Yeah, and its like a wrestling match between the 6 crowd and the 3 crowd. They have now changed the DF 4 times in 2 months. And they never bother to clue in their vp of driver experience who would have told his support department and updated the online doc. Lyft appears to be incompetently managed.

 

Yikes only got 2 destination filters today. As always Lyft hasnt told their driver, told their customer support, or updated their online docs. Anyone else experience this surprise?

It seems that Lyft is being run by 2 people who have opposite goals, doesn't it?

The GOOD guy implemented the "Call Me" feature in the updated Lyft Driver app this week. (Press the button and Lyft support will call you in 2 minutes or less.)

The BAD guy throttled back our ability to use the destination filter...(mistakenly) believing that we'd drive without it for the remainder of the day.

 

Yikes only got 2 destination filters today. As always Lyft hasnt told their driver, told their customer support, or updated their online docs. Anyone else experience this surprise?

 

We agree the 15 minute timer is annoying, however it is far better than what Uber began doing recently. Uber now times you out an hour after you set the timer, whether or not you had a ride or not. So if you give a ride, you will lose the destination filter after an hour.

 

I am not the only one that this happens too, there are others that have the same issue, and they too all switch to Uber whenever they want to use DF.

There is no need for the 15 minute timer, getting ride of it is a step forward.

 

As mentioned, I come in and out of Lyft destination filter many many times each day. Your own experience of "6 tries" rather than "6 uses" may be unique to yourself, and it would clearly be a mistake to apply your experience to all other drivers and all markets. It is 6 uses for me, but you have to work around the bug I mentioned.

I agree that Lyft's routes are really bad (now). They will take a long circuitous route to your destination, or as others have pointed out take you in an opposite direction. I believe this is intentional. When there are few driver options around they seem to ignore destination filter or take enormous liberties with your time. That's why I pre-screen Lyft passengers when in destination mode. Uber's routes are better and more discerning of passengers.

The 15 minute timer does suck. The reasons for it benefit the company and passengers, not drivers.

 

"I don't need to read the doc again, I am talking from "Experience". If I set the DF, then change the DF because the wrong DF was entered, the first DF is consider 1 of the 6 and is considered USED. Thus I can only try 6 times. IE it can only be turned on 6 times in a day, regardless of whether or not you get a ride."​

I can tell you have convinced yourself of that. Maybe it works that way for YOU, in which case you should report it to Lyft so they can fix it for you. I come in and out of destination filter all day long each day, 10-20 times per day, because I use Lyft and Uber together to maximize my long rides. Remember that if you want to logout of destination mode (or it times you out automatically) and you have already completed a ride, you need to remove the destination filter or the next "try" will indeed be scored as a use after you logoff the second time with no rides. So log back in, remove the destination filter, then reset it again. This is a bug because they are not clearing a variable properly, but the workaround for drivers is simple.

Except for the bug this is how it actually does work for me, just exactly as advertised:

"You can complete six destination sessions a day (a session is equal to at least one completed ride on the way to a set destination). When you remove, change, or reach your destination, we'll check to see if you've completed any rides. If you've dropped off any passenger(s), that counts as one session."​

https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/213586028-How-to-use-destination-mode

 

I don't need to read the doc again, I am talking from "Experience". If I set the DF, then change the DF because the wrong DF was entered, the first DF is consider 1 of the 6 and is considered USED. Thus I can only try 6 times. IE it can only be turned on 6 times in a day, regardless of whether or not you get a ride.

I can tell you have convinced yourself of that. Maybe it works that way for YOU, in which case you should report it to Lyft so they can fix it for you. I come in and out of destination filter all day long each day, 10-20 times per day, because I use Lyft and Uber together to maximize my long rides. Remember that if you want to logout of destination mode and you have already completed a ride, you need to remove the destination filter or the next "try" will indeed be scored as a use after you logoff the second time (or it times out) with no rides. So log back in, remove the destination filter, then reset it again. This is a bug because they are not clearing a variable properly, but the workaround for drivers is simple.

Except for the bug this is how it actually does work for me, just exactly as advertised:

"You can complete six destination sessions a day (a session is equal to at least one completed ride on the way to a set destination). When you remove, change, or reach your destination, we'll check to see if you've completed any rides. If you've dropped off any passenger(s), that counts as one session."​

https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/213586028-How-to-use-destination-mode

That is the way it used to be, but when they went to 6 DF's it changed. Each time the DF was made active it was used, regardless of whether or not I got a ride, and is the way it is last time I tried. Thus DF can only be turned on 6 times a day (regardless) from my experience.

Yes I have contacted CS in regards to it, and all they do is send canned responses of that is how it works. You may use it 6 times ( regardless of getting a ride), and is the way it works here.

I used to be an extensive user of the DF filter as it was needed often, and as soon as they went to the 6 times rule, I knew right away, as the 7th time I turned it on (after not getting a ride on the first 6 attempts) they sent the SMS message congratulating me on using the DF 6 times and to try again tomorrow.

Their documentation is meaningless and full of lies to begin with..

They have it documented that they choose the closest driver. We know that this is false.
They have it documented that we can accept or ignore any ride without any penalty. We know this is false, not to mention the harassment of bombarding you with a SMS, in-app and email message telling you how poor a job your doing.

There is "no need" for the 15 minute timer. Thus they should just get rid of the timer. It is an easy fix for the primary issue I have with DF.

The second issue I have with their DF is the fact they want you to follow the route they selected, which in most cases here takes you out of the populated areas or puts you on roads that have very few exits (toll roads) and thus the unlikelihood you will get a ride to begin with. I wouldn't care if a 2 hour drive took me 4 hours if it meant I was keeping busy taking side roads and regular streets getting to the destination, all in the name of actually giving rides on the way back to my destination (but then again, this isn't their vision of how destination filters should be used).

Thankfully Uber works this way, I can go any route I want and it "will" find rides on the way back. I may use most of them headed back, but if I am getting rides I don't care if they get used.

 

FYI...here's a link to the latest Lyft Driver Support page that explains how the Destination Filter works.
https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/213586028-How-to-use-destination-mode

Here in the Chicago area, the destination filter started working so well, that 80% of my rides are now D.F. rides. I turn it on here at home, and point it to Ohare Airport. Within 15 to 30 minutes, I get a request. (Ohare is 13 miles/20 minutes from me. $26-$30 fare + $5.00 tip on average)

The only complaints I have, is that 1.) Sometimes, the passenger is over 10 minutes away. (I ignore all requests more than 10 minutes away). And 2.) One out of Five times, the passenger isn't going all the way to Ohare, but to a location in that general direction.

I drop-off at Ohare, go offline, whisk back out to my suburb, and turn the D.F. back on again, pointed to Ohare. Two of these a day and a couple of regular riders to the train station, and I'm done for the day.

Between Nov 2015 and Feb 2017, I only got TWO destination filter requests, even though I tried several times a week. The latest Lyft D.F. improvement(s) were BIG ONES, in my opinion/experience.

 

Needless to say, due to the limits imposed on DF (6 attempts), I just turn on Uber and Uber my way back. I don't even bother with DF on Lyft as it has become useless for me.

It's not 6 attempts. Go read their doc again. The documented description is the way it works in fact, at least for me in my SF market. Other than the VERY IMPORTANT bug that I explained, which could easily give someone the mistaken impression that it is six attempts, it is actually six uses if used correctly with informed knowledge of how to work around their stupid bug.

There is no longer a 15 minute timer after the first ride is given, at least in my market. It's at least hours.

All that said, they change things around and what is true today may not be true next month. Even today Uber screwed with their destination filters again to the detriment of drivers.

 

I don't need to read the doc again, I am talking from "Experience".

If I use DF, and don't get a ride, and the 15 minute timer expires or I cancel the DF. The DF is considered USED . I do that 6 times and I am done for the day! (ie I have tried to use it 6 times)

If I set the DF, then change the DF because the wrong DF was entered, the first DF is consider 1 of the 6 and is considered USED.

Thus I can only try 6 times. IE it can only be turned on 6 times in a day, regardless of whether or not you get a ride.

Disabling the timer "after" I receive a ride is useless, the issue is when I don't receive a ride withing the first 15 minutes of my traveling, once expired the DF is considered USED (tried) and it failed to find a ride. Enabling it again will USE another DF.

As I have always stated, the 15 minute timer needs to go, because after 15 minutes of driving to my destination with another 1:45:00 minutes to go, I want to be able to continue to look for rides headed back towards my destination without having to continually turn on DF and waste the number of times I can use it on a single trip. If they want to insist on having a timer then at least make it 30 minutes or more.

 

The biggest thing they need to do is get rid of the 15 minute timer with out offline, and get out of the rut of their vision of how the destination filter should work.

I want to be "online" while driving back 2 hours from a drop off, but I don't want requests going the opposite direction I am headed, only way to accomplish this is with DF.

Needless to say, due to the limits imposed on DF (6 attempts), I just turn on Uber and Uber my way back. I don't even bother with DF on Lyft as it has become useless for me.

 

Yes, it's maddening. That is why you need to prescreen riders when using destination filter. No reason to do the ride you described since it is simply a Lyft failure. Either my passenger or I cancel about half my rides in destination mode. Lyft's incompetent destination filter inconveniences everyone. Did not use to be this way. If I do end up doing a junk ride in destination filter by mistake, I find reasons to give the passenger one star. If I'm pissed off already at Lyft, the last thing I want pax doing is eating in my car, or making me wait for them at the curb, or not being sufficiently appreciative of my time.

 

I was sitting at the Shell station on Powell in Emeryville DF set for SF. I got a ping 5.4 miles away in Oakland Bart station, pax going 6 blocks. No where near SF.

 

Yes, it restarts the counter after you log off and log in again. Uber works the same.

When you say it works at airports, so you mean airports with an actual airport queue like SFO or LAX?

 

Lyft's DF has sent me in the opposite direction in SF 2 of the 3 times I used it in SF. It has worked fine on long distances the couple times I used it out of SF, and got a ride from Lyft instead of Uber - 9/10 times I get an Uber first.

One thing I noted about the time out is that if you change the destination it starts the 15 minute clock again. I assume this happens because it logs you out when you change the destination, but better to control it while at a light than have it happen while driving.

The one good thing Lyft's DF has going for it - ok the only thing - is that it works at airports !

 

Dreamcrusher, yes it does it in all modes and I should mention they change this part of their algorithm frequently. For the first time in our SF market, over the weekend I was automatically logged off Uber while in destination mode after I had one successful ride while in destination mode. After about an hour of no further successful ride requests. And it wasn't the usual question of "do you want to stay online" but rather said "logging you off because no ride request lately" or some such. Meanwhile, quite recently Lyft is keeping me in destination mode for a longer period of time.

"I find Lyft destination mode often gets me some great rides where I need to go."
Absolutely agree. The problem is that more often it gives you crappy rides, something I equate with ping spam. So as presently constitutes, I would say use Lyft's destination filter with a huge grain of salt. Call every ride request to verify their destination, then cancel if incompatible, because once you've completed one of those spammy 3-block rides you will have used up a destination filter.

"Uber's introduction of that is magical for me. A couple times/week I am in a prime pickup area for two hours, but I absolutely have to be within that two hours window. I run lyft at the beginning only and then turn it off later."
That's about how I look at it. On the long destinations (using filter), Uber will match less often because it is matching better. Much more confidence in their destination filter.

The shame of this all is that Lyft's destination filter worked great until about 3 months ago. A year ago it was awful, then they fixed it brilliantly. Then some pointy headed knucklehead on their implementation team decided that driver needs do not matter to Lyft. This guy or gal who decided to screw with passengers and drivers alike (can't tell you how many passengers I've had to cancel in destination filter lately) needs to be retrained at Lyft.

 

It severely needs a timed option. Uber's introduction of that is magical for me. A couple times/week I am in a prime pickup area for two hours, but I absolutely have to be within that two hours window. I run lyft at the beginning only and then turn it off later.

 

Logging you off from destination mode has everything to do with their insurance. They want you offline if there is little chance of actually taking a passenger. That's why Lyft logs you off automatically and Uber tries.

It does it in all trips mode too while moving.

 

Logging you off from destination mode has everything to do with their insurance. They want you offline if there is little chance of actually taking a passenger. That's why Lyft logs you off automatically and Uber tries.

 

One thing I've noticed is that when there is a shortage or drivers for passenger demand, Lyft will especially hit-up drivers in destination mode for irrelevant rides. Again, just call the passenger after you accept the ride. Find out where they are going and if it isn't compatible with your needs explain that you have to get your kids in an hour and just can't do their 5-block, 25-minute ride through Downtown.

I did this TWICE today while parked under the Bay Bridge in SF. Both riders willingly canceled on their own because they don't want to inconvenience my kids. Pretty obvious I hope. On the 3rd ride request, Lyft finally sent an appropriate ride which took me 15 miles over the bridge and half-way home. Uber's destination filter got me all the way home from there, with just one rider cancellation on Uber for inconveniencing me.

 

We cannot get the Lyft DF to work in NJ and NYC at all. You just get nothing from it. We suspect that it works better in more established markets like LA and SF where Lyft is more established.

 

RE Lyft DF, Something I would like to be able to do is taylor the route that the system picks, before turning it on. Say I want to go from A to B straight down a particular route. Usually the system devises a route that involves an expressway and other roads. I usually don't want to take the expressway or tollway, at the times I would also want to use DF.

 

Don't worry about the route that Lyft draws out. I e gotten a fare using the DF and was not following its pre planned route.

 

Why? Care to elaborate?

Lyft DF will send you a ping going the opposite direction!

 

Don't use it .

Why? Care to elaborate?

 

Don't use it .

 

However yesterday it let me go to 4 without complaint, so perhaps the limit has been raised Nationwide as suggested above.

The limit was raised back to six a week ago, as I mentioned. The doc reflects that change as of Friday. Lyft doc is always behind because their teams don't seem to communicate.

Calling to find destination and cancelling if not airport is a good way to get deactivated.

Nonsense. You should always pre-screen passengers when using the destination filter because Lyft is so bad at matching riders with drivers in destination mode. Not needed with Uber, usually. This is not a violation of the terms of service. You are not an employee but a contractor who gets to decide for yourself which rides to do despite their scaring drivers into believing otherwise. As someone who has completed 2000 Lyft rides and 3000 Uber rides, I've never worried about the few cancellations I do because Lyft screwed up. These cancellations count exactly the same as canceling an unaccompanied minor or toddler without a car seat. I hope that you don't worry about Lyft getting mad when you do that.