Uber Deactivated Me for 4.82 Rating - How Do I Get Reactivated?

Been driving Uber for 2 years, mostly Phoenix area. Made decent money and had a 4.91 rating for most of that time. Then the holidays happened.

Had a string of nightmare passengers in December - drunk people vomiting (got cleaning fee but still 1 star), people mad about surge pricing taking it out on me, one guy who I had to cancel on becasue he was being agressive at pickup. Rating tanked to 4.82 over like 3 weeks.

Yesterday got the email saying my account is deactivated due to "consistently low ratings" and that my "opportunity to improve has concluded." No warning, no chance to fix it. Just done.

This is my full time income. What's the actual appeal process? Has anyone successfully gotten reactivated after a rating deactivation? I've seen mixed info online.

I got reactivated after a rating deactivation last year. Heres exactly what worked for me:

Step 1: Don't panic and dont keep calling support. The phone reps cant do anything - they just read scripts.

Step 2: Go to help.uber.com and submit a formal appeal through the "Account Issues" section. Be specific about WHY your rating dropped - mention the holiday period, specific incidents with passengers, etc. Don't be defensive, be factual.

Step 3: Request the "Quality Improvement Course" in your appeal. This is a real thing - it's an online course Uber offers to drivers with low ratings. Takes like 2-3 hours. If you complete it, they're much more likely to reactivate.

Step 4: If appeal is denied, wait 48 hours and appeal AGAIN. I got denied twice before being approved on the third try. Different reviewers see it each time.

Took me about 2 weeks total but I got back on. My rating was 4.79 when I was deactivated so slightly lower than yours.

Something most people dont know - the deactivation threshold varies by market. It's NOT the same everywhere.

Rating thresholds I've seen/confirmed:

• Phoenix/Arizona - 4.80 minimum
• Los Angeles - 4.60 minimum (more lenient)
• San Francisco - 4.82 minimum
• NYC - 4.70 minimum
• Miami - 4.75 minimum
• Atlanta - 4.80 minimum
• Smaller markets - usually 4.60-4.70

Uber doesn't publish these officially but they're based on the average rating in each market. Competitive markets with lots of drivers have higher thresholds because they can afford to be pickier.

At 4.82 in Phoenix you were right on the edge. Sucks that a few bad passengers can end your livelihood like that.

+1 on the quality improvement course. I took it last March after getting deactivated at 4.77.

Its basically videos about customer service, communication, handling difficult passengers, etc. Pretty basic stuff honestly but Uber requires you to complete it and pass a quiz at the end.

Course itself is free. Took me maybe 3 hours total. Got reactivated 5 days after completing it.

The annoying part is they "monitor" you for 30 days after reactivation. If your rating doesn't improve you get permenantly deactivated with no second chance. So be extra careful with ride selection during that probationary period.

My tips for the monitoring period:

• Avoid bar pickup times (drunk pax = bad ratings)
• Stick to airport runs if you can - business travelers rate higher
• Keep car immaculate, offer phone chargers, have water bottles
• Don't talk unless they want to talk
• Cancel sketchy pickups BEFORE arriving (no cancellation penalty)

My rating went from 4.77 to 4.89 in that 30 days. Been fine since.

I represent gig workers in disputes with platforms. Want to add some legal context here.

The arbitration option:

Your driver agreement with Uber contains an arbitration clause. If internal appeals fail, you can demand arbitration to challenge the deactivation. Key points:

• Uber is required to pay the arbitration filing fees (usually $200-300 for you vs $1,500+ for them)
• Arbitration is private and binding
• You can argue the deactivation was arbitrary or violated their own policies
• Many drivers get settlements or reactivation through this process because Uber doesn't want the expense

However - arbitration takes time (3-6 months typically) and you might not be able to drive during that period. For most people, the quality course route is faster if it works.

If you've been deactivated multiple times or have a strong case that Uber violated their policies, arbitration becomes more worth considering. Some attorneys (including myself) take these cases on contingency for damages claims.

5 years driving, 12,000+ rides, never been below 4.85. Here are my tips for PREVENTING low ratings in the first place:

Ride selection:

• Learn your market. Know which areas/times have problem riders
• Late night bar pickups = guaranteed rating hits. I stop at 11pm
• Long pickups (10+ min away) often mean impatient passengers
• Surge pricing makes people angry - they rate YOU poorly for Uber's prices

In the car:

• Greet by name if shown in app
• Confirm destination, offer route preference
• Temp comfortable? Music preference?
• Keep conversation light or stay quiet - read their vibe
• Phone chargers and aux cable visible
• Car smells good (but not overpowering air freshner)

The 1-star protection trick:

If a ride goes badly and you KNOW you're getting 1-starred, rate THEM 1 star first and report an issue. Uber has a system that sometimes filters out retaliatory ratings. Doesn't always work but better than nothing.

Also - don't look at your rating obsesively. It fluctuates. One bad week doesn't define you. Just focus on providing good service consistently.

UPDATE: Got reactivated!

Submitted appeal through help.uber.com explaining the holiday situation, specifically mentioned the vomit incident and the aggressive passenger cancellation. Asked for the quality improvement course.

First appeal denied after 3 days. Appealed again. Second appeal approved - got access to the quality course. Finished it in one sitting (boring but easy). 4 days later got the reactivation email.

Total time deactivated: 19 days. Lost maybe $2,500 in income during that time which sucks, but could have been worse.

Now in the 30-day probation period. Taking the advice above - no bar pickups, sticking to airport runs and daytime rides. Rating already back up to 4.86.

Thanks everyone for the help. This thread saved me alot of stress.