If you’re looking for a job as a ride-share driver, you must do your due diligence when it comes to background checks. A bad criminal history or poor credit rating can cost you the opportunity to become a Lyft driver, so make sure your background check is accurate and up-to-date before applying for any ride-sharing job.
Riding sharing has exploded in popularity because it is a fair competitor to traditional taxi cabs, buses, and subway systems. It tends to be safer, more comfortable, and highly convenient than others. All you need is a smartphone app to get a driver to your location, and you are good to go.
This level of consumer convenience has created a gig industry with lucrative benefits for anyone with a clean driving record. However, if that record comes into question because of an error or mistake on a background check, it can cost a potential driver tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.
What is Lyft?
Lyft is a ride-sharing app that connects passengers with drivers. The company was founded in 2012 and is available in hundreds of cities around the globe.
Lyft’s mobile app allows users to request rides from designated drivers. These drivers use their own vehicles for transportation services as independent contractors rather than as employees of Lyft itself. This means that they are not paid by the hour but instead receive a percentage of each fare generated through their trips.
This is also why the company’s first advantage lawsuit has been scrutinized by government regulators. The methods they use to pay contractors, create ride-sharing opportunities and ensure the public’s safety are closely watched by local, state, and federal authorities—a significant motivator for including background checks for drivers.
Lyft recruits, hires, and screens drivers to ensure each driver is qualified, safe, and ready to drive passengers to their destinations. Lyft has a proprietary background check system called First Advantage, which allows them to scan all of the available databases for any potential criminal history or patterns of offenses that would disqualify the individual from driving for Lyft. This database is updated daily with criminal records and other relevant information about applicants, including driving records.
What is the First Advantage?
Lyft has a standard process for checking the backgrounds of its drivers. First Advantage background checks are one aspect of this process. Lyft uses First Advantage to perform a criminal history search on each driver before they begin working with the company.
First Advantage was founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of LexisNexis, an information and technology company based in Dayton, Ohio. The First Advantage Background Screening division provides pre-employment background screening services for companies that hire drivers and other employees with access to sensitive information.
First Advantage has conducted professional background checks, drug tests, and credit investigations for over 30 years. It is a trusted provider of these services to thousands of companies that comprise a large portion of the Fortune 500.
In addition to its tremendous track record, First Advantage boasts one of the largest databases used for background checks. It has over 35 million records on file from several sources, including public records, criminal history information, and employment verification. If you need help fixing errors or inaccuracies on your report, First Advantage can also help you with that through its team of experts who know how to navigate through this complicated process.
On-Going Screening
First Advantage also provides ongoing screening services for Lyft. The company can disqualify drivers for various reasons, including traffic violations, moving violations, and criminal offenses. To help with these disqualifications, First Advantage can perform ongoing record checks on all Lyft drivers to ensure they meet the company’s standards before they ever get behind the wheel.
First Advantage also has access to thousands of databases that may contain information about any driver who applies as a Lyft driver. For example, suppose you have a DUI or other criminal offense on your record but do not disclose it when applying as a Lyft driver (which would result in immediate dismissal). In that case, First Advantage will discover this information during its screening process and report it to Lyft. The company can take appropriate action against you and other drivers who fail to disclose their past convictions or accidents while applying for jobs with rideshare companies like Uber.
Does First Advantage have a good reputation?
First Advantage background check services are currently experiencing two significant class action lawsuits. The ride-sharing company failed to receive prior authorization for running background checks in both cases.
This means First Advantage took potential drivers and other types of applicant information and then researched those consumers without ensuring they had the correct authorization to make such record requests. This occurred from 2012 to 2020.
First Advantage is a consumer reporting agency and is required by law to follow the Fair Credit Report Act. This act was created to maintain the privacy and rights of consumers when it relates to pulling up any credit or background information about them.
Why Ride-Sharing Requires Background Checks
Imagine your Lyft driver is arriving at subscribe, and you’re about to climb into their car. You’ve used the app to request a ride and are now ready for a safe and reliable ride home. But before that happens, your Lyft driver has undergone an extensive screening process required by law.
Uber, Lyft, and others are all required to run background checks on all of their drivers—made easier with First Advantage’s innovative technology platform—to ensure that passengers have the highest level of confidence when riding with them. And it’s not just about screening new drivers. It also ensures ongoing compliance with law enforcement requirements and local regulatory bodies.
The point is to make you feel comfortable that the person behind the wheel isn’t going to take you somewhere remote and steal your belongings or involve you in a bank robbery.
What happens if there is an error on my First Advantage Report?
If you see an error on your report, First Advantage will investigate it. If the error is verified, they will correct it in their system and send you an updated copy of your report.
At least, that is how it is supposed to work. If First Advantage or Lyft refuses to remedy the errors on your background check or driver screen, you must pursue the problem until it is fixed. First Advantage must issue you a copy of the background check, and you have up to 30 days to notify them of the error after receiving the report.
How do I fix those errors?
It’s easy to fix erroneous information on your driving record. Contact First Advantage and explain the error you see on your driving record. Remember, they can’t do anything unless they know about it.
Once you’ve brought the error to their attention, they’ll investigate the information and work with state licensing agencies to get things right. If there is no error, or if the situation has already been corrected by another agency (like DMV), then no further action will be necessary on your part.
If no one tries to fix the error, you may have a case for a lawsuit. This is because the error is causing you to be out of a lucrative opportunity at no fault. This causes financial damage and harms your reputation, especially if that erroneous information is shared with other gig economy sources like Airbnb, Uber, or DoorDash.
The best way to move forward with pursuing action against First Advantage background checks with errors is to contact our professional and experienced legal team. We have worked with clients for years that have run into barriers to securing new apartments, getting a new job, or working with companies like Lyft. Most of the time, an error on their application caused the consumer reporting agency to pull up invalid, out-of-date, or conflicting records from someone else.
Reach out today to our consumer law firm – consumerattorneys.com, and let’s schedule a time to discuss your case. We look forward to helping you find a way forward with a clean, accurate driving record and background check. Contact us today at 877-615-1725 or email info@consumerattorneys.com, and we eagerly anticipate standing up for your rights!