Viral Zepto Row Explained: Why a Customer's 'Trust Issues' Post Is Making Headlines?

A customer criticised the quick-commerce app Zepto for a discrepancy in a product's ingredient list. She discovered a preservative listed on a dip's packaging that was absent from the app's "clean" ingredient list, leading her to accuse the company of deception and sparking a debate on social media.

Zepto, a fast-commerce site, was criticised by a lady for a discrepancy between the contents stated on its app and those written on the product's box. According to her, there was a contradiction because the product's label included preservatives, but the app listing did not. She revealed that Zepto caused her "trust issues" and advised clients to be more mindful of what they receive when placing orders on these sites.

In a video posted to her Instagram account, Srishti Gosavi, who primarily creates content on travel and finance, said that she had purchased a peri peri dip from Wingsgreen Farms after looking up its ingredient list on the Zepto app. She purchased the product since it said "clean" ingredients and made no mention of acidity regulators or preservatives.

“I ordered this Peri Peri Garlic Dip from Wingreens Farm because the ingredients behind it were clean on the Zepto app. No preservative, no acidity regulator, nothing," she said. “There are kids at home, so I thought, let’s order this. They will also eat this."

But after getting the goods, she discovered that a preservative that wasn't on Zepto's listing was listed in the ingredient list on the container.

"When the product arrives, it says preservative behind the box, but there is no preservative in the ingredients on the Zepto app, which means it is purposely removed and this is so so shocking," she said.

The only thing she discovered missing from the app's ingredient list was the preservative, which she described as a swindle. "It was done on purpose," she said. "Zepto will soon go public."

Zepto Responds

Zepto responded to the video in the comments section when it rapidly garnered popularity online. “Hey, this isn’t the experience we aim to deliver, and I’d like to get this sorted for you. Could you please share your order details and contact number via DM? Once we have that, we’ll look into it right away," the company wrote.

However, the creator declined to continue the conversation privately. “I’ve consumed the product with preservatives now. I don’t want to resolve this through a DM! I just want your customers to beware of what’s happening," she replied.

How Did Social Media React?

Since then, the video has generated online debates in which users have criticised the site and called for openness and responsibility.

"I mindlessly ordered without realising this.We will now need to double-check every single order—not just Zepto, but any online order site," a user said.

“It is clearly a deceptive practice by Zepto to increase their sales," an individual mentioned. 

“Not just Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Bigbasket; they are all scamming us consistently. Flipkart and Amazon have been running this racket for years with us," someone else commented.