Restaurants Hit by Uber Eats Payment Issues
Several restaurant owners, including Korean American operators in Los Angeles, report major financial losses tied to ongoing Uber Eats payment issues, with over $140,000 in earnings withheld due to unauthorized account changes and delayed customer support.
$124K Missing from Santa Monica’s Kai Ramen
Hyunwoo Park, owner of Kai Ramen in Santa Monica, said he hasn’t received a single payment from Uber Eats since the first week of July 2023. Between July and February, Park fulfilled 3,037 delivery orders, totaling $124,599 in sales—but none of that revenue reached him.
In December, Park discovered that the bank account registered in his Uber Eats profile had been changed without his knowledge. The new account was linked to an unfamiliar bank based in North Dakota. Park officially reported the issue on January 2. Uber Eats replied that an investigation was underway, later warning that repeated follow-ups could slow progress. In a recent email, the company stated that the payment hold had been lifted, but no funds were deposited. Park also received no update on how the unauthorized change occurred or what the investigation found.
“There’s been zero explanation about how this happened or what actions were taken,” Park said. “The system unfairly puts all the burden on the victims.”
$33K Missing from Two Koreatown Restaurants
Woosuk Lee, owner of Iga and Tomi Sushi in Koreatown, said he also experienced payment disruptions. Both restaurants operate under a single Uber Eats account. On December 9, Lee found that, weeks earlier, the linked bank account had been changed to one under the name “Gorge E Romero.” At that point, $33,400 in proceeds from 826 orders had gone unpaid.
Lee immediately contacted Uber Eats, which advised him to re-register his bank information to resume payments. But a month later, no money had arrived. As of March 2024, around $14,000 from the two restaurants remains unpaid. While Lee temporarily paused deliveries in January, he resumed service in late February. Still, no resolution or reimbursement was provided for earlier payments sent to the unauthorized account.
Owners Cite Poor Customer Service, Weak Security
Lee said Uber Eats’ customer service added to the frustration. Phone calls were frequently redirected between departments, and many were handled by offshore centers, making communication difficult. Most email responses were automated, advising him to recontact the main merchant support inbox.
He has sent over 30 emails, visited the Uber Driver Hub, and followed up using a direct contact number he managed to find, but the issue is unresolved.
After hearing of a similar case in Seattle, Lee filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department. Initially advised to file online, he was later connected to the commercial crimes division once he explained the amount lost. “Even smaller amounts can seriously impact small business owners,” Lee said.
He added, “This isn’t just a mistake. Uber Eats needs to take responsibility for its repeated security failures and poor customer support.” According to Lee’s accountant, three to four other clients reported similar issues, with resolutions taking several months in each case.
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BY YOONJAE JUNG [jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]
AND HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
