Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto: How are quick-commerce companies making you poor by cheating you with hidden charges?

Have you ever thought, how much hidden cost is being recovered from your pocket in exchange for these facilities?

New Delhi: Instant delivery apps have definitely made our lives very easy as they deliver the ordered goods within minutes. But in the last few months, many questions have also been raised about instant delivery apps Swiggy, Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto. Have you ever thought, how much hidden cost is being recovered from your pocket in exchange for these facilities?

We will tell you the different charges that these companies are levying on you, and these charges are kept hidden.

Why are we getting duped?

Now, questions are being raised over instant delivery apps, and various big companies have claimed that these companies are making us poor. According to them, we are losing our money due to our laziness, and we get lured by the discounts and other temptations. Also, we have stopped visiting the nearest stores to purchase things like bread, butter, milk, sugar, and tea from the shops. Instead of leaving the house, we are ordering the goods at home.

YouTuber Ankur Warikoo explains this trap so easily

Famous YouTuber and businessman Ankur Warikoo also recently made a video on the entire accounting of instant delivery apps in one of his videos, and told how these apps are making common people poor in the name of different fees. In a video titled ‘How 5-Min DELIVERY Is Making You POOR’, he has talked about this and explained how popular apps like Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart increased the handling charge starting from Rs 2 to Rs 10 in 14 months. And how these platforms show different product prices for iPhone and Android users.

He says that in the name of convenience, you are harming yourself physically, making yourself mentally addicted and spending more of your money and making yourself poor.

How are instant delivery apps overcharging us?

Handling charge of Rs 5 to 15 per order: While placing an order, you see Rs 5 to 15 as the handling charge every time. This charge is taken by instant delivery apps on every order.

This directly increases the cost of your cart. Suppose if you order 20 times a month, then you are paying Rs 300-400 only in handling charges. This means that in a year, you are paying around Rs 3-4000 as a handling charge.

Platform fee of Rs 2 to 5 in almost every order: Now, delivery apps like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto have also started charging a platform fee. In a year, this costs more than Rs 1,000 without you realising it.

Price Surge (Hidden Inflation): Sometimes, a Price Surge fee is also charged during special occasions like Diwali, Holi or rain, extreme heat or winter. During this time, not only does the price of the products increase, but a price surge charge is also levied.

The same product that is available at the shop near you is being sold for much more than the price when ordered online. For instance, a commodity that costs Rs 100 at the shop is sold to you at Rs 115 to 125. This is the real margin game of these apps.

Rain Fee / Surge Fee: While making a delivery during rainy or peak hours, apps charge a Rs 10-30 rain fee/surge fee. That is, the burden of bad weather also falls on the customer.

Temptation of discount: Offers like ‘Rs 50 off on purchase of Rs 200’, ‘Buy one Get One’, are also being given in these apps. But the terms and conditions of these offers are so strict that in the end, you do not get any discount. To recover the discount money, apps already surge the price on the MRP of the product.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Quick-commerce companies are making you poor by cheating you with hidden charges.
• Have you ever thought, how much hidden cost is being recovered from your pocket in exchange for these facilities?
• Now, questions are being raised over instant delivery apps.
• We are losing our money due to our laziness, and we get lured by the discounts.

A famous YouTuber and businessman recently made a video on the entire accounting of instant delivery apps in one of his videos, and told how these apps are making common people poor in the name of different fees. Popular apps have increased the handling charges. The same product that is available at the shop near you is being sold for much more than the price when ordered online.