People working for Internet Platforms as suppliers are victims not only of simple exploitation by the employer, but also increasingly often fall victim to fraud.
One of the more common mechanisms is cash orders. The customer orders food or shopping and declares to pay the supplier in cash. The courier goes to pick up the order, which he pays for himself. And a moment later, contact with the client is lost. No one picks up the order, so the supplier doesn’t get paid back. As a result, the courier is left with an order whose contents may no longer be worthless. If the order was from a store, there is a chance of a return – then, at best, the courier lost time and potential earnings. But what if it was an order from a restaurant?
Of course, the Platforms declare help and support. But these are just empty declarations. For example, the ShopeeFood platform (not yet operating in Poland) will support the courier (and refund him the money) only if he meets two conditions: he stores the parcel (regardless of its size and weight) for a minimum of one hour (the time needed by the Platform to “process the complaint”) and when the Courier delivers the parcel directly to the Platform’s office (which may be located at the other end of the city and open only during certain hours).
Suppliers who fall victim to such a mechanism emphasize that the value of such an order (which they paid for themselves) easily exceeds their daily wage, and sometimes even their entire week’s earnings!
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