A customer used AI to trick DoorDash into issuing a refund. The company's response is going viral

"Food delivery service DoorDash is quick to hold restaurants accountable for their mistakes-but not without evidence. Dissatisfied customers have to provide proof that something was wrong with their order, be it a missing item, late delivery, or improperly prepared food, before the company will issue a refund (potentially on the restaurant's dime, depending on the nature of the mistake)."

"On TikTok, a user named Starr (@mi5under5t00d) posted a montage of images showing how she used an AI-doctored image to get a full refund on her DoorDash order. First, an actual picture of her order of chicken wings, including a piece with a bite taken out of it. Next, that same image, but edited with AI to make the bitten chicken wing appear raw. Finally, a screenshot from her DoorDash app, showing that the company issued her $39.24 of credit to use on future DoorDash orders."

"Starr's refund strategy went viral on TikTok, garnering 4.4 million views and thousands of comments-including one from DoorDash itself. Though Starr seemed flippant about using AI to make her food look undercooked, social media wasn't on her side. "This gets people fired btw," one commenter wrote. "Some people's [lives] depend on DoorDash or Uber and [you're] gonna get [them] fired over a few dollars? Selfish.""

"DoorDash itself even chimed in with a comment that went viral in its own right. "Oop should've blocked us!" the company commented. "Now why would I do that if my chicken was raw?" Starr replied. In the video's caption, Starr explained that she did have p"

DoorDash holds restaurants accountable for order problems only when customers provide proof such as missing items, late delivery, or improperly prepared food. In the AI era, verifiable evidence can be harder to obtain, and one viral case showed anti-fraud measures failing. A TikTok user posted a sequence of images of chicken wings, then an AI-edited version making a bitten wing appear raw, and finally a screenshot showing DoorDash issued $39.24 in credit for future orders. The post gained millions of views and drew criticism for potentially harming workers and taking advantage of small businesses. DoorDash commented that it should have blocked the attempt, and the user responded that the chicken was raw.

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