Covid 19 coronavirus: Uber Eats driver bursts family bubble day before they meet 90-year-old grandma

An Uber Eats delivery driver has burst an East Auckland family's bubble a day before they are due to reunite with a 90-year-old grandmother.

The family ordered a bacon cheeseburger and chicken club combo from Wendy's through Uber Eats last Sunday evening at 8.59pm and the delivery arrived at their Golflands home about 9.20pm.

"The driver dropped off the wrong order and left, then he came back with the correct one about a minute or so later and my son opened the front door after the driver knocked," said the woman who made the order.

"My son turned to get the wrong order to give it back to the driver, and the driver literally stepped inside our front door, and handed son the right order."

The woman, who wanted to be named only as Anna, said her son told the driver to get back.

"The driver hesitated and then stepped back and took off when I came down the stairs to see what the hell was going on," she said.

"The driver was wearing a mask and gloves, but either way he shouldn't have been inside our house and most certainly wasn't invited in."

Anna said she was "so p*****" with the driver, and immediately thought of ringing Uber to make a complaint but could not find a contact number online.

"We have been correctly isolating ourselves trying to keep safe and this idiot literally just breached our bubble big time," she said.

"We haven't even seen my 90-year-old mum during lockdown, and now I'm thinking we may have to wait another flipping two weeks before we can add her to the bubble, and she was due here tomorrow for the first time in weeks!"

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

An Uber Eats spokesman said the company had been in contact directly with the account holder regarding this matter.

"Safety is essential to Uber and it's at the heart of everything we do. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, we've introduced contactless delivery through an update to the
Uber Eats app," he said.

"Delivery partners will continue to be educated about this change, and are also receiving in-app messages and emails reminding them of basic steps they can take to help prevent the spread of the virus which draws on advice from public health authorities."

The company delivers for more than 22,000 restaurants and eateries in New Zealand and Australia.

The spokesman said the company was continuing to share advice from public health authorities with those who use the app.

"We are always working to help keep everyone who uses the Uber platform safe," he added.

Many food retailers have reopened for business under alert level 3, including fast-food favourites like McDonald's, Domino's, Subway, Tank, Wendy's and KFC.

However, under current rules they have to keep their operations and delivery methods contactless.

The Restaurant Association had earlier in the month complained about the cost for restaurants sending out Uber Eats deliveries.

It said the company charges between 30 and 35 per cent commission on sales which made it hard for businesses to turn a profit when food is delivered through Uber Eats.

But the company announced last week that, to support local businesses, it would be
giving independent restaurants in New Zealand and Australia up to $5 million to spend on in-app promotions for their customers and axing service fees for restaurants on pick-up orders until June 30.

It would also waive sign-up fees for new restaurants and caterers until May 4, offer customers the chance to add a tip to their order with restaurants getting 100 per cent of the money, and an option of daily payments for restaurants.