Travel solutions: Lyft charged me $80 for damage to a car. But it wasn't me!

When I got into the car, I told the driver that there were some leaves from the previous passenger on the floor. It had nothing to do with me.

Lyft did not send me any evidence of the damage. When I asked about the claim, it finally sent photos. But the pictures didn’t make any sense. I sat directly behind the driver, but the leaves were on the passenger side.

The damage looks exaggerated. The driver had taken close-up shots of the leaves, making the entire car look dirty. The area could have been easily vacuumed out in less than a minute. It does not equal $80 worth of damage. Can you help me? — So Do, Hercules, California

A: If you messed up your Lyft, you should pay for the cleanup. But after reviewing your case and Lyft’s claim against you, I have serious doubts that you were the guilty party.

I’ve seen dozens of cases like this. Lyft first tries to charge your card and then sends scant documentation. When you appeal, you get a form letter that says, “We reopened your case, and after extensive review of the information provided by both you and the driver, no adjustments will be made to this claim.”

But Lyft didn’t share the driver’s written report with you. Also, the photos it sent had no metadata. So you don’t know if the driver took them after your ride or a year ago. Lyft also doesn’t require its drivers to prove they paid to have their cars cleaned. (Uber does.)

Never get into a rideshare car where there is pre-existing damage. Instead, ask the driver to note the debris and take lots of pictures.

In a situation like this, you could have appealed to one of Lyft’s executives. I list their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

I contacted Lyft on your behalf. A representative emailed you and said, “We always strive to be fair to both riders and drivers involved in a damage claim.” The company agreed to refund the $80.