Uber Eats - Advised by Virtual Assistant I Could Cancel Order No Charge - Got Charged Cancellation Fee

LJayblu on 14/12/2020 - 12:12
Last edited 14/12/2020 - 13:18 by 1 other user

Two weeks ago I made an order through Uber Eats, estimated delivery time was between 35 - 45 minutes.

I don't quite remember if it was before or after accepting the order that the restaurant requested extra 5 minutes but it was almost instantly after I placed the order. So I spoke to the virtual assistant and it informed me I can cancel the order at this stage at no charge so I cancelled.

Later on I found out i was charged a cancellation fee which is the entire order amount because the restaurant already started preparing the order when I cancelled? Which was less than 5 minutes from making the order.

I waited for 10 days and nothing was refunded and there is absolutely no way of contacting Uber Eats as their site and app takes me around in circles because I'm not a Platinum Tier member.

I have already opened a dispute through PayPal and attached the chat.

My question is how is it legal to not have a direct line or be able to send an email if you're not at a certain tier, isn't that basic customer service?

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Comments

  • whooah1979 on 14/12/2020 - 12:16

    There is no legislation that requires a business to use email or have a phone number.

    Try #ubereats

    • Jayblu on 14/12/2020 - 12:25

      That's odd, so if something goes wrong and you can't contact the source what are you supposed to do? Taking it to PayPal is gonna create a charge back on my account guaranteed which i couldn't care less about as i don't plan on using ubereats again but it's mildly infuriating.

      • dust on 14/12/2020 - 12:54

        Might be odd but it certainly isn't illegal not to have a phone number or email.

        How are you going to claim a chargeback? They didn't provide your meal because you cancelled the order?

        • Jayblu on 14/12/2020 - 13:07

          I was charged for an order i didn't receive and I canceled it because i was told i could at no charge.

      • adam on 14/12/2020 - 12:54

        Well your ultimate recourse is to take them to court.

    • FoxJump on 14/12/2020 - 12:26

      Restaurant wins

  • [Deactivated] on 14/12/2020 - 12:28

    There's a section in the app that lets you contact them if you were charged for your cancelled order, or wish to dispute the cancellation fee. Have you tried that?

    My question is how is it legal to not have a direct line or be able to send an email if you're not at a certain tier, isn't that basic customer service?

    I am not an Uber Eats Platinum Tier Member, have had a few issues with them myself, and have never had issues getting in contact with their team.

    Going straight to a PayPal claim doesn't look too good on your part. If you do proceed with it though, FYI you'll have to wait the full 10 days once escalated to get a refund (as Uber Eats won't respond to the PayPal claim).

  • Jayblu on 14/12/2020 - 12:32

    Yes i have already tried that and it takes me nowhere, keeps showing me articles asking was this helpful. i didn't have any other option unfortunately not that i wanted to open a dispute to begin with..

  • bobbified on 14/12/2020 - 12:56
    +2

    …the restaurant requested extra 5 minutes… so I canceled

    It's besides the point, but you really couldn't wait that extra 5 minutes? lol

    With these types of services, the processes that they have put in place often screw up if you throw an "outside the box" scenario at it and require human intervention. That's where problems start occurring.

    • Jayblu on 14/12/2020 - 12:59

      It's a long story really on a normal day i wouldn't have cared but on this day i was ordering food for my in laws and a previous order from another app was canceled after 2hrs wait (i didn't make that order) and we were all really hungry at that point so that extra 5 minutes felt like it's gonna drag on.

      • bobbified on 14/12/2020 - 13:01
        +1

        Sounds like you may have ordered at a super busy time.
        Truth is, if they didn't actually tell you that it'll be an extra 5 minutes, you probably wouldn't have even noticed. haha

  • Meho2026 on 14/12/2020 - 12:58
    +1

    I had a similar thing with Deliveroo. I ended up having to make a PayPal claim, Paypal refunded the whole amount because Deliveroo didnt respond to them either.
    Then Deliveroo banned me. Uber will probably do the same to you.
    We should stop using these delivery services anyway. They fleece the restaurants 20-30% of what we pay and rely on the delivery drivers being so financially illiterate that they cant figure out theyre working for peanuts or they take advantage of the fact the drivers are so desperate for money they have no other option.
    Then there's the 4 delivery riders this year that have been killed on the road at work not covered by workcover because of the exploitative gig economy.
    If you can always support the restaurant and buy direct.

    • bobbified on 14/12/2020 - 13:10

      They fleece the restaurants 20-30% of what we pay and rely on the delivery drivers being so financially illiterate that they cant figure out theyre working for peanuts or they take advantage of the fact the drivers are so desperate for money they have no other option. Then there's the 4 delivery riders this year that have been killed on the road at work not covered by workcover because of the exploitative gig economy.

      Did you only find this out or are you just bringing it up now because you're banned? They don't have to be financially illiterate to be doing that job. Most of them are international uni students who are not stupid but are willing to work hard to get what they need. They have seen how tough things can be in their own countries.

      I use them occassionally for convenience and I have a lot of what you wrote above in the back of my mind. When they turn up I give them an extra $20-$50 or so as a tip depending on what cash I have in my wallet at the time or how far they've come to deliver my food. In my mind, it is not a lot, but enough to give them the option to take a break and have a meal for themselves.

      • Meho2026 on 14/12/2020 - 14:08

        I don’t believe anyone on this site who wasn’t drug affected would tip a delivery driver $50

        • bobbified on 14/12/2020 - 15:28
          -1

          I don’t believe anyone on this site who wasn’t drug affected would tip a delivery driver $50

          Why not? Not everyone is as lucky as some of us here.
          I'm far from rich and I would admit that I waste a lot of money. So smaller amounts may not be significant for me and I can do without it, but it could make a huge difference to someone else.

      • Quantumcat on 14/12/2020 - 14:53

        They have seen how tough things can be in their own countries.

        international uni students

        International students are typically from rich families. They get charged like ten times as much as a domestic student and their families need to support them while they're here as they are not supposed to work. So that doesn't make sense.

        • bobbified on 14/12/2020 - 15:27

          International students are typically from rich families

          A lot of them do indeed come from rich families, but a lot of them also don't.
          We, over here, know that education isn't everything, but in certain cultures, there is a huge focus on educational qualifications and they see it as the only thing will open many doors to a successful career. As such, families are willing to make huge sacrifices for their kids to get over here in the hope that they get a good qualification and eventually able earn lots of money and have an easier life. The families in the latter category will either mortgage up their homes to get that initial lump sum of money to send their kids over or they will borrow a little each from lots of people. Their kids are expected to then get here, earn a living and send money back to their families. Hence you see so many who are willing to work in tough jobs - say, 7-eleven, restaurants, factories - all for very low pay. It's not that they don't know. It's because they feel like they have no choice.

          During the whole lockdown period, I was walking around the Melbourne CBD, downstairs from where I live. Some days, the church across from the State Library would be handing out food items for those that needed it. I felt really sad as I walked past each time seeing how many people there were. I would estimate that 8/10 people in line were international students. The line would go from the front of the church on Swanston St, around the corner, down Little Lonsdale St as far as I can see and then wrap around the corner on Elizabeth St.

          Anyone who is actually from a rich family definitely wouldn't be lining up there.

          …as they are not supposed to work

          This is a common belief amongst the locals, but they are actually allowed to work up to 20 hours per week.

        • Ughhh on 14/12/2020 - 18:32
          +1

          they're here as they are not supposed to work. So that doesn't make sense.

          Most do come from rich families, but maybe the pocket money given is not enough to fund what they want to do ie. Party, Gucci handbag

    • Jayblu on 14/12/2020 - 13:14

      Yeah i expect to be banned as well which sucks even though i don't plan on using the app ever again (or any delivery app really) but it makes you feel like as if you're in the wrong when i made every attempt to try finding a way to contact them.

    • netjock on 14/12/2020 - 14:32

      They fleece the restaurants 20-30% of what we pay and rely on the delivery drivers being so financially illiterate that they cant figure out theyre working for peanuts or they take advantage of the fact the drivers are so desperate for money they have no other option.

      It is how these companies work. Misinformation. You can't get the menu of your local online or they have a crap delivery service. Delivery services put the menu online and get some drivers who are just as badly treated as restaurant employed drivers.

      The restaurants brought it upon themselves. They've been underpaying their staff for a long time, now it is just a bigger gorilla comes along and under pays them.

      I don't use delivery services either. Helps with keeping my weight down.

  • BargainMyMiddleName on 14/12/2020 - 13:29
    +2

    I once had Uber Eats delivered 2L milk from the near by Caltex (there was a free delivery promo). The milk had an expiry date on the same day. I contacted Uber eats, via the app, for the principal of the same sh*t not happening to the next person. Suprisingly Uber Eats refunded me the milk cost the next day.

    • Jayblu on 14/12/2020 - 13:34

      I have had something refunded before as well because the drinks that arrived weren't what i ordered and it was very straight forward through virtual assistance. However, in this scenario It's beyond the virtual assistance help as it should have been refunded by now and I'm unable to reach a human to speak with to correct the matter.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/12/2020 - 14:36

    I waited for 10 days and nothing was refunded and there is absolutely no way of contacting Uber Eats as their site and app takes me around in circles because I'm not a Platinum Tier member.

    I am a Platinum rewards member. We only have access to the help hub as well. It's Diamond that gets a phone number.

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