S'pore man called police to remove food order erroneously left on door as he felt unsafe touching unknown package

A man in Singapore found a food order left erroneously at his door.

He was perplexed as he had not made an order for food.

Concerned about the nature of the package, he contacted the delivery platform, but was told to either "keep or dispose" of the food.

As he felt unsafe handling the bag as he did not know what was inside, he decided to call the police.

The police responded and disposed of the food item.

The man also filed a police report.

Keep or throw

Speaking to Mothership, Lee shared that the incident occurred on May 7, 2025.

He discovered the food hanging from the gate of his house.

The food also had no name or unit number on the receipt to have it re-routed to its rightful owner.

As he felt unsafe seeing the unfamiliar package, he moved it to the ground.

Contacted Deliveroo

Lee decided to contact Deliveroo and was told over the phone by their customer service agent to "keep or dispose" of the food, despite making it clear he was not the customer.

When Lee requested to talk to a manager, the agent apparently left him on hold for five minutes before he hung up.

Called the police

He later called the police, who went to his place.

They then disposed of the item for Lee.

Lee subsequently filed a formal complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) regarding the incident.

However, Case told Lee in an email that it only assists with negotiations and mediation regarding contractual disputes.

Case said:

"We are not a regulatory/ government agency and unable to investigate or take action against the company. We also do not handle complaints regarding public health and safety/ policy reform.

Since you did not pay anything to Deliveroo, your case is not under our purview."

The response left Lee unsatisfied.

He said: "This highlights a dangerous gap in accountability. When a private delivery company causes a safety issue for an uninvolved third party, no agency is responsible."

Not feasible

In a follow-up message from Lee to Deliveroo, the food delivery platform explained that they cannot collect food once it has been delivered due to hygiene reasons.

It added that contacting the delivery rider to retrieve it could be challenging.

The only apparent solution: Lee was advised by the customer service agent to either keep or dispose of the item.

It also shared that the order was mistakenly delivered to Lee's address due to an operational error.

"As previously mentioned, it may not be feasible to arrange for the rider to retrieve the order due to logistical reasons, which is why our agent advised you to keep or dispose it," the agent said.

However, Lee rebutted that the explanation did not resolve the "core issue" or reflect "any real accountability" from Deliveroo.

"I am not seeking compensation — only to raise awareness about how delivery mistakes are pushed onto the public, and how our current system leaves people unprotected," Lee said.

Responding to Mothership's queries, Deliveroo said they are aware of the incident and understand the concern raised.

“We’re aware of the incident and understand the concern raised. Deliveroo takes such matters seriously and we make every effort to ensure the delivery address entered by the customer is accurate, complete, and clearly communicated to the rider.

In some instances, customers may request for the food to be left outside their door for convenience or safety, which is why occasional confusion can occur. We remain committed to maintaining high standards of service and appreciate the public’s understanding as we continuously improve our delivery experience.”

Top photos via Lee