There’s nothing better than ordering some take-out on your phone and enjoying a hassle-free, reasonably priced meal.
There’s probably nothing worse than when that food shows up late, or even worse, shows up incorrectly and ruins your dinner plans.
Luckily, the same easy process that allows us to have infinite food from infinite menus delivered to our homes also provides an easy way to receive a refund for any unsatisfactory orders.
If you regularly order food from DoorDash, like 1.5 million other hungry customers worldwide, chances are you might run into an issue with your DoorDash orders at some point.
To better prepare yourself or figure out how to get a DoorDash Refund, you’ll need to know a few things about DoorDash’s refund policy, refund process, FAQs, and more.
Read below to figure out how to quickly and efficiently rectify even the most irritating DoorDash snafus.
Table Of Contents
DoorDash Refund Policy
According to the DoorDash Terms of Service, the company doesn’t give refunds.
No Refunds. Charges paid by you for completed and delivered orders are final and non-refundable. DoorDash has no obligation to provide refunds or credits, but may grant them, in each case in DoorDash’s sole discretion.
The line item above suggests that no refunds are given, which includes information on different types of refunds available to their customers.
Whether you’re using a debit, credit, or DoorDash gift card to pay, it explains all of the ins and outs of DoorDash’s refund policy.
However, the company has been known to grant exceptions because, after all, that is good customer service.
It is worth noting, strictly for the sake of argument, that the terms of service clearly spells out the refund policy in clear detail.
Keep that in mind when trying for a DoorDash refund of your own.
Types of Refunds
You might be looking for a DoorDash refund on a regular food order, or maybe you’re looking to get a refund for a subscription fee.
Either way, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind that come straight from the company’s TOS.
1. Refunds on Normal Orders
Generally, money paid by a customer for a finished order is non-refundable.
In some instances, DoorDash may grant a full or partial refund depending on the severity of the given situation.
It really comes down to when you cancel a DoorDash order.
2. DoorDash Refund Policy for Subscriptions
If you choose to buy a monthly subscription to DoorDash, known as a DashPass, for $9.99 a month, you’ll enjoy free delivery on any order of $15 or more.
Once you purchase DashPass, if you want a DoorDash refund, you can cancel in the first 48 hours and obtain a full refund of the purchase price.
You can also purchase an annual DashPass subscription.
If you cancel it within 30 days of your first eligible DashPass order, DoorDash may refund your yearly subscription charge.
Related: How to cancel DashPass
Common Reasons for a DoorDash Refund
While every DoorDash refund situation is unique, certain scenarios may happen to customers.
Some of the issues listed below might make you eligible for a refund on your purchase.
1. Missing Food
If your Dasher delivered your order but it was missing one or more items, you can open the DoorDash app on your phone, go to the view order tab and select the order that’s missing something.
You’ll then want to select the Help option in the top corner of the page.
Here you’ll find the option to tap “Order Issues.”
Here you’ll want to select “Missing Items” and choose the items which weren’t included.
After you’re done, feel free to include any additional information in the page’s freeform “Details” section.
Then you can hit “Submit.”
One of DoorDash’s customer service representatives will more than likely get in touch with you within a few hours.
Unless there are other outstanding issues with your order, the representative should offer you a partial refund.
2. Incorrect Address
When a DoorDash order doesn’t ever arrive, there’s a chance that your Dasher delivered the meal to the wrong address.
If you experience this and suspect this is what happened, you can use the mobile app to report your issue.
You’ll want to find the “Orders” tab and select the specific order.
Tap on the “Help” option in the top right-hand corner.
Under the “Delivery Issues” option, you’ll find a choice to report that the “Order never arrived” at your address.
Once you’ve reported the problem, you can find what refund type that you’re comfortable with, whether it’s a DoorDash credit to use on your next order or a refund.
You can also get in contact with a customer service agent to find out just what happened to your food.
3. Incorrect Orders
There are several reasons you might want to report an incorrect order to DoorDash, including the following.
- Unexpected ingredients
- Differs from what the menu described
- Wrong size
- Wrong menu item altogether
You can use your DoorDash app to report the mistake and request a DoorDash refund.
First, you’ll want to select an order from the “Orders” tab and tap “Help” in the top right corner.
Select “Order Issues” and “Items Made Incorrectly” and follow the prompts to contact a customer service agent and get your DoorDash refund.
4. Unreasonable Wait Time
Though emergencies and mix-ups can happen, if you order from DoorDash and it takes longer than the estimated delivery time, you might feel upset and want a DoorDash refund.
Go to the DoorDash app and tap on the “Orders” tab.
Then select the “Help” option, and under the “Delivery Issues” tab, choose “Arrived late” if the order came later than expected.
Follow the given prompts to contact DoorDash customer support.
5. Canceled Orders
If you want to cancel your order and receive a Doordash refund, you must do so before the restaurant begins preparing your meal.
You can do this by accessing the DoorDash app and choosing the order status tab.
If you complete the cancellation in time, your money will be refunded to you.
6. Spoiled Orders
Say your food is cold, or soggy, or burnt, or even unsafe to eat.
Obviously, you’re not going to want to pay for inedible food.
If this happens to you, you can contact DoorDash for a refund.
You’ll want to select an order, tap the “Help,” and under “Order Issues,” you can tap the “Poor food quality” option.
You can include a detailed description and follow the prompts to get in touch with one of DoorDash’s representatives.
7. DoorDash Scams
Another reason for a refund is becoming more common as the service grows: DoorDash scams.
If you think you are a victim of phishing, fake delivery drivers, or you believe your Dasher might have tampered with your food, contact customer service through the DoorDash app and make a report of the incident.
When you suspect that you’ve been subjected to scammers or even identity theft while using DoorDash, it’s always safer to immediately report it to the company.
You can contact DoorDash customer service representatives through the app or by calling their customer service number.
If scammers might have gotten access to your personal information, you should contact your bank as soon as possible.
How to Request a Refund
Though the TOS states that the company does not issue refunds, it also states that the company can choose to grant refunds on a case-by-case basis if the customer has a valid complaint.
When you report your issue and get in contact with a representative, be sure to be clear that the issue warrants a refund.
Explain in detail what happened during your DoorDash ordering experience.
Make sure that you stay calm and be honest.
Most importantly, be respectful.
As the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
It can be frustrating when your food is prepared incorrectly or another issue arises, but getting upset and being mean won’t win you any favors.
The Refund Process
DoorDash, like any other company, wants to retain your business.
So if something goes wrong with your order, chances are they are going to do everything they can to make it right.
They further explain their credit refund process on their website.
1. Report Issue
To move forward with your refund request, you must first make a report to DoorDash customer service.
You can use the DoorDash app or the DoorDash website very easily.
They even have a live chat option.
If you don’t explain the reasoning behind the refund, chances are the customer service representatives won’t offer you a DoorDash refund.
2. Refund Processed
Once you’ve reported your issue and contacted a representative, they will grant you a refund and process the request.
The timeframe for your return will vary based on when it was issued and how long your bank takes to process it.
3. Charge Dropped or Refund Received
If the payment is labeled “Pending” in your account, you will notice the payment falls off within 3-5 days instead of being refunded right away.
In cases of partial refunds, the pending charge will change to the updated amount with the refund subtracted from the revised total.
How to Check the Status of a DoorDash Refund
After they have granted you a refund, you will receive a confirmation email that tells you the refund issue date and the amount of money refunded to you.
The inbox associated with your DoorDash account will receive the email.
If you use the DoorDash app, you can click on the “Orders” tab and choose “Order History” to view when the refund was given and the specific refund amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still, have some lingering questions?
No problem.
There can be all sorts of different things you want to know before trying to get a DoorDash refund.
Read below to find out a few more nuggets of wisdom about getting that refund.
Who Pays for Refunds on DoorDash?
Depending on the situation, the Dashers or the restaurants themselves usually have to cover the cost of missing food, incorrect food, or other various issues.
This is a known fact when signing up for the DoorDash merchant program, however.
It’s a way for the platform to enact quality controls, and keeps quality and food standards high for customers worldwide.
Who Pays for Missing DoorDash Items?
If an order is missing and the restaurant forgot it, the establishment must pay for the missing items.
If the Dasher ends up responsible for the missing items, they must pay for the partial refund.
Why Won’t DoorDash Refund My Entire Order?
If you’re only missing some things or the food was later than expected, then DoorDash might opt out of giving you a full refund on your order.
What Happens to the Restaurant’s Food If a Customer Cancels a DoorDash Order?
That depends on the restaurant and the individual policies of that specific eatery.
Every restaurant handles these situations differently, and DoorDash has no control over that.
How Can I Make a Complaint About DoorDash?
If you are dissatisfied with your overall experience, even after getting in contact with customer service, you can still contact DoorDash and make a statement or a complaint about your experience.
Feel free to email the company at [email protected]
Make sure you explain your experience in as much detail as possible.
Wrapping Up
Though the convenience of food delivery is exciting and fun, mistakes happen, and things go wrong.
Try not to lose your cool, even if you’re hangry, and remember that you can get in touch with a representative who could make it right.
As long as you’re familiar with DoorDash’s TOS, know what kind of refund you need and how to request it, you should have your hard-earned money back in your bank in no time.
Now that you’ve done a little research, you’re probably prepared to leave the heartache of a bungled DoorDash order in the past and make sure you don’t spend money on food you don’t want.
What’s stopping you?
Go check out some menus.
If something goes wrong, at least you know what steps to take next.
This is no longer the case with Door Dash or Uber Eats. In WA state, I have used both regularly during the pandemic. In the last month, both providers, now say that due to their new policy; if you have ever had a refund for missing or wrong items and received a refund – you are no longer eligible for a refund of any kind not matter the price. I have had McDonalds leave out our pies we ordered ($3.00 total) but Uber Eats they refused to refund me. Then I made a $80+ order from Jack In The box from Door Dash with my est delivery time 50 min. They kept pushing the delivery time back then finally assigned a dasher. She was at the restaurant for 20 min then disappeared. The app said it was trying to find another dasher which took almost 30 min and now it said my order would be delivered in 60 min! It is now over 2 hrs and no food. The dasher shows up with 2 small bags. It wasn’t our order, we didn’t get our food! The food we got was cold and burned & not enough for everyone eating! I immediately called the number listed for our dasher to see if he mixed the orders up but said that was what he was given at the place but they had the lobby closed, cones blocking everyone but the drive thru & only 1 worker trying to run the entire place by himself with a line backed up to the main road. He asked me to call customer service but they did the same thing as Uber Eats – we are sorry but due to our new policy we can not compensate you in any way, click* (yes they refused to let me talk and hung up). Needless to say, I canceled my subscription & deleted the apps. I will not longer use a food delivery service that treats the customer like an enemy.
Under The terms and conditions it clearly says “ b) No Refunds. Charges paid by you for completed and delivered orders are final and non-refundable. DoorDash has no obligation to provide refunds or credits, but may grant them, in each case in DoorDash’s sole discretion.”
I ordered from DoorDash two days ago and I have gone round and round with Customer Service and I have to say that they are uneducated. This is a contract between me and them. At no time can I go in and change the contract so how can they make up excuses for not giving me a refund when my food was not delivered. I would think that this is actually illegal. The Dasher took it to the wrong address. The person I just spoke to on the phone actually said to me that even if it was delivered to the wrong address, It was still delivered and I would receive no refund or credits. That’s one of the most absurd things I think I’ve ever heard. It clearly states no refunds if the order is complete and delivered.