October 31, 2022
After monitoring how many alcohol orders a customer makes, Uber Eats threatened to suspend a customer’s account if he buys alcohol too often, angering an Australian customer.
“Our systems show you’ve placed a few alcohol orders over the past few weeks.” The email was sent to an unnamed Australian customer, who then shared it on Reddit. It went on to say that if that sequence of orders continued, the customer account could be temporarily suspended or considered for further review.
“Experts recommend no more than ten standard drinks each week,” Uber added.
Uber Eats reportedly began sending those signals in August, but there are no limits on ordering alcohol to prevent users from ordering too much, and the emails are said to be sponsored by an NGO called DrinkWise, with which Uber has been working since 2016, when it launched a campaign against drunk driving and expanded its engagement in 2018, when Uber Eats first launched an alcohol delivery service in Melbourne, Australia.
“This includes frequent communication to encourage moderation, educating consumers about the government guidelines, implementing ID and sobriety checks, and incorporating alcohol ordering limits,” the company said, while affirming its commitment to responsible drinking. “If a customer’s order exceeds the limits, they will be notified in the app and unable to check out. This is to ensure we can make safe, smart, and responsible decisions about alcohol consumption together.”
The sources for this piece include an article in NYPost.
