‘They have no idea’: An alarming Uber Eats delivery switch-up has left the internet worried about their safety
Internet users are concerned after an Uber Eats customer discovered the platform allows substitute drivers to make deliveries without first undergoing a background check.
The customer was alerted to the delivery loophole when a man showed up to deliver his order, even though the driver was listed as a woman on the app. It’s far from the first time an incident like this has happened, as internet users have alleged similar experiences across various delivery apps, including Doordash, Instacart, and Uber Eats.
Third-party delivery services like DoorDash boomed during the pandemic. While some still use the services for health reasons, others simply hold on to it for convenience. It provides a new way for individuals without transportation or busy parents and workers to do their groceries and access restaurants. However, even as these services change how Americans live, there’s the question of how safe they are. Should we be normalizing strangers learning our eating/shopping habits, handling our food, and coming to our doors?
While these services tend to have background checks and protocols in place to ensure safety, it’s unclear how effective these measures are, especially when users notice the delivery person doesn’t always match their profile on the app.
Uber Eats called out for delivery switch-up
Recently, Uber Eats customer Matt Stevens took to X to alert users to a delivery switch-up. He posted a screenshot of the order in the app, which revealed a woman named Sadia was picking up his order. The individual in the profile picture appeared to be a woman wearing a hijab. However, Stevens posted a photo of the individual who actually showed up: a middle-aged man. He asked Uber Eats, “Can you please explain to me why my food, that was supposed to be delivered by a woman, was delivered by a middle aged man?”
Stevens was further perturbed when Uber Eats reached out to him and stated they are allowing delivery drivers to appoint substitutes to make the delivery for them. He alleged, “In a mind-blowing phone call @uber just admitted to me that they have no idea who is delivering their food…”
On its website, Uber Eats outlines its rules for substitute drivers, confirming that drivers don’t have to notify the app before sending someone else to deliver on their behalf. They are only required to notify Uber Eats about the substitution within 24 hours. Meanwhile, it seems the company essentially entrusts the drivers to ensure the substitute meets the company’s guidelines for drivers. However, until/unless the driver notifies the company of the substitution later, Uber Eats has no way of knowing who is doing its deliveries or if they pass the company’s background checks.
It’s not hard to see the safety concerns Uber Eats’ substitution rules raise. These drivers frequently come in contact with women and children, and the company should do its best to know who they are before they start delivering. There are so many women who order food while home alone and parents who allow their children to use the Uber Eats app who may not even know this substitution loophole. Meanwhile, it’s unclear how widespread this phenomenon is.
Many commenters on Stevens’ post alleged they had similar experiences. Some even claimed they’d never had a delivery driver who did match the app profile. The general consensus was that they want whoever delivers their food to be who the app says they are. In the UK, delivery services were forced to crack down on account sharing after legal loopholes were pushed into the spotlight when a substitute driver bit off a customer’s thumb while delivering a pizza. One can only hope the U.S. won’t wait for instances this extreme to occur before tightening security on substitute drivers.
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