An Uber driver has contacted Driver Matty at DM News to share his frustration after recently purchasing a vehicle to use on the Uber platform. The driver attempted to add the car to his Uber account using the new keeper green slip (V5C/2), but the document was rejected by Uber due to minor damage.
The driver explained that after buying the car from a garage, the green slip was accidentally torn in the top-left corner. Crucially, the tear did not remove or obscure any important information, such as the registration number, document reference number, or date of sale.
To get back on the road quickly, the driver uploaded the green slip to Uber, as required when adding a new vehicle before the full V5 logbook arrives. However, Uber rejected the document, stating that damaged paperwork cannot be accepted, and told the driver he would need to wait for the full V5C document to be delivered.
As many drivers will know, receiving the full V5 can take several weeks, leaving the driver unable to work during that time.
DM News Commentary
This situation highlights a growing frustration for private hire drivers, particularly those who rely on Uber as their main or sole source of income.
While document checks are clearly important for safety and compliance, cases like this raise questions about flexibility and common sense. The damage described does not affect the validity of the document, nor does it change any of the information Uber needs to verify vehicle ownership.
For drivers, this can mean:
- Being taken off the road through no fault of their own
- Losing weeks of income
- Being stuck waiting on DVLA processing times that are completely out of their control
It also serves as a warning to drivers buying vehicles from garages or private sellers:
protect your green slip carefully. Even minor damage could be enough to trigger a rejection, regardless of whether all the required details are clearly visible.
From an industry perspective, this is another example of how platform-based operators apply strict, non-negotiable rules, with little consideration for the real-world impact on drivers who are classed as “self-employed”.
Thanks for visiting DM News! If you’ve got a question, story, or anything you’d like to say, head over to DriverMatty.com — I’d love to hear from you! And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out my other websites and social media channels.
