an Uber inspection.
• MODEL OF THE CAR: Though the year of the model of the car varies by city, but many cities require 2013 and newer.
• TYPE OF AUTO-MOBILE: It must be a full-size SUV, crossover SUV or sedan.

If you’ve the ability to afford an expensive car then, UberLUX service is the right choice for you. To encourage your willingness to a more definite level, UberLUX drivers can earn almost six figures with these types of vehicles because passengers are always willing to pay more if they get picked up in an exotic vehicle by professional drivers.

It’s the most luxurious and expensive service that is currently offered to passengers. UberLUX is a cherry on the top when it comes to rideshare vehicles.

Examples:

Examples of UberLUX vehicles include:

• Audi A8
• BMW 7 Series
• Infiniti XF
• Jaguar XJ
• Lexus GX
• Mercedes-Benz S-Class
• Porsche Panamera
• Range Rover
• Tesla Model S

UBERSUV REQUIREMENTS

These are the UberSUV vehicle requirements:

• DOCUMENTS: The car should have in-state car insurance, registration, and plates.
• FEATURES: The vehicle must be in a good condition as well as have a black exterior and interior. Also, it should be a full-size SUV with four doors and a seating capacity of six riders.
• INSPECTION: The chosen vehicle must pass an Uber inspection.
  
• MODEL: Though the year of the model of the car varies by city, but many cities require 2014 and newer.

UberSUV services combine both luxury and size. Similar to UberBLACK, UberSUV offers a luxurious car-ride. Here, the drivers can earn more money as the fares are highest, due to being per mile and per minute. Drivers usually find themselves riding for Limo companies under this category. However, the drivers in order to drive for this service, must be commercially registered, have an airport permit as well as maintain a commercial insurance policy.

Examples:

Examples of UberSUV vehicles include:

• Audi Q7
• Cadillac Escalade ESV
• Chevrolet Tahoe
• Ford Expedition Platinum
• GMC Denali
• Lexus LX and GX
• Lincoln Navigator
• Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
• Nissan Armada

UBERXL CAR REQUIREMENTS

The UberXL vehicle requirements are as follows:

• DOCUMENTS: The car should have in-state car insurance, registration and plates.
  
• FEATURES: It should have four doors and a seating capacity of six riders. They consume less fuel/gas.
  
• INSPECTION: The chosen vehicle must pass an Uber inspection.
  
• MODEL: Though the year of the model of the car varies by city, but some cities require 2004 or newer while some require 2009 or newer.
• TYPE: They’re usually minivans and SUVs.

UberXL drivers earn more money than UberX drivers.

It is very important to note that even though you give services for UberXL, you’ll still get requests from UberX passengers. Furthermore, driving for UberXL gives you the privilege to drive for both UberX and UberXL.

Full-time UberXL drivers can benefit themselves all the more by working the early morning hours around hotels. Usually, you find yourself getting a lot of requests for airport rides.

Examples:

• You can work from 10:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m. drunk shift. Before 4:30 a.m. when tourist airport runs begin, eat your breakfast and take a short break. However, you can sleep during the day when part-time drivers are doing their day job.
• Let’s say you drove 500 miles at UberX rate of $1.10 per mile in a given week. This equals to $550 in earnings. However, in case of UberXL, the earnings will rise to $800.

Examples of UberXL vehicles include:

• Chevrolet Suburban
• Chrysler Town and Country
• Dodge Caravan
• Ford Expedition
• Ford Explorer
• Honda Pilot
• Honda Odyssey
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Jeep Cherokee
• Nissan Pathfinder
• Toyota Sienna

UBER VEHICLE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS

The basic requirements of this inspection includes:

• Safe to drive.
• A pleasant experience for the riders.

There’re other points in the Uber vehicle inspection form that the mechanic takes notice. They are:

• Bumpers
• Doors
• Foot breaks
• Front seat
• Interior/exterior rear-view mirrors
• Headlights
• Horn
• Muffler/ exhaust system
• Parking/emergency brake
• Rear window and glass
• Safety belts
• Speedometer
• Steering mechanism
• Stoplights
• Tail lights
• Tire and tread depth
• Turn indicator lights
• Windshield
• Windshield wipers

UBER INSPECTION LOCATIONS

At help.uber.com, Uber provides you with a list of activation centers. You just have to enter your city name in the website in order to search for the centers where the inspection takes place. You can get your vehicle inspection done at big chain repair shops and other centers such as:

• Certified mechanics.
• Jiffy Lube.
• Midas.
• Mobile inspection.
• Tires Plus.
• Uber Greenlight: They’re free of charge. However, due to their opening hours, it’s hard to access. Therefore, there’s a lot of problem of overcrowding.

The duration of the test is 30 minutes. Though, the time can exceed depending upon the method you’ve selected.

Many drivers apply for both the Lyft and Uber vehicle inspection at the same time. The purpose behind such action is that they can use the other service while the former one is at downtime. However, if Greenlight does the inspection for Uber once, there won’t be an extra inspection for Lyft.

WILL PAINT AND BODY DAMAGE LEAD TO DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR CAR ?

The information about the condition of the car is generally left out from the inspection forms. You must know that Uber doesn’t accept those vehicles which have suffered major body damage. However, it’s also true that repair shops only focus on the items that are mentioned in the checklist and will overlook the body damage.

If you want to see whether the body damage will cause your car to fail in the inspection, it’s best to take it to an activation center. At activation center, the inspectors will have a close look at the body damage of your car, and if they seem that it’s too severe, then your application will be rejected. Baseball sized dents and scratches are acceptable but anything more worse, is rejected.

We provide you with the information as well as protection against different unexpected events that may empty your wallets and lead in a financial catastrophe.

UBER ACCOUNT STATUS

Go to partners.uber.com and then, fill up your name in the upper corner of the website. After filling up your name, click on My Profile. You’ll be able to see your account status in a colored box just underneath your name.

What does Uber account status signify?

Active:

The Active status means that you’re able to log in to driver mode and successfully accept rides.

On-boarding:

The On-boarding status means that Uber is reviewing your documents or doing a background check on you.

Wait-listed:

The Wait-listed status for Uber can mean that there’re issues with your documents. Or it could also signify that they’re still running a background check on you to know whether you’re already a driver or not.

Consider:

The Consider status next to your Uber background check means that the background check is still on-go. Or it could mean that they’re doing a close analysis of your background because there’re issues. Also, if your status still shows the sign «consider» for several days then, you’ll likely be rejected.

Rejected:

The Rejected status means that your application was rejected or you’ve been deactivated by Uber.

PROBABLE REASONS FOR WHY WERE YOU REJECTED

Both the companies will never give you any specific details which caused you a rejection. However, in accordance to the words said by many drivers and the company support staff, here are the most common reasons for rejection:

Issues on your background check:

Both the companies have the power to reject you based on any data they find suspicious/ill-informed. It also includes the charges which falls outside their stated guidelines. Other causes of rejection are pending issues and arrests without convictions.

Issues on your driving record check:

Both companies can also reject you even if you’ve less than 3 minor violations which is actually in contradiction to their stated guidelines. Other reasons for getting rejected would be:

• driving without insurance,
• driving on a suspended license and
• issues in your driving/criminal record in the last 10 years

However, these’re not the only reasons. Uber and Lyft reserve the right to reject you for just about any reason. But, the thing to be peaceful about is that their final decision isn’t always consistent.

REAPPLY TO UBER

It’s true that there aren’t any given instructions on how to reapply to Uber. But it also doesn’t give the directions to fill out the normal online application during the second time. It’s because the page will come up with an error message saying that you already have a driver account.

In order to reapply to Uber after being rejected, you should Contact Uber support and ask for the permission to reapply. If you want Uber to consider your reapplication then, you must wait for 3 months.

There’s no specific help topic on the subject of reapplication so, you’ll have to find a blank contact form inside a help article. After doing that, go to help.uber.com and search for «I have another account issue». That page contains a blank contact form and then, all you’ve to do is to fill up the required information.

When you want to reapply, contact support, in order to let them know. Also, don’t forget to ask what you need to do. If you don’t get a response then, you should keep emailing until you get one.

CAR ACCESSORIES (2): TOWELS

It’s always a good idea to have a towel on-hand in cases of spilled beverages and rain. In the wise words of Douglas Adams, “a towel … is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.” Furthermore, they act as perfect seat covers n rainy seasons and protect your upholstery when transporting service dogs shed their fur all over the car.

CAR ACCESSORIES (3): SEAT COVERS

In case you want to avoid spending your money on purchasing the towels, you can always consider buying some seat covers. Seat-covers are custom-fit that means, you can design them according to your own choice and preference. They’re specially designed to support all the needs of the car and the driver. Not only they’re available in different types such as cotton, silk, velvet, leather but also, they’re water and dust resistant.

CAR ACCESSORIES (5): AUX CABLE/ADAPTOR

Aux cable is used for connecting to the best audio system. You can either play your music and even, at times, may let your passengers DJ. This helps in gaining more rating.

We would recommend you of Anker. The housings on each connector are made from reflective metal. Therefore, it’s more durable and easier to find in a dark car.

You can also get a wireless Bluetooth Aux adaptor. Also, if you’ve a car that doesn’t have an aux input, you can get a FM transmitter.

CAR ACCESSORIES (9): AIR FRESHENER

Keeping air fresheners in the cars help to maintain quality fragrance in the car instead of any smelly odors. Air freshener prevents such type of situations where the constant moving in and out of passengers would allow the entrance of odors. They are available in both sizes and types.

We hope you enjoyed reading this comprehensive guide with Uber tips. We know how hard you work and hope that some of the items on this list help make your life easier when you’re out on the road.

For more useful products and service tips and information, head over to our Homepage and drop us a message or send us an email.

Give the cargo box a try:

What is cargo box?

The most primary way to earn more money while Uber driving is to take advantage of the cargo box. Cargo box is a container that Uber drivers should keep in their car that holds consumable items like snacks and other cool items.

Use:

It’s very normal that while travelling, passengers at times tend to become very thirsty and hungry. During such times, the cargo box will help you ease the situation by offering them the opportunity to purchase these consumable items from you.

Advantage of cargo box:

This technique will help you attain a certain amount of extra money. The best part of the scheme is that the cargo box is completely free for Uber drivers like you. Through the cargo box, now, you can offer extra goodies to your riders and earn good driver ratings as well.

Cost bearing of cargo box:

The best part which we talked above, is the cost bearing of the cargo box. The cost of cargo box is endured by somebody else. That is, Uber drivers get to earn money without putting any initial amount. This also means that you can earn $1 for every order. In total, Uber drivers can also earn 25% of every retail item and even more, if they get sales bonuses and in-app tipping. To conclude, Uber driver’s income increases by $100 per month.

Invite your friends:

You must have heard the phrase — «Sharing is caring.» Share your unique Uber driver invite code with your friends so that you both can earn an extra penny.

Also, you get to earn a referral bonus each time your Uber driver friend uses the invite code. This signifies that even when you aren’t driving, you can still earn money by helping others earn a little. Though, The thing to be remembered is that the referral bonus for Uber varies from state-to-state.

Keep your stats up:

Your driver rating is regularly monitored by Uber in a strict manner. As a result, it’s the primitive job of the drivers to keep their stats up. The best ways to improve the ratings are:

• Being professional,
• Dressing similarly to your passengers and
• Providing an excellent rideshare experience.

This also signifies that a less-than-flawless ride experience can result in a low star rating. There’re many reasons such as:

• Reckless driving,
• Strong car odors,
• A dirty vehicle.

Trick: Drive around your friends and relatives and subsequently, get a productive feedback from them. They might help you with the things that your work requires or lacks.

Manage snack attacks:

Hunger is a natural phenomenon that will eventually come up during your shifts. The best way to satisfy your growling tummy would be by bringing pre-made snacks from home which are healthy, indelible and cheap.You should always avoid stuffing your stomach with the overpriced foods from the gas station.

Master the basics:

If you’re able to learn and become proficient in the knowledge of the city routes and the time period where you’ll be able to catch more riders then, you’ll be able to increase your earnings to a fare amount. In order to improve your earnings and efficiency, you should also take these things into account:

• driver ratings,
• tips by passengers and
• acceptance rates.

Prepare for taxes:

As the tax filing process is complex and complicated, there’s a lot of pressure on both Uber drivers and independent contractors. Adding more to this heap, contractors have to pay the taxes from their own pocket.

Fortunately, Uber drivers can take advantage of tax deductions due to their employment status. Tax deductions help Uber drivers by covering any business expense that they’ve to under-go while working. There are different types of tax deductions such as:

Standard mileage deduction:

Standard mileage deduction offers Uber drivers a rate that is per mile and covers most of their expenses. However, in order to use this deduction, drivers have to keep a record of the miles they’ve driven in an entire year.

Actual expense deduction:

In Actual expense deduction, an Uber driver have to maintain a proper list of all his expenses. Expenses incurred due to vehicle or rideshare insurance, will be listed. Items that can be deducted are:

• Car payments,
• Gas,
• Insurance,
• License, registration and title expenses,
• Mobile phone and charger,
• Vehicle financing,
• Vehicle operating expenses.
• Things which are purchased in order to help in improving the quality of the rideshare experience can also be deducted from your taxes. For example: 24-pack of bottled water which you’ve purchased in order to provide customers with complimentary water is considered a work expense and therefore, it’s tax deductible.

Reduce your driving:

You should always keep this in mind that driving without a rider leads to loss of time, money and fuel. Thus, you should always make up a plan before you start driving. That is, analyse your key locations where you can easily park and wait for riders while the engine is shut off.

Furthermore, draw an updated Excel sheet to keep a track of your earnings and the number of ride requests you’ve received. Make columns based on times of the day that is, morning, afternoon, early evening and late night. This will help you to identify your profits. Review this list every 2-3 months to diagnose your top earning locations.

Take online courses:

It’s advised to sign up for online courses as they could provide you tips and tricks that will help you improve your rideshare service. Everything will be explained in detail and in great manner.

An Uber driver is able to maximize his profits in a variety of different ways. Identifying the best ways to improve your rideshare business will take time and dedication. For more information, contact us.

Loss/damage to your personal belongings:

Most of the contents of the home are also covered if they’re ruined in an insured disaster such as:

• furniture,
• clothing and
• appliances.

Off-premises coverage:

Furthermore, you can also get off-premises coverage, wherein you can file a claim for lost jewelry. It doesn’t matter where did you loose it. A claim is a homeowner’s request for repayment under the terms of the policy.

However, there’s a constraint to the amount of reimbursement. According to the Insurance Information Institute (3Is), most insurance companies will provide coverage for 50-70% of the amount of insurance you’ve on the structure of your home. Howbeit, it’s better to purchase a separate floater policy if you own a lot of high-priced assets.

Personal liability for damage/injuries caused by you/your family:

Liability coverage protects you from lawsuits filed by others. In addition to it, this clause also includes your pets. It doesn’t matter if the incident takes place at your home or at any other place, the other person would be successfully reimbursed for her loss.

However, off-premises coverage doesn’t apply for those with renter’s insurance. According to the 3Is, one should have at least $300,000 worth of coverage. For extra protection, a few hundred dollars more in premiums can buy you an extra $1 million or more through an umbrella policy. A premium is the price charged by an insurance company. Though, it depends on the level of coverage purchased.

Hotel/house rental while your home is being rebuilt/repaired:

Additional living expenses is undoubtedly the best coverage. It reimburses you for those expenses which are done by you while you’re waiting for your home to become habitable again. These expenses could be in the form of:

• hotel room,
• rent,
• restaurant meals and other incidental costs.

Although, the policies enforce strict daily and total limits but, you can expand those daily limits if you pay more in coverage.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF COVERAGE

Insurances are created differently. If you buy a homeowner’s insurance that costs less then, the amount of coverage will also be less. Same goes in the case of homeowner’s insurances that are costly. In NYC, there’re several forms of homeowner’s insurance that have become standardized in the industry. They’re designated HO-1 through HO-8 and offer various forms of protection depending on the needs of the homeowner and the type of residence being covered. There’re essentially three levels of coverage:

Actual cash value:

It covers the value of your house and your belongings minus depreciation.

Guaranteed (or extended) replacement cost/ value:

Inflation-buffer policy:

It pays for all the repair costs or the costs related to the rebuilding of your home. It doesn’t matter if the costs is more than your policy limit. Many insurers offer extended replacement which gives more coverage than you’ve purchased. But there’s a maximum limit which is 20-25% higher than the limit.

Guaranteed replacement value policy:

If the homeowners plan to stay in a home for any length of time then, they should definitely buy guaranteed replacement value policy. As your homeowner’s insurance covers the costs of rebuilding of your home preferably at current prices, guaranteed replacement value policies will absorb the increased replacement costs.

According to Adam Johnson at QuoteWizard.com, «Often shoppers make the mistake of insuring [a house just] enough to cover the mortgage, but that usually equates to 90% of your home’s value. Due to a fluctuating market, it’s always a good idea to get coverage for more than your home is worth.»

Replacement cost:

This is the actual cash value without the deduction for depreciation. Depreciation is the estimated decrease in value of property over time due to aging, wear, tear and other factors. Through this, you would be able to repair/rebuild your home up to the original value.

COST-CUTTING INSURANCE TIPS

Maintain a security system and alarms:

You can lower the homeowner’s annual premium by 5% or more through the installation of a thief alarm. It’s monitored by central station or local police. Howbeit, the owner has to submit evidence of central monitoring in the form of a bill/a contract to the insurance company to receive the discount.

You can save your family 10% or more in annual premiums by installing these devices which are standardized in many older houses:

• CO₂ detectors,
• smoke alarms,
• sprinkler systems,
• dead-bolt locks and
• weatherproofing devices.

Raise your deductible:

The higher the deductible, the lower will be the annual premiums. Deductible is the amount that a customer pays out of his own pocket before coverage is given, even when the claim is accepted. However, there’re smaller problems with selecting a high deductible such as broken windows or damaged sheet-rock from a leaky pipe. Such obstructions cost only a few hundred dollars to fix and will most likely be absorbed by the homeowner.

Look for multiple policy discounts:

Many insurance companies give a discount of 10% or more to customers who maintain other insurance contracts under the same roof such as auto-insurance or business insurance. With this method, you might end up saving on two premiums.

Plan ahead for construction:

While constructing another building adjacent to the home, you should look out for the materials that are going to be used. Such as:

• you can apply cement/steel-framed structures in the building. They are less costly because they wouldn’t succumb to fire/adverse weather conditions. On the contrary, wood-framed structures are highly inflammable and costly to insure.
• Swimming pools and other potentially destructive devices like trampolines can increase the annual homeowner’s insurance costs up by 10% or more.

Pay off your mortgage:

People who have their own residences will most likely have lower premiums. It’s because the insurance company thinks that a homeowner will take better care of their home than a tenant. Therefore, it’s advisable to pay off your mortgage soon.

Make regular policy reviews and comparisons:

Before buying any type of insurance you should always compare. This includes:

• checking for employers/association membership group and
• coverage options through credit/trade unions.

Also, even after purchasing a policy, you should always or at least once a year:

• compare the costs of other insurance policies to your own,
• review your existing policy and make notes of the changes that might lower your premiums.

Lower your premiums:

Furthermore, you could notify and provide proofs to the insurance company to lower your insurance premiums. The proofs could be in the form of pictures and receipts of the changes that you have made in your house. These changes include:

• disassembling the trampoline,
• installing a burglar alarm,
• paying off the mortgage,
• a sophisticated sprinkler system.

According to Van Jura, «some companies have credits for complete upgrades i.e. to plumbing, electric, heat and roof «. Another way to lower your premium is by loyalty. The longer you stay with a company, the lower the premium will become.

According to John Bodrozic, co-founder of HomeZada.com, «Many consumers are under-insured with the contents portion of their policy, because they have not done a home inventory and added the total value to compare with what the policy is covering.» Therefore, make annual estimation of your priced items to know if you’ve enough coverage to replace your possessions.

Changes in the neighborhood also lower premiums such as:

• installation of a fire hydrant within 100 ft of the home
• the erection of a fire substation within close proximity to the property.

WHY MORTGAGE COMPANIES REQUIRE INSURANCE ?

If you’ve mortgage, it’s possible that your lender might ask you to purchase homeowner’s insurance. However, its cost will get included into your monthly payment along with proper taxes.

If in case, you fail to do as asked, then your lender might impose force place insurance on his property to protect his investments which could be costly for you. They’ll do such because there could be cases of damage/destruction due to natural/man-made disasters. And due to such circumstances, they won’t be able to collect that money back through premium payments.

Force place insurance is usually considered a high risk by private insurers. Therefore, because of it, the premiums come at a higher price. However, the policy is now critically challenged and questioned.

KEEPING UP ON YOUR HOMEOWNERS POLICY

We can now safely assume that you’ve decided on the right insurance company, the type of coverage you require, the type of policy that best fits your needs and the actions you’ve to take to keep your premium costs down.

However, you shouldn’t just file the policy away and forget it. As you make incremental alterations and improvements on your house, your policy should change right along with it. Here’re some things you should always check upon:

Filing a claim:

In a situation where you experience a loss, here are some quick things to do before you make the call to your insurance company’s claims center:

Read your policy again:

Your first step before making a formal claim is to try to determine whether the damage can be covered by you or not. If the repairing cost isn’t much more than your deductible, you might want to pay for the repairs without filing a claim.

How often you file a claim and the types of claims you file significantly impact your premium and influence your insurer’s decision to renew you and therefore, you should always read your policy again.

Ask about forms/documents you’ll require:

If you decide to go ahead with the claim, make sure you’ve filled every information correctly and have every document ready for the process.

Protect the home from further damage:

Think nicely before you do anything that could lead you in more danger. For this, you need to access the situation mentally before reacting upon it.

If you think that your house is unsafe then probably you shouldn’t enter it. But if the situation is stable, you can help by minimizing the damage. This could be done by:

• boarding up windows,
• cleaning up water from a backed-up drain and
• spreading tarps to protect damaged areas from rain.

Cooperate with the adjuster:

Once the adjuster arrives to assess the damage, do a walk-through inspection together and discuss his/her impressions. Remember the dates of your conversations by writing them down so that you could be ensured that there’s a record of each visit.

Cancelling/losing your insurance:

You always have the right to cancel your policy for any reason. However, insurance companies must give you a reason for cancelling you after an initial trial period which is usually 60 days from the opening of the policies. The reasons include:

• Late/non-payment of premiums.
• Conviction of a crime that could increase any sort of risks for the insurers such as the illegal storage of fireworks/explosives on the property.
• Willingly neglecting the safety of the property which may increase risks such as ignoring a gas leak.
• Providing the insurer with fraudulent information on your application.
• Changes to the property that could void the policy like physical modifications or additions that may threaten the stability of the structure or local codes.
• Leaving the house vacant for more than 60 consecutive days which could make the structure more prone to vandalism, etc.

It’s important to note the key differences between an insurance company cancellation and a non-renewal.

• «Cancellation» means either you or your insurance company stopped the coverage before the policy’s normal expiration date which is usually 12 months after the policy starts.
• Non-renewal means the company refuses to renew your policy after it expires. Insurance companies generally have the right to not renew your policy if they so desire.

You should be notified in case your insurance company cancels your policy. The number of days varies by state, but it’s generally in the neighborhood of 30 days. If you or the insurer cancels your policy, the company could refund a portion of your premium. Your insurer must also give notice again typically 30 days before it chooses not to renew your policy. You should also ask the insurer for the reason behind the non-renewal.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Still for many people, insurance is just another piece of paper that is signed and filed away. It’s only remembered in case of unexpected worst situations.

Homeowner’s insurance is a financial agreement. Before applying for it, you should read the policy carefully, look for the right agent, have a complete knowledge of your coverage limits and update the property inventory. Through all this, you can then ensure that your hard-earned dollars will keep that roof over your head.

Uber Insurance Providers:

Review the following list to confirm if your preferred insurance company offers rideshare coverage:

Metromile:

Metromile offers insurance policies whose premiums are based on how much you actually drive and not a recurring monthly sum. You firstly have to pay on a low base rate and then afterwards, just pennies for every mile you drive. It’s a great way to save money for you and meanwhile you can still enjoy potent benefits like:

• rental reimbursement,
• low deductibles,
• emergency roadside assistance and so much more.

All-state Uber Insurance:

You can add this rideshare coverage to your current insurance plan for about $15-$30 a year.

States where All-state Uber (rideshare) insurance is available are Ohio, Arizona, Maine, Maryland, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Utah, Washington, Washington D.C, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

Geico Uber insurance:

Geico offers rideshare coverage under the Geico Commercial plan. According to this plan, drivers are charged on average, about three times the rate of personal coverage.

States where Geico Uber (rideshare) insurance is available are Delaware, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, South Dakota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington D.C, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Metlife Uber Insurance:

According to Metlife, Uber insurance is determined by the distance driven by the driver during a given month. Due to this policy, the average monthly premium will always vary because it would depend upon the time, the drivers spend on the road.

Currently, Metlife Auto & Home insurance is available in almost every state.

IMPORTANCE OF SPECIAL INSURANCE

Earlier reactions:

Initially, insurance companies weren’t willing to provide insurance to rideshare drivers because of the lack of popularity and trust, Howbeit, with time, the popularity of the rideshare companies has grown. This has proved to be a great reason to the insurance companies to start placing their trust on the rideshare drivers and protect them through their insurance policies.

Interview of an experienced rideshare driver:

An experienced rideshare driver, Michael Albert was interviewed for the above reason. In the interview, he shared his story wherein when he applied for Uber and Lyft, he truthfully told his insurance agent. He wanted to be properly insured. Though, his insurance company didn’t raise any objection against his choice of profession. But, the agent explained to him in writing that his auto insurance policy won’t provide any coverage till the time he works with the rideshare company.

Coverage gap:

According to Transportation Network Companies (TNC) like Uber and Lyft, their policies won’t cover all your expenses until you’re on your way to pick up a passenger or already have a passenger in the car. This entitles that if you’re switched into driver mode in your ridesharing app and waiting for a passenger request then, your personal auto insurance policy isn’t going to cover you.

Along with it, the liability coverage provided by TNC will also be very low. This is known as the coverage gap. Therefore, it’s better to opt for rideshare insurance policy.

COST OF UBER INSURANCE

The rates of Uber insurance depends upon:

• the purchased amount of coverage,
• the type of city,
• the distance covered during the drive,
• your driving record,
• the season in which you had purchased your insurance,
• the choice of your insurance company.

Depending upon these factors, a rideshare policy can cost you $6-$20 per month. Also, even if you purchase rideshare coverage as an add-on to your existing auto insurance policy or as a new hybrid policy to replace your current coverage, it wouldn’t bring any significant increase in your premiums.

How to evaluate Rideshare Insurance Options:

Insurance costs:

It depends upon:

• the making of the car,
• model of the car and
• year in which your car was launched.

For example: Cars who have solid safety features will always have a lower monthly premium such as Jeeps. Meanwhile, luxury car brands like Mercedes Benz are more expensive because of their increased cost of parts and repair.

• the historical statistics of the make and model of your car. This takes into consideration the probability of getting your car stolen or into an accident.

Liability-only insurance:

Insurance rates are always categorized. Liability-only insurance is a budget oriented option because it’s cheaper. However, in this policy, the customer isn’t personally covered in the case of an accident. Due to this, many drivers find themselves paying for their medical and vehicle expenses out of their own pocket.

Keeping the above in mind, as a business owner, you need to decide whether you want to pay such high amount all at once in exchange for avoiding higher monthly premiums. For some businessmen who own small businesses, would probably go bankrupt if they’ve to pay such a high cost.

Solution:

The way you could save on the cost of insurance would be to combine the insurance policies. Only a few insurance companies offer a lower rate to the customers who combine their auto insurance and homeowner’s insurance together into one monthly payment.

Search a proper balance between paying a high premium and a deductible. Something that you could be comfortable with and to stay safe and profitable. A lower monthly premium can be appeasing but if you’ve to pay $1,500 or more out of your own pocket before the insurance helps then, it could cripple you. Also, it could bring more problem if it happens at the wrong time.

Uber insurance policy always comes in handy when driving for Uber, Lyft or any other TNC. It doesn’t matter if you’ve to pay an additional monthly fee for this. Also, it’s advisable to keep the amount of your deductible saved up as it can help you to stand up o your feet again. Also, It doesn’t matter whether you’re at fault or not during an accident. Consult your insurer for more information.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UBER BACKGROUND CHECKS AS A PROSPECTIVE DRIVER?

Many prospective drivers face rejection after the completion of the background check. It’s obvious that the situation makes them imperceptible but it’s necessary to understand the process of a background check. It doesn’t matter if there’s a minor felony as Uber has their own strict set of driver’s record criteria. In accordance to help.uber.com, Uber informs the following to the new drivers:

• There is an analysis of the criminal record and motor vehicle record.
• There’re different local laws and regulations of each state that contain specific Uber background check criteria.

Things required to pass Uber background check:

The drivers should acquire the following in order to pass of Uber background check:

• CRIMINAL RECORD: The record shouldn’t contain any information on felony, sexual offense or violent crime within the span of 7 years.
• MAJOR VIOLATIONS: There should be no major violations such as DUIs and reckless driving within the last 7 years.
• MINOR VIOLATIONS: Within the span of three years, there should be no more than 3 minor moving violations such as speeding tickets or failure to obey traffic laws.
• LICENSES: The driver should have a valid driver’s license and motor vehicle record (MVR).
• U.S. LICENSING: The drivers should have more than one year of U.S. licensing history. However, if the driver is less than 23 in age then, he needs to have at least 3 years licensing history.

Uber background check is free of cost and involves the usage of social security number in order to check the driving record and criminal history. However, checking of the credit card and its details isn’t a part of the process.

Key takeaways of Uber background check:

• A lot of stress is given to driving record of the Uber drivers where any driver who has a major moving violation in the span of seven years won’t be accepted.
• The third party which undertakes the job of background check is accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners.
• Since the process of Uber background check undergoes with a lot of strict observation, the lawsuits claimed against Uber hardly ever stand a chance in the courts. Also, these background screenings are conducted by a well respected industry leader.
• The regulation of the criminal background check of the Uber drivers is done through state and federal law. These laws though are different in every state.

HOW LONG DOES AN UBER BACKGROUND CHECK TAKE?

The time duration taken by Uber for the completion of background check process is 5-7 days. However, the time period could exceed or decrease depending upon the number of applications that are being processed at the current time.

Howbeit, if the time duration exceeds the limit of 7 days then, you should contact Checkr through support@checkr.com or Uber support. Also, as soon as your application is approved by Checkr, it’s Uber’s job to see whether you’re potent or not. If there’s no reply then, reach out to Uber.

UBER BACKGROUND CHECK DENIED? HERE’S WHAT TO DO.

Uber is very inconsistent when it comes to declaration of the tests. This means Uber may/may not inform the candidate about his selection/rejection. According to Uber, you’ve to wait 10 business days in order to contact them about the result.

HOW TO CONTACT UBER BEFORE YOU BECOME A DRIVER?

In order to contact Uber, you can visit the official page of Uber which can be surfed by non-members as well (people who don’t have an Uber account). However, the stability of the page is uncertain.

If in case, there’s no official page found then, do the following tried and tested method in order to contact them. (We’re providing with a generalized process as the possibility of changes in the page is quite frequent).

• After you’ve managed to make/have a rider account, go to help.uber.com.
• Click on any of the main question groups and afterwards, perform a page search on the word — «other». The page would enlist everything related to «other» and «another».
• Links which say something like — » I have other/another question(s)», will take you to the page where you would be able to send them a message.
• Uber might reply you in 24 hours and then, you can go forward with the email conversation.

The best way to get a decent answer from Uber:

• Your initial request should be short and simple.
• Always state your name and email address you’ve signed up with. Along with it, write the phrase — «I’ve applied to be a driver» when you’re inquiring about the status of the application.
• Be polite in situations where you don’t get the desired response of the question you’ve written to them. Ask them again with courtesy and politeness.
• You may have to go through the same process twice or thrice before you’re answered.

HELP ARTICLES AT help.uber.com:

The best way to get in touch with Uber is to search a help article at help.uber.com. It’ll help you to get easily related to the issue and correspondingly, contains a form to get in touch with Uber via email.

If there’re problems with a certain trip then, search for your trip receipt inside the app and then, go to the help article that addresses your issue. However, as there are a large number of articles on the site and organized in an arbitrary manner, finding the appropriate article might become the task of the day.

To help its customers, Uber has planted a search button on the Help page which will help you to find your suitable article. For example: If you’d lost an item and want help then, type «lost» in the search bar. The page would lead you to every article that contains the word «lost» and you can then, choose your fitting article. Once you find your article, find a contact form that is near the bottom of the page. It’ll directly lead you to the customer support line.

NOTE: Only type one word liners in the search bar. Don’t write full sentences to complicate things.

How drivers can ask Uber a question at help.uber.com?

There are a variety of support articles but the Question submission forms are buried behind the menus by Uber. The process to find them is:

• Enter the site — help.uber.com.
• If you’re operating from computer: Click on «For Partners» on the left. Or if you’re operating from mobile: Click on the «For Partners» at the top.
• Under the Account and Payment section, click «More».
• Go to «Changing Account Settings»/ Search bar and click/write «I’ve another account issue» respectively.

SHORT AND CRISP MESSAGES:

Uber doesn’t really have a lot of time to read your lengthy messages and reply accordingly. Therefore, it’s very necessary that you always write on-point. The message should be:

• as brief as possible i.e. mot more than 2 lines.
• only essential information should be written.
• Always mention data such as specific dates, times, amounts and ride numbers to sound more precise and worthy.

Usually, the responses sent by Uber are copied texts of a supporting article which aren’t directly related to your problem. In such cases, it’s better to be patient and resend them your issue with a spoon of politeness. The reply will be emailed to you or will appear in the Support Messages area of the app in less than 2 days.