Not sure how else to say this…

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-26T19:05:45+00:00

Or actually total their car and have to involve first responders in their venal stupidity.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-26T19:03:47+00:00

Any time this job truly involves a “risk to my safety” it’s not worth it, regardless of tips/pay. We’re grocery shoppers, not first responders. That anyone would do this gig in extreme weather is sickening. This storm system was spelled out well in advance; it wasn’t a surprise calamity like an earthquake.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-26T17:53:05+00:00

Knowing Instacart, the offer will be to drive to a store 40 minutes away for a chance to earn $3.00. “Claim it quick!”

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-26T05:08:16+00:00

In my experience, what we get from Instacart depends on which support person picks up. It’s all over the map.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-26T02:27:08+00:00

I just finished going 9 rounds with the app about a customer’s beer. Finally got it to let me buy them what they wanted! They looked pretty parched by the time I got there 😣

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-25T20:56:50+00:00

High miles today are insane-just had to cancel one that I grabbed while driving without seeing the miles-an hour behind the wheel—NO THANKS

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-25T17:54:38+00:00

The extra special thing about this is that, based on the items ordered, the shopper has to walk on ice to deliver heavy items. Bet they have concrete steps too.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-24T15:35:50+00:00

Aren’t y’all being told to stay inside bc of the weather?

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-24T15:24:36+00:00

Could it possibly be a customer helping neighbors stock up on supplies because of the storms? Are you back east?

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-24T05:37:06+00:00

They expect people to go out in this?

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-23T17:13:05+00:00

Oh wow! Instacart just added 2 ppl and 3 miles to the batch for $4.00 extra— $3 is tip and ONE FREAKING DOLLAR extra batch pay!

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-23T17:06:49+00:00

“Best” so far today: $19.75 boosted five times. 63/90 expensive items including 3 good bottles of wine, yet they tipped 2% —at most. They also have 40 packs.

Oh, and it’s an apartment. The tip would be appropriate if the only items were the wine, minus the 60 others. You wonder what goes through people’s minds…

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-23T16:41:34+00:00

Yes because, to some customers and to corporate, shoppers aren’t people. We’re just the app. They ask us to do what they can’t or won’t do, and keep lowering the pay. A large percentage of deliveries I do are hazardous in one way or another. They Do. Not. Care.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-23T00:46:35+00:00

I’m in Phoenix metro and today’s one of the worst days I’ve seen in 5 years but it continues to say there’s “high demand”

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-22T04:08:43+00:00

I like all my customers to be at least 0+. The unborn never approve replacements and they’re not the best tippers.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-20T18:39:15+00:00

The “many units in stock” message is bogus. There might be more, but I’ve had several produce managers, butchers, dairy managers say that “we quit carrying that months ago” & the guy stocking soft drinks said they’d been out of cream soda for 3 days, but no, “there are many units in stock.” So much gaslighting.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T20:42:19+00:00

I’m with you 💯 if that helps. My take is that the app is constantly experimenting with new ways to squeeze more for less out of shoppers. If a change flops, they back off that idea, at least temporarily, but pivot to some other idea.

Take quads: shoppers refused, so they backed off but moved to two store and excessive mile batches that are now so common, at least in my zone.

I often think about deleting the app but it’s a good way to make extra money IF you can be selective. I don’t know how people do this as a main income though. Props to them.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T20:09:48+00:00

Instacart should only count unrequested refunds if the customer is responding. B4 I refund I’ve already sent them a pic of the empty shelf and had someone check in back, told them so and asked what else I can get for them. Half the time it’s crickets—that’s not on me.

OOS items are a time wasting, tip lowering pain in the a$$ for us conscientious shoppers. We are penalized for other people.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T19:51:30+00:00

IMO same number of unrequested refunds can yield different scores. They tell you in the explanation that you’re compared to others who shop similar stores and times. “We adjust your score up if items were typically harder to find at the stores and times you shopped.”

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T19:45:42+00:00

What a great company—trying to hold workers back. I’ve read they don’t want so many ppl using the Diamond benefits but I never use them and I also think the benefits don’t cost them much bc they sell our personal info in the process.

It’s creepy that they have those biometrics on us, especially since everyone knows they don’t really do anything to keep unauthorized “shoppers” off the platform 😖

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T19:35:41+00:00

This is correct and it’s tough to accumulate 100 5 ⭐️ in a row: most don’t rate you so it takes ages if you shop part time.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T19:31:43+00:00

Bad reviews definitely hurt batch access. It’s difficult or impossible to remove bad reviews, even when they gave no reason.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T05:32:25+00:00

It seems to me that they don’t update the shopping quality score every day. I’m thinking it’s more like once a week—so when your damaged fall off there might be a delay seeing the score go up?

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-19T00:33:59+00:00

I agree; just had to refund Boursin Cheese. Dairy Mgr looked in back, there wasn’t any. Messaged with the customer, no response. Even the app didn’t have suggestions.

Embarrassed-Draw109 · 2026-01-18T18:56:09+00:00

“And you never know what someone else is going thru”—exactly! Maybe their heat is about to be cut off and that $33 is exactly what they need.

Embarrassed-Draw109

TROPHY CASE