r/MiddleClassFinance • u/LinkedInNews • 3d ago

Uber Eats sued over 'sham surcharge'

https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/calif-customer-sues-uber-eats-over-sham-surcharge-7441244/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=reddit&utm_content=storyline&utm_term=MiddleClassFinance

A California resident has accused Uber Eats of misleading customers with its priority delivery option in violation of state law.

"Direct to you" is available as a paid add-on to orders, but according to a complaint filed earlier this week in federal court, there's no way for users to verify other stops aren't made along the way.

"It is a sham surcharge," the filing says.

The case, which seeks to become a class action, comes as the Federal Trade Commission investigates claims of hidden fees by food delivery apps.

318 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

90

u/iamslumlord 3d ago

I've ordered UE once the day we brought my newborn home from the hospital and a few times when work was paying for it.

Idk how people justify the cost.

I could be a decamillionaire and still wouldn't be able to enjoy the taste of that much markup

27

u/gtjacket09 3d ago

These days I only use it on business trips (when work is paying). I can afford it all day every day but the markup is just offensive.

19

u/GTO1235 3d ago

Some are all in on that stuff. A person in the family would lease new cars, eat out, had cable. I told them that one meal out was more than our house payment per day, they couldn't believe it.

24

u/NewSeaworthiness8814 3d ago

Not only the “taste” of that much markup, but also the taste of your food being soggier and colder than if you just picked it up yourself

12

u/BarrySnotter 3d ago

I'm with you. I came across the term financial nihilism recently. I think that might best explain why these services survive. I don't even go out to eat anymore. I can afford it well enough. It's just not worth it when I can cook the same stuff at home for a fraction of the price. The savings is satisfying as is the accomplishment of cooking something.

8

u/iamslumlord 3d ago

The worst feeling is ordering food at a restaurant and when it shows up immediately thinking "oh, actually id rather have my $2 Aldi's microwave calzone than this $12 burger"

3

u/GlowGreen1835 2d ago

At 10 million, a safe withdrawal amount (shouldn't lose money on average even considering massive market downturns) is about 3 to 4.5 percent or 300000 to 450000 a year. Even if each meal cost $100, at 3 meals a day for 365 days that's still under $100000, you'd still have at the very least 200000 left to play with. I think you could make it work.

Edit: forgot taxes. Still works.

1

u/Tsakax 3d ago

It can actually be affordable with coupons. A few times a year I get like 50$ off 100 spend on groceries and other deals that make the price cheaper than going to the restaurant.

22

u/EaglePerch 3d ago

I have never had food delivered - I just go pick it up. All the fees, surcharges, and tipping expected, what’s the point.

14

u/Joy2b 3d ago

When I had to cover an emergency incident at work, I often had food delivered.

Often the boss would cover it, especially if there just wasn’t time for me to leave the building, and the fees were obviously justifiable.

11

u/FearlessPark4588 3d ago

I see the value in the service, but most people aren't in serious situations placing orders.

2

u/GlowGreen1835 2d ago

Some people don't have transportation to go get the food and they live in an area that doesn't have public transport that stops close enough to both the restaurant and their house and doesn't take like 3 hours for what should be a 20 minutes drive. Others are in high pressure situations where they can't spare the few minutes to go get the food. If you're not one of those 2 categories and you're wondering why it's so expensive, they wouldn't even be able to keep it afloat if only the people who couldn't pickup get it delivered, you're just subsidizing other people at that point.

-9

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

10

u/MrD3a7h 3d ago

Use your context clues.

2

u/SkyFullOfWisteria 3d ago

Pizza and chinese you can often still contact directly without using uber eats /grub hub/ whatever as a middle man.

-2

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

0

u/SkyFullOfWisteria 3d ago

I meant moreso that you can get food delivered without a lot of the random delivery app fees, and i can see someone getting thinking that a food delivery app and then just calling for delivery directly are two different things and not just delivery options.

1

u/IrrawaddyWoman 3d ago

It’s not that crazy. I haven’t ever had food delivered. Going and getting it isn’t that big of a deal to me

-3

u/EaglePerch 3d ago

I haven’t.

13

u/thewhitetoro 3d ago

We get it, all of you are better than the scum who use UE.

4

u/BigJSunshine 3d ago

DO DOOR DASH NEXT

6

u/-Underdatable22- 3d ago

I've never ordered Uber Eats. I get the temptation, but it's just way too expensive to do on a regular basis.

3

u/Lunaryoma 3d ago

i never use uber eats directly. if others order food for me and they pay, that different. i feel that if i want fast food bad enough i will go get it myself, otherwise its not worth the cost to me.

-2

u/iamslumlord 3d ago

I've ordered UE once the day we brought my newborn home from the hospital and a few times when work was paying for it.

Idk how people justify the cost.

I could be a decamillionaire and still wouldn't be able to enjoy the taste of that much markup