Uber Eats Scam Reported in St Leonards
JOEL CHESHIRE
Local residents have raised concerns over what appears to be a fake restaurant operating on Uber Eats, after a Hastings customer reported being left without food and unable to contact the supposed business.
Uber Eats is an online food delivery platform that allows customers to order from local restaurants via an app or website, with deliveries handled by independent couriers. However, a Reddit post has cast doubt on the reliability of at least one listing available to users in the area.
In this case, the customer placed an order from a listing called ‘Greek Gyros’ on Uber Eats, only for the food never to arrive. Attempts to contact the restaurant proved unsuccessful, with the phone number and address listed in St Leonards turning out to be incorrect.
It seems that a genuine Greek Gyros restaurant traded locally but closed in 2024. Nevertheless it has still been appearing – at least until very recently – on Uber Eats sites, borrowing images and menu items from a legitimate restaurant known as ‘Monster Burgerz’ so as to appear authentic.
Adding to the confusion, another local business’s phone number was reportedly used on the fake listing, resulting in calls from frustrated customers who believed they were chasing a missing order.
As Uber Eats charges restaurants a commission on each order, typically as a percentage of the food price, questions have been raised about the platform’s oversight and whether customers can fully trust the listings presented to them. For residents, this could mean money leaving their accounts with little reassurance of a swift or straightforward refund if something goes wrong.
SHARED EXPERIENCES
While fellow Reddit users encouraged the original poster to report the issue to Uber Eats, several shared their own experiences of slow responses or unresolved complaints. One commenter claimed they had reported the same listing more than a month ago, only to see it remain active, while another said their support chat was closed without any clear outcome.
The discussion soon widened to include concerns about so-called ‘ghost kitchens’ and virtual restaurants. These are businesses that operate without a physical dine-in venue and often work from shared or third-party kitchens. While many such operations are legitimate, users noted that the model can make it difficult for customers to know where their food is coming from and whether a listing represents a genuine business.
Some commenters warned that scammers can exploit this system by creating clone listings with convincing names, menus and addresses, taking orders and payments before cancelling or disappearing altogether.
Residents are being advised to check reviews, addresses and contact details carefully when ordering from unfamiliar listings, and to report any suspicious activity or missing orders to Uber Eats as soon as possible. While the company does provide official guidance encouraging users to flag unusual behaviour, many locals remain frustrated by what they describe as inconsistent support when problems arise.
HIP approached Uber Eats to comment directly on the matters set out in this report, but at the time of going to press, no response has been received.
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