UAE: Fuel service Cafu to reintroduce delivery fees from April 24
UAE fuel delivery service Cafu will reintroduce delivery fees starting from 6am Thursday, April 24, a company call centre agent confirmed to Khaleej Times on Wednesday.
Cafu has also sent a note on the app to its customers saying there is 'a small change (happening) so we can keep doing things right.
'For years, we've delivered fuel and car services to your doorstep — fast, smooth, and free of delivery charges. But let's be honest, keeping a service like this running city-wide, 24/7, with the level of care and quality you expect, takes a lot behind the scenes,' added the note from Cafu.
Cafu confirmed the following delivery charges will apply on top of the fuel cost which remains the same as those in any petrol station across the UAE:
Dh20 - priority delivery fee for a waiting period within 20 minutes
Dh16 - standard delivery fee for a waiting period from 30 minutes to one hour
Dh12 - for overnight order, i.e., order placed from 12 midnight to 6am
'Keeping the service strong'
'It's not a decision we made lightly and it's not one we are hiding behind,' the company wrote in its note to customers. 'It's a step we believe is fair to keep the service strong, the experience smooth and your time protected.'
The company also added that keeping their service running citywide around the clock required a lot of work behind the scenes. Khaleej Times has reached out to Cafu for a comment regarding the new charges.
Founded in 2018 by tech entrepreneur Rashid Al Ghurair, Cafu started as a fuel delivery service. In 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, the company decided to offer free delivery service — a move that saw its popularity catapult across the country amid a nation-wide lockdown.
Since then, the company has introduced mobile car wash, oil change, battery and tyre services. In 2022, it also introduced an emergency fuel service. Late last year, Cafu began offering a new mobile electric vehicle charging solution and introduced a priority service that delivered fuel in less than 20 minutes.
Loyal customers
Dubai resident Sheena G. was introduced to Cafu when she found herself stranded on the roadside after her car ran out of petrol last year. 'Although I had heard of them, I had never tried them out. But at that time, I direly needed their service,' she recalled. 'Within 15 minutes of Whatsapping them, they brought petrol and I was all too happy to pay the premium they charged me for it. Since then I have been a loyal customer.'
She said she hopes to continue using the service. 'If the delivery fee is something nominal, I don't mind using it,' she said. 'I have three children and I am doing all the drop off, pick-ups and grocery shopping. So I am on the go all the time. I don't mind paying a premium for the comfort of having my fuel delivered to me. Also, if you book an overnight service, there is a five percent cashback. So unless the delivery fees are very steep, I hope to continue using the service.'
Indian expat Mohammed Khan said that he has adopted a wait and watch policy. 'I have not been to a petrol station in two years,' he said. 'I will see how much the delivery charges will be and then make a decision whether I will continue using the service or whether I will be going back and queuing up at the petrol station."
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