Account on hold while they investigate: read this before you reply
Both platforms send a standardized notice when a report comes in. Uber's says "We're investigating a report from a trip. Your account has been placed on hold." Lyft's says "your driver account has been put on hold. We're looking into a potential violation of our Terms of Service." Either way, you're suspended while they review, a decision hasn't been made, and what you do in the next day or two matters more than anything you say later.
First, what a hold is
Holds lift, convert to deactivation, or drag on. All three happen. A hold is not a finding. Treat it as the evidence-gathering phase, because that's what the platform is treating it as.
The evidence window closes fast
Dashcam SD cards overwrite themselves, often within days. Pull and save everything from the days in question now: dashcam files, in-app trip recordings if you use them, trip receipts, and screenshots of any rider or customer messages. If the hold becomes a deactivation, this is your appeal. If it lifts, you've lost nothing.
Reinstara writes hold replies too, not just appeals. Paste the notice, tell your side, and it drafts the response in your platform's format. Run the free check.
If it's Uber: they won't tell you the claim yet
Uber's notice names a date window and usually nothing else. The allegation itself often comes late, sometimes only in a phone callback, so don't guess at it in writing. Send one professional, factual message: confirm you're available for questions and that you have records and any recordings for the named window, then stop. Don't argue against a claim nobody has stated, don't send character defenses, and don't message daily; a follow-up every 48 hours or so is plenty. Note the date and content of every call.
If it's Lyft: your reply is the case
Lyft's notice works the other way. It names the kind of claim against you ("The report alleges that...") and asks you to respond with any information you feel is relevant. That reply becomes the record the safety team decides on, so treat it with the care you'd give an appeal. Send it the same day if you can, short and calm. If the claim is false, deny it in plain words. The notice usually won't say which ride, so ask Lyft to identify the trip and offer to respond in detail once they do. If you're fairly sure which ride it was (a conflict, a canceled stop, a rider you had to correct), tell your side of that ride in time order with the date, and say what happened right before the report, because false reports filed as payback after a dispute are a pattern the platforms know. If you run a dashcam with cabin audio, say so and offer the file for whichever trip this concerns. Close with your record: years, rides, rating, no prior complaints of this kind. No anger anywhere in it.
How these end
Baseless one-off reports often clear in one to three days, sometimes after a single professional reply. Investigations with callbacks can run weeks, and a month of silence happens. False reports are a real pattern, including from riders seeking refunds, and new drivers with thin history are the most exposed because there's no track record to weigh against a single report.
This page is information, not legal advice.
FAQ
How long does an Uber investigation hold last?
Anywhere from a day to over a month. Baseless single reports often clear within 72 hours; cases where Trust and Safety calls you can run weeks. There's no published timeline.
Should I respond if I don't know what I'm accused of?
Respond to what the notice gives you: the date window. Confirm availability and that you have records for those days. Guessing at accusations in writing can only hurt; wait until the allegation is stated, then answer it specifically.
Will Uber tell me what the report says?
Often only partially, late, and by phone. Note the date and content of every call. If the allegation is never stated and the hold becomes a deactivation, appeal against the stated deactivation reason.
Lyft says my account is on hold and asks me to reply. What do I say?
Reply the same day, short and calm. Deny a false claim in plain words, ask Lyft to name the ride so you can respond in detail, offer any dashcam or cabin audio for that trip, and give your record: years, rides, rating, no prior complaints like this. Your reply becomes part of the case record, so keep anger out of it.
Lyft didn't say which ride the report is about. Can I ask?
Yes, and you should, in your first reply. Deny the claim plainly, ask them to identify the trip and date, and say you'll respond in detail once they name it. Don't wait for their answer to send that first response.