Uber Eats has introduced a new feature allowing customers to schedule a courier to pick up and return unwanted retail items purchased through the app. The service, launched on Friday, eliminates the need for printing labels, finding packaging, or travelling to a store. Once collected, customers receive an instant refund.
The initial rollout includes thousands of eligible retailers already available on Uber Eats, such as Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Pacsun, and Petco. Returned items must be worth at least $20 to qualify. To initiate a return, customers navigate to their order history, select 'Return an item,' choose the product, and provide a reason. If eligible, they can schedule a courier pickup.
Courier pickup fees are based on distance and time, but customers can avoid charges by returning items directly to the store. The move addresses a common hassle in online shopping: a survey by post-purchase platform Route found that one-third of consumers find printing labels and finding packaging stressful, while 43% said waiting for a refund is the most stressful part.
Uber's delivery arm has offered package return services since 2023 for prepaid, sealed items. This expansion allows unpackaged items to be picked up and returned directly to retailers, bypassing traditional carriers like UPS and FedEx, aiming to make the process faster and more convenient.
