Maybe it’s a generational thing, or maybe it’s the fact that I’ve never lived in a major, massive metropolis, but I don’t get Postmates. Postmates is food delivery, which… I get, but why is it this new thing? Why are celebrities Postmate-ing their minor grocery deliveries and random fast food? I guess I just still have a lot of questions, like whether the financial aspect really makes sense at any level (maybe I’m just super-cheap), and whether celebrities (and regular people) know they could just throw on a pair of sweatpants and do their own grocery shopping and stop at a fast-food place on the way home. Anyway, Lizzo uses Postmates. Only she had a problem with it – her Postmates delivery person stole some of her food.
Lizzo has a complaint to file with Postmates. On Monday, the 31-year-old singer tweeted at the food delivery service, alleging that one of their couriers had stolen the food she ordered.
“Hey @Postmates this girl Tiffany W. stole my food,” Lizzo wrote in the since-deleted tweet, adding, “she lucky I don’t fight no more.” In her tweet, Lizzo also shared what appeared to be a screenshot of the Postmates app that included a picture of the courier, but did not provide further details about the alleged incident.
Postmates soon responded to the musician, apologizing for her “less than satisfactory experience” using the service, and asked her to direct message them with more information. Lizzo seemingly got in touch with the delivery service, as she responded, “I dm’d u.”
Though some fans took Lizzo’s side, saying “Postmates do better!”, other Twitter users expressed their disappointment that she chose to share her complaint publicly. “Publicly shaming someone in the service industry (esp. when you’re wealthy) is worse than stealing food,” one user tweeted, while another added, “This is ridiculous Lizzo, u could have dealt with that privately instead of shaming a woman who was probably hungry… It’s only food u can reorder it.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, Postmates said: “As soon as Lizzo reached out, we looked into the matter and quickly resolved the issue. We apologize to Lizzo for any inconvenience.”
The only part of Lizzo’s tweet that I find unnecessary and rude is where she tweeted a photo of Tiffany W. The rest of it is fine in my book – if you’re paying for the Postmates service (which, again, I don’t understand how it makes any financial sense in either direction), then you’re paying for a particular service: the food which you ordered, in a particular time frame. Yeah, Lizzo could have dealt with it privately, but again – it’s a generational thing? The younger peeps live their lives online and they’re used to dealing issuing complaints on social media and such. And for all of the people saying “Lizzo shouldn’t have done this in general” – Lizzo paid for food that Tiffany W. ate. I would be SO MAD.
Lizzo did apologize and may have missed the delivery window:
I apologize for putting that girl on blast. I understand I have a large following and that there were so many variables that could’ve put her in danger. Imma really be more responsible with my use of social media and check my petty and my pride at the door. 🥺
— |L I Z Z O| (@lizzo) September 17, 2019
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Please forgive me because I have never used Postmates… and if I overlooked this information…
But how to we know the Postmates driver took something? Was there half eaten food? Totally missing food? If that was the case, how do we know that the store/restaurant even put the proper food in the order?
So many questions…
This. Unless there were literally bites taken out of something she had no way of knowing whether the driver took her food or the restaurant forgot her food. The latter is really common, so putting the driver on blast is really bad form.
I was going to say the same thing. I wouldn’t assume that my stuff was stolen. I do, however, have a Ring Doorbell video of my neighbor’s Door Dash driver stealing the packages off my front porch! In that case there was no question.
I mean, it’s possible the order got messed up. But I mean – she paid for a specific amount of food. It’s on the postmates person to double check the order – their soul purpose it to get the order and bring it back to the person who ordered – and IF it was a mistake, they failed at that.
People have bad days. Mistakes happen. But there’s also a lot of incompetent people out there, so hard to say what happened. Either way – if I was doing something like post mates, I’d sure as hell be triple checking the orders so something like this didn’t happen.
Many times the receipt from the purchase in the bag.
I’m pretty sure it’s been proven now that it’s Lizzo’s fault that she missed her food. She had no reason to publicly expose and shame the girl either, that’s awful
Yeah. I like Lizzo. But calling the specific driver out like that was wrong. She could get an innocent person fired. I’m glad she apologized because this stuff really needs to be handled privately. I used to deliver food, and I can’t even imagine, because you weren’t allowed to open the box (sanitary reasons), if someone had put me personally on social media over a mistake that was probably out of my hands. I don’t know her background, but if she’s ever worked a job like that, she should’ve known better. I’m glad she apologized.
I thought the same thing – we order group lunches for work, and the one place ALWAYS forgets at least one item. It would never cross my mind to accuse someone of eating it en route, rather than the place forgot it.
I don’t blame her for being annoyed, but I think people are WAY to quick to jump to public blasting and all. Why not simply contact the company and let them know part of the order was missing? Likely they would send the missing item or issue a credit. If they blew her off, then I could see taking it public, but give them a chance to make it right without millions of people getting involved.
It’s like people have forgotten how to deal with minor problems.
Lord, this ^^^ I had one driver when I ordered pizza once a week always forget my extra marinara and sometimes breadsticks? Was he eating it? If he was, then the LAST thing I want to do is get him fired. Nothing would surprise me but I doubt he was eating them. Very possible someone in the kitchen forgot or put something with the wrong order. Happens all the time. I called up and mentioned it, got a free pizza, no one lost their job over it. She needs to calm down over this.
Most famous people are tweeting / insta their postmates because it’s an ad and they’re compensated. They have a large social media driven advertising campaign.
I’ve used doordash a few times and usually when I get free delivery, it’s just a matter of convenience. If you don’t do it often (which I dont) it doesnt make a huge financial dent…just a treat to yourself, no cooking and food at your door
Lizzo has apologized for the tweet. Apparently the delivery person did not really steal it- Lizzo failed to respond to the buzzer/call so she left. When you have such a big following (and when you have so much more power than someone else) you do have to be responsible when using social media to call someone out. I still love Lizzo tho and am glad she apologized
It was a good apology.
I agree, Amanduh.
Normally I’m for publically naming and shaming thieves, but where’s the evidence of theft? I assume sometimes orders aren’t complete due to occasional unavailable items or mistakes? I just feel like she may have jumped to conclusions.
As for “publically shaming service worker is worse than stealing” …. no it isn’t. And “u could have dealt with that privately instead of shaming a woman who was probably hungry… It’s only food u can reorder it” is ridiculous. Lizzo has every right to expect a delivery person to deliver. It wasn’t some random homeless person.
@Rapunzel Doxxing a woman to an audience of millions, for being desperate and hungry enough to steal FOOD at her job is vile. And it’s definitely worse than stealing said food. There was zero reason for her to do it this way when she could have easily handled it directly with the company..
@Rapunzel – Ads for Postmates drivers in my city say drivers can earn up to $475 per week. That’s a max of $1,900 a month in a city where the average rent is $2,200. How about Lizzo cutting some slack to someone who is struggling to get by because it’s the kind thing to do.
Megan + Pixie- eh, I think the break that Lizzo needed to cut this woman was getting all the facts before doing anything. What’s wrong here is she jumped to conclusions. Otherwise, thievery is wrong, end of. I don’t support doxxing as a response to it, but I’m not gonna be mad if someone does. As long as the person is really a thief.
And cut this stealing out of desperation is excusable crap. I’ve been broke enough to live out of my car and never once stole a thing.
The person being stolen from may be just as desperate and hungry, fyi. Also, I highly doubt such a desperate person is risking their job by stealing from their employer.
I use DoorDash but not postmates – its a way to get food delivered that you might not be able to otherwise. Like I don’t use it for the McDonalds that’s a mile from my house, I use it for the Mexican restaurant that doesn’t deliver, or the Mediterranean grill a few miles away, etc.
Yes, it’s delivery from places that dont deliver themselves. And if you have unlimited delivery, there’s no delivery fee, just a tip. Sometimes it’s worth $6 to save the time of not leaving the house. I cook most of my meals, so I’m not going to feel guilty about using Postmates once in a while.
It was a life saver for me when I was on my away medical school rotations. Especially in the bay area or Atlanta where traffic was always insane. I could get home, order, wash off the hospital smell and then my dinner would arrive when an extra stop after a 12 hour shift felt like it would destroy me.
The same. I only use delivery service for further away restaurants that don’t do delivery or takeout. I don’t understand why people use it for fast food. Doesn’t seem worth it.
She took the post down and apologized for putting the picture up yesterday.
More often than not, you have to call companies out on SM in order for them to even acknowledge your complaint/question. I’d not posted her employees photo, though
Yeah, but sometimes the food is stolen. I work in DC and my office orders a lot of grub hub, door dash, and postmates. The office placed a huge $200 order a few weeks ago and the delivery person picked up the order but didn’t deliver it. It happens.
I don’t care about the money spent on delivery when I’ve been drinking and I’m craving food from a restaurant that doesn’t deliver.
Oh man, I love Lizzo but this was horrible on Lizzo’s part. Complaining publically AND sharing a picture of the woman? God no. She should be mature enough to know not to do that.
Yeah this is just basic Becky “can I speak to your manager” stuff at the end of the day. I’m sure the “white ladies at Soul Cycle” contingent of her fan base identifies with this kind of behavior, they do it all the time, just not famous enough to get attention.
This is not about race.
@Mumbles, totally agree with you! I would have expected this from the demographic that has the store manager and 911 pre-dialled on their phone at all times.
I have worked in the service industry for quite a while and haven’t noticed this. I will be looking out for this unconsciously now so interesting to see these opinions. Is it predominantly food or literally everything?
Sooooo….this behavior is ok if it’s not a white person? Got it. I see you now. Let me correct you, racist commenter, this behavior is not ok from ANY race. And passes shouldn’t be handed out to her just because she’s not white. That innocent delivery person probably is getting harassed over this jerk’s post.
Yep make it about those horrible racist white women
@N, are you asking if white women are typically more likely to escalate situations and involve authority figures (management/police etc) for relatively minor things than people of colour who are less protected by said authorities/institutions in society? Yes, yes they are.
Now in that context I 100% agree. Slow day here. Slow day. Thank you for the response.
After some consideration, this statement is just not true.
LMAO @N, did your consideration include even a cursory google search because that’s all it would have taken to come to the right conclusion here.
Nope. I have been at work and can’t Google search about this particular topic. We have a difference of opinion and my radar will be more in tune to recognizing these situations.
@N, You can’t have a difference of opinion about well established fact. If you have no evidence to corroborate your point of view, I would suggest not dismissing and denying the very real reality of people of colour, who are the victims of this much reported, much discussed phenomenon. Maybe do the google search, before you decide something is not true.
If you would like me to list examples I can do that when I have the time. A Google search isn’t always necessary for one to list facts/situations as there are always different perceptions especially in the customer service/service industry that are not each recorded. I don’t mention police because the original post is about a food corporation and I 100% believe that such authority figures as police are well established to be a problem. Either way I hope you have a nice day. I enjoy your posts so thank you for engaging.
@N, I don’t need you to list anecdotal evidence, when there have been tons of studies and countless public incidents concerning white people and their tendency to use authority figures to exert their power and privilege, particularly towards people of colour. It’s fine that you didn’t know about this, or haven’t noticed it in your personal life. I just take issue with the fact you decided it ‘was just not true’.
High five on NOT ripping each other apart. Such a low right?
I don’t really have a problem w her naming the delivery person— that person should have known that doing that is sketchy as hell and unsanitary possibly. I mean, if you’re prepared to do that, then prepare yourself for people calling you out for it.
Except the driver didn’t steal anything. This is what happens when people jump to conclusions. If Lizzo has an issue, her first step should have been to contact customer service and then they would have told her from the jump what happened.
I went to see Rob Delaney the other night and he mentioned online grocery shopping wasn’t really a thing in America. It’s pretty popular in the UK. Loads of supermarkets offer it.
Online grocery shopping is definitely a thing in America. I can’t think of a major grocery chain that doesn’t offer it.
If it’s a thing in a rural town in Nova Scotia, you better believe it’s a thing in the US. I find it really hard to believe that my little podunk town would have a service that US cities wouldn’t have. We don’t even have postmates or anything like that – but we have online grocery ordering.
It’s a thing in America for sure. Not that many stores actually deliver – I can think of one around me that does its own delivery, and then some others use a service like Shipt or Instacart (I think that’s Wegmans?) to offer delivery, but every grocery store around me offers online ordering for pickup.
He must be really out of touch. That’s the only way I do groceries anymore and every store around me offers it for pickup or delivery.
Online grocery shopping is definitely becoming more common in the US, but it seems like it is just catching on in a big way now. It’s been popular overseas for a while, just like they bought into self checkout before we did.
It is odd. Supermarkets are actually closing down in Australia because of how many people are doing the delivery thing. But every country is different. Americans still use cheques to pay for things and pay wave is non existent. But in Australia we really only have two grocery chains, apart from Aldi and now Kauffmans.
I use Postmates when I want food from this really healthy restaurant that doesn’t deliver. And Shake Shack. It gets too crowded for me.
I had ordered a burger and fries – not difficult, but ended up with someone else’s veggie burger (poor veggie who got my Dead Hippie burger!).
It wasn’t the delivery drivers fault, but the company’s. Had to go back on the ordering app, and then wait for over an hour for them to come back stating that a refund would be given. So, not happy, but wouldn’t think to go on social media and call them out.
We get food delivered regularly at my house but through a local food delivery business. We get to try several other restaurants instead of going out to eat. It’s really convenient for us because we have a 4-year-old. Taking him out can more stressful than staying at home. Also, we’re introverts, so after a day of being “on” for work, the last thing we want to do is socialize with others in the evening.
I have a 4-year-old too! Amen to not wanting to take them out if you don’t have to. Also, there is only so much time between work and bedtime, who wants to spend it in traffic?
I think it’s immature and petty to post public grievances such as this, especially when you’re a celebrity.
I’d rather just put on a pot of pasta and toss on some sauce and freshly-sautéed veggies. It’s better than waiting for food delivery that may or may not be hot or even the correct order.
I use Postmates all the time. They also deliver from restaurants and it’s very convenient in an office when it’s lunch time and it’s nice when you’re socially awkward and tired after a long day at work and don’t feel like driving anywhere. I live in a city so I’d have to drive at least 15 minutes or more just to get to the restaurant so Postmates is awesome for those days you just don’t wanna cook. Anyway I live in an apartment neighborhood that is very confusing and many people, friends, especially delivery drivers get lost. Once a Postmates delivery driver delivered my food to the wrong apartment and whoever answered the door claimed my food. I was livid. I was hangry, so hungry I was angry. Postmates refunded me and gave me a credit, but that didn’t remove my hunger at the time. Idgaf if the neighbor was hungry, they stole my food and the idiot driver was too incompetent to notice they delivered it to the wrong place.
So it turns out the driver didn’t steal it at all, Lizzo just didn’t come to the door to get it.
The driver showed up at the address, got no answer at the door, tried calling and messaging to no response, and then waited the 5 minutes she’s supposed to. She left with the food after that, which is what she’s supposed to do. If you want your food you have to actually be there to receive it, the drivers can’t wait around for you all night. They don’t get paid for that. They’re also not supposed to leave food at the door without approval from the customer because it’s effectively littering and anything could happen to it while it’s sitting out on the open, so if you don’t show in time the food is theirs to take.
Lizzo doxxed some poor woman because she did exactly what she was supposed to do when a customer doesn’t show.
Wow. Lizzo and others need to learn from this. Stop jumping to social media to make people into villains unjustly. This makes me like Lizzo a little less…sorry.
Oh wow that changes everything. So Lizzo was the asshole in all of this
This was SO disgusting. I have been a huge Lizzo fan but I am super side eye-ing her for this. I don’t even care about her apology, she kept the tweet up for hours despite people asking her to take it down. She is a wealthy woman publicly shaming and doxxing a woman’s identity because she was desperate enough to steal FOOD. FOOD! I am also super disgusted at anybody defending this vile behaviour.
Thieves should get named and shamed, otherwise they won’t learn! But on this instance, it looks like she didn’t really steal it, just that Lizzo didn’t receive it. So, she was wrong.
@DiegoinSF My god, this is such a horrible and heartless take. She was desperate and hungry enough to steal FOOD. What lesson was she supposed to learn from being doxxed to millions of people? How to not be hungry and desperate?
@Pixie
I think you’re being way too naive if you think people only steal food because they are starving and can’t afford it.
@Cindy Thank you for that ethics lesson. I must have forgotten about all those hardened criminals stealing food and risking their livelihood just for the thrill :/
Thank you, Cindy. Postmates fleet are not starving homeless, they have a car and can earn around 20 to 25/hr. I have friends who do it!
Except she wasn’t a thief. So … there’s that. Maybe if you’re gonna dox someone, make sure it’s at least legit.
I use Postmates, to give context, me and my bf we’re watching Taco chronicles and I Ordered tacos, I was eating tacos within thirty minutes without pausing the show.
They deliver so many orders, they’re always sprinting to give me my food.
It’s with instacart at work that we’ve gotten the rudest people, I leave them honest reviews when they’re hella rude.
I thought what Lizzo choose to do regarding this situation was trifling AF…..
It sounds like Lizzo learned her lesson, but a study recently found that 80% of food delivery services have drivers that “tamper” with the food ie: eating some. Convenience always comes with a price.
Yeah I heard this. Used to order Postmates a lot but now only order items that are sealed. Also know a few people who ended up with the wrong orders.
It wasn’t her finest moment but she did apologize which more than a lot of other celebs do on social media. Most would have either doubled down or deleted the original tweet and pretended it didn’t happen.
I did like her apology.
People make mistakes or mess up (and to post the woman’s name & picture was especially awful)… good humans react by apologizing and (hopefully) doing better in the future.
Exactly. We have all had a time when we didn’t do the right thing and I’m certainly not making excuses for what she did because it was wrong. But at least she had the integrity to actually admit this and apologize for it.
Truth. As a former delivery driver, I found this really offensive and awful. But her apology is legit. There’s never a sincere apology I won’t accept. It takes a strong person to admit they were wrong. So good on her for that.
I get stuff delivered. Usually, because it is easier than packing up a kid and going to the store. Not to mention that once said kid gets into the store, he either wants things or takes random bites out of fruit.
Also, the cost of having groceries delivered is offset by what I save by not going to the store and picking up a bunch of stuff that I don’t need.
She did shame a thief publicly, but she re-thought, apologized for and took down the photo. I’m a person who gets angry quickly, does something impulsive, which I later regret and make amends for–I totally understand this. The photo could have put the girl in harm’s way, given what this world has become, and Lizzo did the right thing by taking it down. Still love Lizzo. Crazy talented and putting out the best songs.
I mean, she wasn’t actually a thief, so … If it had actually been a thief, I would have zero problem with this.
I also had a Postmates driver steal my order. I was fortunate because the restaurant replaced the order at no charge but I had to pick it up which my lazy a$$ was trying avoid (hence using Postmates in the first place). Hangry is a real thing though so I can’t say that I blame Lizzo.
It’s funny that she was using postmates and put them on blast when her music is used in a GrubHub commercial…
tea !
Im glad she apologized. And it was a good apology.
I know this is tangential but can someone tell me what the appeal is here? I think she’s very immature as an artist. I saw her NPR Tiny Desk concert and her voice was flat, the lyrics were dumb, all her vulgarity and profanity was just too much. I’m no prude but she just seems gross. It bothers me that she’s some sort of icon for young people when she has no class or humility. She just all ego. it’s a big turn-off.
I honestly don’t know much about Lizzo at this point, but I love her style. Imo, she was wrong here. Just say you had an issue with Postemates (seriously, I don’t get it either. If I want food I go and buy food but I’m a pleb). Keep the issue with Postmates, not the individual driver. I appreciate that she apologized because calling a person out with a name and a photo is invasive at best, possibly traumatizing at worst. I have deleted actual friends from my FB for doing this, taking a random photo of someone without any backup of any wrong thing done. That’s dangerous.
This whole thing was messy but I will say this:
I don’t use food delivery services except an Asian place and an Italian place near me and I know the owners and their workers deliver the food. No problems.
There is a very popular morning radio show in Denver and they recently discussed the stealing of food by some of those delivery drivers and since they have a call-in thing, many drivers called in to say that’s how they eat/ate.
That’s right. They take a few of your fries or chicken nuggets a BBQ rib or roll or something.
It happens but I agree that unless you are ordering for a large number of people, it isn’t worth the money.
I think the one time I checked (Grubhub?) they wanted $20. to deliver and, of course, the driver should be tipped and the message stated, “Due to high volume, the expected delivery will be 3 hours.”
3 hours?