Placing a DoorDash order only to watch the tracker stall can be frustrating, especially when the app confirms the restaurant has finished preparing your meal. This scenario involves the food sitting ready while a driver, known as a Dasher, has yet to be assigned or arrive for pickup. Understanding this delivery failure offers clarity on navigating the platform’s resolution process.
Common Reasons Orders Are Not Picked Up
Several factors contribute to a prepared order remaining uncollected. During peak dining hours or inclement weather, high demand can quickly outpace the available supply of Dashers, leading to a temporary driver shortage. The system may also experience assignment errors, where the intended driver cancels or is never properly routed.
A Dasher’s decision to accept an order is based on the estimated payout, which includes the base pay and customer tip. If the combined total is too low for the distance required, the order may be repeatedly passed over by multiple drivers. Also, if a restaurant has internal delays, an assigned Dasher may choose to “unassign” themselves to prioritize more time-efficient deliveries, leaving the food without transport.
Immediate Steps When Your Order Is Delayed
Once the app status indicates the food is ready but no driver movement is registered, wait approximately 15 to 20 minutes past the original estimated delivery time before taking action. This buffer accounts for unexpected traffic or minor delays the tracker may not reflect. First, review the tracking screen to confirm the driver status remains “waiting for Dasher” or “Dasher assigned but delayed.”
Initiating contact through the in-app support chat function is the most direct way to resolve the issue, connecting you instantly with a live agent. Provide your order number, the time the order was placed, and the stalled status shown in the app. This information allows the support team to quickly verify the situation and manually intervene by attempting to re-assign the order or initiating a financial resolution. This communication is necessary to officially log the delivery failure and start the compensation process.
DoorDash Policy on Financial Compensation
When an order is never picked up, the customer is fully entitled to a complete financial reimbursement, as the delivery service was not successfully rendered. This compensation covers the full amount charged, including the cost of the food, any applicable service or delivery fees, and the gratuity originally allocated to the Dasher. The platform assumes responsibility for the failure to complete the transaction, which is why the refund mechanism is straightforward.
Upon confirmation of the delivery failure by the support agent, the process for a full refund is immediately initiated, typically by reversing the authorization hold or charge placed on the payment method. The funds are returned to the original payment source used for the purchase, whether it was a credit card, debit card, or a third-party payment system like PayPal. The timeline for seeing the money returned depends on the processing speed of your financial institution.
Most customers can expect the refunded amount to post back to their account within five to ten business days. While DoorDash processes the credit instantly on their end, the bank’s internal procedures dictate the final delay before the funds become available. This reversal ensures the customer incurs no financial loss for the failed delivery attempt.
Choosing Between a Refund and a Replacement Order
An alternative resolution option presented by customer support is to immediately place a replacement order. This option offers the fastest way to receive the desired meal without starting the ordering process over. The primary benefit is getting food sooner, but a potential drawback is the risk that the new order could encounter the same driver shortage problems as the first.
If a replacement order is agreed upon, DoorDash typically covers the cost entirely through platform credits applied to the new transaction. The customer does not incur new charges for the food or delivery fees. The customer must weigh the immediate need for food against the potential for a longer wait time if the replacement order also faces delays. The choice between receiving a full refund and opting for a covered replacement rests with the customer’s preference.
The Fate of the Prepared Food
When an order is prepared but never collected, the restaurant is compensated for the food by DoorDash, which absorbs the cost of the failed delivery. Because the food may have been sitting for an unknown time, it is usually discarded to comply with food safety regulations. Occasionally, restaurants may offer the untouched food to their staff, but disposal is the common outcome due to the uncertainty surrounding its holding time and temperature.