Instacart shoppers are SO BAD

[Anonymous]

Instacart contractor here.

Facts:

- No there are no IQ tests to be an IC Shopper. When you order from IC, it's a crap shoot. You pay for the platform. All the extra fees IC charges you DO NOT trickle down to the Shoppers. What IC pays us barely covers gas. We depend on tips.

- I have met ALL kinds of IC Shoppers. I supplement downtimes as a govt contractor with IC shopping. I have two degrees, cook, and it is super easy work, for the most part since I cook. I know where to find things, and am familiar with good replacements. Not everyone is.

- IC does NOT pay hourly. We only get batch minimum pay, and sometimes decent tips, which due to bad shoppers, are decreasing.

- IC has been forcing multiple batches on the platform. For example, a shopper may get paid $17 but has to shop for three customers. In that case, we are getting less than $6 per customer in minimum pay, which barely pays for gas to your home. IC Shoppers depend HEAVILY on tips. If you get a good Shopper, please tip well.

- Shoppers have ZERO control over whether or not your favorite LaCroix flavor is in stock. When items are not in stock it is NOT the Shoppers fault. If you have selected replacements, your desired replacements might ALSO not be available.

- As a shopper, I take the time to make my best attempts to verify replacements (sending pictures, asking for text confirmation). If you do not respond, I move forward with the replacement, unless (REFUND THIS ITEM IF NOT AVAILABLE) is selected.

- Apartment buildings and Apartment Complexes. Most of us DO NOT like delivering to them, as they drain time to get a new batch and people steal. Many times customers do not give adequate delivery access instructions, and we waste time trying to figure out your location, getting access inside the building, carrying up multiple flights if stairs, and finding adequate parking, and basic theft. I have found in my five years of doing IC part time, that Apt dwellers are normally the worst tippers and have the most complaints for missing/stolen items. I avoid taking these batches when I see them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instacart contractor here.

Facts:

- No there are no IQ tests to be an IC Shopper. When you order from IC, it's a crap shoot. You pay for the platform. All the extra fees IC charges you DO NOT trickle down to the Shoppers. What IC pays us barely covers gas. We depend on tips.

- I have met ALL kinds of IC Shoppers. I supplement downtimes as a govt contractor with IC shopping. I have two degrees, cook, and it is super easy work, for the most part since I cook. I know where to find things, and am familiar with good replacements. Not everyone is.

- IC does NOT pay hourly. We only get batch minimum pay, and sometimes decent tips, which due to bad shoppers, are decreasing.

- IC has been forcing multiple batches on the platform. For example, a shopper may get paid $17 but has to shop for three customers. In that case, we are getting less than $6 per customer in minimum pay, which barely pays for gas to your home. IC Shoppers depend HEAVILY on tips. If you get a good Shopper, please tip well.

- Shoppers have ZERO control over whether or not your favorite LaCroix flavor is in stock. When items are not in stock it is NOT the Shoppers fault. If you have selected replacements, your desired replacements might ALSO not be available.

- As a shopper, I take the time to make my best attempts to verify replacements (sending pictures, asking for text confirmation). If you do not respond, I move forward with the replacement, unless (REFUND THIS ITEM IF NOT AVAILABLE) is selected.

- Apartment buildings and Apartment Complexes. Most of us DO NOT like delivering to them, as they drain time to get a new batch and people steal. Many times customers do not give adequate delivery access instructions, and we waste time trying to figure out your location, getting access inside the building, carrying up multiple flights if stairs, and finding adequate parking, and basic theft. I have found in my five years of doing IC part time, that Apt dwellers are normally the worst tippers and have the most complaints for missing/stolen items. I avoid taking these batches when I see them.

Describes OP perfectly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to the store and get your own food.

NP here, but being screamed at over the PA to wear a mask, social distance, and follow the arrows gave me panic attacks, so I had to stop shopping in-person. They truly made it miserable to be in public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DW is an instacart shopper/delivery person. She wouldn't take an order that paid only $10 ever. Her minimum is $25.

Maybe she should find a real job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had the WORST experience with instacart shoppers. And so many delivery people as of late. I live in an apartment complex and so many of them call to ask me to go down to the front to help them because they dont feel like bringing the groceries up. Isn't that the whole point of paying more for this service? The last time the lady had me grab a cart from our cart room and then walk out to her car to get the items. I'm just blown away by the incompetence of all these people- they frequently get items wrong too. I know it's a convenience service, but we pay more for it and it's so, so, so bad. Is this a collective thing or just where I live (Florida)?

Put it in the notes , and then just don't get the groceries

[Anonymous]

Regardless of how much you, as an individual tip, these platforms rely on exploitation and are unethical to use. Buy your own groceries or do curbside pick up, or at least the employee gets hourly wage to shop for you.

[Anonymous]

Of course they are, they make peanuts. And even if they made more, they'll never care about the quality of your groceries as much as you do.

Same goes for pretty much every household service from cleaning to babysitting to personal assistant. You have to hire fulltime help and pay them WELL to make it be actually helpful to you.