A Newcastle mother, Ashlea Rhode, was left dismayed after an Uber Eats delivery driver dumped her grocery order on the ground outside her home rather than handing it over, causing several items to be damaged. She only discovered how the delivery had been handled after reviewing footage from her Ring doorbell camera, which showed the driver tipping the groceries onto the pavement before leaving with the shopping bag and submitting a photo to the app confirming completion. The incident has drawn attention to standards of care among gig-economy delivery workers, though Ms Rhode was reluctant to publicly blame the driver, calling it a "silly mistake" rather than deliberate misconduct.

The order, a Coles shop worth $103, arrived with several items broken and others missing entirely; Uber refunded her $28.98 after she raised a complaint. Ms Rhode questioned why the driver had not simply knocked on her door if he lacked a bag to leave the items in, and said the service did not warrant a tip, though she acknowledged drivers are often poorly paid. Uber Eats confirmed it was aware of the footage and was investigating, stating that delivery workers are expected to handle orders carefully in line with its community guidelines.