Every Dasher’s worst nightmare: You log into the app and notice that your account has been deactivated, or you receive an email letting you know the same.
Deactivated! Not the email you want to see
DoorDash has an extensive deactivation policy that outlines all the contract violations and other actions that may lead to deactivation.
The most common reasons for deactivation are policy violations, customer complaints, low order completion ratings, and low customer ratings.
The good news is that DoorDash allows Dashers to appeal deactivations: You can plead your case and get reactivated.
Read on to learn why Dashers get deactivated and how you can get reactivated.
Article contents
- The DoorDash Deactivation Policy
- DoorDash Contract Violations
- How to Appeal a DoorDash Deactivation and Get Reactivated
- How to Avoid Deactivation
- Always Have a Backup Plan!
The DoorDash deactivation policy: Why Dashers get deactivated
DoorDash has a detailed deactivation policy (see it at DoorDash.com) that outlines all the ways that might cause a Dasher to receive a contract warning or lose access to the platform.
Here is a summary outlining the reasons for deactivation.
- Ratings drop below 4.2 – Too many low ratings from customers may lead to deactivation
- Completion rate below 80% – Completion rate is orders completed/orders accepted. Don’t cancel more than 20% of your orders!
- Failure to pass a background check – DoorDash occasionally updates its background screening. If there’s a new criminal or driving record issue, you may be deactivated
- Marking delivery complete that wasn’t completed – Don’t mark it complete if it isn’t. If you can’t complete a delivery, follow the in-app steps to correctly end the delivery
- Frequent late deliveries – When your pickups & deliveries are frequently much later than the estimated times
- Cancelling too many orders – Especially cancelling an order after you’ve picked up the food
- Tampering with deliveries or exhibiting unsafe food handling practices – Do not open, eat, or tamper with a delivery
- Manipulating promotions and referrals – Using promotions in a fraudulent way may cause deactivation
- Red card abuse – Don’t use the red card for anything other than active deliveries
- Scraping, unauthorized app access – Scraping data or circumventing security features is not allowed
- Unsafe driving, biking, or scooting – DoorDash may evaluate customer reports or new accidents on your record
- Inappropriate contact with customers or restaurants – Don’t make any unwanted personal contact with customers. Don’t disclose the personal information of your customers or restaurants online, and don’t harass customers/restaurant workers
- Disclosing personal information – Do not share the personal information of customers or restaurant workers online
A completion rate below than 80% is a common reason for deactivation
Other self-explanatory causes for deactivation
You won’t be surprised that these violations will lead to deactivation.
- Use of alcohol or drugs while on the platform
- Violence, abusive language to customers, restaurants, or customer support
- Discrimination or customer harassment
- Unsafe driving behavior
- Violating the law or using the app for criminal activity
DoorDash contract violations: Warnings from DoorDash
A DoorDash contract violation is a notice on your account when DoorDash claims that you violated the deactivation policy.
You can be deactivated if you have too many contract violations, but there is not an exact number of violations that will trigger deactivation.
Examples of contract violations include:
- Lateness: When you arrive at the merchant or customer significantly after the estimated arrival time
- Never Delivered: When you mark a delivery as complete but the customer reports that they never received it
Contract violations appear in the Ratings area of the app.
To get a contract violation removed, contact DoorDash and let them know your side of the story. It’s helpful if you have photo evidence to support you.
Tap on a contract violation to see general information about the violation and how to avoid a similar offense in the future.
Contract violations are based on your most recent 100 deliveries, so a violation will fall off your account after you do 100 more deliveries.
Example of a contract violation. Credit JohnnySomsal on Reddit
Tap on a contract violation to get more info. This one was for “order never arrived”
Late deliveries and pickups can lead to contract violations
How to respond to a contract violation
You can respond to a contract violation to to dispute it, or to give DoorDash more information about the situation.
To respond to a contract violation, Go to the Ratings tab, tap on Contract Violations, tap on the violation, then tap Provide Additional Details.
Write your side of the story and provide photo or video proof to support your case. Try to keep your message brief and professional.
How many contract violations can you have before you get deactivated?
DoorDash does not state how many contract violations will lead to deactivation. There isn’t a maximum number of allowable contract violations, and the decision to deactivate is handled on a case-by-case basis.
DoorDash says that, “one contract violation does not constitute grounds for deactivation. However, multiple violations could lead to deactivation.”
For example, you may be able to avoid deactivation with several ‘Order was never received contract’ violations, but just one serious violation (abuse, violence, etc.) could lead to immediate deactivation.
5 contract violations and still active!
How do you know if you’ve been deactivated?
DoorDash sends an in-app notification and an email when you have been deactivated.
The notification will state that you’ve been deactivated, and typically the email will include a reason for the deactivation and instructions for appeal, if an appeal is possible.
Although deactivations can come without warning, DoorDash at least tells you the reason for deactivation.
One of the ways to find out about a deactivation
Other warnings from DoorDash
DoorDash sometimes sends a warning if you are at risk of deactivation.
For example, if your completion rate is getting close to 80%, DoorDash might send you an email informing you that you will be deactivated if your completion rate is below 80% after a certain date.
Don’t say DoorDash didn’t warn you!
You can’t be deactivated for having a low acceptance rate
Many new dashers don’t know that you can’t be deactivated for having a low acceptance rate. You are free to decline as many orders as you want!
DoorDash may pause your dash if you reject too many orders in a row, but your account won’t be at risk of deactivation.
However, you can be deactivate for cancelling or unassigning orders that you have already accepted.
You CAN be deactivated for unassigning/cancelling too many orders
You can be deactivated if you cancel or unassign too many orders before completing the delivery. DoorDash tracks your ‘completion rate, ‘ which is the number of completed orders divided by the number of accepted orders.
You are at risk of deactivation if your completion rate drops below 80%. In other words, you can’t cancel more than 20% of the orders that you accept.
You can also be deactivated with a completion rate higher than 80% if DoorDash believes a cancellations was fraudulent or inappropriate.
This Dasher was deactivated for cancelling orders. Keep your completion rate above 80%
It’s a good idea to contact support to cancel orders if you run into a problem with a delivery.
For example, if a customer asks to change the delivery address, contact support to have the order cancelled. If you unassigned the order yourself, you risk deactivation.
How to appeal a DoorDash deactivation and get reactivated
Following a deactivation, DoorDash will send you an email with instructions on how to appeal. The deactivation email also includes a link to an appeal form, or a button to request a review.
The appeal form will ask you to provide relevant information about the reason for deactivation.
Closely follow the instructions, fill out the forms, and include any relevant photos or proof. Then wait. You should hear back from DoorDash within a few days.
Contacting support via live chat or phone, tweeting DoorDash, and other forms of contact are not the best way to go about the appeals process. Stick to the appeals form.
Request a review to begin the appeals process
DoorDash claims that the appeals process does not apply if the deactivation was due to ‘objective’ measures like customer rating or completion rate. The logic is that a calculation such as a customer rating is less disputable than an incident with a customer.
Tips to successfully appeal a deactivation
Complete the appeals form quickly – Don’t drag out the process by waiting.
Only include relevant details. Be concise – It might be tempting to tell a long, detailed story, but DoorDash is more likely to understand your point of view if you edit your story down to only the essential details.
Use screencaps and photos as proof – Have a photo proving you completed a delivery? Don’t forget to include it.
Don’t lash out, don’t be rude – Don’t use your appeal as an opportunity to vent. Your goal is to get reactivated, not to get one over on the customer or DoorDash. Support agents are more likely to be on your side if you stay polite.
Follow the appeals process and you might be reactivated
Can you appeal deactivations for low ratings and a low completion rate?
As stated in the deactivation policy, DoorDash doesn’t allow you to make a formal appeal if your deactivation is due to low ratings and completion rates.
You can try pleading your case to DoorDash through other contact methods, but there is very little evidence of Dashers successfully overturning these deactivations. Try another delivery app.
Reactivation is possible! Here’s an example
This Dasher on Reddit shared a reactivation story that shows what it’s like when DoorDash accepts your appeal and reactivates your account.
We’ve received and reviewed your appeal request, and we’d like to let you know that your Dasher account has been reactivated.
After taking a look at your appeal and the reason why your Dasher account was deactivated, we were able to confirm that you did not violate your Independent Contractor Agreement and the Deactivation Policy.
Please allow 24 hours for the reactivation to be processed and we look forward to seeing you on the road soon!
Sincerely, The DoorDash Operations Team
More Reading for DoorDash Drivers
- DoorDash Driver Requirements
- Need More DoorDash Hours? Scheduling Hints
- Dashers: How to Get More from Peak Pay and Challenges
How to avoid deactivation
You can do a lot to keep your account in good standing and avoid deactivation.
Be selective about orders you accept – Low completion rate is a common reason for deactivation, so try not to accept orders you can’t complete.
Have you noticed that you regularly unassign orders from a particular restaurant that takes forever to complete orders, like these 3 restaurants that Dashers hate? Don’t accept orders from those restaurants. A low acceptance rate won’t lead to deactivation, so feel free to decline orders that won’t work out for you.
Avoid false reports by taking pictures of deliveries – Unfortunately, dishonest customers try to save money by claiming that orders never arrived even when they did. Protect yourself by taking a photo of the order with the house number in the frame. This is especially easy now that no-contact delivery is the norm.
Do your best to provide great customer service – The DoorDash rating system may feel unfair, but you must do all you can to keep your ratings above 4.2. Follow all order notes. Communicate with the customer and update them if there is a delay. Don’t get angry or frustrated with a customer if you can avoid it.
Contact support when things go wrong – DoorDash can solve many technical and logistical issues. By contacting support, you’re leaving a paper trail and making a strong case that you were proactive and did everything possible to make a problematic delivery work.
Don’t multi app, or multi app carefully – It’s tempting to try to maximize earnings by driving for more than one app simultaneously, but extra apps add extra complications that may lead to low completion rate, late deliveries, and low customer ratings. If you do decide to multi app, only accept orders that perfectly fit in with your current DoorDash order.
Try not to let rude customers and restaurants get to you – Dashers run into so many frustrating situations that are often caused by customers and restaurant workers. Keep your cool. People are quick to report any sort of confrontation, and that can quickly lead to deactivation.
Always have a backup plan: Sign up for other apps
Deactivation can happen to anyone at any time. Companies make mistakes, customers lie, and Dashers have bad days. If you’re only signed up for one service, you’re vulnerable to losing your ability to earn money.
There are many other services similar to DoorDash that you can apply to for free. Most apps don’t have a minimum work requirement to keep your account active, so there’s no harm in keeping them around as a backup. And you might find that other apps work better for you.
Shannon says
How long does it take to be reactived!
Doug H says
I would say average is 3–7 days IF you are going to be reactivated. Not every dasher will be reactivated. Sign up for other delivery apps while you wait.
Jaci says
Just a few days ago it happened to me, I’ve never had an account before, EXCELLENT ratings , no contract violations, and I’ve done NOW wrong, they say i “abuse the platform” but will not give .e a reason as to how.. cuz i absolutely have done nothing wrong, Don’t they legally have to give me a reason? I’m just at a loss for words…i get different excuses from support but was ably to get one of them to send me an email saying that someone would call me back within 24hours witn the “real reason for my deactivation” needless to say nobody has called, i have a reference number and when i call they acknowledge they know this but still can’t help me and can’t transfer me to a highly up… please please any advice?
Kimberly says
Im having the same issue but my was locked for further review n would here bk in 24hours but almost a week n noone will tell me anything except they will let me know when they arr done. Mine was for suspicious activity whatever that means all I know is it’s my information out there on the line as well as theirs my personal information and they ought to have to tell someone something very they don’t have much integrity as a company
Phillip Baumgartner says
I haven’t got my email from doordash reason why I got deactivated?
Joel Vaughen says
How can I appeal to get back on doordash
DougH says
DoorDash should have sent a link to an appeal form in the deactivation email. If not, contact them at help.doordash.com
Mariea says
After receiving the email I want able to respond . How long does it take for them to make an decision
Kim says
U tell me when they say 24hrs and a week has gone by for review(review for suspicious activity so they say 0
Phil Jagger says
I dashed for TWO days after joining DoorDash. Then I got an email saying my account was deactivated. The generic reason given was ‘After completing our investigation, we found that the account shared identifiable information to another account that was previously created on the platform’.
I seriously have NO idea what this relates to. I never previously signed up with DoorDash and I was given No details or evidence supporting their claim. I appealed using the form they insist that you use (because they refuse to give you details or resolve such issues over the phone) and received a reply saying ‘Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that your deactivation will stand.’
I find this outrageous and unacceptable that this company can do this without providing me clear understand and specific details as to why they pull the plug on my earning capacity. I know I have done absolutely nothing to cause this issue and I don’t know if I will be paid for the two days work I have completed.
DougH says
Sorry to hear it. Sounds like they think you’re a banned Dasher trying to evade the ban. You could continue trying to appeal, and in the meantime why not try similar delivery apps
Jane Doe says
This exact same thing happened to me today! I waiting to hear back from them but now I’m not very hopeful.
B says
I got kicked out the app one morning as I was heading out to go deliver for the day. The generic reason I was given was “fraudulent activity”. I have no idea what this means. I tried to appeal which was impossible as I had no idea what it was I was being accused of doing or not doing. They denied me. Contacted them. Spoke to 2 different people who were no help at all.
At some point the most I got out of them was that my social wasn’t in my account. Which didn’t make any sense as I am pretty sure you have to do a background check of some sort to even be a dasher. So they most certainly should have my social. I asked if we could fix this over the phone by just giving them my social then and there and was told they couldn’t do that. That was above them.
At some point in the mix of all of this my wife (who has never dashed a day in her life) received, in the mail, a 1099 from DD. Addressed to her, with her maiden name and social.