FAQ

Yes, but at least one party needs to have a GPS-enabled smartphone for the ride to be tracked. There is a native app for iPhone and Android (download these from the AppStore or Google Play). Some older phones, for example, first generation iPhones are not capable of the advanced location-based services required for the Avego app. Avego does not work for Internet Explorer at the moment, so Windows Phone users will be limited.  

We are currently developing a desktop version of our application, so we’ll let you know once that’s ready. Until then, you can still use the Avego app as a rider by logging in on your PC to search for a ride and then sending a text message for a PIN to 909-203-7573. 

You can still use the system as a rider, but not as a driver. The Avego app is most useful in transit and you can only use your iPod touch on Wifi. So, you could use the iPod to organize a ride while at your home, and then note your PIN to give to your driver, but only if your driver has a smartphone. You also won’t get the notifications you’d expect when out and about.

Well, yes, at least partly. You can have drop-outs of data connectivity and Avego will still cache the relevant information. However, because it does rely on the phone network, you will not receive any new messages when you are out of coverage. You may notice that the app will sometimes ask you to input your pick up or drop-off location at the end of a trip. This is because the data or GPS signal was not strong enough for you to be tracked at some point. 

 You may notice that the app will sometimes ask you to input your pick up or drop-off location at the end of a trip. This is because the data or GPS signal was not strong enough for you to be tracked at some point and we let you manually input these locations to ensure  your trip can be recorded correctly. 

The main reason is to reduce the cost of the Avego service. Every time you make a credit card payment, the credit card company (or Paypal, etc) charges the vendor (Avego in that case, acting on behalf of the driver) at least two fees: a per transaction fee and a percentage of the transaction fee. In cases where the transactions are just a few dollars, the per transaction fee can double or triple the cost of the financial fees and in fact make small payments infeasible. We use the Avego Wallet to reduce the operational costs of running the Avego service. 

Avego Real-time Ridesharing is “carpooling”, and 12 million people in the United States use some form of carpooling daily. Bylaws established after the oil shortages in the US (and much of the rest of the world, as well), insurance companies must provide standard passenger coverage for carpoolers on their standard car insurance policies. Expenses are recoverable only to the extent expended, of course, which means that drivers cannot charge for services on a profit-making basis. If a driver charges enough to make a profit in transporting passengers, that would make a driver a commercial driver, like a taxi driver, and that wouldn’t be allowed. In the United States, Avego uses the IRS statutory 2008 rate of 58.5 cents per mile as the standard amount that a driver can recover. Over the course of a journey, Avego limits your income to 55c per mile to insure that you are not becoming a commercial driver. This could include such fees as tolls, parking, etc. However, as of May 2010, the only thing considered is the mileage rate. 

Well, probably not very easily for the next few years, actually! We recognize that to help influence driver behavior, we have to get the vast majority of all rider fees directly into the pocket of the driver. So we do that: 85% of all the rider charges go straight to the driver! That leaves 15% to cover all the expenses of the Avego network: the financial charges (transaction charges from credit card companies, paypal, etc); communications charges (SMS charges, phone call charges and telephone network services, voice notification messaging charges); hosted services and bandwidth charges; marketing, advertising and co-marketing charges; and our research and development, general and administrative, and cost of goods sold expenses. At the end of the day, hopefully there will be some profit in there for us as well… so we can pay taxes on that.  

Yes, but so are regular cars. And buses. And trains. And bicycles. The truth is that no one mode of transport is sufficient for all purposes. The target “heart” of our market is the 10 mile plus daily commute, and very few people use taxis daily for commutes like that. We don’t consider “Real-time Ridesharing” the same mode of transport as taxis, we consider it a different mode entirely. Not to mention that, in general, for riders it is 6 times cheaper than a taxi. Drivers only earn a portion of their running costs – there is no commercial or profit incentive to drivers but rather to share the cost of commuting and reduce congestion and emissions by filling up empty seats. People will always use taxis, we have no interest in trying to replace taxis. Our interest is in replacing the single occupancy, driver-only vehicle, to eliminate waste. 

When you see a green dot next to a profile picture, it indicates that they have interacted with the app in the last 30 mins. After 30 mins has passed, the green dot changes to a yellow dot, indicating they have interacted with the app in the last 2 hours. After 2 hours has passed a grey dot indicates they have not interacted with the app in the last two hours or so. 

Check to make sure that the app you downloaded is called “Avego” (AppStore, Google Play) NOT “WeGoMil”. The WeGoMil app is only for military personnel. It is a closed group and only accepts people with military email addresses.

It depends on the number of seats you are sharing on your journey. The standard rate a rider is charged, per seat, is $1 for the first mile and $0.20 per mile, then $0.08 per mile from mile 16. You receive 85% of these funds and the Avego network receives 15% of these funds. You can save a lot of money on your driving expenses, but you cannot make a profit, or you would be judged to be a commercial driver. Therefore, we limit the overall reimbursement to the rate that the IRS has declared is the standard reimbursement rate for automobile mileage $0.55 per mile. 

Yes, you can use Avego to share spare seat capacity when you drive, or to find someone else to give you a ride. 

This is called “carpooling”, and 12 million people in the United States use some form of carpooling daily. By laws established after the oil shortages in the US (and much of the rest of the world, as well), insurance companies must provide standard passenger coverage for carpoolers on their standard car insurance policies. Expenses are recoverable only to the extent expended, of course, which means that drivers cannot charge for services on a profit-making basis. If a driver charges enough to make a profit in transporting passengers, that would make a driver a commercial driver, like a taxi driver, and that wouldn’t be allowed. In the United States, Avego uses the IRS statutory 2008 rate of 58.5 cents per mile as the standard amount that a driver can recover. Over the course of a journey, Avego limits your income to insure that you are not becoming a commercial driver. This could include such fees as tolls, parking, etc. However, as of December 2008, the only thing considered is the mileage rate. 

We urge all users to upload a profile photo to the app so that riders and driver can identify each other when it’s time to meet up and share a ride. Or, you could send them a message and ask them to wear a red rose in their lapel – it’s up to you!

You can contact the Avego RTR support team at any time by e-mailing support@wegorideshare.com. 

You will be charged $1 for the first mile and $0.20 per mile, then $0.08 per mile from mile 16. That’s about half the cost of driving, about the same as public transit, and about six times cheaper than taking a taxi. 

In order to travel as a rider using Avego, you have to be prepared to pay the driver, to partially reimburse them for the cost of the journey. As part of some WeGo Rideshare pilot programs you will receive free rider $ to start you off. Once you have used these, you will have to purchase Avego credits through PayPal from your profile page on the Avego app.

The main reason is to reduce the cost of the Avego RTR service. Every time you make a credit card payment, the credit card company (or Paypal, etc) charges the vendor (Avego in the case, acting on behalf of the driver) at least two fees: a per transaction fee and a percentage of the transaction fee. In cases where the transactions are just a few dollars, the per transaction fee can double or triple the cost of the financial fees and in fact make small payments infeasible. We use the Avego Wallet to reduce the operational costs of running the Avego service. 

No, you can use the software online using your tablet or PC. Just login at www.m.avego.com using Safari, Chrome or Firefox
(currently not available for Internet Explorer). 

 It may take some time for activity to grow sufficiently in your area to ensure that you are matched with someone most of the time. If no other users are available, you can choose to subscribe to the service and we will let you know when there are more users in your area. In the meantime, you can help build the user community by encouraging your friends and colleagues to participate! 

That depends on you. The rider and driver can use the message or call functionality in the app or mobile webpage (via tablet or desktop) to decide where to meet to begin the shared ride. So, the meeting point is entirely up to you.

Avego does not vouch for every driver, but Avego does provide a self-policing rating mechanism. Users rate each other after each journey or can even leave comments. Before you choose to match with someone, you can see their star rating, read through the previous comments, see what groups they are part of, among other things. Riders may also choose to restrict their Real-time Ridesharing matches to people they already know and trust by adding them to their favorites list or just matching with people you have a group in common with. Remember, you are ultimately responsible for your own safety. 

No, please have respect for the driver and their vehicle.