A Grab driver in Singapore has questioned the company’s reimbursement policy after his claim for cleaning fees was allegedly rejected when a passenger vomited inside his vehicle.
The incident happened while the driver, a Diamond-tier Grab driver, was ferrying a passenger on the evening of 17 May.
According to the driver, the passenger vomited “substantially” inside the car, just metres away from their drop-off point.
The driver also mentioned that the passenger appeared remorseful and even offered to help clean up the mess.
Grab has since told MS News that the driver has received full reimbursement after submitting the complete set of supporting documents.
Speaking anonymously to MS News, the driver said he contacted the passenger’s mother immediately after the incident and offered two options.
Image courtesy of MS News Reader
The first was a private settlement of S$100 for him to arrange cleaning independently.
Meanwhile, the second involved an official reimbursement claim through Grab, which he said would cost S$120 or more at a professional workshop.
According to the driver, the passenger’s mother chose the official second option.
The driver, who has been driving exclusively with Grab since June 2024, claimed the incident happened while he was close to completing a 30-trip target tied to a S$70 Sunday incentive.
Source: Grab
At the time, he allegedly needed just one more completed trip to qualify.
He told MS News that sending the vehicle to a standard cleaning workshop would likely have resulted in at least “three hours of downtime”, including travelling and waiting time.
According to him, the delay would have affected his earnings and incentive payouts.
The driver also claimed he had to cancel his next assigned job because of the incident, which allegedly impacted his cancellation rate and streak incentives.
The driver shared that he had previously operated a car grooming business and had professional experience cleaning vehicle interiors.
Hence, instead of going to a workshop, he contacted a former colleague who lived nearby.
“This was an urgent, coincidental personal favour, not a formal commercial transaction. I paid him $130 cash and received only a simple cash sale receipt,” he explained.
The driver said he subsequently submitted a claim for the maximum S$120 reimbursement under Grab’s cleaning fee policy.
However, Grab allegedly rejected the request because the receipt did not meet specific documentation requirements.
In screenshots seen by MS News, Grab’s support team allegedly stated that they were “unable to proceed with the claim without a valid receipt that meets the required criteria”.
Image courtesy of MS News Reader
The message reportedly added that the decision was “based solely on compliance requirements,” rather than on the driver’s integrity or the validity of his experience.
The driver said the issue was “not about the money”, but rather what he viewed as an unfair policy affecting private-hire drivers.
He argued that drivers who are capable of cleaning their vehicles professionally and efficiently should not be denied reimbursement simply because they did not use a formal workshop.
According to him, the current system allegedly places the burden entirely on drivers while passengers face no apparent penalties.
The driver said he was prepared to “accept whatever outcome” Grab decided on and did not intend to file another appeal.
However, he was disappointed that the company allegedly did not address the broader concerns he raised about its reimbursement policy.
He hopes the incident will prompt ride-hailing platforms to review what he described as a “systemic failure” in the current claims process.
“I believe the decision in my case stems from departmental incompetence and is not truly representative of Grab’s core values. However, it is the driver pool that ultimately suffers the consequences,” he said.
In response to MS News’ queries, Grab said it understands that “it can be a hassle for driver-partners when they encounter an unexpected mess”.
The company added that it offers a cleaning reimbursement fee for such incidents when the required documentation is provided.
In this driver’s case, Grab said it has “provided the full reimbursement after receiving the complete set of supporting documents”.
However, the driver told MS News that Grab approved his claim as a goodwill gesture rather than reimbursement.
Also read: Grab driver in S’pore accused of watching porn while driving, suspended for safety lapses
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Featured image courtesy of MS News reader.