Why Is My Delivery Taking So Long?

Most deliveries arrive faster than expected. But sometimes things take longer. Here are the most common reasons — and what Dashdrop is doing about each of them.

You placed your order, got a confirmation, and have been watching the map for ten minutes. The rider hasn't moved much. Sound familiar? Delivery delays are frustrating, and we hear about them. Here are the honest reasons they happen.

The most common cause is merchant preparation time. When a restaurant or pharmacy takes longer than expected to prepare your order, your rider often arrives at the pickup point before your order is ready. Our median merchant wait time is currently 6 minutes — but on busy evenings it can stretch to 15 or more. We are actively working with merchant partners to reduce this by sharing preparation time data through our business dashboard.

Nairobi traffic is the second major factor. Certain routes during peak hours can double a rider's travel time — particularly around Mombasa Road, Thika Superhighway, and the CBD. Our routing algorithm factors in historical traffic patterns, but unexpected road closures or market congestion can still cause delays.

If your order is more than 10 minutes past its estimated delivery time, you will receive a push notification with an updated estimate. You can also contact your rider directly through the app at any time. If your order is significantly delayed through no fault of the merchant or road conditions, you may be eligible for a partial delivery fee refund — request it through the Help section in the app.