'We trusted DoorDash': California bakery owner discovers extra $100K on the books, says they were billed double for 8 years — how to avoid delivery overcharges

However, that all changed after the family discovered that DoorDash had been overcharging them on commission for nearly a decade — to the tune of more than $100,000.

Neeka, whose last name was withheld for privacy reasons, is the manager at La Patisserie and she shared how it felt to discover the popular app had overcharged her family business.

"We had trusted DoorDash — it was just an indescribable feeling," she told ABC 7 On Your Side. "It’s a life-changing amount of money for anyone, but especially for a small business."

What exactly did Door Dash do?

The overcharges in commission fees went undetected for eight years until Neeka's uncle, who handles the family's accounting, spotted a discrepancy in their records two years ago.

It turns out, DoorDash had been charging a whopping 30% commission rate, even though their contract stated it should be 13%. That amounted to more than $100,000.

When the bakery first reached out to the tech company back in 2023, DoorDash acknowledged the error via phone and email and promised to make the situation right. However, their initial offer of reimbursement was a mere $42,000 — less than half of what the bakery had lost.

Despite repeated attempts to follow up, DoorDash eventually stopped all communication with the family. In 2024, a DoorDash representative once again promised a full refund within 14 days. But that deadline came and went with no payment. Another eight months went by after that.

"We've tried to contact DoorDash so many times — I mean, we have proof of all the call logs and email threads," Neeka said. “[But] we never got paid. It’s so frustrating.”

Frustrated, she contacted 7 On Your Side. After the team contacted DoorDash directly, the company finally refunded La Patisserie $100,000 within two days of hearing from the media outlet.

Although the family pointed out that the refund did not initially include any interest or penalties for breaking their contract, 7 On Your Side confirmed that DoorDash agreed to cover the cost of interest and penalties for “violating the contract” along with any other expenses accrued.

Delivery app commission rates — and how to avoid being overcharged

DoorDash isn’t the only platform that charges commissions. While these platforms can provide small businesses with visibility and sales, their commissions can eat into already thin profit margins — especially if errors go unnoticed for an extended period of time.

Here's what the average restaurant owner can expect to pay in commission:

DoorDash: Offers different plans with commissions ranging from 15% to 30%, depending on order volume, delivery zone, and marketing exposure.

Uber Eats: Commission fees typically range from 15% to 30%, depending on whether the restaurant handles its own delivery or relies on Uber’s drivers.