Uber Eats Ridiculous Delivery Fees

[Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 09:33
Last edited 17/07/2020 - 10:14

Has anyone else noticed just how high Uber Eats delivery fees are now? My local Maccas around 1.1km away is now $6.99 for delivery, up from $4.99 at the beginning of 2019 (and after a price jump from $5.99 at the beginning of 2020). A local cafe that used to be $3.99 (it's about 1km away on foot, 400m as the crow flies, a brisk 10 minute walk) is now $5.99.

The first price rise this year coincided with Uber's algorithm change to favour cars over bicycles, and the second one coincided with the end of the 13 days of promotions.

The only reason I'm using it is the Amex statement credits for Uber Eats up to $100, or I wouldn't even bother at these prices!

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Comments

  • dust on 17/07/2020 - 09:37
    +25

    If it's too expensive, just don't use it?

    • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 09:38

      Like I said, if it weren't for the statement credits I wouldn't - I'm curious how widespread the price rises are, i.e. are they regionally based or across the board has Uber just decided that not content with gouging one side of the transaction, they now want to gouge all three.

  • djsweet on 17/07/2020 - 09:42
    +13

    FYI there might be something wrong with your legs if it takes you 10 minutes of 'brisk' walking to travel 400m.

    djsweet on 17/07/2020 - 09:42 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
    • wiipantz on 17/07/2020 - 09:53
      +16

      Getting Maccas delivered was sorta the clue

    • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 10:02
      +1

      It's actually a kilometre by ground, 400m as the crow flies. But the delivery services use as the crow flies to determine distance, not the actual travel time. When I'm not feeling ill, I do actually prefer to go pick up.

      • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 10:10

        Stop eating so much Maccas, you'll feel way better

        • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 10:16

          Maccas is the example, because they're literally everywhere, and the delivery fee is consistently unsubsidised, whereas any other national chain you can use as a reference is either subsidised or has extra cost loaded onto it (Nando's always seems to cost more than anything else the same distance away).

          • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 10:19
            -5

            @[Deactivated]: Stop eating Nandos too?

  • pharkurnell on 17/07/2020 - 09:56
    +11

    Just go pick it up… take you few mins.

    Only suckers use those delivery services.

    • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 10:07
      +8

      Or sick people. Or people in self-isolation. Especially now there are a few good reasons someone might need to stay home and order in.

      • Luo18740 on 17/07/2020 - 10:10

        If Uber Eats delivery fee is too high, they could use a different delivery service or order from the restaurant directly.

        • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 10:11
          +2

          The problem is if one service jumps prices, the others soon follow - the 2019 Uber price increase was a direct result of Deliveroo increasing fees. And many restaurants cannot afford to offer their own delivery service.

          • Luo18740 on 17/07/2020 - 10:36
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: Order from a restaurant that can deliver then. Otherwise you will be paying a middleman in one form or another.

          • Seraphin7 on 17/07/2020 - 11:12

            @[Deactivated]: Damn competition.

            • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 11:15
              +1

              @Seraphin7: If only we actually had competition. It's a pity that smaller restaurants don't band together to hire a couple of drivers between them to serve a few locals without having to go through a multinational middleman that charges so much.

              • Seraphin7 on 17/07/2020 - 11:29
                +1

                @[Deactivated]: But isn't that the point? There's nothing to stop the local restaurant strip doing exactly what you say with an ever revolving set of deliveries going out the door … but they don't.

                I can only assume that where this might be possible the restaurants have decided that the Uber, etc. model is preferable, probably because they ultimately don't have enough business to justify hiring a handful of drivers each night, don't want the hassle of organising them, and the Uber, etc. model promotes their business in a way they couldn't do themselves.

                Speaking personally, I think the customer service provided by Uber, etc. has gone downhill to the point where I use them a hell of a lot less than I used to. I now favour picking up from by local than getting the delivery in most cases. That said, I simply don't trust restaurants to organise their own delivery. Too many experiences of stuff turning up stone cold after a 90 minute wait … no thanks!

    • Trekky on 18/07/2020 - 08:37

      And not everyone has a car….

  • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2020 - 10:12
    +7

    Normally only get ubereats when theres free delivery

    • andresampras on 17/07/2020 - 11:32

      yeah my app always has a few locals with free delivery for 5 mins or something. For something like maccas i'd rather just drive-dhru

  • Drakesy on 17/07/2020 - 11:52
    +5

    Ubereats has a largely captive market, and people who use ubereats generally aren't using it because it's a cheap option, they're already happy to part with more cash for the service.
    IMHO Ubereats is entitled to price jack as much as they like and if the competitors follow then that's their decision. At the end of the day the cost/convenience ratio will outweigh the benefits, but until this happens they can push prices up all they liked.

    We've lived many years without food delivery except for pizzas and the odd takeaway, it's not a need, it's a want and if the price of convenience is too much you are entitled to stop using the service and walk there.

  • Donaldhump on 17/07/2020 - 12:24
    +3

    ridiculous is being too lazy to walk 1.1km for your maccas

    • Quantumcat on 18/07/2020 - 08:12

      Or drive through in your pjs

  • kanmen on 17/07/2020 - 14:28
    +1

    Maybe to you it's a lot given you live close to these outlets, but someone who lives a few kms away it might be worth it.

    It's on you for paying the fee when it might be economically cheaper for you to just go and get it.

    If you're using the current climate as a reason, I'd argue that you'd potentially want less hands touching your delivery by going and getting it yourself.

    Some people also get UberEats to support restaurants and delivery drivers.

  • brad1-8tsi on 17/07/2020 - 14:34
    +2

    Walk up to maccas to offset some of the calories, sugar, salt and fat you'll be sucking in.

  • Save 50 Cent on 17/07/2020 - 14:44
    +2

    You wouldn’t have thought it was expensive if you were the delivery driver making $12 an hour before expenses.

  • Nutrino on 17/07/2020 - 15:46
    +2

    Wow, what did people do before food delivery services?.

  • amsaini15 on 17/07/2020 - 21:22
    +2

    I would only use Uber Eats, Menulog or any food delivery service if they throw in some discount. Free delivery is not enough as the prices are already higher than the restaurant price.

  • Myone888 on 18/07/2020 - 08:06

    I never use delivery. The mark up is so high.

  • braskic on 18/07/2020 - 08:37

    There's another new algorithm as of the 28th June that pays drivers for the distance they drive to the restaurant now. Maybe that's it?

    • [Deactivated] on 18/07/2020 - 09:21

      Nah, they still don't pay for the trip to the restaurant. Just from it.

  • TilacVIP on 18/07/2020 - 09:05
    -2

    A fool and his money parted…

  • SlickMick on 18/07/2020 - 10:29
    +2

    I've never paid for food delivery and never will.But if your cash means so little to you that you would, that rate is unrealistically low. Would you drive to a restaurant, often having to park blocks away, usually have to wait around because your time means nothing but you need to be there when the food is ready, pick up a stranger's meal, and delivery it to them, for $6.99?

    I drove for Uber Eats for a while. I don't believe the business model is sustainable, but I guess I just don't understand people.
    It relies on people who are willing to throw money around unnecessarily. I know we produced a generation like that, but surely the next generation will see their folly??
    And it relies on people who think it's fun to drive around routing food to consumers (that was me after 3 years unemployment), or very poor in financial skills to see that it isn't a worthwhile investment of your time and vehicle (if it could be done by school kids on bikes, that might be different).

    So unless you would trust a school kid to deliver your food promptly and uneaten and unspoiled, or you want to contribute to slave labour, I don't see a place for food delivery.

  • TransportPosters on 19/07/2020 - 14:20

    A local cafe that used to be $3.99 (it's about 1km away on foot, 400m as the crow flies, a brisk 10 minute walk) is now $5.99.

    Could it be that the delivery fee is a flat fee based simply on the whole size of the suburb or postcode? Not actual physical distance from them to you? (I rarely pay people to bring me food so I don't really know how that works, it may not be that advanced. Just a theory.)

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