AITA for reporting a delivery driver who I thought was lying to get out of doing more work?

Food delivery services make ordering meals more convenient, but when items are missing, the process to get a refund can be frustrating. One Redditor shared a story of a recent order gone wrong—leading them to give their driver a one-star rating and revoke their tip.

But after talking to their sister, who works in the industry, they began wondering: Were they in the wrong?

‘AITA for reporting a delivery driver who I thought was lying to get out of doing more work?’

Expert Insight:

Why Delivery Drivers Can’t Check Orders

Food safety regulations prohibit drivers from opening sealed bags or containers to verify orders.

According to ServSafe, the National Restaurant Association’s food safety program, “third-party delivery drivers are not food handlers and should not open food packaging to check contents. Doing so could introduce contamination risks.”

Dr. Lisa Yakas, a food safety expert, also explains, “Food delivery must follow a chain of custody—meaning once the restaurant hands off the sealed order, the driver’s job is only to transport it.”

The Real Issue: The Restaurant or the App

Most delivery services require customers to contact customer support for missing items because restaurants are responsible for packaging orders.

Attorney Andrew Weisblatt explains: “In legal terms, the contract is between the customer and the restaurant, facilitated by the app. The driver is a third party with no obligation beyond safe delivery.”

Food industry consultant Steve Diforio adds: “If a restaurant frequently makes mistakes with orders, customers should rate the restaurant, not penalize the driver who had no control over the mistake.”

How OP Could Have Handled This Better

While OP was understandably frustrated, punishing the driver was misdirected. Here’s what they could have done instead:

1. Rate the restaurant, not the driver – The restaurant made the mistake, so a low rating and feedback should have been directed at them.
2. Use customer support – Yes, it’s annoying, but the app has refund processes in place. Drivers cannot fix the issue.
3. Understand food safety rules – OP assumed the driver was “lazy,” but they were actually following health and company regulations.

What Reddit Had to Say:

What do you think? Should OP have handled the situation differently, or was their reaction justified? Let us know in the comments!