Woman 'horrified' after Deliveroo rider yells for her outside home, sees her in only a towel

The New Paper
July 24, 2023

Realising her doorbell was faulty, she left instructions for her food order to be left on her shoe rack. 

But apparently, the delivery rider from Deliveroo didn’t get the memo – and when he arrived with her order, he proceeded to yell for her outside her home, sparking an awkward encounter between the two that made the woman feel “horrified”. 

The woman, surnamed Lim, took to Facebook to share her experience, which has also prompted Deliveroo to issue an apology.  

Speaking to MS News, Lim said she was using Deliveroo for the first time on Thursday (July 20) and was unaware of their  “customer confirmation code” policy, which requires the customer to share a two-digit number with the rider once they receive their order. 

She did, however, leave a note for the food to be left outside her home. Thinking that was sufficient, she decided to take a shower.  

Later, while in her bathroom, she heard the rider shouting “Hello!” repeatedly. Worried that the noise would disturb her neighbours, Lim rushed out, dripping wet, with only a towel wrapped around her. 

At the front door, she said the rider stared at her in her towel, and so she hid behind a wall for modesty’s sake.

“The food rider refused to look away until I had to raise my voice to tell him, ‘Look away! And turn around now!'” she said.

During the exchange, Lim alleged that the rider threatened to leave with her food unless she gave him the confirmation code.

“I was horrified and felt like I was being held hostage,” Lim said, adding that she was oblivious of the two-digit pin code requirement at the time.

To retrieve the code, Lim said she had to go to her laptop in her living room, where she was in full view of her corridor and surrounding blocks.

“When I turned to give him the pin code, to my horror, his body position had now changed to sideways, and he seemed to have a mobile phone in his hand,” she said.

“I was shocked. I thought he might have taken a photo or video of me while I was on my laptop.”

After informing the rider of the code, Lim said she didn’t dare retrieve her food until he had left.

Concerned that the rider might have taken photos or videos of her, Lim reported the matter to Deliveroo. She also lodged a police report over the incident. 

Lim said she was also upset that there was no clear information given on the two-digit confirmation code on the delivery platform’s website.

“If I was made aware of this, the entire incident could have been avoided, and the food rider would not be under investigation either.”

DELIVEROO APOLOGISES

A Deliveroo spokesman told MS News it is currently investigating the issue, and explained that the pin code is part of a new app feature to mitigate any potential confusion for the customer and rider.

“In an event where the rider is unable to retrieve the code from the customer, there are alternative ways to confirm the order and we will be sure to continue to communicate to our riders on how they can proceed in such cases,” they said.

The full statement is as follows:

We are sorry for the customer’s experience and are investigating this issue as a matter of urgency. We have recently introduced an app feature where customers may receive a code immediately after confirming their orders. Riders will then ask for the code upon their arrival to confirm receipt of the order. This is to ensure confirmation from both the customer and rider that the order has been delivered and completed, mitigating any potential confusion. The code can be communicated with the rider via call or chat from within the app as well. This simple process is currently applicable for selected orders, aimed at providing our customers with greater assurance and an improved delivery experience.

In an event where the rider is unable to retrieve the code from the customer, there are alternative ways to confirm the order and we will be sure to continue to communicate to our riders on how they can proceed in such cases.

At Deliveroo, we are committed to delivering the best possible customer experience and strive to continuously improve our processes based on feedback from consumers, restaurants and riders.