Tryp is a Scam
Have you heard of Tryp? It promises to be better than Uber and Lyft COMBINED. It’s is supposed to be the answer to all of our prayers. So why do I call it a scam? For starters, they want you to pay $200 a month, starting when you sign up. The problem with this, is they have no riders! How can you expect to get riders when not one single person has heard of them? Sure you can pay, and hope to get riders, but if you do not make enough to cover that $200 a month, then it is not worth it. I do have to admit, it is a pretty interesting concept, especially for full time drivers. By charging all the money upfront, rather than per ride, you can essentially save hundreds. Doesn’t sound that bad of a deal.
Except, there is one slight problem here in Texas. On May 27, 2017, the Governor of Texas signed HB 100 into law. This required that ALL TNC companies are to register and comply with the states regulations. For drivers, this was a bitter sweet deal. For starters, it took away permits that before varied from city to city. While it is awesome we can travel and work in any city (such as large events), it also opened the flood gate for thousands of drivers, who before would of simply not signed up because of the financial barriers to getting started. I am all for people who want to work getting a chance to actually go to work and earn a living, but at the same time, more drivers = less riders = less demand shortages = less surge = lower rates. Since the bill was passed, rates dropped twice so that the rideshare companies can get more riders, aka demand. In the meantime, we are left waiting longer between rides.
Anyhow, because of HB100, we can weed out the companies who are legitimately able to do business in Texas.
Do you see the problem now? Where is Tryp? Tryp is not on this list. Therefore, they are not licensed to do business in Texas. You are not covered by any insurance when your are not licensed in a state that requires licensing. For Tryp to charge $200 a month, (or any fee that matter), is crazy. They can not legally give you riders. Chances are, no insurance will cover you because you are not licensed and/or permitted to drive. That is always the first question when we talk about TNC’s. Do they provide insurance to the drivers? If the answer is no, then you need to get commercial insurance. For many of us, commercial insurance makes driving rideshare simply not worth it. The problem with Tryp is that they market themselves as a Transportation Network Company, while they are not licensed to do business as so in Texas. No one means well if they are trying to take money from you, without being able to legally give you rides.
If you are looking for more rides, we are looking for a few good drivers. Check out the Rideshare Houston Ride Request Page for more info. While this is free, all we request is that you tell your riders about ridesharehouston.org/request when they need a driver and you are unable to fulfill that ride for whatever reason. (P.S. Riders are asked to request an Uber or Lyft so that you are covered legally (unlike Tryp)!!