Although cancellations are sometimes unavoidable, they can disrupt customers’ plans and weaken trust within the Shef community.
At Shef, we’re dedicated to providing a reliable, stress-free experience for our customers—many of whom rely on us to make mealtimes easier and more convenient. When that reliability is compromised, it affects everyone.
Since customers can place orders up to 3 weeks in advance, for the best customer experience, shefs are also expected to update your availability 3 weeks in advance for any planned time off.
To uphold our high standard of dependability, we’re introducing a new cancellation policy effective October 1, 2025, outlined below.
Order Cancellation Types and Consequences
No-Call, No-Shows
If you do not fulfill an order and fail to contact Shef Support before your hub delivery cut-off time.
Food Safety Issues
If you fail to cool your food properly or pack it with sufficient ice packs, and your food is deemed unsafe to send out:
Late Drop-Off or Mislabeled Orders
If you fail to drop off food within the designated delivery window or if your food is mislabeled in a way that prevents delivery:
Personal Emergencies
We understand that emergencies and unexpected situations can occur, and we never want to penalize a Shef for circumstances beyond their control. However, last-minute cancellations or reschedules can significantly disrupt the customer experience.
If you must cancel or reschedule at the last minute, contact Shef Support immediately so we can minimize the impact on customers.
Consequences
Since all last minute order cancellations are disruptive to our operations and creates a negative customer experience, repeat cancellations regardless of reason will be subject to the following:
Capacity Restrictions- your daily dish limit will be reduced
Temporary Delisting- 2 week removal of your availability from our platform, but you will still need to fulfill any pending orders.
Permanent Delisting - Permanent removal of your profile from our platform.
How to Reach Shef Support
The quickest way to receive help in these situations is to contact our Shef Support agents via live chat.
You can find the live chat button in the bottom right of your Shef Dashboard or in our Shef Help Center.
Note: For Shefs using door-to-door delivery in non-hub markets, order completion rate still applies and will be affected by:
Cancellations, Reschedules, Delays, and Food safety issues.