Working a side hustle like delivering for Door Dash or Uber Eats sounds like a great way to earn some extra money.
Only problem: A growing number of Door Dash drivers have been complaining they're not earning much money at all.
Matthew Wimsatt, a Northern Kentucky Door Dash driver (also known as a "Dasher"), picked up the gig to earn a little extra cash.
"You think you are going to make a bit of extra money and not really have to answer to the man, being a boss," Wimsatt said.
Hundreds of drivers complain
But like a growing number of Dashers, Wimsatt claims Door Dash has been keeping his tips, which keeps his pay down.
"Customers say, 'Hey did you get that $10 tip?' Or, 'Did you get that $15 tip that I put on the app?' And no, they only paid you $5.37 for that trip," Wimsatt said.
Driver complaints started filling up online forumsthis past spring. Many say the company has been using their tips to subsidize other drivers so that everyone would earn the Door Dash promised minimum of $10 hour.
But some drivers feel sharing tips with others is unfair.
Wimsatt said some days he earns less than the federal $7.25 an hour minimum wage, despite bringing in some nice tips.
"You think you are making this decent amount of money," he said, "but after your cost of fueling up your vehicle, and the cost of your insurance, the cost of your cell phone plan they do not reimburse you for, you don't realize that you are losing and the house is just winning."
Company planning changes
After several drivers filed a class action suitover tipping earlier this year, Door Dash is responding and changing its tipping policy.
CEO Tony Xu has posted in his blog that by late September, "Every dollar customers tip will be an extra dollar in their Dasher's pocket."
Wimsatt hopes so because he loves working for door dash. But he feels his tip should be his.
Finally, if you are considering any part-time gig, be sure to read as many postings as you can from other employees to find out if its a good deal or a case of don't waste your money.
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