In short (UK): Food delivery still has to be as described, complete, and of satisfactory quality. Wrong meals, missing items, and fake “delivered” drop-offs support a refund (cash, not only app credit). Complain straight away with photos and the order number. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
App says delivered, bag says someone else’s dinner? This guide covers the core rules — not a full claim pack. For a personalised plan and letter, use Refundly.
Typical Delivery Failures
| Issue | Sensible ask |
|---|---|
| Completely wrong order | Full refund or immediate correct redelivery |
| Missing items | Refund for missing lines (or full if meal unusable) |
| Cold / spoiled / unsafe | Refund for affected food |
| Marked delivered, nothing arrived | Full refund |
| Very late with cold food | Partial or full — based on how bad the failure was |
Platforms (Deliveroo-style, Just Eat-style, and similar) and restaurants may share operational blame — your contract trail starts with who charged you.
Evidence Wins These Disputes
Photograph the receipt label, wrong dishes, missing slots in the bag, and the app status screen. Export the chat. Time matters: report as soon as you open the bag.
Credit vs Cash
| Offer | View |
|---|---|
| Full cash refund | Strong default for non-supply / wholly wrong order |
| Partial refund for missing lines | Often fair |
| Small courtesy voucher only | Challenge when the failure was major |
| “Against restaurant policy” | Does not wipe consumer rights |
Order time, delivery stamp, photo times, and complaint IDs in one trail
What to Do Next (High Level)
- Photograph everything before you discard unsafe food.
- Complain in-app and follow up by email if the chat closes.
- State exactly what was wrong and the cash refund you want.
- If fobbed off, send a short formal complaint to the platform and restaurant.
- Use card chargeback for clear non-delivery after their process fails.
What Your Complaint Should Cover
Order number, restaurant, time; wrong/missing/cold details; photos; amount paid; refund requested; deadline.
Refundly shapes a calm wrong-order refund note from your order details
Using Refundly
- Select services / delivery failure
- Non-supply and quality framing in plain English
- Personalised plan
- Complaint letter
- Track replies and card escalation
Final Tip
Open the bag at the door when you can — same-minute photos close arguments about “you ate it then complained.”
General information for UK consumers only — not legal advice. See the Consumer Rights Act 2015 on services and goods standards.
Common questions
Short answers to common questions on this topic.
- Can I get a refund for a wrong food delivery?
- Usually yes for the wrong, missing, or undeliverable parts — and sometimes the whole order if it is useless without them. Apps and restaurants often offer credit first; you can still ask for a cash refund to the original payment method when the service was not supplied as agreed.
- Who do I claim from — the app or the restaurant?
- Start with whoever took your payment and runs the complaints flow (often the platform). Name the restaurant, order number, and what was wrong. If one party keeps passing the blame, put both on notice in writing and keep the chat export.
- The driver marked delivered but I got nothing — what then?
- That is non-supply. Photograph the empty doorstep or lobby if relevant, contact support immediately, and request a full refund. Escalate if they only offer a small voucher for a missing whole order.
- Do I have to send cold food back?
- Perishable deliveries are fact-specific — you are not expected to courier hot food back across town. Report promptly with photos, refuse unsafe food, and claim a refund for what was not of satisfactory quality or as described.
- Is a partial credit enough?
- Credit for a missing side may be fair; a token voucher for a completely wrong main meal often is not. Ask for a refund that matches the failure — whole order when appropriate — in cash if that is what you want.