My wife and I have always had great rides from both Uber and Lyft, but stories like this make us a little more cautious. Ya' never know!
-----------------------------JUPITER, Fla. (CBS12) —A local family in need was surprised to find a $50 added charge following a ride to the hospital over cookie crumbs. A Jupiter mother of two, who didn't want to be identified, didn't expect those crumbs to cost so much. Her family is helped out by Chasin A Dream. "Chasin a dream foundation takes care of local children in our area with cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, other life-threatening illnesses," said Lori Griffith, the CEO of Chasin A Dream. The mom's baby has a life-threatening blood disease that requires regular transfusions. Chasin A Dream makes sure the baby can get to his doctor's appointments. "They have very little money and were having difficulty even getting to doctor's appointments or the hospital appointments," said Griffith.
The mother took a Lyft with her sick infant and toddler to the hospital. The toddler was eating cookies that left some crumbs, but the mother said she cleaned up as much as possible. When Chasin A Dream volunteers were looking at receipts, they were surprised by the up-charge. "A two-mile ride and so I think I think it was like seven dollars and 20 cents or something and then there was an additional $50 charge," said Griffith.
CBS 12 News reached out to Lyft about the charge. They sent back a statement, saying, "We take damage disputes such as these very seriously. Lyft’s support team investigates each incident individually and makes a determination based on the evidence available, such as photos and statements from involved parties." "Community donates to us to donate to these families to help these families. They don't donate to us to give a $50 tip to a lift driver," said Griffith.
Chasin A Dream volunteers filed a complaint with Lyft over the charge. They say they didn't hear anything back until after CBS 12 News reached out. "She needs that money. $50 may not seem like a lot of money to a lot of people but it sure means a lot to them," said Griffith. Lyft told the family they have a specialized team reviewing their complaints.