Consumer court orders Zomato to pay Rs 60,000 to woman for not delivering Rs 133 momos

In a striking verdict that emphasizes the accountability of even the largest enterprises, Deepinder Goyal-led food delivery giant Zomato has been ordered by a consumer court in Karnataka to pay Rs 60,000 in compensation—and that's just for not delivering the momos ordered by a customer last year. 

On August 31, 2023, Sheethal, a Dharwad resident, ordered momos via Zomato, paying Rs 133.25 through Google Pay. Mere minutes after placing her order, she received a notification stating that her momos had been delivered.

Confused, Sheethal discovered that neither the order nor the delivery agent had arrived at her doorstep. The restaurant confirmed that the order was picked up by a Zomato delivery agent, but all attempts to contact the agent through Zomato’s website were met with silence.

Frustrated, Sheethal reached out to Zomato’s customer service via email and was instructed to wait 72 hours for a resolution. When no response was forthcoming, she escalated her grievance by sending a legal notice on September 13, 2023.

Zomato’s legal counsel responded by denying the allegations, yet the court noted that Zomato had failed to address Sheethal’s complaint within the promised 72-hour window, casting doubt on their reliability.

Following the legal entanglement, Sheethal received a refund of Rs 133.25 on May 2—the exact amount she initially paid.

The commission said it shows that Zomato committed a service deficiency that caused the complainant great inconvenience and mental agony.

“Zomato is carrying their business of supply of materials in response to the online orders placed by the customer. Despite receipt of the purchase money, Zomato did not deliver the required product to the complainant. By looking into these facts of the case on hand in our opinion Op no. 1 (Zomato) alone is liable to answer the claim of the complainant,” the commission said.

The final verdict, which was delivered by Eshappa K Bhute, President of the Commission, ordered Zomato to pay Sheethal Rs 50,000 for the inconvenience and mental agony caused, plus an additional Rs 10,000 to cover her legal expenses.