Food delivery app criticized for bad registration procedures

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The popular Chinese food delivery giant Meituan has been under fire for deficiencies in its supervisory policies for its registration procedures. For only 1,200 yuan (175 US dollars) you can successfully start a food delivery business without need for a single inspection.

A food delivery man who couldn't stand the poor hygiene in one restaurant kitchen reported the restaurant to the local food and security supervision department, China Central Television reports. Video clips of the restaurant's kitchen unveiled that the environment was not as clean as the photos that had been previously uploaded online.

Meituan courier/ VCG Phot

An owner of the food delivery restaurant told China National Radio (CNR) that they were able to register on the platform with rented licenses, and that Meituan was fully aware of that issue.

"Meituan will approve your application even if you use a rented license to register, but it will never put your shop at the forefront of the page, because they know that you are not legal," the owner told CNR.

He added that circumstances where owners only have a business license but lack other required licenses, such as food hygiene certificate, can also register on the app.

However, a staff member from Meituan refuted the claim and clarified that both license and certificate were required to successfully register on the app.

"A business license is a must, together with only one of the three food catering certificates and a physical shop, you can register on our app," the staff told CNR.

To register on Meituan food delivery app, applicants should upload photo of themselves holding their ID cards. /Photo via CNR

However, some online agencies are selling a service that only costs 1,200 yuan to successfully register and run an online food delivery restaurant on popular apps such as Meituan and Eleme, without providing with any legal licenses and certificates, according to CNR.

These food delivery apps require applicants to upload photos of their IDs, business licenses and food catering certificates, but the registration procedure can be completed by uploading counterfeit documents, CNR reports.

Photo of the business license is required. / Photo via CNR

Meituan responded to the issue on Tuesday, saying that they are aware of the deficiencies of the reviewing process and promised to take immediate measures to strengthen the registration procedures.

More personnel will be dispatched to review the environment of the registered shops on the app and once they discover any mismatch or unqualified conditions, the registered shops will be withdrawn from the app.

A specialized organization was also set up to crack down on illegal online agencies that offer services to make counterfeit licenses and certificates.