Ordering DoorDash? You Might Want to Use an Android Phone, Not an iPhone

pcmag.com:

Hungry? You might want to think twice about using your iPhone to order takeout through DoorDash. A new class-action lawsuit alleges the delivery app charges iPhone users more than it charges Android users.

As 9to5Mac reports(Opens in a new window), the lawsuit(Opens in a new window) says DoorDash engages in a “fraudulent scheme to charge and collect misleading, premium, and hidden fees from consumers for deliveries that DoorDash does not perform and for food that DoorDash does not sell."

The DoorDash customers who filed suit say the company uses an “Expanded Range Fee” to target iPhone users, which is charged regardless of where the customer is located. The lawsuit also claims this Expanded Range Fee is charged whether or not iPhone users subscribe to DashPass, the app’s $9.99 monthly premium service, which offers $0.00 delivery fees. 

The lawsuit, which was filed by Ross and Reid Hecox in Maryland district court last month, also alleges that DoorDash’s “Express” delivery option, which costs an extra $3, does not affect the actual delivery time of your order. Based on tests cited by the plaintiffs, iPhone users pay higher standard delivery fees than Android users, while the Expanded Range Fee is applied to iPhone users more often than Android users.

DoorDash says(Opens in a new window) the Expanded Range Fee "helps DoorDash preserve your access to the available merchants farthest from you."

In a statement to Insider(Opens in a new window), DoorDash denied any wrongdoing. “We ensure fees are disclosed throughout the customer experience, including on each restaurant storepage and before checkout," it said. "Building this trust is essential, and it’s why the majority of delivery orders on our platform are placed by return