Feeling hungry and lazy tonight? Get your Uber Eats order in quick

A woman ended up waiting an hour and a half on Friday night for an Uber Eats order. Photo / 123rf

Wet weather and a busy weekend in Auckland means home food delivery could be delayed - so allow a little extra time and get your order in early.

A reader told the Herald she ended up waiting an hour and a half on Friday night for an Uber Eats order she thought was 40 minutes away before giving up and cancelling the delivery.

An Uber spokeswoman explained 30 minutes was the average delivery time for Auckland, but last night's rain combined with a typically busy Friday night meant some orders might have taken longer than usual for a variety of reasons.

It could have been a lack of drivers or that the restaurant was overrun.

Uber encouraged drivers to work between 6pm and 8pm on weekends as they were the busiest and therefore most lucrative time to work, but drivers and restaurants could opt to take themselves offline if they were too busy, she said.

Restaurants partnered with Uber would not show up as available if they had taken themselves offline temporarily.

Uber Eats New Zealand manager Emma Foley said when demand was extra high, Uber would notify customers on the app.

"At times of high demand, or due to bad weather, ETAs may be longer than usual and we always urge delivery partners to prioritise safety while navigating the streets.

"For hungry Aucklanders looking to order Uber Eats tonight, restaurants closer to their homes can sometimes mean quicker deliveries - and you can always track your order at any time in the Uber Eats app."

Any issues could be dealt with by the company's 24/7 customer support team who could be contacted either on the app or by phoning ‭0800 398 740‬.