A cake shop owner in Scunthorpe says she lost £1,000 in refunds issued by Just Eat after customers complained their ice-cream was 'cold' or claimed deliveries never arrived. Andrea Blow, 37, owner of Cakes by Andrea, said she felt 'betrayed' after discovering one regular customer had received 44 refunds in eight weeks for items they claimed were not delivered.
Ms Blow, who employs her own delivery drivers and said she is on a first-name basis with the customer, insists all the desserts were delivered. Other customers allegedly received refunds after complaining that ice-cream whippie trays were delivered 'cold'. She said she first noticed the issue earlier this year and was forced to state in the allergens that the order would be cold to stop the refunds.
Fearing the loss could 'destroy' her business, she contacted Just Eat, which issued a £315 refund. However, Ms Blow claims she has still lost hundreds of pounds. She has now decided to create her own app and website to stop using Just Eat, urging other small businesses to 'take the risk' and become independent.
A Just Eat spokesman confirmed the £315 refund and said the company has a partner hub where restaurants can claim refunds, which are investigated on a case-by-case basis. Ms Blow said she felt 'disheartened' that the refunds were issued without notification, adding that the money came directly from her employees' pockets.
