Those who depend on app-based food ordering platforms for their meals during a heavy downpour are often in for a disappointment. Either the apps don’t work or the food arrives really late, by which time your hunger would have died down.

Late and incorrect delivery top the list of problems faced by those who regularly order food through these apps.

Sharing his experience while ordering via ‘Swiggy’, Bala Kumar, an entrepreneur, says, “There have been times when what I have ordered has got replaced by another item. I’ve noticed this happens whenever it rains. There are also extra charges involved when it is raining.”

“Whenever this has happened, the executive has returned the excess money amount and also given me an extra voucher of Rs 50 to Rs 100 which I can avail anytime. But discount vouchers don’t help when you are hungry,” he adds.

Rakshitha Sunaina, a professional model, who regularly orders food and beverages through ‘Swiggy’ and ‘FreshMenu’, says, “When it rains, the order is always delivered three to four hours late. Sometimes, after you have ordered food through the ‘FreshMenu’ app, it suddenly says that the item has run out of stock and you are forced to order something else.”

Rakshitha also says the extra service charge can be quite exasperating, “With all the excess service charges, I end up paying Rs 100 for a juice that costs only Rs 50,” she points out.

There have also been times when the delivery boy has forgotten the order and come empty-handed, says Abhishek Arora, an employee of Ajio.

“I ordered through ‘Zomato’ and the boy had forgotten to bring my order which I had placed around 9.30 pm. He went back to bring my order and arrived well past midnight. By that time, I had already ordered food from another portal,” says Abhishek.

The rains have also become the perfect excuse for online food portals to display notification alerts like ‘unserviceable at the moment’ or ‘orders barred due to bad weather’.

Arthi Sudarshan, a banker, who regularly orders from ‘Swiggy’ and ‘Dunzo’, says, “When it rains, I always find an ‘unserviceable’ message on some of the food apps. I have to either wait for the rains to recede or place my order and wait for hours till it arrives. This doesn’t help for those who depend on food apps for their meals,” says Arthi.

She also says that whenever it rains, she cooks something simple rather than order food online.

The fading fascination