How to complain about a takeaway and get your money back

It's always frustrating when a takeaway, which should have been a treat, turns into a customer service nightmare.

If something goes wrong with your food delivery – whether you've ordered through Deliveroo, Just Eat, UberEats, or the restaurant directly – you do have rights to a refund under consumer law.

Follow our three tips for complaining and securing a refund.

1. Complain to the restaurant and delivery app

Perhaps your order was incomplete, extremely late or the food arrived cold.

Whatever issue you've had, it's worth contacting both the delivery food app (if you ordered through one) and the restaurant in the first instance.

It's best to complain as soon as you realise there's something wrong with your delivery. Some delivery platforms only give you 24 hours from delivery to submit a claim.

Explain what's gone wrong with your order and include any photographs that might support your case, for example, if your drinks have spilled over your food or you've been delivered wrong items.

Make sure you take a screenshot of any correspondence you have with either company, as you might need this information later.

If you've complained over the phone, take a note of the time you called the companies and what they advised.

Hopefully, your issue will be resolved by one of the companies at this stage.

2. Check your T&Cs

It might be the case that neither company takes responsibility or offers to refund you.

We've heard from some consumers who have found themselves stuck between the delivery platform and the restaurant, with both companies pointing the blame at each other.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA), you do have rights if your food delivery doesn't turn up as expected. Consumer law says that your food must be as described, of satisfactory quality and the delivery service must have been carried out with due skill and care, within a reasonable timeframe.

But who your rights are with – the food delivery platform or the restaurant – isn’t always straightforward, and it depends on what exactly has gone wrong.

Delivery food platforms often state in their T&Cs that any issues related to food – such as how food has been prepared or if the wrong food had been provided – are the responsibility of the restaurant.

Issues around deliveries – for example, if your food arrives late or goes to the wrong address – should normally be directed towards whichever company provides the courier.

It's worth carefully checking your T&Cs and the confirmation of your order to see who is likely to be responsible for whatever's gone wrong.

Then you can try complaining again, explaining why you believe you're owed a refund in line with the CRA and the T&Cs of your order.

3. Section 75 or chargeback

If you're still not getting anywhere, you could try to get your money back via your bank (depending on how you paid for the takeaway).

If you paid by debit card, you may be able to make a chargeback claim, which enables you to dispute a card transaction and request your money back for something you've paid for. 

Or if you've paid by credit card, you can try to make a Section 75 claim to get your money back – though you'll need to have spent over £100 to be eligible.

You can start your chargeback or Section 75 claim with our free tool.