We analyzed 1,482 negative reviews from the top 5 Grocery Delivery apps on the App Store. Here's what users hate most.
Ranked by frequency — how often each complaint appears in negative reviews.
28% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"This company literally took my money for food I never received and then refused to fix it."
"My order was stolen, and instead of making it right, they refused to refund me."
22% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"The estimated delivery times are almost never accurate. Once you place an order, the delivery time just keeps increasing."
"I placed my order because the app clearly showed a delivery window of 5:15–6:30 PM. After checkout, the time kept getting pushed back"
18% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"Not only are there multiple hidden fees each order even with membership but they have the worst customer service."
"While placing my order for a delivery, the total on the tentative receipt s[howed different pricing]"
19% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"I haven't used Instacart in a long time because orders are always wrong. Today I needed a few things from the grocery store and I just had surgery so I cannot drive. I decided to give Instacart one more try and again, my order was wrong!"
"I have been a frequent door dash customer. As you may expect, issues happen with orders (missing items, spoiled food, etc.). I've requested refunds in the past and normally have gotten refund. This time it was denied."
15% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"Shoppers are getting paid as low as $2-$7 for batches that eat up 60–75 minutes (or more) of real work—driving, shopping, waiting, wrong pins, endless replacements, terrible support"
"When items are substituted or refunded badge pay AND tips are automatically reduced"
12% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"They have the worst AI customer support of all."
"The app needs more people rather than bots, whenever I run into a problem during shopping I don't wanna sit there and waste MINE and th[e customer's time]"
Design and usability issues driving negative reviews.
Apps show attractive delivery windows during checkout but automatically push times back after payment is confirmed, creating trust issues
"I placed my order because the app clearly showed a delivery window of 5:15–6:30 PM. After checkout, the time kept getting pushed back — first to"
Generic error messages don't explain the actual issue, forcing users to contact support to diagnose basic problems
"More than once I have run into an error that says that my address cannot receive deliveries, but it is a generic error that requires research by customer service because it turns out there is more than one reason why this could occur."
Advertised prices, sales, and promotions don't match final charges, creating frustration and distrust
"Do not trust DoorDash!!! They scammed be with a promotion that they supposedly had. After 8 orders placed I would get a reward of $30 and it kept counting down to get unlocked from (60 DAYS) mind you, when it said 1 day left, it d[isappeared]"
Orders mysteriously cancel themselves without user action, but users are still charged cancellation fees
"I made an order and paid for priority shipping. I opened the app a few minutes later and the order had somehow been cancelled (without me initiating it). I couldn't figure out what had happened, or a way to reverse the cancellation. Then I was charge[d]"
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