Verified: 11 June 2026 05:30 am IST
Industry: E-Commerce & Retail (Food Delivery & Quick Commerce)
Jurisdiction: India
Primary Regulator: Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) / Department of Consumer Affairs / FSSAI
Important Safety Warning: Beware of the “Fake Courier & Refund Scam.” Zomato does not have an inbound customer care number. Scammers frequently buy ads on Google displaying fake Zomato helplines. This is a scam. Zomato staff will never ask you to pay a “processing fee” for a refund, share your UPI PIN, or request you to download screen-sharing apps (like AnyDesk/RustDesk) to track a delayed food order.
Level 1: Customer Support (Initial Complaint)
How to complain: Register your complaint (missing items, spoiled food, refund delays, or delivery partner issues) directly via the Help & Support section on the Zomato app. You must select the specific order to raise a ticket and initiate a live chat. To bypass the automated chatbot if it refuses to resolve your issue, you can directly email their central helpdesk at order@zomato.com (for food delivery) or dining@zomato.com (for restaurant reservations/Zomato Pro).
Availability: The in-app chat support and email helpdesk operate 24x7 to match their late-night delivery windows.
Timeline: Because of the highly perishable nature of hot food, Zomato aims to resolve most standard Level 1 missing/damaged item queries immediately during the live chat interaction, or within 24 to 48 hours for issues requiring restaurant investigation and refund processing.
Level 2: Internal Escalation (Grievance & Nodal Officer)
Who to contact: If Level 1 support fails, your refund is unjustly denied, your account is blocked without cause, or the delivery partner engaged in misconduct, you must formally escalate. Under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, you must escalate the matter to the designated Grievance Officer. You must email your formal complaint directly to grievance@zomato.com. If they fail to provide a satisfactory resolution, you can further escalate to the Nodal Officer via nodal@zomato.com. You must include your registered mobile number, Order ID, and your Level 1 Ticket Reference Number. Written legal notices can be sent to their Corporate Headquarters (Grievance Officer, Eternal Limited, Pioneer Square, Ground Floor, Golf Course Extension, Gurugram, Haryana – 122102). (Note: In early 2025, Zomato Limited officially changed its corporate parent name to Eternal Limited, though the consumer-facing app remains Zomato).
Timeline: By law, the E-Commerce Grievance Officer must acknowledge your escalated dispute within 48 hours and prioritize the matter to provide a reasoned resolution within 30 days from the date of receipt.
Level 3: Administrative Mediation (National Consumer Helpline & FSSAI)
Authority: There is no binding E-Commerce Ombudsman in India. If the Grievance Officer rejects your claim, fails to refund your money, or ignores you for 30 days, your next step is administrative mediation through the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. (Note: If your complaint is strictly regarding food poisoning, contaminated meals, or unhygienic restaurant conditions, you must report it to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India - FSSAI).
Portal/Contact: You must register your grievance against Eternal Limited (formerly Zomato Limited) on the Integrated Grievance Redress Mechanism (INGRAM) portal run by the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). You can file online at consumerhelpline.gov.in, via the UMANG app, or by calling the toll-free national helpline at 1915. The NCH will act as a mediator to pressure the company’s corporate team for a resolution.
Level 4: Legal Action (Final Step)
Pre-Litigation: If the NCH mediation fails, or the company refuses to comply with a refund request for an unhonored subscription or high-value order dispute, you have exhausted all administrative avenues. You must now prepare for formal litigation under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Court/Arbitration: You must file a formal complaint with the appropriate Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. For claims up to ₹50 Lakhs, you will file at the District Commission. You can file your case entirely online using the government’s unified e-Jagriti portal (e-jagriti.gov.in).
Timeline: You must file the consumer case within two years from the date the cause of action (the delivery of a defective product or the denial of a refund) occurred.
Community Action: Is Zomato refusing to refund a missing food item, or are you looking for the correct template to formally escalate a spoiled meal complaint to the Gurugram Corporate Office? Reply below (do not share your passwords, bank details, or your exact Order Numbers), and our community will point you to the right resources!