The Setup
November 14th. I ordered a Lenovo Idea Tab through Uber Eats from Best Buy. $131.18—not a casual purchase when you're rebuilding from housing instability, but a necessary one.
They delivered the wrong product.
The Twist
I don't have a car. That's actually why I use delivery services. So when I needed to return their mistake, I contacted support and asked: "Can I use courier service for this return?"
Twitter support's answer: "There's nothing we can do."
Let that sink in.
A delivery company—built on solving transportation problems—told a customer without transportation there was nothing they could do about their error.
What I Did
I paid $10 out of pocket (8% of the purchase price) for an Uber courier to return the item on November 17th. I sent the barcode screenshot from their app. I followed every instruction.
Since then: Nothing.
No confirmation Best Buy received it.
No refund processing update.
No response to my follow-ups.
Just $131.18 in limbo while I wait for a company to fix their own mistake.
Why This Matters
This isn't about a tablet. It's about the poverty penalty.
People with cars: Pay 100% to fix Uber's error (free return drop-off)
People without cars: Pay 108%+ (original cost + courier cost I had to arrange)
The very people who need delivery services the most get charged extra when the system fails them.
The Deeper Issue
I'm currently in a rapid rehousing program. I just graduated to the "nesting" phase of a new customer service job. That $131 represents:
Groceries for a week
Part of a security deposit fund
The difference between stability and scrambling
And I'm lucky—I had the $10 for a courier. I can navigate support systems. I have the literacy to write this.
How many customers without those privileges just ate the loss?
What I'm Asking For
Not sympathy. Accountability.
✅ Confirm my return was received
✅ Process my full refund immediately
✅ Reimburse the $10+ courier cost for fixing your mistake
✅ Update your policies so carless customers aren't told "there's nothing we can do"
The Principle
You can't build a business on solving the transportation gap and then invoke that same gap as a reason you won't help when your system fails.
Either you serve people without cars, or you don't.
You can't have it both ways.
How You Can Help
Share this story if you've ever been told "there's nothing we can do" by the company that caused the problem.
Support the fight if you believe delivery companies should deliver on their promises, not just their products.
☕ Buy Me a Coffee
💙 PayPal: PayPal.me/adontai
💚 Venmo: @adontaimason
Every contribution helps cover the gap while I wait for Uber to do the right thing—and keeps me fed while I keep fighting.
The Update I'm Waiting For
"Dear Mr. Mason,
We've confirmed receipt of your return. Your refund of $131.18 has been processed. We're also reimbursing your $10 courier cost and updating our return policies to better serve customers without vehicles.
We're sorry we failed you."
Until then, I'm still here.
Still without my $131.18.
Still fighting for the principle.
Still believing that systems can change when enough people demand it.
Adontai Mason
Writer. Digital Shaman. Person Without a Car.
Currently waiting for delivery companies to deliver justice.
Follow the case:
#MasonVsUberEats
#DeliveryJustice
#AccessibilityMatters
Updates will be posted here as they happen.
Thank you for bearing witness.
Thank you for standing with me.
If this story resonates, you can support my work and my fight at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/adontaimason
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Email Sent to The Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative on June 28th