Friends of an injured Colorado firefighter pooled $1,500 in DoorDash meal-delivery credits he could use while recovering from a shoulder surgery, but the app temporarily locked him out over fraud concerns, according to his family.
Wilson Costa of the Denver Fire Department was injured in January, fighting a blaze in a warehouse.
As he recovered from injuries sustained in the effort, friends pooled their funds to support him.
"We are very blessed with such awesome friends and family who are taking care of us," Wilson told 9News.
However, when it came time to starting to buy meals, DoorDash froze his account, his wife Whitney told the station.
She called the app’s customer service team, who said the account had been flagged for fraud and that the error would be resolved within 24 to 72 hours, but a fix didn’t come after nearly a week of waiting.
“I felt very defeated and super deflated,” Whitney told 9News. “I took myself upstairs, had a good cry, and then I got enraged, and my sense of injustice kind of went next level.”
After calling DoorDash repeatedly, Whitney brought her story to Steve on Your Side, a consumer affairs reporter affiliated with the station.
The station contacted DoorDash about the couple’s case, and the issue was resolved in a matter of hours, with the app adding an addition $500 donation of its own.
“We deeply appreciate the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters and first responders who risk their lives to protect our communities,” the company said in a statement about the issue. “We sincerely apologize for this mistake and have reached out to make it right."
Costa plans to use some of the money to help others who are less fortunate.
His initial injuries came from a fire that broke out in January at a vacant warehouse Denver warehouse near 40th and Walnut Street.
Firefighters started off fighting the blaze inside the structure, but later had to retreat and battle the fire from the outside because the building was in danger of collapsing.
The structure had been the site of a previous blaze, determined to come from an individual who started a fire for warmth inside.
