A TikToker recently sparked debate after criticizing companies offering refunds instead of replacements when an issue arises during delivery.
Michael Vaughn (@world.shaker), whose video has garnered over 144,000 views so far, shared his experience of feeling cheated by companies that didn’t fulfill their end of the deal after items he ordered arrived damaged or incomplete.
“Does anyone else feel like businesses are cheating them by offering refunds instead of replacements?” Vaughn begins.
He then explains that this issue happened to him twice on the same day. His first frustration came from a Grubhub order that arrived missing half the food he paid for.
Vaughn shares, “Five minutes ago, my Grubhub order showed up… I go out to get my food and the bag was already open and the fries had been taken out.”
After contacting support, Vaughn was issued a refund in Grubhub credit. But for him, that wasn’t a fair fix.
“Grubhub, I don’t want a refund,” he says. “I want my fries. I’m missing half the food that I ordered… A refund is useless to me.”
Grubhub isn’t the only company that does this
Vaughn didn’t just have this issue with Grubhub; he also faced a similar situation with Amazon.
“There was something that had been on my wishlist for a really long time… It went on sale on Prime Days… and I was like ‘I’m gonna get it,’” he explains.
However, the delivery driver told him the package was water-damaged and needed to be returned to the warehouse. Instead of replacing the item, Vaughn was issued a refund—something he wasn’t happy with.
“I push back on this… Amazon is only going to do a refund,” he says. “They won’t do a replacement. That’s not their policy.”
But the issue is, since Vaughn got the item at a significantly reduced price, he won’t be able to repurchase it with the refund.
“If I want to repurchase it, I now have to repurchase it at normal price, which is $80 higher,” he says. “So I’m not going to be buying this thing.”
To conclude his video, Vaughn asks the audience, “Why are companies allowed to get away with just doing a refund instead of following through on their obligations, giving you what you paid for, and offering a replacement instead?”
Why do companies refund instead of replacing a good?
In the U.S., companies typically offer refunds instead of replacements because of warranty laws and business policies.
For example, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which governs product warranties, requires businesses to honor warranties and offer solutions such as repairs or replacements.
However, it does not require companies to prioritize replacements over refunds or vice versa. Companies are only required to make sure the customer receives a remedy, which could be a refund if a replacement is unavailable or costly.
Many companies opt for refunds as they can be quicker, cheaper, and less logistically complicated than providing a replacement, especially if the item is out of stock or has become more expensive, like with Vaughn’s Amazon order.
Viewers feel the same
In the comments, users echoed Vaughn’s feelings.
“Uber Eats gave me a ‘refund’ on the order that wasn’t delivered,” shared one user. “It was just the cost of dinner, not the tip. I literally paid $10 to not get dinner.”
“I had this issue with DoorDash the other day where they delivered a mostly empty bag (aside from some chips),” wrote another. “but i ordered a burger from a burger place and didnt get it.”
“Also the issue with that is, if you reordered the fries it would cost you delivery fees, service fees and another tip,” remarked a third.
@world.shaker Refunds aren’t replacements
♬ original sound – World Shaker
The Daily Dot has reached out to Michael Vaughn (@world.shaker) via email and Instagram direct message. We’ve also contacted Grubhub and Amazon via email for official comment.
Update Oct. 31, 10:06am CT: In an email to the Daily Dot, a Grubhub spokesperson responded with their statement.
“We understand how disappointing it is when an order doesn’t go as planned, especially when someone is looking forward to their meal,” they wrote. “Our goal is to make things right as quickly as possible, and offering a refund allows us to provide a resolution without having a customer need to wait for a replacement.”
In an email exchange with the Daily Dot, Vaughn also shared additional information about the issue.
“I haven’t heard from Grubhub or Amazon since posting my video. I did reach out to Amazon two more times via chat support to complain, and was eventually offered a virtual credit for the difference between the item’s sale price and current price so I could repurchase it,” he wrote. “I did end up repurchasing the item, but I’m annoyed I had to go so far out of my way to get Amazon to make things right.”
Vaughn believes customers should have the option to choose between a refund or replacement, especially when orders arrive damaged:
“I do believe customers should be able to choose between a refund or a replacement, especially when their orders are damaged during delivery.”
In terms of changes they would like to see from companies like Grubhub, Vaughn expressed frustration with how missing items are handled:
“When I order something from a service like Grubhub or Amazon, I expect them to honor our agreement to deliver the items I paid for. I get that things will go wrong, but that doesn’t change the fact that I still expect to receive the things I paid for.”
Finally, Vaughn stressed that replacement options should be standard for services like Grubhub, particularly when a significant portion of the order is missing:
“A replacement should be one of the default options for services like Grubhub, especially if more than a quarter of your order is missing.”
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