r/UberEATS • u/PizzaTimeIsAnytime • 9d ago

USA Stolen

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What’s going on in Atlanta today?? 😅 nearly ever other order was stolen by a driver. I figured it was too good to be true…

62 Upvotes

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11

u/PizzaTimeIsAnytime 9d ago

Got another offer from the same place once I got there, that one was stolen too :/

8

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 9d ago

High double digit offers with no decimal points (cents) with minimal mileage with one customer typically from fast food are guaranteed stolen.

3

u/Dith_q 9d ago

How does this scam work? I've twice had fast food orders upwards of $20 and both were "already picked up" according to the workers. 

6

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 9d ago edited 9d ago

A driver accepts the offer, comes to the restaurant, picks up the order, but never confirms the pickup. Gets into the car and drops the order as if he doesn’t want it. Order is gone. However, it’s still circulates in the system as if it has not been picked up yet (as technically it’s true), every single driver who accepts comes only to hear it was already picked up, and cancels the order, and it keeps going. The system thinks that no one wants this trip and keeps raising the base pay for it. Most like the base pay for this 41 dollar order is 40 bucks with 1 dollar tip. Hence, if it’s just a burger for 10 bucks, you can just pay out of your pocket and still end up in 30 dollar profit. Or if the restaurant is cool; they can remake it and you can have the 41 dollars, customer is happy, and everyone is happy.

Stealing food is fucked up, and people should really stop doing this nonsense, even if it’s a 2 dollar order. They should Have some integrity, if the customer is an asshole with zero integrity expecting the food for free, don’t lower yourself to his level.

2

u/Dith_q 9d ago

So the customer places an order, and it's initially $10 ($9 order + tip). Then the food stealing driver sets in motion an automated process which drives the price up to $41? 

Is the customer completely unaware that the cost of their order is ticking up astronomically? Why would Ubers system allow that to happen? It seems to screw over every party. 

2

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 9d ago

Oh, my friend, you are asking a very existential question here which no one has answers for😁.

On overall question, I have some answers based on my experience. The customer has no idea about the price for delivery going up, this offer price is only between the driver and uber. And yes, after the theft happens, the system thinks no one wants the order and keeps pushing the price up for the delivery to happen (it’s Uber’s reputation at stake here). That’s the reason on big holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve or even Halloween night the fares for delivery are exponential, a delivery from Taco Bell or Wingstop for 5 miles, which usually are 7 dollars or less, go up to 45-65+, because there is lack of drivers (drovers are either partying, or with family celebrating) and the delivery has to happen. Happened to me on all three occasions/holidays. I made like 500 dollars a night on Thanksgiving, because every delivery was like 70-90 bucks.

Why would Uber allow it to happen, who knows?! They create all sorts of metrics and bullshit, but can’t create a simple system for merchants to confirm the pickup with the name of delivery person, so that there is some accountability. Many restaurants have been making drivers confirm the order, or sign a sheet of paper with their name, but cmon, it’s not enforced, and not serious. So, who knows why they do that…

2

u/Dith_q 8d ago

Got it. So Uber's eating the cost of the scam in this case. 

The signing the paper thing is so weird. A few places around me do it, make me print and sign my name before handing off the order. I'm confused about what this actually achieves since anyone could write anything. I'm guessing the merchant somehow uses it for reference if there's a dispute with Uber... but again, I have no idea what practical use the paper serves in that scenario.

2

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 8d ago

Yeah, Uber loses here and has to compensate.

Yeah, exactly on paper thing. You can write just a fake name and fake number, no one checks it. I think so too, it’s for the dispute with Uber, also I guess restaurant employees are doing it to prove it to their managers to save themselves. But it’s pointless. I saw so many times when a driver is asked to confirm delivery while picking, they never do it, they just click a button on their phone, and the restaurant is like: “thank you, drive safe” 🤦

2

u/okaysureyep 8d ago

So wait.. the person that “stole” the order just literally steals the order and doesn’t get any benefit other than some food? And the system handles it by increasing the offer even though the offer doesn’t exist and was stolen? That’s regarded.

2

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 8d ago

Yup. And they steal the stupidest foods ever, like a single burger or a few Tacos, not like a 200 dollar order from Olive Garden. It’s dumb.

-3

u/XXXTentacIes 9d ago

I’ve done this but in reverse as a customer, order for delivery but pick up myself. Order usually gets canceled by restaurant for an automatic refund and doesn’t impact the driver

3

u/Hepcpond 9d ago

Delete this lol

-1

u/XXXTentacIes 9d ago

Def will lol limited time secret 🤫

1

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 9d ago

Oh yeah, here the system updates. But the other one is a loophole, and weirdly Uber still doesn’t know how to solve it.

1

u/Oily-Affection1601 9d ago

That's gonna get pinned on whoever the first driver is that accepted the order.

1

u/XXXTentacIes 9d ago

No, not when the merchant cancels the order.

Think about if a homeless person walked in and took an order, that would not fall on the driver.

1

u/Oily-Affection1601 9d ago

How would you know if the merchant canceled it?

1

u/XXXTentacIes 9d ago

I would get a notification that the order was cancelled by restaraunt. Same way as if you order an item and they don’t have it in stock

1

u/Cloudy_Daz3 8d ago

It absolutely does impact every driver who tries to pick up the order and wastes their gas getting there only to be told order was already picked up.

1

u/XXXTentacIes 6d ago

Perhaps 3% impacted, as opposed to people who lie and risk them getting deactivated. There aren’t multiple drivers, it’s resolved after the 1st one and they were always ~5 mins or less away

3

u/PizzaTimeIsAnytime 9d ago

It was from a joint that’s relatively expensive 😅 they’re probably gonna get deactivated

1

u/LegalMasterpiece772 9d ago

Why is that? The last order I accepted was like $28 or something for 3 miles and it was a good 15 minutes out of my way. Waited there another 15 mins before an employee told me someone already picked it up and they ain’t remaking it. I called support and complained and got a one time courtesy credit for $20 and have been hesitant to accept another order since.

2

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 9d ago

As I said, if the order looks too good to be true, especially from fast food, it’s guaranteed stolen.

1

u/LegalMasterpiece772 9d ago

But the order I had accepted the day before that was $43 to go like 6 miles and it was just 1 meal with 2 drinks. That wasn’t stolen and I got the full pay. Lol those are the only 2 UE orders I’ve ever done. They were both mcds orders. The first in a small town, the second in a big city in a crap area, maybe that’s why. I main spark so I’m not wasting my time on low paying garbage.

1

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 8d ago

Lack of drivers in the area at that particular time pushes to offer price up, hence such high compensation. Yeah, if it was a sketchy area means many just didn’t want to go there. See my answer below to someone else I replied. But yeah, this stuff happens, it’s wild how uber plays with offer prices. But usually it’s some shit like theft or customer cancellation or other stupid shit.

1

u/Una_Terry 8d ago

Is this generally true in every market? I'm in South Central Alabama and the most I've seen is $35 for a order that was already picked up. It seems to cap out at that. Though, there are rare times where I'll get a ping from a smaller town for that same $35 and it's usually that high because there aren't many drivers online nearby

1

u/Worldly-Reindeer-853 8d ago

I mean, not necessarily. From what I have seen, it can be a high tipper in itself as well, or lack of drivers as you say. But mostly, especially if it’s not a fancy restaurant, it’s scam I think. It’s such a gamble, just pure luck mainly ☹️

1

u/Una_Terry 8d ago

I've never seen a single order go over $35 exactly before, but I've had stacks get offered at $50+. My guess is there may be a cap in each market, but then again it could go higher the more times it bounces around. Uber should make use of the "order was already picked up" feature and cancel the order entirely after multiple drivers go to pick it up.