If your Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub order is late, wrong, incomplete, unsafe, or charged incorrectly, start with the order's Help option in the official app or website. Give support the order number, date, exact problem, amount involved, evidence, and the remedy you want.

If the app opens a support ticket or chat, use it before sending an email. A written message gives you a record, but it doesn't guarantee a refund. The platform's policy, the details of the order, your payment method, and your evidence all affect the result.

Uber's consumer guidance says to report wrong or missing items within 48 hours for the best possible support experience, identify the exact items, and upload a photo. After that timeframe, Uber says it may be unable to provide a refund or another resolution. That's a platform support guideline, not a universal U.S. refund deadline. DoorDash and Grubhub may use different workflows, so check the current Help instructions for the specific order.

These templates are for U.S. consumers. They work in an email, support ticket, or in-app chat. Replace every bracketed detail, remove alternatives that don't apply, and stick to facts.

Pick the right first move

Gather the details before you write

Use facts that can be checked. If only two items were missing, name those items and their value rather than describing the entire order as missing.

Have these details ready:

• Order number, restaurant, date, and total
• What you ordered and what you received
• The promised delivery time and actual arrival time
• Photos of missing, wrong, spilled, damaged, cold, or unsafe food
• Screenshots of the receipt, delivery status, estimated time, and final total
• Previous chats, emails, and case numbers
• The card statement or transaction screen showing the charge
• The refund approval, if the platform already promised one

Don't send your full card number, password, or account login. If a payment provider needs to identify the account, provide only what it requests, such as the last four digits.

16 food delivery dispute templates

Choose the message that matches the problem. Keep the request short, attach the relevant evidence, and don't add allegations that the evidence can't support.

1. Late or cold delivery

Subject: Refund request for late order [Order number]

Hello [Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub] Support,

I'm requesting a review of order [Order number], placed on [date] for [$amount]. The app estimated delivery by [promised time], but the order arrived at [actual time], approximately [number] minutes or hours late. When it arrived, the food was [cold, spilled, or otherwise unusable].

Please review the delivery record and issue a [full or partial] refund of [$amount] to my original payment method, if available under your policy. I've attached [receipt, delivery-time screenshot, and photos].

Please send me the case number and the outcome.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Account email or phone number]

2. Order marked delivered but never received

Subject: Order marked delivered but not received: [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

Order [Order number], placed on [date] for [$amount], is marked as [delivered or completed], but I did not receive it. I checked [door, lobby, front desk, or other delivery location], and no one in my household accepted the order.

Please investigate the delivery and refund [$amount] to my original payment method. I've attached the receipt and a screenshot of the delivery status.

Please tell me the result of the investigation and provide a case number.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

3. Wrong order delivered

Subject: Wrong items delivered for order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

For order [Order number], placed on [date] for [$amount], I expected [list the items ordered] but received [list the items delivered].

I've attached photos of the delivered items and the receipt. Please refund [$amount] for the incorrect order, or let me know whether a replacement is available.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Account email or phone number]

4. Missing items from a partial order

Subject: Missing items from order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

Order [Order number] arrived on [date], but it did not include [specific items]. The missing items total [$amount]. The items that arrived were [brief description].

The receipt and photos of the delivered bag or items are attached. Please return [$amount] to my original payment method and confirm when the partial refund is processed.

Regards,
[Your name]

5. Food that appeared spoiled or unsafe

Subject: Food-safety concern and refund request for order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

Order [Order number], delivered on [date] at [time], included food that appeared [spoiled, contaminated, moldy, or otherwise unsafe]. I [did not consume it or stopped eating it]. The affected item was [item name].

I've attached photos of the food, packaging, label, and receipt. Please send this report to the appropriate safety team and refund [$amount] to my original payment method.

Please tell me whether you need any additional information for the food-safety report.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

6. Spilled or damaged food

Subject: Damaged delivery and refund request: order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

Order [Order number] arrived on [date] with [spilled contents, damaged packaging, or another specific problem]. The affected items were [list items], and [$amount] of the order was unusable.

I took the attached photos when the order arrived. Please refund [$amount] or explain the resolution available under your policy.

Thank you,
[Your name]

7. Possible allergen or undercooked food

Subject: Urgent food-safety concern for order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

I'm reporting a food-safety concern with order [Order number], delivered on [date]. The item [contained or may have contained] [ingredient] despite [the menu description, allergen information, or special instruction]. Alternatively, the item appeared undercooked: [brief factual description].

I have [not consumed the item or stopped eating it]. I've attached photos and the order details. Please escalate this report to the appropriate team and refund [$amount].

Please confirm that you received this safety report.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

8. Canceled order that was still charged

Subject: Charge for canceled order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

Order [Order number] was canceled by [me or the app] on [date] at [time]. The order status shows [canceled], but my payment account shows a [$amount] [pending or posted] charge.

Please confirm whether this is a temporary authorization or a completed charge. If it was completed, please reverse it and provide the refund amount and processing date.

The cancellation notice and payment record are attached.

Thank you,
[Your name]

9. Duplicate charge

Subject: Duplicate charge for order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

I see two transactions connected with order [Order number], placed on [date]: [$amount] on [date] and [$amount] on [date]. My receipt shows only one order.

Please review the transactions and reverse any duplicate posted charge. I've attached the receipt and a screenshot of both transactions.

Please confirm which transaction is valid and when the duplicate amount will be released or refunded.

Regards,
[Your name]

10. Unexpected fee or total

Subject: Review requested for order total: [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

The checkout total for order [Order number] was [$checkout amount], but the final transaction shows [$posted amount]. The difference appears to be [service fee, delivery fee, tip, tax, or another line item].

Please provide an itemized explanation and refund any amount that was charged incorrectly. I've attached the checkout screen, receipt, and payment record.

Thank you,
[Your name]

11. Refund approved but not received

Subject: Refund not received for order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

Your team approved a refund of [$amount] for order [Order number] on [approval date]. The confirmation or case number is [reference number], but the refund has not appeared in my payment account.

Please confirm when the refund was sent, which payment method was used, and whether there is a refund trace or reference number my bank can use.

I've attached the approval message and the relevant account transaction.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

12. Refund requested instead of app credit

Subject: Request to return order [Order number] refund to original payment

Hello [App] Support,

Thank you for offering [$amount] in app credit for order [Order number]. I would prefer a refund to the original payment method rather than app credit, if your policy permits.

The problem was [brief description]. Please confirm whether a refund to the original payment method is available. If it isn't, please explain the applicable policy.

Thank you,
[Your name]

13. Request to reconsider a denied claim

Subject: Request for review of denied claim: order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

My request about order [Order number] was denied on [date]. I'm asking for another review because [specific fact, such as the order was not delivered, the item in the photo does not match the receipt, or the refund was calculated incorrectly].

I've attached [photos, receipt, delivery record, and previous case messages]. Please identify the reason for the denial and tell me whether you need additional evidence.

I'm requesting [full refund, partial refund of $amount, or another specific remedy].

Regards,
[Your name]

14. Follow-up after no response

Subject: Follow-up on order [Order number], case [Case number]

Hello [App] Support,

I contacted you on [date] about [brief description of the problem]. The case number is [case number], but I haven't received an update.

Please confirm the current status and tell me when to expect a final decision. I've attached the original request again for convenience.

Thank you,
[Your name]

15. Escalation to a supervisor

Subject: Escalation request for unresolved order [Order number]

Hello [App] Support,

I've contacted support on [dates] about [brief description]. My previous case numbers are [numbers], and the issue remains unresolved because [no response, incorrect refund amount, or claim denied without an explanation].

Please escalate this matter to a supervisor or senior review team. I am requesting a written final decision, the policy used to reach it, and a refund of [$amount] if the evidence supports my claim.

If the issue remains unresolved, I may ask my card issuer which dispute options apply to the transaction. I will tell the issuer if the platform later provides a refund.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

16. Written dispute to a credit-card issuer

Use this for a credit-card transaction that may qualify as a billing error. Send it to the issuer's billing-dispute address or through the issuer's specified written process, not just to the delivery app.

Subject: Written billing dispute for [App] charge dated [date]

Dear Billing Disputes Department,

I am writing to dispute a charge of [$amount] from [app or merchant], posted on [date] and shown on my statement dated [statement date]. The factual problem is: [order was not delivered, canceled order was charged, the charge was duplicated, or another specific billing error].

I contacted [app] on [date] under case number [case number] and requested [refund or correction]. The response was [denied, no response, or refund approved but not received].

Attached are copies of the receipt, order record, delivery status, correspondence, and payment statement. Please confirm receipt of this written dispute and tell me if more information is required. I am paying the portion of my statement that I do not dispute.

My account ends in [last four digits].

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Billing address]
[Phone number]

If you didn't make the purchase, don't present it as a delivery-quality complaint. Contact the card issuer's fraud or unauthorized-transaction department promptly.

Deadlines and rules that matter

App support deadlines

Uber's consumer help page says to contact support within 48 hours about wrong or missing items, name the exact items, and upload an image. It also says that after this timeframe, support may be unable to provide a refund or another resolution. See the Uber Eats guidance for wrong or missing items.

Don't transfer Uber's 48-hour guidance to DoorDash or Grubhub. Look at the current Help screen for the particular order and save a screenshot of any deadline or instruction it shows. Report the issue as soon as you discover it, even if you're unsure whether the platform will approve a refund.

Credit-card billing disputes

For a U.S. credit card, federal billing-error protections generally require the issuer to receive a written dispute within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you. The Federal Trade Commission's credit-card dispute guidance explains the basic process.

The FTC also says that an issuer generally must acknowledge a written dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue. It must then resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days. See the FTC guidance on charges for goods you never received.

These are rules for the credit-card billing-error process, not a universal deadline for getting a food-delivery refund. A non-delivery, duplicate charge, or canceled order that remained charged gives the issuer a concrete transaction problem to investigate. A complaint about taste or temperature may need a different analysis. Ask the issuer which dispute category applies instead of assuming that every unsatisfactory meal qualifies.

The FTC provides consumer guidance; it doesn't issue the refund. Your issuer reviews the dispute under applicable law, the card agreement, and its procedures. Continue paying the part of the bill that you don't dispute.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, and digital wallets

The federal credit-card billing-error process isn't the same for a debit card, prepaid card, or digital wallet. Contact that provider promptly. Explain whether the issue involves non-delivery, a duplicate charge, fraud, or another problem, and ask which claim procedure and deadline apply.

U.S. law versus platform policy

A platform's support window determines how it reviews a claim through its own system. It doesn't automatically answer every legal question. The FTC's 60-day written-dispute rule likewise isn't a general food-delivery refund deadline.

Keep the jurisdiction straight: these templates and payment rules are written for U.S. consumers. Don't copy a deadline or consumer law from another country into a U.S. order complaint.

Treat food-safety problems separately

Don't eat food that appears spoiled, contaminated, or unsafe. If you can do so safely, photograph the food, packaging, label, and receipt. Then request a refund and report the concern through the platform.

If you suspect food poisoning or an allergic reaction, contact a medical professional. For an emergency, call 911. FoodSafety.gov explains how to report a problem with food, and the FDA's safe food handling guidance includes information about foodborne illness and reporting concerns.

A refund request doesn't replace medical care or a food-safety report.

Follow up without muddying the record

1. Report the problem through the order's official Help channel.
2. Paste the matching template into the support form or email route provided by the platform.
3. Ask for a case number and save the confirmation.
4. If support gives no response time, send one concise follow-up after two or three business days.
5. If the response is unclear or the refund is wrong, request supervisor review and point to the exact evidence supporting your position.
6. If the platform doesn't resolve a qualifying credit-card billing error, send the issuer a written dispute before the applicable deadline.
7. Tell the issuer if the platform later refunds you. Don't recover the same charge twice.

Use the official app or website instead of an unverified support address copied from an old blog. Submit the order report now, save each response, and keep the payment record until the refund or dispute is fully closed.