As handy as apps are, they all share the same kryptonite: glitches. Some glitches seem to cause problems, like the occasional DoorDash outage, resulting in a lot of hungry people. However, on the evening of July 7th, a temporary glitch in the DoorDash app resulted in hundreds of people ordering free food.
The error was caused by a payment processing issue that allowed users to check out without an authorized form of payment. The DoorDash bug went viral on Twitter when people found out about it, causing restaurants across the country to take orders and deliveries en masse. By the time DoorDash fixed the issue, the damage had already been done: people had placed hundreds of orders for free food, drinks, and even Plan B.
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)
Twitter users who placed orders during the glitch are now concerned that DoorDash may now extract the full prices of their purchasesand some say they woke up the day after the glitch to find their accounts gone calculated. People are also calling those who took advantage of the glitch but didn’t tip drivers for large orders, drawing attention to the extra work the restaurant workers have been hit with.
This isn’t the first time users have encountered glitches in a grocery delivery app. In May 2022, a $15 free lunch GrubHub coupon code caused the app to crash entirely, leaving many New York City residents both hungry and frustrated. Likewise, restaurants were bombarded with orders and drivers were often left untipped. DoorDash is currently working to fix the effects of the bug.
“We are actively canceling fraudulent orders and are in touch with affected merchants to ensure they are compensated for any unauthorized orders they may have received,” DoorDash told Mashable. “We work to ensure that we always provide the highest quality of service to the communities we serve, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes.”