In recent years, food delivery services have seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, largely fueled by the rise of smartphones and mobile applications. With just a swipe on their screens, customers can explore various cuisines, compare prices, and receive meals at their doorstep within minutes. Dominated by platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, and Uber Eats, the market is thriving. However, maintaining consistent food quality during delivery remains a challenge, and customers often express dissatisfaction when their meals arrive cold, soggy, or damaged.
This inconsistency frequently puts food delivery services in the spotlight, leading to criticism from consumers. A recent incident involving a journalist highlighted a particularly poor delivery experience. Instead of the expected Chicken Biryani, the customer received a portion of plain, foul-smelling rice.
Customer’s Experience with Faulty Order
Journalist Sambhav Kumar took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his disappointing experience with Zomato. He ordered Chicken Biryani from Itminan Biryani but received only smelly rice without any chicken pieces. In his tweet, he expressed his frustration:
“I ordered a 1 kg Chicken Biryani from Itminan Biryani through @zomato, and what I received was incredibly disappointing. Foul-smelling rice and literally not a single piece of chicken. This is outright fraud under the @zomato platform.”
Sambhav further recounted that the restaurant deflected responsibility onto Zomato. He wrote:
“When I contacted the restaurant for a refund, they shifted the blame to Zomato. @deepigoyal, it’s essential to crack down on such scams exploiting Zomato’s name. Is it acceptable to send a fancy matka filled with 3 to 4 small rotten chicken chunks?”
He also noted that while he paid ₹466 for his biryani, Zomato only refunded him ₹116. Sambhav criticized the companies involved for what he perceived as fraudulent behavior, stating, “Is this how Zomato, Itminan Biryani, and @Eatclub_ think they can make money by scamming customers?”
Have a look at his tweets:
I ordered a 1 kg chicken biryani from Itminan Biryani through @zomato, and what I received was incredibly disappointing. Foul-smelling rice and literally not a single piece of chicken. This is outright fraud under @zomato platform. 1/3 ⬇️
— Sambhav (@Sambhavkumar02) October 13, 2024
When I contacted the restaurant for a refund, they shifted the blame to Zomato. @deepigoyal, it’s essential to crack down on such scams exploiting Zomato’s name. Is it acceptable to send a fancy matka filled with 3 to 4 small rotten chicken chunks? 2/3 ⬇️
— Sambhav (@Sambhavkumar02) October 13, 2024
I paid ₹466, and after raising a complaint, @zomatocare offered a mere ₹116 as a refund. Is this how Zomato, Intminam Biryani, and @Eatclub_ think they can make money by scamming customers? ⬇️
— Sambhav (@Sambhavkumar02) October 13, 2024
Zomato’s Response
Upon noticing the growing attention to Sambhav’s post, Zomato’s official support team reached out, expressing regret over his experience and requesting his order ID and contact information for further investigation. They responded:
“Hi Sambhav, we regret that the order is not as per your expectations. Could you please share the order ID/registered contact details via private message with us so that we can look into this and get back to you with a resolution?”
Hi Sambhav, we regret that the order is not as per your expectations. Could you please share the order ID/registered contact details via private message with us so that we can look into this and get back to you with a resolution. https://t.co/jcTFuGT2Se
— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) October 13, 2024
In response, Sambhav criticized Zomato’s use of a chatbot, remarking:
“Why is the @zomatocare chatbot replying to my tweet but ignoring my DM? It’s strange that @zomatocare is replying publicly while my direct messages are overlooked!”
Why is the @zomatocare chatbot replying to my tweet but ignoring my DM? It’s strange that @zomatocare is replying publicly while my direct messages are overlooked!
— Sambhav (@Sambhavkumar02) October 14, 2024
What are your thoughts on this incident? Feel free to share in the comments section below.
