The survey received 32,000 responses from users of food delivery apps located in over 249 districts of the country. (X File for representation)
LocalCircles survey: 69% users of app-based food delivery platforms surveyed say that they have frequently experienced bait and switch, where the time indicated and time taken for the delivery vary
A total of 68% users of app-based food delivery platforms have frequently or sometimes experienced hidden charges (other than taxes) that are associated with orders which are not disclosed upfront, a LocalCircles survey has found.
The survey received 32,000 responses from users of food delivery apps located in over 249 districts of the country. While 61% respondents were men, 39% respondents were women. A total of 48% respondents were from tier 1, 31% from tier 2 and 21% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.
‘32% EXPERIENCED HIDDEN CHARGES VERY FREQUENTLY’
The survey asked: “How often have you experienced with app-based food delivery platforms that there are hidden charges (other than taxes) that are associated with orders which are not disclosed upfront but they are levied when the transaction concludes?”
The query received 10,844 responses, with 32% indicating “very frequently”; 36% indicating “sometimes” and 16% indicating “rarely”. In addition, 16% of respondents stated “never” have they experienced any hidden charges. To sum up, 68% users of app-based food delivery platforms surveyed say they have frequently or sometimes experienced hidden charges (other than taxes) that are associated with orders which are not disclosed upfront but levied when the transaction concludes.
‘69% EXPERIENCED BAIT & SWITCH’
The survey asked: “How often have you experienced with app-based food delivery platforms that the delivery time that is shown to you before placing the order is significantly less than the actual time it takes for the delivery person to reach your location (bait and switch approach)?”
The query received 10,859 responses, with 21% respondents indicating “very frequently” have they experienced delay in delivery; 48% of consumers indicated “sometimes” and 21% indicated “rarely”. Just 5% of the respondents indicated that they have “never” experienced delay in delivery and 5% of respondents did not give a clear reply.
To sum up, 69% users of app-based food delivery platforms surveyed say that they have frequently experienced bait and switch.
‘46% EXPERIENCED BASKET SNEAKING’
The survey next asked: “How often have you experienced with an app-based food delivery platform that a subscription/ service or product is added to your cart without your consent (basket sneaking approach)?”
This query received 10,858 responses, with 17% indicating “very frequently” have they experienced basket sneaking approach; 29% of respondents stated “sometimes” and 25% indicated that they have “rarely” experienced it. In addition, 17% of respondents indicated such a thing has “never” happened to them and 12% of respondents failed to give a clear reply.
To sum up, 46% users of app-based food delivery platforms surveyed say that they have frequently experienced basket sneaking.
The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey. LocalCircles is a community social media platform which enables citizens and small businesses to escalate issues for policy and enforcement interventions and enables the government to make policies that are citizen and small business centric.