Deliveroo has caused outrage in France with a clumsy April Fool’s Day stunt. The fast food delivery brand issued fake bills for hundreds of Euros worth of pizza to thousands of unsuspecting customers.
Victims of the prank were sent false confirmation emails for orders totalling €450.
The emails read ‘excellent choice’ and also stated that the recipients were entitled to 50 pots of hot-sauce as a loyalty bonus.
As panic ensued, many users wasted time checking their accounts and contacting their banks in an attempt to block pending transactions.
Later that evening, Deliveroo issued a statement on Twitter and via emails saying “We confirm that it was an April Fool’s Joke. You can enjoy the evening by ordering a pizza of your choice.”
But the damage was already done and a free pizza, it seems, was scant conciliation. Customers took to social media in droves to complain, with one stating that he’d “almost had a stroke”. Another irate customer accused Deliveroo of “chicken-brained communications”.
Practical jokes can be well received but they’re also very hard to get right, as Deliveroo has discovered. Remember: chicken-brained communications invariably result in egg-on-face.
