Waymo Drives Off with South Bay Man's Luggage
Source: Hacker News
Incident Overview
A Sunnyvale man, Di Jin, says his first Waymo ride to San Jose Mineta Airport went well until the vehicle drove away with his luggage still in the trunk. After exiting the car, Jin tried to open the trunk using the button inside the vehicle, but nothing happened, and the car left the scene. He later learned the vehicle was heading back to Waymo’s depot in San Francisco.
Jin called Waymo’s customer service immediately. He was told the vehicle could not be turned around and that he would have to retrieve his luggage later. He continued his trip to San Diego without essential work and personal items.
Waymo’s Trunk Policy
According to Waymo’s support page, the trunk should open automatically when a passenger exits the vehicle. It can also be opened by:
- Pressing the trunk‑release button on the car, or
- Selecting “open trunk” in the Waymo app.
Jin reports that neither method worked in his case.
Customer Service Response
When the luggage finally arrived at the depot, Waypoint (Waymo) cited its policy that it is not responsible for lost items (source). The company offered Jin two options:
- Pay for shipping the luggage, or
- Take two complimentary Waymo rides to the depot in San Francisco, which would require about a two‑hour round trip from Sunnyvale.
Both options were impractical for Jin, who said, “It doesn’t make any sense at all, because it’s not my mistake. I already told them very clearly it’s not lost and found, right?”
Similar Incidents
A comparable incident was reported in San Francisco last April, where a rider’s tennis gear went missing after the Waymo vehicle drove off with items left in the trunk (SFist article).
Service History
Waymo began offering rides to San Jose Airport in September of last year, as noted by SFist (article).
Previously: Be Wary of Putting Stuff In the Trunk of a Waymo — Sometimes They Drive Off
Image credit: Daniel Ramirez / Wikimedia