Ordering Cake Online Resulted in Girl’s Death: Be Cautious While Ordering Food Online, Lodge Complaint If Service is Poor

In recent years, the exponential growth of smartphones and the increasing demand for convenience have led to a rapid surge in the online food delivery market. Following the outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous apps have emerged to fulfill people’s essential needs, delivering meals and groceries to their doorsteps within minutes.

As the online food delivery business continues to thrive, entrepreneurs are constantly exploring new ways to streamline operations. While some deliveries boast of impeccable quality, others fall victim to substandard practices. Recently, in Patiala, Punjab, tragedy struck when a child lost her life after consuming a cake ordered from a fraudulent bakery. The cake, in reality, was not from the intended bakery but a counterfeit replica.

Rising Demand for Online Food Ordering Amid Increasing Workloads and Busy Lifestyles

With a growing number of households relying on dual incomes and facing increased work pressures, there is a noticeable rise in the demand for convenience-oriented services. This surge in responsibilities and commitments has led to a scarcity of time among people. Consequently, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of online food ordering and delivery services.

Question: What should be taken care of when ordering food online?

Answer: In today’s era, it is crucial to exercise caution and prudence when ordering food online. This is because the quality of food directly impacts our health. Consuming food of poor quality may lead to food poisoning or allergies. Moreover, if you are not vigilant while ordering food online, you may fall prey to fraudulent practices.

Question: What precautions should be taken after ordering food?

Answer: After placing an online food order, it is essential to check whether the item you ordered has been delivered or not. If you receive an item that you did not order or if the delivered food does not match your order, you can lodge a complaint with the company’s customer care number. Remember that each company has a different customer care number.

Question: What types of frauds are occurring with online food delivery?

Answer: In India, there is always a big issue with the adulteration of food items and groceries. In such situations, online vendors are also constantly exploring new ways to deceive customers. Some common types of fraud include:

• Fake accounts and multi-accounting: Fraudsters create fake accounts and use multiple accounts to deliver food from dubious places. The quality of the food is compromised.
• Location spoofing: In this case, the delivery person may not be a fake hacker, but the delivery could be done from a different location. Many times, delivery boys end up delivering food to the wrong address. In such situations, the customer may cancel the order due to not receiving it on time, but the delivery boy has to pay for it.
• Phishing emails, websites, and applications: There are messages or emails with links that lure customers to fake food websites or applications. These customers are warned that our service is perfect. You save your bank account details in the app with confidence and deliver the order or take the information for the account.

Question: Where to complain if you receive bad food online?

Answer: Complaints related to food can be lodged on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) portal. It is an institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 

You can submit a complete complaint online with details, photos, or videos to FSSAI. Apart from the portal, you can also call the FSSAI helpline number of your state. The toll-free number issued by FSSAI is 1800112100. This helpline number is available 24×7. Through this, you can talk to customer care and lodge a complaint.

Steps to File a Complaint on FSSAI Website:

Step 1- Go to https://www.fssai.gov.in/ website and register by creating a user ID and password.

Step 2- After this, go to the ‘Complaint’ option and select the option to file a complaint. Here, choose the category of complaint, such as quality or cleanliness.

Step 3- Write the name and complete address of the hotel or restaurant where you want to file a complaint. Also, mention the FSSAI license number if available.

Step 4- Upload photos/videos, bills, receipts, if any, related to your complaint.

Step 5- Then, describe your problem, date, and details of the product in detail.

Step 6- After filing the complaint, you will receive a system-generated unique complaint number, through which you can track your complaint.