A customer using a delivery platform's 'single household delivery' service raised concerns after noticing that the rider assigned to their order stopped at another apartment complex. The customer had paid an additional 1,000 won for the service but suspected that the rider was handling multiple orders during the delivery process.
On September 9, a post titled 'Single Household Delivery: Customers Can't Get Refunds Even If the Rider Doesn't Deliver to One Household' appeared on an online community.
The author of the post, identified as A, stated, "I often used the single household delivery service thinking it only delivered to one household. This time, I kept the order screen open while playing a game after placing my order."
While checking the delivery route, A noticed that the rider, who was supposed to be heading to their home, stopped at an apartment complex in the opposite direction.
A explained, "I couldn't record the pickup from the store, but I started recording the screen from that point. The food I ordered was dessert, so it didn't suffer any direct damage from being delayed."
The issue arose with the single household delivery fee. A pointed out, "The important thing is that single household delivery costs 1,000 won more than regular delivery," and shared their conversation with the platform's customer service.
According to A's account, the customer service representative stated, "For single household delivery orders, only one order can be completed by a single rider from pickup to delivery. We ask for your understanding that multiple deliveries by one rider are not possible due to system limitations."
The representative added, "While this may not fully address your inconvenience, I will assist in issuing a coupon that can be used in conjunction with other coupons for future single household delivery orders."
However, A insisted on verifying the delivery route. When A mentioned, "I recorded this on screen. I used single household delivery, but the rider delivered to a completely different apartment," the representative responded, "I apologize for the inconvenience. I will request additional measures to strengthen follow-up actions regarding the rider to improve our service based on today's incident." The representative also noted, "Conducting deliveries for other companies while performing a single delivery is a serious violation, and actions will be taken according to our policies after verifying the facts."
Regarding the refund for the delivery fee, A asked, "So you're saying that instead of a refund for the 1,000 won single household delivery fee, I will receive a coupon to use for my next single household delivery?" The representative replied, "I’m sorry, but we cannot refund the delivery fee." A pressed further, asking, "So, to conclude, I couldn't use the single household delivery service, but a refund is not possible, correct?"
A expressed in the community post, "1,000 won might seem like a small amount, but from a user's perspective, the company's response felt really inadequate."
In response, a company representative stated, "There can be various reasons such as physiological needs or vehicle issues, making it difficult for the representative to immediately determine whether the rider failed to fulfill the single household delivery. However, we provide coupons to customers as compensation regardless of the truth of the matter." The representative also clarified, "Single household delivery operates under a policy where a rider must complete one delivery before being assigned another, meaning they cannot take on multiple deliveries at once. If there are violations of our terms and operational policies, such as unjustified delays or actions that compromise service quality, we will take appropriate measures based on our standards."
The incident has garnered over 700 comments, attracting significant attention from online users. Many criticized the customer service response.
One user commented, "The direct loss is only 1,000 won, but if it were hot food or noodles instead of dessert, the quality would be compromised, making it a much larger issue." Another user noted, "This company has issues from the moment you contact customer service to the resolution process, and nothing is handled properly or satisfactorily." Others shared similar experiences, stating, "I also used single household delivery and saw the rider take a completely different route. When I contacted customer service, I just received a generic response and that was it."
Conversely, a user claiming to be a former delivery rider offered a different perspective. This user stated, "We don’t know if it’s a single household delivery; we just go where the company sends us. During peak hours, single household or budget deliveries don’t matter; it gets chaotic. If a rider is at a store for over 20 minutes, it could be because they pressed the pickup button incorrectly or the order system isn’t updating quickly enough. When ordering, I always choose budget delivery and check each address to ensure it’s as close to home as possible and avoids traffic."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.