Food Delivery & Quick Commerce Complaint — NCH + FSSAI

How to file a National Consumer Helpline + FSSAI complaint

1. 1

   Raise a refund in the app within 24 hours

   Open the order → Help/Support → report the issue (stale food, missing items, wrong order) and request a full refund. Take screenshots of your request and their reply. Doing this first shows you gave the platform a chance to fix it.

2. 2

   Photograph the evidence immediately

   Photos/video of the food, the sealed/tampered packaging, and the bill are your strongest proof — especially for spoiled, expired, or contaminated items. Keep the order confirmation and invoice.

3. 3

   Generate your complaint with Nyaykar

   Type or speak what happened in any of 11 Indian languages. Nyaykar drafts a formal complaint in CPA 2019 format, naming the platform's deficiency in service and (for unsafe food) the FSS Act, 2006.

4. 4

   File with the National Consumer Helpline (1915)

   Call 1915 or file at consumerhelpline.gov.in. Paste the letter Nyaykar generated and attach your photos, invoice, and the in-app refund refusal. NCH often resolves delivery disputes within days.

5. 5

   For unsafe food, also report to FSSAI

   If the food was spoiled, expired, or contaminated, lodge a food-safety complaint on FSSAI's Food Safety Connect (foscos.fssai.gov.in) — it routes to the local Food Safety Officer, and the restaurant faces penalties under the FSS Act, 2006. If money isn't refunded, escalate to a District Consumer Commission via e-Jagriti.

Frequently asked questions

Swiggy/Zomato refund nahi de rahe — kya karun?

First raise the refund in-app within 24 hours and screenshot the refusal. If they still deny it, file with the National Consumer Helpline (1915) citing deficiency in service under Section 2(11), CPA 2019. NCH resolves most food-delivery refund disputes within days; e-Jagriti (Consumer Commission) is the next step.

Can I complain about stale or contaminated food?

Yes. Unsafe, spoiled, or expired food is a food-safety violation under the FSS Act, 2006. Report it on FSSAI's Food Safety Connect (foscos.fssai.gov.in) — it goes to the local Food Safety Officer, who can penalise the restaurant or cloud kitchen. Keep photos and the bill as proof.

How much does it cost to complain?

The National Consumer Helpline (1915) and the FSSAI food-safety complaint are both free. A District Consumer Commission has nil fee for claims up to ₹5 lakh — well above any food-delivery refund.

The delivery was late or items were missing — is that enough?

Yes — chronic delays, missing items, and wrong orders that the platform won't fix are a deficiency in service. Document the order, what was missing, and the in-app response. A full or partial refund plus compensation can be sought.

Who is responsible — the app or the restaurant?

Both can be. Under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, the platform can't dodge liability for a deficient service; the restaurant/cloud kitchen is separately liable for food quality under the FSS Act, 2006. A good complaint names both.

I got food poisoning after a delivery — what should I do?

Seek medical attention first and keep the prescription/reports. Then file a food-safety complaint on FSSAI's Food Safety Connect and a consumer complaint for compensation. Consumer courts have awarded significant compensation in food-poisoning cases.