How to document a delivery problem so your complaint sticks
Most refund disputes aren't won by arguing harder — they're won by the person who has evidence. Good documentation turns "they said, you said" into an easy yes. Here is exactly what to capture, when, and how to present it.
Capture before you touch anything
Evidence is perishable. The instant you suspect a problem, photograph the delivery in the state it arrived — bag closed, seal intact or broken, label showing, receipt attached. You can never re-stage this once you've unpacked, eaten, or binned it. If you do only one thing, do this.
The five photos that win almost any case
- The sealed bag / packaging — shows the condition it arrived in and whether the seal was intact.
- The label — the name, restaurant, and order number. On a wrong-order mix-up, a different name is instant proof.
- Everything laid out together — makes a missing item obvious against the receipt.
- The specific fault, up close — the wrong dish, the leak, the damage, the short portion.
- The app screen — the order summary and the "delivered" status with its timestamp.
Timestamps are half the battle
Photos carry the time they were taken, and that quietly proves you reported the problem promptly — which is often the platform's first line of defence ("you reported too late"). Report inside the platform's window even if your full write-up comes a little after; a timestamped "problem, details to follow" preserves your position.
Keep the paper trail
Save the order confirmation, the receipt, and every message with support — screenshots are fine. If you phone in, note the date, time, and who you spoke to. When you escalate to a supervisor, a bank, or a consumer body, this trail is what makes your case decide itself.
Write the claim so a stranger can rule on it
Imagine someone who wasn't there has to decide in ten seconds. Give them: what you ordered, what arrived, the proof, and what you want. Three or four sentences. No backstory, no threats. The easier you make the decision, the faster it goes your way.
Match the proof to the fault
- Never arrived: point to the absence of a real delivery record — no handoff photo, no signature, no code.
- Wrong / missing: the layout photo and receipt do the work.
- Damaged: the packaging photo shows it failed in transit.
- Cold / late: pair the delivery time against the promised time; the delay is your evidence.
Practise the habit
The people who get refunds aren't louder — they're more organised. If you want to build the reflex of inspecting, capturing, and presenting evidence, The Wrong Order gamifies exactly that: every fictional order that arrives wrong is a chance to gather proof and put a clean case in front of an independent board. Do it a few times in the game and you'll do it automatically in real life.