Aadit Palicha calls Zepto’s dark pattern design a “mistake”

Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha has admitted that the use of dark patterns on the quick commerce application was a "mistake." In a conversation with Forbes India, Palicha addressed the significant public backlash Zepto had faced regarding its app practices. The 23-year-old CEO confirmed that the practices have been rolled back.

Complaints against Zepto included hidden fees, selective pricing, MRP manipulation, and misleading discounts. Criticism was widespread, leading to a dedicated Reddit community focused on highlighting what users described as unethical app practices.

Users specifically cited numerous charges beyond the standard delivery charge, such as a 'Rain Fee,' a 'Cash Handling Fee' of ₹10, 'Item Handling Cost,' 'Convenience Fee,' 'Small Cart Fee,' and 'Processing Fee,' often with GST applied on top of these fees.

Palicha stated, "I think we ran experiments on delivery fees and pricing—we tried different approaches and figured things out." He acknowledged the negative feedback was valid and influenced a revamp of Zepto's pricing strategy.

"A lot of it wasn't received well on social media or by consumers, and honestly, much of the feedback was valid," Palicha said. He confirmed the decision to roll back these practices was voluntary and not prompted by regulatory action, stating, "We just felt it wasn't the right thing for consumers."

The changes were implemented quickly. "Within 45–60 days, we had addressed it and moved on," he noted.

Concluding his remarks, Palicha was candid about the core issue: "The dark patterns concern was something we genuinely could have solved—and we did. I’ll be candid: It was a mistake. We killed it. It won’t happen again."

In early November, Zepto confirmed the elimination of handling fees, surge charges, and convenience fees as part of a new strategic initiative.