How to Complain About High Delivery Fees and Get Refunds

UK delivery apps refund quickly for genuine order problems and almost never for fees you simply consider too high. Knowing the difference saves time and frustration.

What gets refunded

Apps will reliably refund for:

  • Wrong items — "I ordered a margherita, got a pepperoni." Almost always refunded.
  • Missing items — "Receipt says 4 items, bag has 3." Almost always refunded.
  • Cold or damaged food — refunded if reported quickly with a photo.
  • Late delivery — partial refund (typically delivery fee + 10-20%) if delay was significant (60+ minutes past estimate).
  • Incorrect fees — if a promo did not apply or you were charged twice, full refund of the discrepancy.

What does not get refunded:

  • "The fees were too high." Disclosed at checkout, treated as accepted.
  • "The food was disappointing." Subjective; only refunded for clear quality issues.
  • "I changed my mind." Not refunded once the order is dispatched.

How to complain effectively

The pattern that works on Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat:

1. Report within 24 hours of receiving the order. Refund rates drop sharply after that. 2. Use in-app help, not email. App-based complaints get faster response. 3. Be specific. "The chicken burger was missing" beats "the order was wrong". 4. Attach photos. Visible evidence of missing/wrong/damaged items doubles refund probability. 5. Stay calm. Customer service on UK delivery apps is mostly outsourced and follows scripts. Politeness gets faster outcomes than aggression.

If the first response is unsatisfactory:

  • Reply to the same conversation rather than starting a new ticket — preserves context.
  • Reference the specific issue and what would resolve it ("I would like the £8 missing item refunded to my card").
  • Escalate via Twitter/X public mention if you are stuck — UK delivery apps respond fast to visible complaints.

When the restaurant is at fault vs the courier

Refunds usually come from the platform, but the platform recovers from whichever party caused the problem:

  • Wrong or missing items: restaurant's fault, restaurant absorbs the cost.
  • Late delivery from courier: platform absorbs the cost (the courier still gets paid).
  • Cold food from long delivery: usually platform's fault, platform refunds.

The customer does not need to allocate fault — the app handles that internally.

What the regulators can do

UK delivery is regulated by general consumer law (Consumer Rights Act 2015) rather than delivery-specific regulation. If the app refuses a refund for a clear problem, you can escalate to:

  • Citizens Advice: free guidance on consumer rights.
  • The Financial Ombudsman: for payment disputes (chargebacks via your card).
  • Trading Standards: for systematic misrepresentation.

In practice, most UK delivery refund disputes resolve within the app — escalation outside is rarely needed.

Can I get a refund for high delivery fees on Uber Eats?

Generally no. Fees are disclosed at checkout and treated as accepted. Refunds apply to genuine order problems (wrong items, missing food, late delivery) but not to fees you consider too high.

How long do I have to report a delivery problem?

Most UK apps process refunds for issues reported within 24 hours, with rates dropping sharply after that. Reporting within an hour of delivery is most reliable.

What if the app refuses to refund a clear problem?

Reply to the same support ticket rather than opening a new one, attach evidence (photos, receipts), and reference specific items and amounts. If still refused, escalate via the app's public Twitter / X account or your card provider's chargeback process.