Hyderabad: Some 102 hoteliers in the city are protesting against the online food delivery app Zomato. The app offers a 50 per cent discount and restaurants complain that the burden is falling on them as restaurants are expected to shoulder 30 per cent of the discount. They also allege that there are discrepancies in accounting.
Around 100 restaurants have united on a platform, ‘Voice against Zomato’. Earlier, when discounts were provided, it was the app that took the responsibility of the discounted amount, without burdening the restaurants. This process continues with other food delivery apps such as Uber Eats and Foodpanda. Voice against Zomato is planning to file a petition in the High Court and a criminal complaint at the Medipally police station.
Syed Hassan Balooki, who runs Mustafa Biryani House, pointed out that the aggregator has damaged the market position of his restaurant through discounting, and without the knowledge and permission of the owner.
Moreover, Zomato is supposed to settle the transaction within three days, but takes 20-30 days to deposit the amount and gives only a fraction of the amount, that too after repeated requests.
Mustafa Biryani has also found a difference of '16,176.65 in their balance sheet. When questioned, Zomato said it was a ‘dashboard update error’. But other biryani houses, too, have raised the same concerns.
M.D.Rabbani of RR Bawarchi told this newspaper that they too are facing similar issues of differences in their accounts statements. He added that his restaurant had given consent for the 50 per cent discount deal only for December. However, Zomato has included them for January as well, without their consent.
Some restaurants say that since they have a contract with this delivery partner, they can’t get out of it. Moreover, they have also fallen in the loop of maintaining an online presence with the increased demand.
