Seattle Deactivations Policy and Fraudulent Use

June 23, 2025Seattle Deactivations Policy and Fraudulent Use

Overview

Seattle’s App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance outlines certain requirements with respect to account deactivations for qualifying Dashers that perform services in Seattle. Dashers qualify for protections under the Ordinance if either: (1) in the last 180 days, at least 25 percent of their completed offers, or offers canceled with cause, involved performing services in Seattle or (2) a deactivation is related to an incident or incidents that occurred while performing services in Seattle. You can learn more about your rights when dashing in Seattle here.

Activity That Can Lead to Account Deactivation

The DoorDash Service Provider Platform Access Policy outlines the types of activity or conduct, including violating the terms of the Independent Contractor Agreement, that can lead to account deactivation, and applies to all Dashers performing services in Seattle. In all instances, account deactivations are reasonably related to the safe and efficient operation of the DoorDash platform. The DoorDash Community Guidelines also provide information regarding expectations for all users – whether Dashers, consumers, or merchants – to promote mutual respect and a safe community.

Immediate Deactivation

DoorDash may immediately deactivate a Dasher account if required to comply with any applicable court order or local, state, or federal laws or regulations, or where Dasher has engaged in “egregious misconduct.”

Egregious misconduct means an action or behavior by a Dasher that: (1) endangers the physical safety of a customer, third-party, DoorDash, or an animal; (2) intentionally causes economic harm to a customer, third-party, or DoorDash; or (3) is threatening, harassing, or abusive to a customer, third-party or DoorDash.

Examples of egregious misconduct include but are not limited to: assault, sexual assault, sexual harassment, communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, sexual conduct, unlawful harassment, hate crimes, racial slurs, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, unlawful possession of a firearm, solicitation of any sexual act, registration as a sex offender, stalking, theft, fraud, robbery, burglary, money laundering, animal cruelty, cybercrimes, prostitution, driving-related crimes, failing to maintain a valid state driver’s license, and other conduct that -would constitute a Class A felony offense. Egregious misconduct includes but is not limited to conduct that occurs outside of a Dasher’s performance of service through the DoorDash platform. For the safety of consumers, merchants, and third-parties, egregious misconduct includes a Dasher’s failure to verify their identity or successfully complete any other of DoorDash’s screening criteria.

Procedure to Challenge Account Deactivation

If your Dasher account is deactivated, you will have the opportunity to challenge the deactivation through our appeals process. Information about challenging account deactivation will also be provided in the notice of deactivation. An appeal must be submitted within 90 days of your deactivation and the determination will be considered final.

Fraudulent Use Policy

A description of the types of actions that constitute fraudulent use and the consequences of such actions, including but not limited to loss of access to certain opportunities or immediate account deactivation, are outlined in DoorDash’s Service Provider Platform Access Policy, with more details provided under the “Keeping the Platform Safe and Secure” and “Fraud or Abuse of the Platform” sections. As covered in the Platform Access Policy, fraudulent activity may include but is not limited to:

• Criminal activity such as theft, or using the app to engage in criminal activity;

• Gaming or manipulating promotions, incentives, programs, or referral systems;

• Abuse of the Red Card, such as Purchasing anything with a Red Card other than that required by the customer’s order;

• Providing false information or misrepresenting information to customers, merchants or DoorDash, related to performance of services, including but not limited to information that causes or induces cancellations, spoofing location or GPS information, falsifying identity information, or misrepresenting merchant information, such as falsely stating that a store is closed or that items are not available;

• Taking any action to damage, disable, interrupt, overburden, or impair the functionality of the DoorDash platform;

• Creating multiple accounts or using the same personal information, such as a phone number, as an account already in use;

• Sharing or providing access to your account;

• Gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to the platform, including by using the personal information of another individual;

• Falsely claiming that a delivery or service has been completed;

• Accepting offers with no intent to complete the services, or not proceeding with the delivery or service;

• Increasing the time or distance of a delivery to manufacture earnings; and

• Repeated cancellations not covered under SMC Chapter 8.37.080(C), i.e., cancellations without cause. Under Seattle law, Dashers performing services in Seattle may cancel accepted offers, as long as the reason for cancellation is “with cause” as outlined in SMC Chapter 8.37.080(C).

Account deactivation resulting from fraudulent use will be communicated to Dashers by email in the form of a notice of deactivation, and all Dashers will have the opportunity to appeal through the “Procedure to Challenge Account Deactivation” outlined above and described in our appeals process.

Questions Related to Deactivations, Appeals, or Fraudulent Use

If you have any questions about the Seattle Deactivations Policy, challenging account deactivations, or fraudulent use, please reach out to [email protected].