When a 10-minute grocery app delivers the wrong item, skips a product you paid for, drops spoiled goods at your door, or promises a refund that never lands, you are not powerless. India's consumer law puts the platform on a clock and gives you a clear path to escalate.
The apps feel casual, but the law behind them is not. A quick-commerce order is a paid transaction, and the same consumer-protection framework that governs any e-commerce sale in India applies here too. This guide shows you what to capture, what to ask for, and exactly where to escalate when the in-app “sorry” button leads nowhere.
The 48-hour and one-month clock. When the Government of India announced the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 coming into force, it stated that e-commerce platforms “have to acknowledge the receipt of any consumer complaint within forty-eight hours and redress the complaint within one month from the date of receipt”. That timeline comes from the e-commerce rules made under the Act. Source: Press Information Bureau, Consumer Protection Act, 2019 comes into force. Almost no shopper knows the platform is already on a deadline. You now do.
Find your situation, capture the evidence in the middle column, and ask for the remedy in the third. If the platform refuses, follow the last column into the escalation ladder further down.
| Your problem | Capture this evidence | Ask for this, and if refused |
|---|---|---|
| Missing item (paid but not delivered) | Order ID, itemised bill showing the item, photo of everything received, delivery timestamp | Refund or redelivery of the missing item. If refused, note the refusal in writing and escalate |
| Wrong item delivered | Photo of the item received next to the app's order screen, order ID, delivery time | Correct item or a full refund for the wrong one. If refused, keep the item as evidence and escalate |
| Spoiled, expired or unsafe goods | Clear photos of the product, batch or expiry label, packaging, and the bill | Full refund, and flag the safety issue. If refused, escalate and consider the helpline |
| Damaged or tampered packaging | Unboxing photo or video, photo of the seal, order ID | Refund or replacement. If refused, cite the damaged-on-arrival evidence and escalate |
| Refund promised but never credited | Screenshot of the in-app refund confirmation, the date promised, your bank or card statement | Immediate credit with a reference number. If refused, escalate on the platform clock |
| Order cancelled after payment | Payment confirmation, cancellation message, bank statement line | Full and prompt refund. If delayed beyond a reasonable window, escalate |
Why the general legal position, not a company policy. Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart change their refund windows and in-app steps often. This guide gives you the rights that sit above any app's policy. Always check your app's current refund policy inside the app before you rely on a specific window or button, because those details move.
Refund disputes are won or lost on proof. The moment something is wrong, before you tap anything, collect the following. Photos taken at delivery are far stronger than photos taken hours later.
Work through these in order. Each rung creates a written record that strengthens the next.
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 is the governing statute here, and per the same government announcement it introduced the concept of product liability, which matters when a defective or unsafe product causes harm.
Does RTI help against a quick-commerce app? No, and here is why. The Right to Information Act reaches public authorities, not private companies. You cannot file an RTI on Blinkit, Zepto or Instamart, because they are private businesses. What RTI can do is seek records from a public body: for example, you could ask a government consumer-grievance authority about how complaints of a certain type are handled, or seek records tied to your own complaint from a public consumer-redressal body. For the private company itself, use the consumer-protection route above, not RTI. To use RTI well where it does apply, see The RTI Playbook and the RTI Act, 2005.
Kashvi Pathak orders groceries on a 10-minute app. The bag arrives missing a ₹240 pack she paid for, and one carton of curd is past its expiry date. Here is how she works the system.
Kashvi never had a guaranteed outcome, but her clean evidence and her use of the clock put her in a strong position at every rung.
When the Government of India announced the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 coming into force, it said e-commerce platforms must acknowledge a consumer complaint within forty-eight hours and redress it within one month from the date of receipt, under the e-commerce rules made under the Act. Raise your complaint in the app so the clock has a clear start date. Source: PIB press release.
You can ask for a refund to your original payment method rather than store credit, and you should put that request in writing to the grievance officer with your evidence. Whether you ultimately receive a cash refund depends on the facts and the platform's obligations, so there is no automatic guarantee. If the platform refuses unreasonably, escalate to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 and, if needed, the consumer commission.
Call 1915, the National Consumer Helpline. The number is published on the Government of India portal consumerhelpline.gov.in, which we verified. The helpline helps you take up grievances with companies and points you to the right forum if you need to escalate further.
No. RTI applies to public authorities, not private companies, so you cannot use it against a quick-commerce app directly. Use the consumer-protection route instead: in-app grievance, grievance officer, the National Consumer Helpline on 1915, then a consumer commission. RTI can still help you obtain records from a public consumer-redressal body or regulator where one is involved.
Capture evidence immediately. Photograph the delivery as it arrived, save the order ID and itemised bill, screenshot every support chat, and keep any wrong or spoiled item. Then raise the complaint in the app the same day so the acknowledgement and redressal timeline starts running in your favour.