A content creator is going viral on TikTok after exposing what she thinks is a new DoorDash scam. User @justmtvofficial said she found out about this alleged hustle after attempting to order a sunset lamp through DoorDash.
“If anybody else has experienced this, please let me know,” she said. As of this writing, her video sharing her driver’s actions—and what she believes is a new fraudulent scheme—has amassed more than 380,500 views.
Are DoorDash drivers scamming customers?
@justmtvofficial seems to believe so, at least.
“So apparently, there’s a DoorDash scam,” she said at the start of her nearly five-minute clip.
@justmtvofficial said she ordered a sunset lamp from DoorDash, but her Dasher called and said that her item was out of stock. She said her driver asked whether she wanted a substitute instead.
“If they don’t have a sunset lamp, I don’t want a regular lamp,” @justmtvofficial said. That’s when she said the driver made a strange request. She said he asked her to cancel her order on her end, and he’d ask a worker whether the lamp was available.
The content creator, though, said this exchange “set off a red flag.”
@justmtvofficial said minutes later, the driver reached out via text to let her know that the lamp she wanted wasn’t in stock. However, she said she noticed upon checking the app that the driver wasn’t even at—or near—the store. That’s when she figured out the supposed scam.
She said she realized that if a customer cancels their order after a Dasher goes to the store and attempts to fulfill it, then customers won’t get a refund, but the Dashers will still get paid for half the order.
“This dude just tried to screw me out of a sunset lamp and still get the money for it, which I think is ridiculous,” she said.
Wait what is a sunset lamp though?
A buzzy indoor lamp that projects sunset-colored vibes onto your wall. It’s blown up recently on TikTok. As House Beautiful writes, it is “typically equipped with colorful lightbulbs and projects an ombré glow that’s a dead-ringer for golden hour. While there are no official benefits to sunlight lamps, the warm wash they bring can offer a peaceful respite—especially when natural sunlight is at a premium.”
In the end, @justmtvofficial said she reported the Dasher and that a new driver accepted her order. Unsurprisingly, the new driver was able to find the sunset lamp at the same store where the first driver said it was unavailable.
“He just tried to scam me out of money and didn’t even try to complete my order,” @justmtvofficial said. “Thankfully, I didn’t cancel the order.”
Issues with DoorDash
@justmtvofficial certainly isn’t the first DoorDash customer to report problems with the delivery app. Some common issues associated with drop-offs include Dashers leaving food and other items in inconvenient places or customers realizing items are missing from their orders.
In one instance, a customer said their Dasher destroyed his coffee order because he didn’t tip. Another said that she ordered DoorDash to her job, but it took nearly two hours to arrive.
Of course, customers aren’t the only ones getting screwed by DoorDash. Some workers report issues with difficult shoppers, too. As previously covered by the Daily Dot, some Dashers have reported extremely low pay and or sketchy customers who have sent them to the wrong address.
Viewers torn on ‘scam’ theory
It’s true that customers and Dashers alike have experienced issues with DoorDash. However, in the comments section of @justmtvofficial’s video, some DoorDash workers said they were skeptical of the alleged scam @justmtvofficial reported.
“As a dasher they don’t see the items you are getting until they claim it,” one worker said. “My guess [is] he didn’t want to do it once he saw what it was but didn’t want to get a mark down on his score by abandoning your [order.]”
“I drive for DoorDash and we are required to check in when we get to the store,” another said. “You have to be in a certain radius of the store to be able to check in so even if you would’ve canceled your order you still should’ve gotten a full refund.”
Others, however, agreed with @justmtvofficial and advised against canceling your own orders.
“Never cancel your order,” one person wrote. “Call [customer service] yourself and make them cancel it on their end and they’ll refund you all of it.”
“Never cancel your order,” another viewer added. “Never.”
Is it time to ditch DoorDash?
Because of the reported issues with DoorDash, a number of users—including former drivers—said they refused to use the app.
“I stopped using DD. When we ordered food every single time an entree would be missing,” one viewer shared.
“I do Uber Eats because DoorDash is full of scammers in this area,” a second customer said.
@justmtvofficial Potential doordash scam?
♬ original sound – Just MTV(Making Tiktok Videos)
“I quit DoorDash,” one former worker wrote. “Way too many issues with them.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @justmtvofficial via TikTok comment and to DoorDash by email.
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