Grubhub: Agreement violation with no incident named deactivation appeal

What this deactivation means

The email only says you materially breached the Delivery Partner Agreement or violated Grubhub's terms, with no order, date, or category. Grubhub's policy ends with exactly this catch-all, and drivers report vague breach emails after fraud-model flags or a burst of cancellations. The real trigger is usually one of the other reasons on this list, so before writing, check the 'Account Violations' screen, search your inbox for earlier warnings, and walk your last two weeks of orders for anything that went sideways.

Where and when to appeal

The evidence that moves this reason

• The full deactivation email, screenshotted
• your violations screen, even if it is empty, because an empty screen is evidence
• recent stats and program level
• your last weeks of orders with anything unusual noted
• earlier warning or violation emails
• any case or reference number in the notice

What actually works

Reply asking Grubhub to name the specific conduct and the orders involved; its own policy says drivers get notice of any deactivation, so the request stands on their rules. Then answer the most likely trigger anyway. Walk through your recent record briefly, state plainly that you know of nothing that breaks the agreement, and attach your cleanest proof. Keep it short; a clear timeline beats a long defense.

You can win this one, but only with strong, specific proof; a form letter won't move it.

If Grubhub denies the appeal

Denied: re-appeal through the same email thread or the form with NEW evidence; nothing in Grubhub's policy caps attempts, and the 90-day window leaves room for a stronger second try. The contractual path is INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION before the American Arbitration Association under the Delivery Partner Agreement (Section 12), unless you opted out within 30 days of accepting the agreement (opt-outs go to driverinfo@grubhub.com). Arbitration has a REQUIRED first step: an informal phone conference. Send Grubhub written notice that you want one; the agreement says the call happens within 7 days of Grubhub receiving the notice, and the deadline clock on your claims pauses while you wait. Some disputes end at that call. A formal demand must go by certified mail to Grubhub, 5 Bryant Park, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10018, Attn: General Counsel, signed in ink; the agreement rejects digital signatures. Grubhub pays the arbitrator's fees, filing and admin costs are shared, and the hearing happens in your county. If the background or driving report is wrong, dispute it directly with the company that made it (usually Checkr). The law (FCRA) makes them recheck it, usually within 30 days, and the fixed report goes to the platform automatically. Fixing a wrong report is often the easiest win there is. Seattle drivers: Grubhub is covered by the App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance, and Seattle OLS has already made Grubhub redo one deactivation and pay penalties (late 2025). That means 14 days notice before most deactivations, access to the records behind it, a challenge process, and reinstatement with back pay if the deactivation was unjustified; file with Seattle OLS within 90 days. NYC: the December 2025 deactivation law (Int. 1332, in effect since late January 2026) covers Grubhub, Seamless, and Relay; it requires a stated reason, an appeal process, and 120 days notice before a permanent removal.