Food Delivery Refund Rights India — Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit (2026)

A working professional in Gurugram receives wrong items from a Swiggy order, food that arrives 90 minutes after the promised window, and customer care that offers “50 Swiggy Money credit” instead of a refund. In 2026, food delivery disputes are among the most volume-heavy consumer complaints in urban India. Four legal frameworks together give every consumer enforceable refund and safety-violation recourse: the Consumer Protection Act 2019, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, the IT Rules 2021, and the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. This page is the complaint and recovery roadmap.

To get a refund from Swiggy / Zomato / Blinkit / Zepto: (1) photograph the issue (wrong order, missing items, late delivery, unhygienic packaging, food poisoning); (2) demand a refund through the app's Help section within 24 hours; (3) if denied, escalate to the platform's Grievance Officer (emails listed below) — 24-hour acknowledgement and 15-day resolution under the IT Rules 2021, and 48-hour acknowledgement / one-month redressal under the E-Commerce Rules 2020; (4) for food poisoning, file an FSSAI complaint at foscos.fssai.gov.in and collect medical records plus the restaurant's FSSAI licence number; (5) call NCH 1915 or file at consumerhelpline.gov.in for mediation; (6) file in the District Consumer Commission through e-Daakhil (pecuniary limit up to ₹50 lakh — State Commission ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, National Commission above ₹2 crore); (7) raise a bank chargeback for credit-card payments; (8) for systemic or false-advertising issues, approach the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

• What you can dispute
• Statutory framework
• Platform grievance officers
• Food poisoning — emergency response
• The refund escalation timeline
• Sample complaint + grievance email + FSSAI
• Filing an RTI to FSSAI
• FAQ
• Myth vs reality

• Wrong or missing items.
• Late delivery beyond the promised window.
• Order not delivered.
• Unhygienic packaging.
• Food poisoning or contamination.
• Overcharging beyond the menu price.
• GST charged on exempt items.
• Hidden charges (delivery, packaging, “platform fee”, “surge”).
• Cancelled order without refund.
• Damaged items (groceries, fragile goods).
• Expired products.

• §2(11) — deficiency in service (covers wrong / late / undelivered orders, refused refunds).
• §2(42) — definition of “service”; the platform and the restaurant both count as service providers.
• §35 — complaint to the District Consumer Commission (no minimum value).
• §21 — CCPA power to act against misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices; penalty up to ₹10 lakh, and up to ₹50 lakh for a repeat offence.

• Every e-commerce entity (Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto) must appoint a Grievance Officer and display the name, phone and email prominently on the platform.
• The Grievance Officer must acknowledge a complaint within 48 hours and redress it within one month.
• Platforms must not refuse to take back goods or refund for defective, wrong, or missing items.

• Rule 3(2) — intermediary Grievance Officer mandatory; 24-hour acknowledgement and 15-day resolution.

• §26 — responsibilities of the food business operator (must not store, sell, or distribute unsafe food).
• §59 — penalty for unsafe food (up to ₹10 lakh; higher where illness or death is caused).
• The State Food Safety Officer can inspect premises and recommend suspension or cancellation of the FSSAI licence.

• §318 — cheating (inducing delivery of property — for example, charging for an order never delivered). This replaces IPC §420.
• Food adulteration and poisoning are prosecuted mainly under the FSSAI Act 2006, which occupies the field.

• App: Help → Order Issues → Get Refund.
• Grievance Officer: [email protected].

• App: Help → Refund.
• Grievance Officer: [email protected].

• App: Help.
• Grievance Officer: [email protected].

• Grievance Officer: [email protected].

The exact email and phone are published on each platform's Terms and Conditions / Grievance Officer page — verify there before writing in, because platforms update these. The statutory timelines (24-hour / 48-hour acknowledgement, 15-day / one-month redressal) apply regardless of what the app chat offers.

• Stop eating and preserve a sample (refrigerate).
• Photograph the remaining food and packaging.
• Note the time of consumption and onset of symptoms.
• See a doctor or hospital emergency; document the findings.

• File an FSSAI complaint at foscos.fssai.gov.in (Consumer grievance).
• Email the State Food Safety Officer.
• Record the restaurant's FSSAI licence number (printed on the packaging).
• Notify the platform and demand a refund.

• Police FIR if hospitalisation is needed.
• District Consumer Commission complaint for compensation.
• Health insurance claim (some policies cover food poisoning).

• Photographs of the food and packaging.
• Doctor's report and medical bills.
• Order receipt.
• FSSAI complaint reference number.
• Restaurant FSSAI licence number and name.

1. Day 0 — App refund request, with photographs.
2. Day 1 — Grievance Officer email, if the app denies the refund.
3. Day 3 — NCH 1915 / consumerhelpline.gov.in, if the Grievance Officer does not respond.
4. Day 7 — District Consumer Commission complaint (e-Daakhil).
5. Day 7 — Bank chargeback, if paid by credit card.
6. Day 14 — FSSAI complaint (food safety).
7. Day 30 — CCPA, for false advertising or systemic platform issues.

To: [email protected] / [email protected]
Subject: Refund denied for order # _______ — IT Rules 2021 Rule 3(2) + E-Commerce Rules 2020

Madam / Sir,

I, [Name], registered user (mobile +91-XXXX), report:

Order ID: _______
Date / time: DD-MM-2026 HH:MM
Restaurant: _______
Total paid: Rs. _______
Issue: [Wrong order / Missing items / Late delivery /
        Cold food / Hygiene issue / Food poisoning]

Photographs at Annexure A. Restaurant FSSAI licence
no. _______ (visible on packaging).

I demanded a refund through the app on DD-MM-2026 (chat
log Annexure B). Your customer care offered only
[platform credit / partial refund / nothing].

Under the IT Rules 2021 Rule 3(2) and the Consumer
Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, please:
  (a) Acknowledge this grievance within 24 hours.
  (b) Resolve within 15 days.
  (c) Refund Rs. _______ to the original payment mode
      (the E-Commerce Rules 2020 require refund in the
      original mode for deficient service).
  (d) [If applicable] Take action against the restaurant
      for FSSAI violations.

Failing a satisfactory response, I shall approach NCH
1915, the District Consumer Commission, and FSSAI.

[Name, contact, order ID]
DD-MM-2026

The Designated Officer / State Food Safety Commissioner
[State]

Sub: Food safety violation — Order from
        [Restaurant Name] dated DD-MM-2026

I, [Name], submit:

1. On DD-MM-2026 at HH:MM, I ordered [items] from
   [Restaurant Name] (FSSAI Licence no. _______)
   via [Swiggy / Zomato / Blinkit].

2. After consumption at HH:MM, I experienced
   [symptoms] and consulted Dr. _______ at
   [Hospital]. Medical report at Annexure A.

3. A sample of the remaining food is preserved at
   refrigerated temperature and is available for testing.

4. The food shows signs of [staleness, contamination,
   expiry, foreign matter] (Annexure B — photographs).

I request:
  (a) Inspection of [Restaurant Name] under the FSSAI
      Act 2006.
  (b) Sample testing at an FSSAI-approved laboratory.
  (c) Penalty or licence action if violations are proven.
  (d) A compensation order.

[Name, contact]
DD-MM-2026

PIO, [State] Food Safety and Drug Administration

Sub: Application under section 6(1) RTI Act 2005

Please furnish in respect of [Restaurant Name]
(FSSAI Licence no. _______):

1. Date of licence, validity, and current status.

2. Number of inspections in the last 24 months
   and the findings.

3. Number of consumer complaints received and action
   taken.

4. Whether the establishment has been issued any
   show-cause notice, penalty, or closure order.

5. The Food Safety Officer responsible for this area.

A reply is requested under section 7(1) within 30 days.

[Name, contact]
DD-MM-2026

Use the AI RTI Drafter to turn these facts into a ready-to-file RTI application.

• Swiggy / Zomato / Blinkit / Zepto Grievance Officer pages — published under each platform's Terms and Conditions.
• NCH — consumerhelpline.gov.in · toll-free 1915.
• FSSAI / FoSCoS — foscos.fssai.gov.in.
• e-Daakhil — the national online consumer-commission filing portal.
• CCPA — Central Consumer Protection Authority, Department of Consumer Affairs.
• IT Rules 2021 — Rule 3(2).
• CPA 2019 — sections 2(11), 2(42), 21, 35.
• E-Commerce Rules 2020 — grievance officer and refund rules.
• FSSAI Act 2006 — sections 26 and 59.
• BNS, 2023 — section 318.

Related RTI Wiki pages:

• Quick commerce grocery refunds: missing or wrong items
• Restaurant overcharging complaint
• Packaged food consumer rights
• RTI Act 2005 — complete guide

No. Under CPA 2019 and the E-Commerce Rules 2020, a refund for deficient service must go back to the original payment mode. Platform credit is valid only if you accept it.

Delivery beyond the platform's promised window, especially the “on-time guarantee” slot, is deficiency of service under CPA 2019 §2(11).

Compensation depends on medical cost, lost income, and severity. File a complaint with the District Consumer Commission; awards are fact-specific.

Operating without an FSSAI licence is an offence under the FSSAI Act 2006. Report it to the State Food Safety Officer, or file at foscos.fssai.gov.in.

Yes. Both are “service providers” under CPA 2019 §2(42).

Yes, if disclosed clearly upfront. Hidden or back-end charges amount to an unfair trade practice under CPA 2019.

Last reviewed: 17 July 2026.