Whether you decide to walk instead or you’re trying to ride in a Waymo, you might need to cancel an Uber ride someday.
If you do, there’s no evidence that it will hurt your rating on the app as a ride-hailing passenger. You can often avoid a cancellation fee as well — if you cancel at the right time.
Nate Galesic, an Uber rider in Atlanta, said he frequently cancels rides once he sees that he’s been matched with a human driver. He has used the method to improve his chance of being matched with one of the Waymo driverless cars that Uber has been using in the city since June.
Each time he cancels, Galesic said, he gets a refund from Uber immediately. “If you cancel the ride right away, you don’t have to pay,” he said. He also hasn’t noticed any hit to his rating because of all the cancellations, he told Business Insider.
There’s only one downside to all those canceled rides: A few times, Galesic said, Uber has blocked his ability to request rides for between 20 and 30 minutes after he canceled several rides in a row. He’s always been able to request more rides after that period is up, he added.
Uber did not respond to questions about its policy on canceling rides from Business Insider.
On its website, Uber does not say if canceling too many rides can affect a user’s rating. It does say, however, that drivers and riders have the chance to rate each other after a trip ends — meaning that the driver of your canceled ride might never have a chance to rate you.
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Uber might charge you a fee for canceling your trip after the app has matched you with a driver, though it depends on the circumstances under which you make the cancellation.
For economy rides, such as UberX, UberXL, and Comfort, Uber allows riders to cancel a trip for free within two minutes of matching with a driver. The cutoff for premium rides, such as Black and Premier, is five minutes.
“In some cases, your cancellation fees will be based on how far the driver has already driven, how long it took the driver to arrive at your pickup location, and the time your driver has been waiting,” Uber says on its website. “These fees pay earners for the time and effort they spend getting to your location.”
Do you have a story to share about ride-hailing or the gig economy? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or 808-854-4501.
