LA restaurants face a new kind of dine-and-dash - disputed charges/missing item claims on deliveries

[Demovictory9]

Spoon by H, Yoonjin Hwang’s celebrated Korean restaurant in Fairfax, is closing. Business had been slow since the start of the pandemic, but last summer, Hwang said, she started to notice more people disputing charges and claiming missing items through delivery apps. The restaurant was bleeding money and she was spending hours on the phone with the people behind the apps, trying to dispute the chargebacks.

“We lost orders, time, precious ingredients, and the problems accumulated to the point where we just couldn’t stay in business anymore,” she said. “We’re losing money to these issues, despite all the evidence we provide.”


One of the worst incidents for Spoon by H happened on Nov. 10, when a customer placed an online order for four “meat lovers” combo meals. It was one of the largest orders Hwang had ever received. The meals were elaborate and each included a galbijjim and oxtail tray, spicy beef japchae and a beef short rib rice cake soup.


The total was $728.76.

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“I was so grateful for the business,” she said. “I thought it must be because of the holiday season.”

On Nov. 18, at around 4:45 p.m., a man knocked on the door of the restaurant and gave the name on the order. Hwang, who is usually cooking in the kitchen, was waiting to greet the customer. With such a large order, she wanted to thank him personally for his business.

He offered to take the food to his car, but Hwang explained that it was far too much for one person to carry, and she grabbed a few bags herself.

** read at link about how she was cheated out of a $700 plus meal***

https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-02-23/restaurant-scam-credit-card-fraud

https://sports.yahoo.com/la-restaurants-struggle-form-dine-130024395.html

[SoonerPride]

1. Take photos of all orders as proof

Any missing items may be eaten by the delivery drivers.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. That's not true proof because you can't prove you didn't remove something before boxing

and sending the order out.

Not saying it's a bad idea but fundamentally this is a flaw with the 'system'.

Customers can game it by saying something was missing, and nobody can truly prove any differently. So they get the benefit of the doubt pretty much always unless they abuse the ability.

Most of my food deliveries lately have been in sealed bags. I think the drivers eating the food is WAAAAAY less common than the restaurant forgetting something in the first place.

[Midnightwalk]

5. Didn't work

Couldn’t cut and paste but she did and some customers “found” the missing items in their cars. But she kept losing too much money and had to close.

The credit card companies took the customer’s side. Maybe some was the delivery person, but I’d bet most was customers trying to save a few bucks. If it was the delivery person they would be pointing fingers.

I bet the flip side is delivery people having to dispute accusations they stole food.

[dhol82]

2. That's just heartbreaking.

[jimfields33]

4. Really incredible that restaurants go through this.

Of course the population will then complain about no restaurants in their area when they all close. Forgetting the reason why they closed in the first place. Vicious cycle. I feel bad for those owners.

[TheFarseer]

6. Some people are such assholes

They have no respect for other people’s hard work.

[exboyfil]

7. My daughter came home after being out of town to find

a pizza on the doorstep. The address on the box was for the next house. She called the pizza place, and took the pizza over to her neighbors (telling them to not eat it of course).

Sometimes the delivery guy is in the wrong.

[Demovictory9]

11. an order was left on my doorstep also.. no address... tossed it.

[Fullduplexxx]

8. And then people wonder why companies are so mean

[dhill926]

9. we just don't use delivery apps...

if a restaurant doesn't have their own delivery, we don't order there, or we go pick it up...

[Demovictory9]

12. learning that the app companies keep 30% or more of the cost of the meal has changed my habits

i pick up now.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. A couple of days ago I did an on-line order at a local restaurant.

When I got it home, it was actually someone else's. I simply consumed it, because it was still a selection I was willing to eat. Not sure what happened either to my actual order, or to the person whose order I had.

I will say, that's the only time that has ever happened to me.

[tulipsandroses]

13. I hate that she got scammed, I am not going to blame the victim, but I think its imperative

that identification is necessary if anyone is placing such a large order. I know business is slow and people are happy when they get a large order, but scammers are everywhere. I would require ID for any order over a certain amount. Especially if this was a first time customer.

Its really a damn shame that some people take advantage of others. Crooks are everywhere. Years ago, I used to sell on Ebay for extra cash. I learned the hard way to always deliver with signed delivery. People got their items and said it wasn't delivered.

Door Dash has a limit on how many times during a specific period you can get a credit for incorrect orders. I found that can work against us consumers. I've lost money on items not received.

I think restaurant delivery apps are great. That's one area that needs to be worked on so that neither consumer nor businesses gets ripped off.

[Mr.Bill]

14. I read somewhere recently that when you order room service

in a Hotel, it's likely the person who brought it to your room ate a bit of it before it got to you. Things like taking a few of your French Fries and things like that.

[FlyingPiggy]

15. That's horrible. Our society is plagued by so many social ills.

I am not sure how we would go about instilling character and integrity into our populace. Just sad.....