A data report on complaints for the first half of 2026 concerning food delivery platforms has been released, analyzing industry trends and key issues based on complaint data to review shifts in consumer behavior.
Complaints Exceed 340,000, May-June Growth Rate Slows Compared to Last Year
During the first six months of 2026, complaints against food delivery platforms surpassed 340,000, representing a 44.30% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Examining the growth rate of complaints, the landscape became a three-way competition after a major e-commerce player's entry into instant delivery in late April 2025, intensifying industry rivalry. This directly led to a sharp spike in complaints during May and June of that year. As the competitive frenzy subsided by August 2025, the market returned to a more rational state. Consequently, the growth rate of complaints in May and June of this year was significantly lower than the corresponding period last year.
Typical Complaint Issues on Delivery Platforms
Approximately 40% of delivery complaints originate from customers. The primary issues reported include:
Delivery Service: Orders being marked as delivered by the rider before the customer receives a notification call; food parcels being left indiscriminately in hallways, doorsteps, or other non-designated locations; and encountering rude behavior, verbal abuse, or having calls abruptly ended by riders during communication attempts.
Food Quality: Receiving spoiled, foul-smelling, or leaking meals; experiencing physical discomfort like diarrhea after consumption; and platforms offering only a refund of the payment amount without additional compensation when a claim is filed.
Over 60% of complaints come from delivery riders. Their main grievances center on:
Fault Determination: Riders facing arbitrary deductions from their pay for issues beyond their control, such as slow restaurant preparation, incorrect packaging by the merchant, unreachable customers, order cancellations by customers, or inaccessible delivery addresses. Even when providing evidence during appeals, these are often rejected by the platform.
Order Dispatch System: Platforms enforcing unreasonable rules that compel riders to accept orders, including assigning orders even when riders are offline, not allowing riders to disable the order dispatch function, forcing acceptance of long-distance orders with low commissions, intentionally dispatching orders in opposite directions to cause delivery delays and subsequent penalties for lateness, and mandating deliveries during extreme weather conditions like typhoons or heavy storms, coupled with setting unrealistic delivery timeframes.
One Major Platform's Complaint Response Rate Below 70% in 2026
The complaint handling performance among the three major delivery platforms varied significantly in the first half of the year. One platform received over 210,000 complaints, ranking first in the industry, but demonstrated strong responsiveness with a reply rate of 99.80%. Another platform had close to 84,000 complaints, maintaining a reply rate above 90%. A third platform had approximately 47,000 complaints, far fewer than the other two, yet its complaint response rate was below 70%, indicating notably weaker performance in this area.
Male Users Account for Over Three-Quarters of Complaints
Regarding gender distribution, complaints from male users constitute more than 75% of the total, which is over three times the proportion from female users. This disparity is primarily attributed to the delivery rider workforce being predominantly male.
20-40 Age Group is the Primary Complainant Demographic
In terms of age distribution, individuals aged 20 to 40 form the core complaining group, accounting for nearly 90% of complaints combined. This is because this age bracket encompasses both students and young professionals, who are major consumers of delivery services. Additionally, the delivery rider demographic is also largely composed of young and middle-aged adults.
Finally, consumers are reminded that the complaint service assists in resolving consumer disputes without charging any fees. Any entity claiming to be the official platform or a partner and requesting payment to resolve a complaint is engaging in impersonation or fraud. Consumers should remain vigilant, report such accounts to the official platform, and contact the police.
After initiating a complaint, the dispute resolution process involves direct communication between the consumer and the complained-about company. The platform itself does not have customer service agents proactively contacting users to assist with refunds. Consumers are advised to use official channels to resolve disputes and not to trust third-party agencies or individuals offering proxy refund services to avoid being deceived. In case of suspected fraud, report it to the police promptly.
Official channels for filing complaints are the official website, the client app available from legitimate app stores, and mini-programs within various major social and payment applications.
If counterfeit accounts are discovered, the information should be sent to the official email address.
To prevent personal information leakage and scams, please note the following precautions:
1. Before submitting a complaint, carefully review the text and image evidence to ensure personal details like name, contact information, address, order numbers, or tracking numbers are not exposed. Blur or hide such information in images.
2. Use official channels for dispute resolution. Do not trust private messages or comments offering contact details or claiming to be staff. Avoid adding strangers via QQ or WeChat, and be especially wary of claims like "pay to prioritize your case" or "special channels available for refunds."
3. Do not provide bank card numbers, passwords, ID numbers, or verification codes to strangers. Never transfer money via QR codes or unverified links. Report any fraud to the police immediately.
4. Be cautious of incoming calls from numbers starting with 00 (international prefixes) and do not trust the displayed caller ID name.
5. Legitimate company customer service will process refunds through the original payment method used by the consumer. If asked to receive a refund via QQ, Alipay, WeChat, website links, or other unconventional channels, be vigilant. Avoid providing personal information or making transfers for所谓的 "unfreezing fees," "verification fees," or "security deposits."
To concentrate resources and efforts on better service, the complaint platform currently only accepts complaints related to actual consumer transaction disputes.
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