We’d be lying if we told you every one of your Uber trips will go as planned. Every now and then, unforeseen circumstances will come up requiring you to contact Uber customer support.
Perhaps you left an item in an Uber vehicle and need to figure out how you can retrieve it. Or maybe you were overcharged and need to dispute charges from your last trip. When you’re faced with a situation regarding a recent Uber trip, how can you reach out to Uber for help?
In this article, we’ve provided every single way you can reach out to Uber’s customer support. We’ve also highlighted some of the most common problems passengers face so you know exactly how to handle any situation that may arise.
Uber Contact Details
Uber gives its passengers several ways they can contact Uber customer support. Depending on the severity of your problem and how urgent your situation is, you can choose between a few different phone numbers and online support options.
To start things off, we’ll give you every way you can contact Uber customer service if you have an issue.
- Critical Safety Response Line (Emergencies Only): (800) 285-6172
- Uber Phone Number (Non-Emergencies): (800) 593-7069
- Uber Eats Phone Number: (800) 452-9029
- Uber Online Help Section: https://help.uber.com/riders
- In-App Support: Access support through the app help section
- Twitter Support: @uber_support
- Facebook Support: https://www.facebook.com/uber/
For emergency issues — like accidents or suspecting an Uber driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol — you should always call 911 right away. After the situation is under control, you should then report your problem to the Critical Safety Response Line. Remember that this phone number is for emergencies only.
For all other problems, you can use any of the remaining forms of contact. It should be noted that the fastest way to contact Uber is by calling phone support or going through in-app support. You’ll receive more prompt attention when it comes to Uber account issues compared to other avenues like Uber’s social media channels.
If you decide to go through Twitter or Facebook, you can leave a comment, tweet, or send a direct message, but you’ll typically be redirected to Uber customer support. So pretty much you’ll just be adding another step if you go through one of these social channels.
Now that you have Uber’s contact details, let’s go over some common problems passengers face and how you can solve your issue.
Retrieve a Lost Item
One of the most common issues we hear about is passengers leaving an item, like a cell phone, in their Uber vehicle. By following these simple steps, you can have your belongings back in no time.
In order to retrieve your item, you should call your driver. Here’s how it works:
- Open the app and tap on the menu icon
- Select “Help”
- Scroll down and select “Trip Issues and Refunds”
- Select the applicable trip
- Tap “I lost an item”
- Tap “Contact driver about a lost item”
- Enter the phone number you’d like to use and tap “Submit”
Uber will then call the number you provided and connect you with your driver. If you lost your phone, then the number you provide should be a friend’s phone number instead.
If your driver picks up, you can discuss a time and place to pick up your item. If the driver doesn’t answer, you should leave a detailed message describing your item and a phone number he or she can use to call you back.
You should expect to pay a $15 item return fee. This fee goes directly to the driver and provides compensation for their time. Also, remember that there’s no guarantee that you’ll get your item back and that Uber is not responsible for lost items.
Uber Greenlight Hubs
If you’re unable to connect with your driver, you should then check to see if the item has already been returned. There will be times when drivers will immediately drop your item off at a local Uber Greenlight Hub. Items will be kept for 45 days and will then be donated.
There are Greenlight locations all across the United States. For some of the more popular markets, you can click on one of the links below to find a Greenlight location near you.
Overcharges and Refunds
There will be times when you don’t agree with what you’ve been charged for your trip. Some of the more common issues Uber passengers report are disputing cancellation fees and cleaning fees.
Dispute Cancellation Fee
If for some reason you think you shouldn’t be charged a cancellation fee, you should go through the Uber app or Uber Help and select “Review my cancellation fee.”
To give you an idea of Uber’s cancellation policy, the following instances should NOT result in you being charged a cancellation fee:
- Your driver is late by five or more minutes based on ETA when the trip is accepted
- If Uber sees that your driver isn’t navigating to your location
- You cancel the trip under two minutes after it’s been accepted
On the other hand, you’ll be responsible for paying a cancellation fee when the following occurs:
- You cancel your trip more than two minutes after the trip has been accepted
- Your driver cancels after waiting at the pick-up location for more than five minutes
- You cancel multiple trips in a short period of time
Before you cancel, you’ll be able to see the fee you’ll be charged for canceling. You can also expect to pay a steeper fee if a driver has made significant progress toward your pick-up location.
Dispute Cleaning Fee
If you believe you were unjustly charged a cleaning fee, then you can dispute this claim through the Uber app or Uber Help. Before disputing the fee, you should first understand how Uber determines its cleaning fees.
Uber categorizes its cleaning fees based on the severity of the issue. If there is damage to the vehicle or the cleanup requires a great deal of effort, then you should expect to pay more.
Uber has four levels of severity when it comes to clean up.
- Simple cleaning and vacuuming resulting from food and drink spills can result in a $20 charge. Larger spills from pool water and seawater can cost as much as $50.
- Vomit or any spill on the vehicle’s exterior results in a $40 charge.
- Vomit or larger spills on the interior and hard-to-clean areas of the vehicle that require vehicle detailing result in an $80 charge.
- Significant amounts of bodily fluids like vomit, urine, or blood within the vehicle’s interior or spills that require cleaning between the window and door will be charged $150.
If after reading through these charges you still feel as though you were slighted, by all means, you should dispute the cleaning fee you were charged.
Driver and Vehicle Issues
Another common issue that passengers report are problems they encountered with their driver or the vehicle that they were picked up in.
Driver Was Unprofessional
While we hope you never have to deal with this conflict, there may be times when you encounter unpleasant drivers. If a driver ever acts in an unprofessional manner, then you should immediately report this issue to Uber.
Being unprofessional can mean a variety of things like being rude to passengers, speaking vulgarly, or being verbally or physically aggressive. It can also mean driving in a dangerous manner or not abiding by the laws.
If you ever encounter these types of scenarios, then you should not hesitate to reach out to Uber. If the matter is an emergency, then you should always contact the authorities first and foremost.
Vehicle Wasn’t What You Expected
If you’re ever picked up in a vehicle that doesn’t match the description on the driver’s Uber profile, then you should report the issue to Uber. Vehicles that don’t fit the description of the driver’s profile or don’t have the same license plate number are not allowed on the Uber platform.
More commonly, passengers are not satisfied with the condition of the vehicle or feel as though it’s damaged or has a dirty interior. If this is the case, you can still file a complaint with Uber.
Reach Out Today
Whatever your issue may be, there will always be an Uber representative on the other end waiting to address your concerns. Reporting your issue through the Uber app or making a quick phone call only takes a few minutes.
Make sure to reach out as soon as possible to resolve any issues you encountered on recent trips. The sooner you take care of your problem, the sooner you can go on with your day. Best of luck!
