McDonald's outlet in S'pore throws woman's takeaway food away after it was left sitting there for 30 mins

A woman, who placed an order via her app for food at a McDonald's outlet in the east of Singapore, was surprised to find out that the fast food outlet threw her items away after 30 minutes of not picking them up.

Speaking to Mothership, Leen said she ordered S$19.40 worth of food via the McDonald's app on Dec. 29, 2024, at 11:54am.

When she realised her husband was held up and could not reach the restaurant in time to get the food, Leen quickly rushed to the store.

However, when she arrived, she found out that the store had thrown away the food that was left unclaimed.

In response, Leen was told the store was simply adhering to a policy.

Leen said that when she tried to get a refund from the manager, as she "did not consent" to having her food disposed of, the manager appeared unable to assist her.

Appeal

Leen then turned to the McDonald's help centre in hopes of getting her refund.

However, McDonald's responded that they could not accept her request to be reimbursed.

"If a customer did not collect the order on time, the prepared food item will be disposed of for quality and food safety reasons," McDonald's replied in writing.

Leen shared that she had visited the outlet numerous times before, but this incident has left wide-eyed.

"I usually pick up my food in 15 to 20 minutes with no issues. For this order, I was just another 15 minutes late, so it seems they have some new rules in place," she reasoned.

Policy

When she asked McDonald's if the duration for picking up one's order is put down in writing anywhere, Leen was not given a time frame.

She also found no information about the supposed policy in the McDonald's frequently asked questions section on the website.

Looking at the McDonald's app, it also did not specify a time limit imposed on customers to pick up their orders before the food is thrown away.

It only stated that orders will be prepared once payment has been made, so "it's recommended that you collect your order as soon as you can".

In response to Mothership's queries, a McDonald's spokesperson said:

"We encourage customers to collect their food within 10 minutes when served and ready for collection. For McDonald's app users, customers can get notified when their order is ready. This ensures that their food remains safe and fresh."

Top photos via Google Maps & Leen