Meal Delivery Apps:
Consumers don’t know how much they’ll be paying.
Restaurants can’t predict how little they’ll earn.
The apps keep you guessing.
Meal delivery apps such as DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats have created marketplaces that are confusing and costly for consumers and restaurants.
People often pay $20 for fast-food meals that cost $10 at the counter. Many fees are hidden until the end—and you’d have to be a super sleuth to figure out what they cover!
Restaurants are suffering because they have little control over their own finances. They pay 15% to 30% commission on delivery orders as “digital rent” to show up in the apps. That can go as high as 40% with the mysterious ways apps tack on extra fees.
Sadly, many independent restaurants will not survive this shakedown.
The big apps don’t care. DoorDash made approximately $14 billion last year in the U.S. Uber Eats made about $18 billion worldwide.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating the practices that have led to this imbalance. It wants to know about the personal experiences of anyone impacted by the chaos of constantly changing fees, unpredictable charges, and other questionable tactics. If you’re a customer, a delivery driver or a restaurant operator, you need to share your experiences!
You don’t use the apps?
You’re still paying for them.
Even if you don’t order food from third-party delivery apps, you may be impacted. Many restaurants have been forced to raise menu prices across the board just to make a profit since the apps take so much of their revenue. There is currently a class-action lawsuit pending against GrubHub and Uber Eats that alleges the apps’ anti-competitive behaviors led to increased prices for all restaurant customers, including dine-in guests.
Make your voice heard! Tell the FTC how these business practices are driving up prices and harming the neighborhood eateries you love.
Get your story on the record.
You’ll find helpful information on the following pages — along with comment generators so you can quickly create a message and send it to the FTC. Just check some boxes, personalize your words, and then copy/paste itinto the FTC comment box. It’s easy!
