'Stupid on our part': Deepinder Goyal apologises to customer charged extra for 'veg' delivery. Viral

A LinkedIn user, Rohit Ranjan, shared his frustration over the charge, referring to it as a 'luxury tax' on vegetarians.

Food delivery giant Zomato faced public criticism after introducing a fee for its ‘Pure Veg Mode’ feature, a service designed to filter search results exclusively for vegetarian restaurants. The backlash, sparked by a viral LinkedIn post, prompted a swift apology and immediate corrective action from Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal.

Zomato launched its ‘Pure Veg Mode’ in March last year to cater specifically to vegetarian customers, offering a tailored experience by displaying only vegetarian restaurant options. However, a recent move to impose an additional fee for enabling this mode led to widespread discontent.

A LinkedIn user, Rohit Ranjan, shared his frustration over the charge, referring to it as a "luxury tax" on vegetarians. Accompanied by a screenshot of his bill, Ranjan’s post read:

"Being a vegetarian in India these days feels like a curse! Zomato’s latest masterstroke—introducing an 'extra charge' for the veg enablement fleet—has officially turned us into a premium subscription plan. So, fellow herbivores, brace yourselves! We’ve gone from ‘green and healthy’ to ‘green and pricey.’ Thanks, Zomato, for proving once again that being veg is now a luxury tax! Thanks, Swiggy, for treating us equally."

The post gained significant traction online, prompting a direct response from Zomato’s CEO, Deepinder Goyal. In a candid and transparent comment, Goyal apologised for the oversight and pledged to remove the fee immediately.

"This is absolutely stupid on our part. I am super sorry for this. This charge will be removed today itself," Goyal wrote, adding, "Will also fix what’s needed to fix in the team so that such s**t doesn’t happen again. Thank you for pointing this out."

True to his word, Goyal updated users shortly after, confirming that the issue had been resolved. "Removed 45 minutes ago," he posted, indicating that the extra charge had been scrapped.

The prompt resolution and Goyal’s transparent handling of the issue drew praise from customers and observers. Ranjan thanked Goyal for his response, while another LinkedIn user lauded the CEO’s leadership, commenting, "Kind of a great entrepreneur! You truly push for customer success. Inspired by you, bro—love to see myself one day bring a revolutionary product."

While Zomato’s move to introduce the ‘Pure Veg Mode’ was initially seen as an innovative step catering to vegetarian customers, the imposition of an additional fee had caused widespread discontent. Many applauded the company for addressing the issue promptly, with some users describing the concept of a vegetarian-focused feature as bold and unconventional.

One user on social media summed it up: "Bringing a vegetarian cruising concept to India was undoubtedly a bold move, but the extra fee was unnecessary. Kudos to Zomato for listening and acting quickly."