Why Contact Details Are Removed From Trip Chat

Every job on LimoFarmOut has its own chat. The poster and the driver use it to confirm the pickup, share a gate code, explain where the client likes to sit, or say "running five minutes early". Messages a passenger sends through the private trip line show up there too.

There is one thing the chat will not carry: contact details. If anyone types a phone number, an email address or a link, it is removed before the message is sent.

Some new members find this surprising at first. Once you see why it exists, it starts to look like one of the most useful parts of the platform. This post explains what the filter does, why it is there, and how to work with it.

What gets removed

The driver agreement and the help page describe the rule in plain terms. Phone numbers, emails and links typed into the trip chat are taken out before the message goes through. The rest of the message is delivered as normal.

So a driver who writes "Arrived at door 4, here's my cell 555..." will have the instruction delivered and the number dropped. The useful part of the message survives. The part that would open a side channel does not.

Why the chat filter exists

It closes the easiest route to poaching. In an informal group, the classic move is simple: "Text me direct next time, I'll do it cheaper." It takes ten seconds. If the platform's own chat allowed it, every other protection would be weakened.

Drivers already confirm on every job that they won't contact the poster's client directly, share their own number or take the client for themselves. The chat filter makes that promise easier to keep by removing the temptation at the keyboard. You can read the full rule in The No-Poaching Promise: Your Farm-Out Client Stays Yours.

There is already a better way to talk. Nobody needs to swap numbers, because the trip has a private line. Driver and passenger can call and text each other through it without either seeing a real number. It runs from acceptance until 30 minutes after the trip. See Private Trip Numbers: Masked Calls and Texts for Chauffeurs.

Since the useful channel exists, the filter costs nobody anything. It only blocks the channel that could cause harm.

Links can be risky. A link in a chat can lead anywhere: a personal booking page, a payment request outside the platform, or something worse. Taking or offering payment outside the platform for a platform job is against the Terms of Service. Removing links protects both sides from that kind of side deal, and from simple mistakes.

A clean record helps when something goes wrong. Because everything stays inside the job's chat, the conversation is part of the trip record. If there is ever a dispute, the team may review job records, chat history and trip location data. A chat that wandered off into private texts and emails would leave holes in that record. Keeping it in one place means the facts are there when you need them. Our guide to reporting a problem during or after a trip explains how that review works.

What this means for operators

If you post jobs, the filter is working for you even when you don't notice it.

• Your client's details stay with you. Drivers see passenger details only for jobs they accepted, and the chat can't be used to pass on anything extra.
• You don't have to police every message. The system removes contact details automatically, so you don't need to read each chat looking for a number.
• The passenger hears from your company. Their texts arrive in your company's name, with a tracking link and the private number. There is no second number floating around.

One practical tip: put instructions, not contact details, in your private notes and chat. "Client prefers a quiet ride" or "meet at the Arrivals Level 1 pillar" is ideal. A second phone number is not needed, because the private line is already there.

What this means for drivers

For chauffeurs, the filter removes awkward moments.

When a passenger asks for your number, you can honestly say that everything goes through the trip line. You are not being unfriendly. You are following a rule that protects the operator who trusted you with the job, and keeps you eligible for the next one.

It also protects your own privacy. Your personal mobile stays off the record, and passengers can't reach you weeks later.

If you need to share something genuinely useful, such as where you parked, describe it in words: "black Escalade, bay 12, short-term car park". The message goes through untouched.

How long chat messages are kept

Chat text is not stored forever where users can see it. Under the privacy policy, passenger names, phone numbers, flight numbers, private notes and chat text are removed from the job 180 days after it closes, so drivers and posters can no longer see them. A sealed, encrypted records copy is kept for 7 years for records, disputes, insurance and legal claims, then erased. For the full picture, read How Passenger Data Is Kept and Erased.

The privacy principle behind it

Collecting and sharing only what a task needs is a core idea in privacy law, from Canada's PIPEDA guidance for businesses to the UK's data protection rules. A driver needs to know where and when to collect a passenger. They don't need that passenger's personal email. The chat filter turns that principle into something that happens on every message.

Working with the filter: quick tips

• Use Call passenger or Text passenger on the Trip screen instead of sharing numbers.
• Describe locations in words rather than pasting map links.
• Keep pricing, extras and tips inside the platform. Waiting time, parking, tolls and extra stops are added when the trip is closed. See Get Paid for Waiting Time, Tolls and Extras.
• If something you need to share keeps getting removed, ask the poster in plain words or contact support through the help page.

Have a client travelling elsewhere?

If you need a car for one of your own clients outside your area, you can book one here.

Chauffeur booker

Book a chauffeur in any city

Airport transfers, hourly cars and point-to-point trips with LimousineWorldwide.Directory member operators. Choose the vehicle, see the price and book in a few steps.

Frequently asked questions

What does the trip chat remove?

Phone numbers, email addresses and links typed into the chat are removed before the message is sent. The rest of the message is delivered.

How do I contact the passenger if I can't share my number?

Use Call passenger or Text passenger on the Trip screen. They go through the trip's private number, so neither side sees a real number.

Can the poster see the chat?

Yes. The chat belongs to the job and is shared between the poster and the driver. Texts sent through the private relay are saved there too.

Why can't I send a map link?

Links are removed along with phone numbers and emails. Describe the spot in words, such as the door number, parking bay or landmark.

How long is chat text kept?

Chat text is removed from the job 180 days after it closes. A sealed, encrypted records copy is kept for 7 years, then erased.

Want a farm-out channel where your client's details stay protected by default? Post your next job on LimoFarmOut.