Note: This article contains affiliate links for DoorDash. We may receive a commission for referring you.
If you order delivery on DoorDash, it’s bound to happen: Missing items! Especially missing drinks.
What is supposed to happen when an item is missing? Does your Dasher return to the restaurant to fetch your item? Does DoorDash arrange another delivery?
As badly as you might want that missing food delivered to you, the reality is that DoorDash will only give you a refund for missing items.
DoorDash will not set up a rush delivery to send you missing items.
Read on to learn how to report missing f00d, learn what your Dasher can and can’t do to help, and learn how to avoid this situation in the first place.
Food missing from your DoorDash order? What to do
When you discover that your order is missing something, the best thing to do is to report the missing item to DoorDash via the app or DoorDash.com.
You will most likely receive a refund for the missing item, but DoorDash won’t send your missing item.
How to report a missing item in the DoorDash app
- Tap Orders in the bottom menu, then select the order
- Tap Help in the upper corner of the order page
- Tap Missing or incorrect items. Tap the items that were missing
- Add any relevant info in the Details section
- Finally, tap Submit
Does DoorDash give full or partial refunds for missing items?
After you report a missing item, you should hear back from DoorDash quickly, within a few hours.
The most likely outcome is that you will be refunded for the missing item.
DoorDash will not typically offer a full refund unless there were other major issues with the order.
DoorDash will not send another Dasher to pick up your missing item.
If you still need the item, consider creating a new order. Need to add an item shortly after placing an order?
You can add an item if you contact DoorDash quickly enough. Here’s how to add or remove an item.
- Who pays for refunds on delivery apps? Restaurants, or the app?
- DoorDash denied your refund? Can you do a chargeback?
What if you receive someone else’s order?
Typically you will get a full refund when you get the wrong order. But if you have a history of frequent refund requests, DoorDash may not pay the full refund.
To report the wrong order, go to Orders > Tap the order > Tap Help in the upper corner > Tap “Received someone else’s order”
What not to do when your order is missing items
Don’t contact your Dasher after the delivery is complete. Once your Dasher has left the restaurant, they are no longer responsible for missing items.
Many upset customers ask Dashers to return to the restaurant, or call DoorDash, or contact the restaurant, but they aren’t obligated to do that.
At that point, the best thing to do is to contact DoorDash customer service and report the missing item.
Customers are concerned about food tampering, so many deliveries are now in stapled or sealed bags.
It’s almost always the restaurant’s fault when an item is missing, so blaming your Dasher or asking them to fix the problem is not productive.
Your Dasher will not return to the restaurant to pick up extras unless you catch them while they’re at the restaurant, or if they are feeling extra generous.
If you were late to ask for extras, don’t be surprised if your Dasher doesn’t pick them up.
Add requests for extras in the delivery notes, or contact your Dasher as soon as they arrive at the restaurant to pick up your order.
Contacting the restaurant about a missing item most likely won’t be helpful. Because the order was created through DoorDash, restaurants will always direct you to DoorDash about problems.
DoorDash will let the restaurant know there was an issue with the order, and DoorDash will issue you a refund for the missing item.
Don’t try to add an item after the order has been picked up. Once your Dasher has picked up your order and left the restaurant, it’s too late to add an item.
You can only add an item if the restaurant hasn’t processed the order yet. Read how to add an item to your order.
How to add or remove an item from your order
It’s possible to add or remove an item from your order if the restaurant hasn’t finished processing the order.
Here’s how to do add or remove an item in the DoorDash app.
- In the Orders tab, select your current order
- Tap Help
- An option called “Make adjustments to this order” may be available. Describe the adjustment you want to make
- If that option isn’t available, choose “Chat with support” to speak with a support agent. They may be able to add or remove the item for you
Only customer support can add or remove items from your order. Your Dasher can’t add or remove items!
How to prevent missing items
There’s not much you can do to make sure a restaurant won’t make a mistake, but your Dasher can bring any free extras you want.
Need napkins, straws, extra sauce, or other free side items? Add a note to your order.
You can also message your Dasher once they’re on the way to the restaurant. Just make sure not to ask your dasher to grab something that costs extra.
Stand up for yourself, but be a good customer too
If your DoorDash order is missing something, be proactive and report it to DoorDash as soon as possible.
Try to understand the limits of your Dasher’s responsibilities, and understand that DoorDash, not restaurants, handles issues and refunds.
Dashers can’t do much to help with missing items, so don’t take out your frustration on them.
More DoorDash Tips
Steve B. says
The Doordash app responded with an error that it could not complete my order when placing an order and took me back to the home Doordash page. I had to place my order again but when the order arrived it was doubled or duplicated! They also charged me twice! I contacted Doordash and they refused to make restitution even though they noted the error.
My brother and my father have both deleted their Doordash account and will no longer patronize them. They have also pledged to share this story with all their friends and family. It seems it is the only thing we can do in response to Doordash being unwilling to be responsible for their own application functionality and errors!
DougH says
You can also initiate a chargeback on your debit or credit card
Wanda says
I didn’t order no food 10.99 from DoorDash last night 9:03 pm on 6/26/20 and they took money off my credit card I want my money back on my credit card i don’t Appreciate that at all.
DougH says
If you have a DoorDAsh account, contact them through the app or help.doordash.com. If you think this was fraud, contact your credit card company.
Kadian Stewart says
I ordered food which I never received. Doordash decided to credit me with food instead of refunding my card. Unbelievable I don’t want anything else through doordash. This is the second time. The last credit of $10 can’t be found in the account. Why does door dash mislead and steal from its customers. Called corporate, they threw their hands up. Can’t speak to a manger or supervisor. Unbelievable and disgusting customer service.
Anne Prochaska says
I ordered Popeyes through DoorDash — almost $20. The dasher finally called me. His car had overheated and he was trying to figure out what to do. He said he couldn’t get a new order when his car was fixed and he could only deliver my oder when and if his car situation was solved. He asked me to call DoorDash. I called two different numbers and message said they couldn’t answer calls because of Covid. Well, isn’t that just nice and easy for you. You and the restaurant get your money and I get nothing and am out almost $20. You guys have us over a barrel. Please get back to me and make restitution.
DougH says
You will get your money back eventually. Typically the Dasher is supposed to cancel in these situations. The Dasher made a mistake.
Vic says
Please help me someone using my checking account to order food from doordash me personally don’t have a boy that’s account
DougH says
Report the fraud to your bank. You may have a compromised credit/debit card
Tammy says
I’m a door dasher and I try my best to make sure I get the right order but I can only go by what the restaurant tells me since we are not allowed to go through the bag to make sure it is correct. A lot of customers don’t understand that as a dasher we can’t control the missing food but the customer still gives the dasher a bad rating or doesn’t tip. When in turn the restaurant should be getting the bad rating. As a dasher I do all I can for my customers sometimes I am late but generally that is because the restaurant is slow at getting the food to me. As a dasher I do appreciate all the customers that do order through door dash. Thankyou
DougH says
Thanks for sharing this. In the article I mention a few times that Dashers aren’t responsible for missing items. I’m hoping to get the message out there that complaints should be aimed at DoorDash support!
Stacy creed says
Im not happy at all with doordash. My $58. Order is not right at all. I want my order made right or my money back.
DougH says
You’ll have to follow their online process. Go to the order page and tap help in the upper corner. Find the closest matching issue. That’s where you can give more detail. Doordash should get back to you within a day or two
Sara Forshee says
Hi I ordered almost $50 worth of food from Zaxby’s and I did not get my order at all I got somebody’s other order and also the lady thought she was bringing it to the right person again and she was like sorry it was so late they had to remake the order to somebody grabbed the wrong food and then come to find out after waiting all that time I still got the wrong food you think when you spend $48 at Zaxby’s there has to be some way to get us the right food we paid for or a refund or something this is my second time trying to get ahold of y’all to see what to do about it because I called Zach Smith at night give me an attitude because he was fed up with doordash to because evidently this keeps happening which none is my problem all I know is I’m out $50 and I didn’t get what I wanted to eat
DougH says
Keep contacting DoorDash and you’ll likely get a refund