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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
DasherThatCares says
As a Dasher myself, we aren’t allowed to open an order and make sure it’s complete. We can look at a receipt and only hope that everything is in the bag. Drinks? Sometimes that’s a problem, too. Some McDonald’s and a couple others, put them in the bag. I ask the restaurant employee if all (blank) number of items are there. I can only go by what they tell me. If something is missing or the order is wrong, contact customer support through the app or by calling. Do not contact the Doordash driver. We aren’t supposed to fix it for you. That’s Doordash’s job. Also, not a bad idea to contact the restaurant and let them know if your order is incorrect. Our base pay from Doordash is extremely low, so running around correcting orders is not required of us. I have done it but shouldn’t have. I truly apologize if anyone is having problems with missing and wrong items. I work extremely hard to take care of my customers.
Leah says
Hey! I’m just wondering if reporting a missing item affects the drivers at all? I’ve had it happen to me and as someone who has worked in customer service for years I would never want to negatively effect someone else for something that isn’t their fault, so I don’t report missing items… just wondering if I can do this without hurting anyone.
Susan L Brower says
Missed my fries,supposed to credit my account,did not. What’s up??
Angela Spikes says
Door Dash missed 2 items from my order, this is repeat occurrence.
DougH says
These days, 99% of the time it’s the restaurants fault. Delivery drivers are instructed not to open bags, so there’s no way to check for items. You should be able to get a refund for those items by following the steps in this article.
Katie Goodwin says
I ordered 3 items from a restaurant with door dash. I was missing 1 item and another item was wrong. This is easily missed by dashers since the bag is sealed. It was absolutely the restaurant’s fault. My driver was nice enough to go back to the restaurant for me since it was 2 minutes down the road, so naturally I tipped the driver twice, once on my card and once in cash. It wasn’t my fault or the drivers fault but I still had to come out of pocket for it. Not really fair but what am I gonna do? I’m not gonna stiff the guy who brought my food and went back. They don’t have to do that at all. Since dashers get a base pay from door dash to cover the minimum they are paid for each order then it really benefits the driver to pay tip in cash. They are using their time, gas, wear and tear on their vehicle, plus dealing with bullshit. We should tip well to encourage dashers to keep dashing. Otherwise everyone will be mad when they can’t order food and get it delivered anymore cuz no one wants to mess with all of it anymore.
DougH says
Sounds like you took good care of your Dasher. One thing to know about the pay system is that electronic tips are included in the initial order offer that your Dasher sees, so it actually benefits you to tip in the app. Otherwise, your order will look like a low-paying base order and Dashers won’t accept it.
Cameron says
Are you really just solely blaming restaurants for missing items? Especially with drinks, it is the Dasher’s responsibility to double check the receipt and ensure their customer is getting an item for each line on their receipt. Simple math. Get it done.
DougH says
In the age of covid most orders are sealed. Drinks might be the only thing that Dashers can double check.
carolyn says
I ordered through Door Dash and I received two totally different items. I am allergic to chocolate and I got chocolate shakes instead of vanilla & strawberry like I ordered. Please, if I die who do my family sue? I will NEVER USE DOOR DASH EVER. I WILL BE PROTESTING THIS HERE ISSUE. IN PUBLIC SO NO ONE ELSE GETS SICK.!!!!
Carmina says
I WARN PEOPLE NOT TO USE DOORDASH!! They are a scam and take people’s money away. I ordered two items only to have 1 item off of my order and i have proof and receipt they only did 1 order so i called customer support for it and said they will refund me and got the email regarding about it. It’s been 15 days i haven’t gotten my refund called my bank they said Doordash issued a refund but canceled it at the same time but never went through.