Uber rating crackdown: Why you could soon be banned from the app

There’s every chance you’ve never given your Uber rating a second glance, but that could soon come back to haunt you as the ride-sharing operator looks to crack down on rude passengers.

For the first time, Uber will introduce a new rider star rating requirement which allows them the right to ban passengers from the app.

While Australian riders have previously been banned for breaking various individual guidelines, from September 19, passengers who fail to maintain a four-star rating will be shown the door unless they get their act together.

Regional General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Susan Anderson, explained to Yahoo7 News that those who fall below the 4.0 rating will be given a chance to improve their behaviour and personal score through a series of notifications before they are officially kicked out.

New Uber guidelines will ban passengers who fall below four star rating by poor use of the app.
Passengers who fall below a four-star rating could soon be banned from the app. Image: Getty

“Those individuals would receive an email that they need to address their rating,” Ms Anderson said, adding that passengers would be given some tips on how to boost their scores.

If passengers continue to receive poor feedback following the official warnings, they face an immediate six-month ban from the app.

Following their disqualification, banned riders must complete a “short educational exercise” in order to reactivate their account.

All Uber passengers start with a five-star rating and need to complete a minimum of 10 rides before the ride-sharing service can disqualify their account.

Explaining that most Australian users have a rating of 4.5 or above, Ms Anderson said falling below the required four-star limit is no easy feat.

New Uber guidelines to ban passengers who fall below a four-star rating.
Passengers who continue to receive low ratings from their drivers face a six-month ban. Image: Getty

“If multiple people have indicated that this passenger has not been treating drivers with respect, we are going to take action on that,” she added.

“Drivers want to be treated with respect… this doesn’t mean maintaining a chat for the whole drive… basic courtesy goes a long way.”

You can find your rating by simply clicking the menu tab at the top left corner of the Uber map.

How you can get that five-star Uber rating

Whether you need to desperately improve your score before September 19 or are just hell-bent on achieving perfection, passengers can follow a series of rider tips released by Uber to better their chances.

Showing up at the wrong location, leaving behind rubbish and backseat driving are just a few ways to find yourself in your driver’s badbook.

“Many riders either drop their pin in the wrong spot, request a ride before they’re at their pick-up spot, or try to get picked up in no-go zones like at bus stops or in no-stopping areas,” Uber said in a statement.

Before booking a trip, riders should take a moment to check that they are at the same pick-up location that they selected in the app.

Find out what you need to do to reach that elusive five-star rating.