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Food delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats have become increasingly popular in recent years, their widespread use skyrocketing with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as people were looking for ways to stay home and support local businesses. But the use of these services has also highlighted another issue: the food delivery fee dramatically increases what the customer pays and takes a huge cut from restaurants.
To encourage customers to use their services, many food delivery companies have promised deals like low-cost delivery or even a free delivery fee, but consumers may be faced with secret or hidden charges nonetheless.
Food delivery fees are notoriously high, making your food purchases up to 91% more expensive, according to an investigation by The New York Times.
The food delivery fee charged on top of the cost of the actual food itself can comprise a number of different things, including tax, service costs, and the delivery fee, sometimes all on the same line. Some restaurants also increase the prices of food ordered through these delivery apps. A tip for the driver, however, is not included and would be an additional expense.
These fees can be dramatic, and impact consumers and restaurants alike.
For years, consumers have complained about the food delivery fee problem. Some say that they were hit with unexpected and undisclosed markups on their food deliveries. A class action lawsuit was filed in 2016 against DoorDash, alleging the company charged markups of at least a few dollars without customers’ knowledge.
GrubHub has been hit with a similar class action lawsuit over its fees, allegedly charging higher delivery fees than those it lists on the app.
Even when these third-party delivery service apps offer a free or low-cost food delivery fee, the customer may not be left paying for just the food, as they might expect. Instead, they may face additional costs like tax, convenience fees, service costs, and inflated food prices, as well as an optional tip for the driver.
Toll on Restaurants
Third-party food delivery services are also taking a toll on restaurants. In April 2020, pizza restaurant owner Giuseppe Badalamenti wrote a viral Facebook post showing that out of the $1,042.63 worth of orders his restaurant’s customers placed through GrubHub the previous month, the fees pocketed by the company left the restaurant making only $376.54 through the service.
Some states and cities across the country have chosen to cap the food delivery fee charged by third-party services in order to help keep local businesses afloat during the pandemic, including big cities like New York City, Minneapolis, Chicago, and are now moving to smaller areas like the county of Schenectady in New York, which have introduced a food delivery fee cap of 15%. The states of Washington and Oregon have also introduced 15% caps, and a similar bill in Massachusetts is currently pending Gov. Baker’s signature.
If you were charged a hidden food delivery fee by a third-party app like GrubHub, Postmates, DoorDash, Caviar, or Uber Eats, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit investigation and pursue compensation. This investigation is looking for California consumers in particular who may have been charged hidden fees by these companies.
Pursuing litigation can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.
53 thoughts onWere You Charged for a ‘Free’ Food Delivery Fee?
There has to be a lawsuit against Uber Eats and McDonald’s for misleading customers. Customers are played between the restaurant and Uber Eats and neither takes responsibility when orders are wrong or the customer wants to cancel an order. In my particular case, I’ve ordered Mcdonald’s from a specific restaurant (call it M#1), the app changed the order to a McDonald’s with a different address that’s farther from my home (call it M#2), so delivery charges are higher. Another reason we don’t order from M#2 (no one in our neighborhood does), the restaurant is dirty and the employees are mean. So when we tried to cancel the order and called McDonald’s #2, they said it’s Uber Eats responsibility to cancel the order. When I called Uber Eats, they said that if they canceled the order, I’d still be charged the Uber Eats delivery fee! That’s preposterous! In the past, my family has also been in the situation of having to report half the order from McDonald’s #2 missing. When we called them, they also said it was Uber Eats fault and if we wanted the missing items we had to pay for additional delivery. They’re all crooks playing the system to scam customers. We’ve had to dispute charges with our financial institutions.
Please add me to class action lawsuit against Uber eats and postmates delivery
I have ordered from both of these companies in the past.
Im part of that lawsuit so id like to know the outcome
I’ve ordered from all of above including Uber eats postmates door dash and have paid thousands in fees
Please contact me about this uber door dash grub hub they’ve stolen money and charged hidden fees
Add me also
Please add me
I was overcharged for an offer for free delivery
Please add me, I ordered from
Uber eats and they sent me the wrong item and refused to refund me stating my that I had too many refunds . I was refunded twice in February 2022 and Oct 2021
Please add me. This is occurring in Texas also. Over charged sales tax on promotional orders, and the fees are ridiculous.