If your food delivery is late, cold, wrong, incomplete, spilled, or missing, report it through that order's support flow as soon as you can. Say exactly what went wrong, attach photos or screenshots, and name the remedy you want.
A full refund isn't automatic. The platform's current policy, the restaurant's role, the condition of the food, and your payment method all matter. The 60-day rule many consumers remember is a separate federal process for qualifying credit-card billing errors. It is not a deadline for telling DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, or another app that dinner arrived cold.
Before you request a refund
Save the order record
Screenshot the order number and itemized receipt, the restaurant name, the original delivery estimate, any updated time or delivered status, and the fees, tip, taxes, and total charged. Keep the messages with the driver, restaurant, or support team.
Write down when the order actually arrived. If it never arrived, note when it was marked delivered and what you did to look for it.
Photograph what showed up
Take clear photos before you throw anything away. For a missing item, photograph the open bag and every delivered item beside the receipt. For a wrong item, show the food, label, packaging, and order details. For a spill, photograph the bag, container, seal, and damaged food.
DoorDash's consumer guidance for missing or incorrect orders asks for original, clear photos of the items received. That standard travels well: unedited pictures, everything that arrived, nothing staged.
Don't edit photos or claim an item that was actually delivered. A short, accurate report is more useful than an angry message with accusations you can't support.
If the food may be unsafe
Don't eat food that may contain an allergen or looks spoiled. Keep the packaging if you may need to describe the problem later, but don't send food back unless the company tells you to.
If someone has symptoms after eating, get medical care first. A refund ticket can wait.
Report it from the order screen
Open the order in the app or website and choose the most accurate issue category. A request tied to that order usually already contains the details the company needs to investigate.
Apps and restaurants set their own reporting windows. Once an order record is closed, support often has less to work with.
What refund should you request?
Match the ask to the problem. A full refund is a fair request when the whole order was unusable. A missing side dish is not an undelivered order.
| Problem | Reasonable request | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Late but usable food | Partial refund, credit, or policy review | Original estimate, actual delivery time, order status |
| Late and cold food | Full refund review if the meal was unusable | Photos, timeline, description of the condition |
| Missing item | Refund for the missing item and related amount | Receipt, photo of the opened bag, all items received |
| Wrong order | Refund for the affected items, or the full order if unusable | Photo of the food, labels, and receipt |
| Order never arrived | Refund of the order amount and any applicable charges | Delivery status, drop-off photo, messages, search details |
| Spilled or damaged food | Refund for damaged items, or the full order if nothing was edible | Photos of packaging, spill, seal, and food |
| Duplicate charge | Reversal of the duplicate posted charge | Statement, transaction dates, order receipt |
| Driver conduct problem | Safety review and any separate food remedy | Factual timeline, messages, photos, and witnesses if available |
A tip, delivery charge, tax, or subscription fee may be handled separately under the platform's terms. Ask how the proposed refund was calculated instead of assuming every charge comes back.
Copy-paste food delivery complaint templates
Replace the bracketed text with your details. Keep the message factual, attach only records that support the claim, and delete any sentence that doesn't apply. One clear request beats two competing ones.
1. Late and cold delivery refund request
Subject: Refund request for late and cold order [order number]
Hello [support team],
I placed order [order number] from [restaurant] on [date]. The estimated delivery time was [time], but it arrived at [actual time], approximately [number] minutes late.
The food arrived cold, and [describe the affected items and condition]. I have attached photos and screenshots showing the order details and timing.
I am requesting a [$amount] refund for [the full order or affected items]. Please return it to the original payment method if available. If you are offering a different remedy, please explain the reason and the amount covered.
Please confirm the case number and next step.
Thank you,
[Name]
[Email or phone number]2. Wrong or missing items
Subject: Missing and incorrect items in order [order number]
Hello [support team],
My order [order number] from [restaurant] was delivered on [date]. I ordered [list the expected items], but I received [list what arrived]. The following item or items were missing: [list missing items].
I have attached photos of all items received, the packaging, and the receipt.
Please refund [$amount] for the missing and incorrect items.
[If the entire meal could not be used:] Because [brief reason], I am requesting a refund for the full order instead.
Please confirm how this will be resolved.
Best,
[Name]3. Order marked delivered but not received
Subject: Order marked delivered but not received: [order number]
Hello [support team],
Order [order number] from [restaurant] was marked delivered at [time] on [date], but I did not receive it. I checked [the stated drop-off location, building entrance, lobby, or nearby area] and [contacted the relevant person or neighbor, if true].
The delivery photo [does not show my address or drop-off location / is not available / does not match the order location]. I have attached the order record and any delivery photo or messages.
Please investigate and refund the order amount of [$amount] to the original payment method if available.
Thank you,
[Name]4. Spilled or damaged order
Subject: Damaged food in order [order number]
Hello [support team],
Order [order number] arrived on [date] with damage to [describe the bag, container, seal, or items]. [List the food that spilled or became unusable.]
I have attached photos taken when the order arrived. The affected amount is approximately [$amount].
Please refund the affected items. If the damage made the entire order unusable, please review the order for a full refund.
Please confirm receipt of this report and the refund amount.
Regards,
[Name]5. Allergen or food-safety concern
Subject: Urgent food-safety concern with order [order number]
Hello [support or safety team],
I ordered [item] from [restaurant] on [date] and disclosed [allergy or dietary restriction] in [the order notes or support conversation]. The delivered food appears to contain [ingredient or suspected allergen], or I am concerned about possible contact with it.
I have not eaten the affected item [or describe accurately what happened]. Photos of the food, label, packaging, and order notes are attached.
Please escalate this to the appropriate safety team, refund the order, and tell me how you want the food and packaging handled. Please also preserve the order and communication records.
Name: [Name]
Order: [order number]Don't claim that cross-contact occurred unless you have a factual basis for saying so. If a person has symptoms, focus on medical care before customer support.
6. Driver behavior or delivery safety complaint
Subject: Delivery safety complaint for order [order number]
Hello [support team],
I am reporting a delivery conduct issue connected with order [order number] on [date] at approximately [time].
The driver [describe the conduct in precise, non-insulting terms]. The result was [spilled food, unwanted contact, a failed delivery, or another specific impact].
Please review the delivery records and take appropriate safety action. I do not want further direct contact from this driver. I am also requesting a refund of [$amount] because [explain the food or service problem, if any].
Please keep this report confidential and confirm the case number.
Thank you,
[Name]If you believe you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services rather than waiting for an app response.
7. Duplicate charge to the app
Subject: Duplicate charge for order [order number]
Hello [billing team],
I placed one order, [order number], for [$amount] on [date]. My payment account shows two posted charges:
- [$amount] on [date]
- [$amount] on [date]
The second charge appears to be a duplicate. I have attached the receipt and statement entries. Please reverse the duplicate charge and confirm which transaction remains valid.
If one transaction is only pending, please confirm that before processing a refund.
Regards,
[Name]8. Appeal after a refund denial
Subject: Request for review of denied refund, order [order number]
Hello [support team],
I am asking for a review of the refund decision dated [date] for order [order number]. The original decision did not account for [missing item, wrong order, non-delivery, damage, or another specific fact].
The order was placed at [time], the estimated delivery was [time], and the relevant problem was [brief factual description]. I have attached [photos, receipt, delivery screenshot, and support transcript].
Please identify the policy reason for the denial and reconsider a refund of [$amount]. If a full refund is unavailable, please explain the alternative remedy and the amount covered.
Thank you,
[Name]9. Complaint to a restaurant for a direct order
Subject: Refund request for direct delivery order [order number]
Hello [restaurant name],
I placed order [order number] directly with your restaurant on [date] for [$amount]. The order arrived [late, incomplete, wrong, damaged, or not at all].
The specific problem was: [short description]. I have attached the receipt and photos or delivery records.
Please refund [$amount] to the original payment method or tell me what remedy you can provide. Please confirm this request in writing.
Best,
[Name]
[Contact information]10. Credit-card billing-error letter
Use this only when the facts accurately describe a credit-card billing error. It isn't the right wording for an unauthorized transaction if you actually placed the order.
[Date]
Billing Disputes Department
[Card issuer name and billing-error address]
Re: Billing error on account ending in [last four digits]
I am writing to dispute a [$amount] charge from [merchant or app] dated [date]. The error is: [the order was never delivered / the charge was duplicated / the goods were not delivered as agreed].
I first contacted the merchant on [date]. The response was [no response, denial, partial refund, or other result].
Please investigate this charge as a billing error. Enclosed are a copy of the statement entry, the receipt, my order records, photographs, and relevant correspondence.
Please send your written response to:
[Mailing address]
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Address]
[Phone or email]When the credit-card 60-day dispute rule applies
The FTC's guidance on charges for goods you never received and its instructions for disputing credit-card billing errors describe a separate process from an app refund request.
For a qualifying credit-card billing error:
- Send the dispute in writing so the issuer receives it within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
- Send it to the billing-dispute address listed for disputes, which may be different from the address used for payments.
- Keep a copy of the letter and supporting records.
- The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue.
- The issuer must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the letter.
- During the investigation, the FTC says you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges. Continue paying any undisputed portion of the bill.
Some issuers may extend that 60-day window when a shipment is delayed. Ask your card issuer if the facts fit.
This rule is not a general 60-day deadline for telling a delivery app about cold food. It also isn't a universal process for debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, or peer-to-peer payments. Contact those providers promptly and ask about their own dispute procedure.
Don't report a food-quality complaint as an "unauthorized transaction." An unauthorized transaction is one you didn't make or approve. A wrong, late, cold, or missing order is normally a merchant or service dispute unless someone used your account without permission.
If the app denies your complaint
Send one clear appeal instead of opening several conflicting tickets.
Include the order number and amount, a short timeline with exact times, the remedy you want, photos and screenshots, the previous case number, and the reason the original response was incomplete or inaccurate.
Ask whether the proposed remedy is a refund to the original payment method, an app credit, or a partial adjustment. Read the offer before you confirm it. A credit is not the same as a payment reversal.
If the restaurant charged you directly, escalate to the restaurant's manager or written customer-service address. If the platform charged you, keep the platform case open as well.
If a credit-card issuer mishandles a qualifying billing dispute, you can consider filing a complaint through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint portal. That route concerns the financial company handling the dispute. It does not guarantee that the food app will refund the order.
For an allergic reaction, injury, threat, or significant financial loss, consider medical, regulatory, or independent legal advice appropriate to your situation.
App-specific reminders
- DoorDash: Use the order's Help or issue-reporting flow and attach clear photos. The current order screen is more reliable than an old refund script or a policy copied from another market.
- Uber Eats: Report the problem from the specific order and distinguish missing items, an incorrect order, quality problems, and non-delivery. Don't assume a reporting window from another country applies to a U.S. order.
- Grubhub: Keep the support conversation, order receipt, and itemized refund offer. If the response provides only a credit, state whether you are requesting a payment refund instead.
- Postmates: Start with the receipt and account where the order appears. If the order is shown in an Uber account, use the support option attached to that order.
- Direct restaurant orders: Complain to the restaurant first, while keeping any delivery-company records if a third-party courier was involved.
Policies can vary by market, account, restaurant, and order type. Don't cite a different app's terms as though they create a right under your order.
Common mistakes that weaken a refund request
Waiting until the platform's reporting window has passed is the most avoidable one. Throwing away the packaging before photos is a close second.
Other problems that undercut a claim:
- Asking for a full refund without explaining why the entire order was unusable
- Calling a posted charge unauthorized when you placed the order
- Disputing a pending authorization as a completed duplicate charge
- Sending several inconsistent versions of the same story
- Threatening the driver or sharing the driver's personal information
- Submitting unnecessary medical records or unredacted personal documents
- Filing a bank dispute after the app has already issued a full refund without notifying the bank
Open the order's support channel now, save the case number, and go to the payment provider only if the platform's response doesn't resolve a qualifying billing problem.