A Singapore parent has gone public with scathing allegations against Foodpanda Singapore, accusing the popular food delivery platform of lying to customers and failing to uphold basic service standards. The incident unfolded on a Sunday evening when the customer, a Panda Pro subscriber, ordered KFC from a mall located less than 10 minutes away. What began as a routine meal order quickly spiralled into a saga of frustration, misinformation, and shattered trust.
The order, placed around 5pm, initially appeared on track. By 6pm, the Foodpanda app’s real-time progress indicated that the rider was en route, with an estimated arrival in 5 to 15 minutes. However, the status froze and the rider became uncontactable. Repeated messages to the rider went unanswered, and attempts to reach customer service resulted in agents insisting the rider had already collected the order and was on the way — a claim that would later prove entirely false.
As the evening dragged on, the concerned parent walked to the KFC outlet personally and discovered the order still sitting uncollected on the counter. By then, the food was soggy and drinks diluted, with ice completely melted. After confirming the receipt details, they collected the food themselves. Yet, even while holding the uncollected meal, agents continued to claim the rider was en route, showing what the parent described as “a blatant and confident lie.”
Repeated Failures and Broken Trust
The parent recounted a similar recent experience where an order placed from Long John Silver’s at the same mall arrived four hours later, well past restaurant closing hours. During both incidents, Foodpanda agents appeared unable or unwilling to verify the actual order status, instead repeating scripted responses about the rider being on the way — despite the rider either being unreachable or never having collected the order at all.
Worse, the Foodpanda app later marked the order as “delivered” using a blank black photo, billing the customer in full despite their ordeal. Repeated efforts to escalate the complaint — through live chat, app feedback, and email — went unanswered. After days without a response, the customer cancelled their Panda Pro subscription and demanded a refund for the remaining months, citing a total loss of trust in Foodpanda’s platform, agents, and system.
Calls for Greater Accountability in Food Delivery Services
This incident highlights growing concerns among consumers about the reliability of food delivery apps and the accuracy of their so-called real-time tracking systems. The parent urged other paying customers to remain vigilant, warning that dishonest practices can lurk behind seemingly convenient apps. “I can accept genuine mistakes,” they said. “But I cannot accept systemic lying and cheating.”
The case also raises questions about the integrity of customer service responses, as multiple agents provided identical, apparently false updates. It serves as a stark reminder that while technology can offer convenience, it can also obscure accountability — leaving customers feeling helpless when something goes wrong.