| Information |
Why it helps |
| City and taxi company |
Determines the correct contact path |
| Cab number, medallion, or license number |
Best way to identify the vehicle |
| Date and time of ride |
Needed for dispatch and regulator lookup |
| Pickup and drop-off locations |
Helps locate the trip record |
| Driver name or ID if available |
Useful for complaints or lost items |
| Receipt or app trip |
Connects the ride to payment and company |
| Payment type and fare amount |
Needed for fare disputes or lost-property lookup |
| Lost item description |
Needed for lost and found |
| Photos or screenshots |
Useful for route, fare, accessibility, or safety reports |
| Police or incident report details |
Needed for safety or serious complaints |
If you paid cash and have no receipt, the cab number, pickup/drop-off, and exact time become much more important.
Lost Items, Fare Disputes, and Local Regulators
Lost items are time-sensitive. If you know the taxi company, contact it first. SFMTA says contacting the taxi company directly gets the most immediate results; if you do not know the company, use 311 or the city's online lost-item process.
NYC TLC's lost-property page says to call 311 or use 311 Online and provide as much detail as possible, including date and time, pickup, drop-off, driver, license number, item description, estimated value, payment type, and fare amount.
Nevada Taxicab Authority says passengers who discover they left something behind should immediately contact the taxi company or call the Authority, and provides lost-property forms.
For fare disputes, route concerns, duplicate charges, or driver complaints, contact the taxi company or app support first if you have a receipt. If the company does not resolve it, file with the city taxi regulator or 311-style complaint process.
App Rides, Curb, and Credit Card Charges
If the ride was booked or paid through Curb, start with Curb support. Curb's Contact page lists lostandfound@gocurb.com for lost and found and support@gocurb.com for rider app support.
Curb rider support also explains that Curb provides backseat credit card machines to taxi companies, so you may see a Curb charge even if you did not book through the Curb app. If that happens, keep the receipt, card charge, taxi company, and ride details.
If a hotel, airport dispatcher, concierge, or local app arranged the taxi, ask that service which cab company handled the ride and request dispatch notes.
Safety, Accessibility, and Complaints
For immediate danger, call 911 or local emergency services first. After you are safe, report the incident to the taxi company and the city taxi regulator.
For accessibility issues, use the city regulator or accessible taxi dispatch program for that city. For example, NYC TLC routes taxi complaints through 311, and many cities have separate accessible taxi or wheelchair-accessible vehicle programs.
Write complaints in a factual format: what happened, where, when, cab number, driver details, payment, witnesses, and what outcome you want. Avoid vague statements that make it hard for a regulator to identify the driver or vehicle.
Use this script:
"I need help with a Yellow Cab/taxi issue in [city]. The ride was on [date/time] from [pickup] to [drop-off]. The cab number, medallion, or license number is [number if available]. The taxi company or app was [company/app if known]. The issue is [lost item, fare dispute, duplicate charge, driver complaint, accessibility issue, safety concern, receipt request, or no-show]. I have attached [receipt, card charge, app trip, photo, item description, route notes, or incident report]. Please confirm the next step and provide a case number."
Helpful questions:
- "Which taxi company or garage handled this ride?"
- "Can dispatch identify the driver from the pickup time and location?"
- "Which city regulator handles this complaint?"
- "Can I file a lost-property report online?"
- "Can the fare or duplicate charge be reviewed?"
- "What evidence do you need for an accessibility complaint?"
- "Can you provide a case or incident number?"
