Uber Eats has apologised over a "mix-up" after a Nottinghamshire man fought to reclaim £82 for an accidental order of butter and sausages. Warren Blackwell, 42, was in the middle of cutting a hedge at 12.20pm on Tuesday, June 27, when he realised he had made an unintentional and unfortunate food order on Uber Eats.
With his unlocked phone in his pocket, the Beeston-based gardener had unknowingly ordered a £82.30 delivery - consisting of several butters and a variety of sausages and ham. Recalling the morning, he said: "It felt a bit hot in my pocket so I looked down and I saw I was on UberEats and it said 'order pending' - so I was panicking at that point thinking 'what the hell I had ordered'. I realised it was too late and the order was for more than £80 of mostly different butters, a packet of vegan sausages and Cumberland sausages."
After realising his error Mr Blackwell said he met the driver, who had travelled from the Sainsbury's on Carlton Street, and explained he had ordered it accidentally. "The only contact I could find was for the driver so I gave him a ring but he answered and then put it down, but I thought he's driving so he can't talk. Then I thought I'd just go meet the driver and explain what happened - I met him and told him it was a mistake so he said 'okay, I'll take it back to the shop'."
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"I didn't think anything of it but then I was charged for it, so I rang Sainsbury's and they said they hadn't had the order back. I tried ringing UberEats customer service, but I didn't have an active order, so I was directed to the website and then back round in a circle. When I finally got a message through, I was told the driver waited seven minutes for me and never spoke to me, so I had to pay for the items."
After Uber Eats was contacted by Mr Blackwell and then by Nottinghamshire Live, the company apologised for the "mix-up" and refunded him, but the episode has left him worried this could happen to more vulnerable customers, who would not then know how to get their money back. He added: "I'd totally understand if it was a takeaway or something like that, because you can't return it and it's my mistake, but because the driver told me he would take it back to the shop I presumed I would get a refund after that.
"They admitted I didn't get my goods and the driver said he would take it back, so where did my shopping go? It was really annoying because it was difficult to get in touch with anyone and I couldn't find an order number anywhere"
Uber did not explain what exactly had happened to the order, but reimbursed Mr Blackwell and apologised. A spokesperson said: "We're sorry for this mix-up and have refunded Warren in full."
