If you’ve ever ordered a cheeky kebab or a piping hot burger through Uber Eats, you probably expect your meal to arrive quickly, safely, and at your front door.

Yet, a troubling trend is emerging, frustrating Aussie customers and hurting small business owners.

And the worst part? It’s unfolding right under our noses.

John tried to contact the driver, who simply replied, ‘I’m coming,’ but continued to dawdle.

For a busy small business, every minute counts—especially when hungry customers are waiting.

‘Mate, you don’t like it? Cancel the job. Give it to someone who’s close by,’ John vented.

Aussie kebab shop owner slams Uber Eats drivers for falsely marking orders as picked up, causing delays and frustration for businesses. Credit: Google Maps

‘You cannot. This is not fair.’

But the problem doesn’t end with late pickups. John explained that if he gives the driver a negative rating for the delay, there’s a real risk the driver could retaliate by leaving a bad review for his business on Google.

‘Is this fair? Is this justice?’ he asked, echoing the concerns of countless other small business owners who feel trapped by a system that can punish them for speaking up.

And it’s not just kebab shops feeling the heat. Social media is awash with stories from frustrated customers and business owners alike.

One user shared, ‘I had one say they had picked it up, but the store rang me to say they hadn’t. I told them I’d pick it up, and in the meantime, the driver cancelled the order. I got a refund and the food. Some drivers are very dodgy.’

Another added, ‘Lately my Uber orders are cold. The problem is they are multi-lapping and have three or four orders at the same time.’

This practice, known as ‘stacking’ or ‘multi-lapping’, means drivers accept multiple orders at once, often leading to delays and cold food for everyone involved.

But the dodgy behaviour doesn’t stop there. In a particularly brazen case, Corey Davis, a retail worker in Adelaide, ordered a feast for himself and his colleagues.

CCTV footage showed the Uber Eats driver taking a photo of the food on the kerb to ‘prove’ delivery, only to pick it up again and drive off with the meal!

​

After lodging a complaint, Corey was offered a flat $25 refund—hardly compensation for a stolen lunch and a ruined workday.

So, what’s going on here? The Uber Eats rating system is supposed to keep everyone honest, allowing both customers and drivers to leave feedback.

But for small businesses, the threat of ‘revenge reviews’—where a driver retaliates with a bad public review—can be devastating.

A single negative review can hurt a business’s reputation and bottom line, making some owners reluctant to report poor service.

John Jenkins and others are calling on Uber to fix the system. ‘This is causing businesses big problems. If you don’t fix it, you will lose a lot of customers,’ John warned.

And he’s not wrong—trust is everything in the world of food delivery.

Key Takeaways

• An Aussie kebab shop owner has criticised Uber Eats drivers for falsely claiming to have picked up orders when they haven’t even arrived at the shop, causing long delays and frustration for businesses.
• The owner, John Jenkins, said leaving negative feedback on dodgy drivers can backfire, as drivers might retaliate with poor Google reviews against the business.
• Social media users shared similar stories, including drivers accepting multiple orders at once, leading to cold food and cancelled or stolen deliveries.
• Concerns have been raised that Uber Eats’ feedback system increases risks for small businesses, and calls have been made for Uber to fix the issue to prevent further loss of customers.

Have you had a dodgy delivery experience? Have you ever received cold food, or worse, had your meal go missing? We’d love to hear your stories—share your experiences in the comments below.

Read more: ‘I want to sleep with you’: Woman shares terrifying experience with food delivery driver

 

[Noon]

I had a Coles online order for home delivery not turn up - waited over an hour over the delivery time, spoke to their Customer Service. turned out the driver had cancelled my order delivery 5 minutes after he had picked it up. No advising the store and no explanation. So after a lot of rigmarole and getting credit back my husband came home and came in and said "have a look what's at the front door". The driver had done a dump and run with my order which had obviously been sitting in his car for over 3-4 hours and left it sitting in the boiling hot sun. So more phone calls later I had to get credit for all my frozen goods that had defrosted - meat included. It was a nightmare but that was the only one delivery that was bad for us. But have had terrible deliveries from Hungry Jacks and Kentucky Fried.

I can't understand these people who have groceries or fast food delivered. I love shopping but if I want fast food I go out to buy it, but I get pizza delivered.

 

[Jest]

Please don't call people with a disability lazy and grizzly, there is enough air for everyone.

excuse me 7777! where did i mention disability, lazy and grizzly i stand by. you are very rude.

 

[Jest]

As posted here by another person - not everyone is able to drive to the shop, pick up their meal and drive home, due to various situations they are faced with. Don’t be critical, just because you are able to do it. Misfortune can befall YOU at any time, even in the time you take to read this, God forbid.

However there could very well be those that are plain lazy and have more money to do this but then to also whinge about ‘no money’ and ‘things that are becoming too expensive’.

my remark was not about one person. I said so many people which I stand by. 7777 has made an incorrect mark to me and bought in disability. I DID NOT mention that word and neither would I,

 

[Isis]

Get off your bums, drive to the Kebab shop and place your order, pay for it with cash, drive home and enjoy a hot tasty meal and you know you are getting what you ordered. SIMPLE

Would love to. 85 and disabled hope you don’t mind me placing an order.

 

[Isis]

if you have all that wrong then, you should not be eating the rubbish. OMG

I do hope you t get to a time when you can no longer drive, are old, or disabled and want a treat. You might think of your judgemental post and feel ashamed

 

[Isis]

excuse me 7777! where did i mention disability, lazy and grizzly i stand by. you are very rude.

I think it was intimated in your words.

 

[Luckyus]

If I can't order and collect it myself then I'll go without I trust no bastard when foodstuffs are involved.

 

[Isis]

I can't understand these people who have groceries or fast food delivered. I love shopping but if I want fast food I go out to buy it, but I get pizza delivered.

Not hard to understand. Dusabilit no longer driving etc. I love shopping as well sad face.

 

[Wombat2u2004]

Totally understand the frustration of the customer, but how is that immigration problem? It's for his employer to confirm his /her communication skill. At least the person is honest and working! This is a typical short sighted response..

Well, you have your opinion of them, and I have mine.

 

[7777]

I do not believe that people are referring to those with disabilities or sickness or other reason for not driving themselves to collect takeaway, I believe in their mind they referring to able bodied people who could get their own takeaways but choose not to. It seems in these times people need to clarify everything they say very clearly, or it will end up upsetting someone.

Dear member Kahlan28, thankyou for your post and l agree with you. However, I do believe the post was placed here for members to view, who who are elderly and may have either a disability, an illness or don't drive. The post did not specify that it was not referring to those with a disability, illness or those who can't drive Have a lovely day.