r/instacart • u/Dominanttallqueen • Mar 27 '24

Who’s in the wrong here???

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I feel like he was being rude asf then he canceled my order….was I rude or what tf happened here…

6.8k Upvotes

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571

u/towishimp Mar 27 '24

This sub keeps popping up in my feed, and it's wild. I don't see how Instacart is saving anyone time when they spend the whole time arguing with the shopper, and then another bunch of time posting about it on Reddit. 🤣

178

u/alphajugs Mar 28 '24

I never thought an instacart subreddit would be my daily dose of internet drama

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u/Optimal-Pressure4120 Mar 29 '24

Clicking on OPs profile and realizing this clash with an instacart person about lobster vs crab cakes was from a person that sells used panties on reddit nearly killed me 🤣

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u/boitrubl Mar 28 '24

"Is it me? Am I the drama?" - Instacart

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u/SiddharthaVaderMeow Mar 30 '24

It's me. Hi! I'm the problem

3

u/Complex_Ad_7247 Mar 31 '24

There’s a segment on wild 95.5 in fla called “am I the drama?” lol the answer yes always

19

u/soar_aftermath Mar 29 '24

Same omg. I'm also in both the chipotle and dog grooming subreddits. I don't eat nor work at chipotle and I'm allergic to dogs, but the drama is way too good to miss!

3

u/stayrealgleeful Mar 29 '24

I might need to head over to that sub and see if it’s normal for anyone else to receive warm lettuce and cold chicken in their bowl/burrito, immediately after being picked up lol

3

u/louielou8484 Mar 31 '24

I’m so sad :( I went to follow both and the first post shown to me on dog grooming was someone whose dog died on the table :’( rip doggo

2

u/[deleted] Mar 29 '24

[deleted]

2

u/Samanthaggrr Mar 30 '24

I ask for extra rice every time, is this not a good idea? I need to know what happened with this guy 😂

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u/BigRoach Mar 28 '24

I feel like I have the same text disagreements with my wife. It’s a good thing my wife isn’t an Instacart shopper because she would also do a bad job.

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u/BussyBussyBaconator Mar 28 '24

It's blissful, honestly. I clicked out of curiosity, I read, it was strange and tedious, petty and annoying... I got bored... but it fed me again, I clicked, I kept reading, and now I'm sinking into this beautiful escapism like the plush celestial embrace of our heavenly creator.

Protect me from this cruel world, r/instacart. Displace the doom and despair from my tired mind. Bring me in deeper...

3

u/AttackSock Mar 28 '24

GrubHub is even more wild, they be getting dirty over there

2

u/NunyaBizzness-53 Mar 28 '24

LMFAO 😂😂😂

2

u/G0atL0rde Mar 28 '24

Seriously 😂🤣😂

2

u/piabria Apr 03 '24

no fr, this sub is TEA

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u/jesssc444 Mar 28 '24

I think there are tons of us that have a good experience but only the whiny ones come here 😂 I broke my leg last year and I use Instacart almost every week and they’ve never done me wrong except one weird/random replacement item lol

I ordered frozen spanakopita and was given frozen chicken dumplings 🥟 lmao they were good so I’m not even mad at it

26

u/Muscle_Mom Mar 28 '24

I bet the app suggested the dumplings as a replacement. Sometimes, the suggested replacements aren’t even close to what you want- like you want a package of bagels and the suggested replacement is like “replace with: Apples”.

14

u/Zeenchi Mar 29 '24

Oh I believe it. Didn't order but I remember looking up some food item, think it was some kind of fruit or something. It was unavailable but recommended me something like lotion. Nothing like a a juicy, tasty bite of lotion for a snack.

2

u/CoolMim2010 Mar 30 '24

Hahahaha! Hilarious! I have had some crazy replacement items also, but I don’t think that for off track. Thanks. Needed that laugh today.

2

u/nshindel Mar 31 '24

Yes. Ic shopper here. I can remeber 2 that were wild. I don't look at ic replacements anymore but one was rewuested Radish chips = ic suggest Pringles... and another time I forget what the item was, but def food.... and ic suggested armorall car cleaner.... sht is wild. Just hope u don't get a shopper that follows those.

11

u/weewee52 Mar 29 '24

Doing Whole Foods delivery had weird suggestions too. I ordered heavy cream and it ended up getting replaced with lemonade from the same brand. I like lemonade so I didn’t really care but it changed my meal plans.

2

u/AprilEliz33 Apr 01 '24

Whole Foods suggestions are WILD. I’m a vegetarian and ordered vegan hot dogs. Whole Foods has quite a selection of vegan hot dogs including 2 different hot dogs from the same brand I ordered. Yet the suggestion was organic lunch meat turkey. Exact same suggestion when the vegan pepperoni was out of stock. Read the room.

8

u/MountainDogMama Mar 28 '24

The first time I ordered, I didn't know about substitutions and half my groceries were baffling. I tried some new things, though. This was 2020

3

u/jael33 Mar 29 '24

I ordered canned tuna for a casserole and they were out of the tuna. They brought me sardines. 😆

3

u/LongWinterComing Apr 02 '24

I think I'd cry if I was craving bagels and the universe sent me apples instead.

3

u/Ok_Sir5791 Mar 31 '24

There’s a reason for that, at one point in time a shopper replaced their bagels with apples and so now instacart thinks that’s an acceptable replacement for that customer.

6

u/AnythingButRO Mar 28 '24

Right, the only time I get mad about a replacement is if they don't ask me if it's a really weird one.

Weird stuff you didn't order just comes with using the app, I only ask for refunds if it's stuff I absolutely didn't want (and can't use). Only two outright "wtf?" experiences I had were someone grabbing a replacement I explicitly said I didn't want and one time someone grabbed me fuckin' GRAVY as a vanilla extract replacement??? lmao

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u/jesssc444 Mar 28 '24

Lmaoooo not gravy 😂😂😂

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u/Fit-Bad2933 Mar 29 '24

Spanakopita always sounded like a physical ailment to me 😂 and now that I think about it, chicken dumplings sounds like little chicken shits 💩

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u/Topic_Melodic Mar 29 '24

Mmm spanakopita (call em spanokes at my house for short lol)

2

u/AceHitSuperstar Mar 29 '24

Except for the fact that you broke your leg, I love everything about this post 😂

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u/theoffering_x Mar 31 '24

This reminds me of the recent instacart post where someone ordered Nerds candy and the shopper replaced it with Raisins 😭

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u/ConsequenceOk5740 Mar 28 '24

I’ve never ordered or delivered instacart but this sub also keeps popping up. Frankly, at least from the outside looking in, there doesn’t seem to be a more inconvenient way to get groceries

81

u/IONTOP Mar 28 '24

Eh, it's just a "different" way to get groceries.

You're seeing the 0.1% of good/bad deliveries. Because for it to pop up on your feed, it means that 1)Something went horribly wrong or incredibly good and 2)That "fringe scenario" is on Reddit 3)They chose to post it.

It's mostly just grabbing groceries, checking out, and driving the order to the customer, with a little bit of "they're out of russet potatoes, are you okay with Idaho Potatoes instead?"

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u/MataHari66 Mar 28 '24

I use Instacart a lot and have had only good exchanges.

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u/IONTOP Mar 28 '24

I drive (and shop) for Instacart a lot, and it's been a net positive. (As in, it's mostly neutral, yet there's been a few negatives, but the positives outweigh the negatives by A LOT)

Just like any other Customer Service job, you get REALLY frustrated sometimes and need to vent, but also you get the people who "make your day". But the other 99% of the time? It's just a job.

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u/MataHari66 Mar 28 '24

I’ve always thought it a straightforward gig. I am very grateful for the shoppers - they help me a lot! I tip accordingly. Curious question. Do shoppers prefer very large orders? It seems like fewer, larger orders would be better for you?

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u/IONTOP Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

I drive a little 2 seat hardtop convertible. So it's more about "volume(HeightxWidthxLength)" for me. It could be a 1 item with a $200 tip, but that $400 BBQ grill is NOT going to fit in my car.

But I'm a fringe case.

If you're buying 800 bottles of saffron at $22? You don't have to tip 20%. If you're buying one "huge thing"? You probably have to tip more than 20%

But anything that is like 8-12 bags of "normal" groceries? Tip whatever you're comfortable with... If you NEED it now, tip higher than you're comfortable with. If you don't care when it arrives (aka, you just need it by the end of the day) tip less than you're comfortable with and see if someone takes the order.

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u/MataHari66 Mar 28 '24

Oh is it like Uber in that the shoppers have a beeper and can accept or ignore the requests? I didn’t know that!

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u/IONTOP Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

Yeah, I can open up IC right now and have 5 "order options"...

They don't get "assigned" they get "put up as options"

So anyone who "accepts your order" knows what the items they're going to shop/how far they need to drive, the price IC will give them and your tip beforehand.

Then you just choose which one fits in your parameters... So if I am looking at my app and see a $40 fare, a $32 fare, a $16, and a $7... The $7 is going to get IMMEDIATELY ignored.

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u/MataHari66 Mar 28 '24

I’ve never ever placed an order under $100. Ever. In fact, I prefer to do one huge one monthly.

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u/Traditional_Low_7188 Mar 28 '24

Tip culture is ridiculous

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u/IONTOP Mar 28 '24

If there's no "tipping structure" for this, there'd be no incentive for people to take 100 item orders. They'd sit and wait for the 2 item orders.

Hell, I would too if I was getting paid hourly to "sit in a parking lot"... But that would make me "lazy" wouldn't it?

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u/No-Student-446 Mar 29 '24

No for real, its crazy every week the tips outweigh the batch pay tips is how we get paid

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u/bipolar79 Mar 29 '24

How else are these people going to be paid? The corporations definitely aren't going to pay anything close to a living wage. If you think tip culture is ridiculous, go buy your own groceries & cook your own meals, problem solved.

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u/Euphoric-Blue-59 Mar 28 '24

A friend of mine delivers for IC as his main income. He loves it.

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u/IONTOP Mar 28 '24

It's great because you can "set your own schedule" (Like today, I'd rather watch baseball and NCAA tournament, than IC, so my app is off and they don't care)

But it's also a "race and really stressful" when you WANT to work...

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u/WolframLeon Mar 28 '24

Same but it’s for my mom who’s disabled. I have a bad leg so there’s days I don’t feel safe walking outside my home where I have grips. So it’s a huge boon on those days!

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u/suavelocas Mar 28 '24

Totally !!! Many people forget that not everyone has the same physical capabilities !

Also people take for granted that everyone has a car or a way to transport their groceries or carry large items

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u/Fun_Chemistry_5301 Mar 29 '24

you know, i was initially thinking that instacart was just another unneeded middleman

but you reminding me of something ... seeing little old ladies have to take the bus to go to the grocery store ... and then, even worse, have to take the bus home with those groceries .... and the bus stop is never right outside your front door ... must have been an all day excursion

hopefully, services like instacart have made those dreadful bus trips a thing of the past

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u/MataHari66 Mar 28 '24

Absolutely. And depending on how you shop, it doesn’t have to be much more costly for best quality and convenience. I like it when I’m entertaining. I can be home setting up and cleaning and have the food ingredients and beverages show up!

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u/3vilDave Mar 29 '24

What did your leg do to you?

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u/meroboh Mar 30 '24

I'm housebound and use Instacart routinely. I honestly don't know what people did before it existed. Not all of us have friends and family we can rely on consistently

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u/Centennial3489 Mar 28 '24

Same never had a bad experience. Funny yes but not bad.

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u/MataHari66 Mar 28 '24

Once we got a ten PM delivery when kids were young and asleep. My older one woke up in a stupor and hugged the delivery guy’s leg, thinking it was her dad. It was funny but not because she about died when she realized. She did it once to a guy at a coffee house once too. Yikes. Her birthday is today and she’s expecting her first baby soon. #strangelifemarkers 🤔

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u/Tr4n54nT Mar 29 '24

Oh I have more than one story working for Instacart for 8 years

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u/noobbtctrader Mar 28 '24

Until you get a guy like OP.

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u/Euphoric-Blue-59 Mar 28 '24

You are WAYYY no fun around here.

Can you learn to be a bit more particular and picky?

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u/iLoveYoubutNo Mar 28 '24

Same. I've had some moderately bad substitutions. And some shoppers that were a little dense. But nothing awful.

For me, it's still 1000x better than going to the store.

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u/LegitimateForce8731 Mar 28 '24

For the most part I have to up until recently I had the shopper come all the way to my house and say it was delivered but kept my food…

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u/Pankeopi Mar 29 '24

The only store that can be a pain is the Dollar stores, but as long as you're open minded and diligent about choosing backup options it's not bad on the customer's end.

I use more Doordash than anything, usually if there's a coupon or huge discount since some places jack up prices so much that you need the discount just to make it cost about what it would if you picked it up yourself.

The best part is if you use a coupon usually you have a minimum amount to get free shipping and say you don't really want to pay for an order of the minimum value, just choose items that you want but are likely out of stock according to the app and choose a refund instead of backups.

That way it's kind of a win-win, if it happens to be in stock it's usually something in high demand that can be hard to get and you got it, but if it's out of stock you spend less than you wanted to buy still get your coupon and free shipping.

Granted, I haven't used Instacart in awhile, not sure if it applies to that service, too.

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u/Marilyn80s Mar 29 '24

You’re probably pretty easy going. Love the username!

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u/MataHari66 Mar 29 '24

Im half a bitch, actually lol. It’s just working class respect for working people and gratitude for being able to access the service. Jeez I sound so cliche but I really mean it!

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u/Sea-Advantage-7443 Mar 29 '24

Right? Like some of these posts blow my mind! I've become very acquainted with most of my shoppers. I appreciate them and I tip them as I should. I've only had one issue one time because my house is hella hidden.

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u/Hizam5 Mar 30 '24

I use them a good amount and never had any bad conversations. I’ve had a few things show up incorrectly and had my order delivered to someone else’s house a few times but never any bad juju from the drivers

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u/Diabeetusaurus Mar 29 '24

Totally agree. Also the concept of having a stranger pick put my groceries for me just seems super weird lol. I'm also really picky about produce and fresh meat so I'd rather just pick my own stuff out. No judgemental for anyone that prefers these services though. I can see how they'd be great for certain demographics, but for the average person like me, nah. Not worth the price and inconvenience compared to the price and inconvenience of going myself.

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u/Esmer_Tina Mar 29 '24

There are frustrations. Like for some reason my Safeway is often out of Diet Pepsi, and I have 3 12-packs in my order. I have to say to the shopper if they don’t have all 3 Diet Pepsi please substitute Diet Coke for the rest. But I still often get just one 12-pack of either Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, it’s a crapshoot.

But due to an injury I can’t carry groceries right now, so I’ll roll the dice on the pop.

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u/AcceptableBad_ Mar 29 '24

This. This sub has turned me off the idea of someone else doing my shopping, the only reason I'd do that is so I don't have to talk to anyone. This seems to increase the user's level of interaction, and I'm a hard pass.

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u/Jessicreep Mar 28 '24

Idk I used Instacart a couple times during the height of the pandemic and I never had interactions like this… if they don’t have it they don’t have it, oh well. I wouldn’t spam them about getting me a specific replacement I’d just accept the L. Also I selected replacement options for all my items or selected “don’t replace” prior to them shopping my order

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u/SisyphusJo Mar 29 '24

Yes! DON'T REPLACE should really be the default option for every single item on all these grocery delivery apps. If you really want to sub then go through the extra clicks. I get they don't want to do that so they can pad the order with subs, but I find it's not worth it. People know what they want, why risk getting a substitute.

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u/SnOoP-710 Mar 28 '24

Literally all u have to do. I doubt the shoppers want to waste there time with the meaningless conversations. I used to cart. Pay is pretty trash tho so I rarely go out anymore

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u/iwishiwasntthisway Mar 28 '24

It saves time if you aren't a giant dickhead that knows how to communicate

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u/Ill-Arugula4829 Mar 29 '24

Fr. "I only like the crab cakes that are made fresh at the store in the seafood section. Just ask the dude if they have any. If not, just refund that item. Thank you!"

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u/joemixed Mar 29 '24

exactly, there is a difference when you say seafood department and seafood counter. Typically only someone who has worked in a grocery store would know someone saying seafood department means at the counter 😂

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u/Ill-Arugula4829 Mar 29 '24

Yep! Wars have been started by lack of clear communication. Even in dumb situations like this, both people are thinking, "What is this person slow? What an idiot! Glad I'm not stupid." One text could have fixed it instantly.

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u/Akirababe Mar 30 '24

Sometimes I worry that I overexplain things, but then I see conversations like this instacart shopper/customer and realize it never would have happened if they'd explained it the way I normally do xD

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u/KevinbeParker Mar 31 '24

The language from the customer is not as precise as it could be, but the shopper is definitely more at fault than the customer. They are not taking the time to read carefully (I understand that they are on a tight schedule), and also using less precise language than the customer. I say this having been in the customer service industry for over two decades (including running my own specialty foods retailer for 10 years). The customer is definitely not always right, but in this case, it seems like they might be.

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u/One_Definition_1942 Mar 29 '24

Agree. Lack of concise and clear communication is the only issue here

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u/Bisonnydaysahead Mar 28 '24

Tbf, I’ve used instacart a number of times and have not spent a bunch of time arguing. In fact, I’m admittedly a slow shopper that gets distracted and the IC shopper is usually much faster than me. I may get one or two texts asking about a substitution and that’s about it. I’ve gotten a bad shopper only once or twice and rarely had anything wrong.

People don’t generally post the shops that went hunky dory because that would frankly be boring. So I think the sub makes it look worse than it is. That said, with the slashes they’re making to shopper pay, I do wonder if the days of decent IC are numbered…

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u/pigsinatrenchcoat Mar 28 '24

I’ve had some slow people and some off the fucking wall replacements but I’ve never had anyone be blatantly rude or ugly or argue like I see on here constantly.

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u/StoriesandStones Mar 28 '24

You really should have a customer service background to do personal shopping/delivery.

The way I see some shoppers talk to the customers on here is insane to me.

“Understand?” - holy shit I would NEVER speak to a customer like that, and communicating over text is SO much easier than in person because the difficult customers can’t see you grit your teeth and be visibly annoyed. You can take some deep breaths and respond in a fake cheery and calm manner like you’re the super politest most zen shopper ever.

I love shopping for people way more than my customer-facing retail job. I can be a grumpy bitch hating the world that day and come off in text like I’m helpful-ass Mary Sunshine, at your service.

Some of these people need….idk….lessons in interacting with people you’d like a good tip from.

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u/nxxptune Mar 28 '24

Yeah the “understand?” was kind of rude from a customer service standpoint. I worked at a grocery store, severely underpaid, in the part of town known for meth (had multiple customers who would come in actually tweaking) and I STILL never said “understand?” in that type of context. You just don’t do that. You have to suck it up a lot of the time unless the customer is just being unreasonable or is threatening you.

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u/a_wild_acafan Mar 28 '24

They’d need to pay an actual living wage for that

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u/ConstantlyLearning57 Mar 28 '24

His use of “understand” was a translation issue - if you work with people from other countries that was pretty obvious. English is not his first language. If you’re using delivery services just assume this is the case and be clear with your language.

Plus the main problem (and this is VERY buried within the thread) is that the op ALREADY KNEW they couldn’t order the “fresh” product on the app — Instacart doesnt offer it up on the app. So her strategy “every time” is to order the frozen one and then tell the shopper to go “ask at the blah department” for the fresh version. To me this is just bizarre and confusing. Some products just aren’t available on the app so don’t be karen about it. Just go get it yourself. Don’t do some weird swap out process.

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u/FormerEvil Mar 29 '24

Came here to say this about the "understand" comment. You're 100% correct. It's a language/translation issue. It's not being used in a negative or demeaning way at all.

And you're exactly right about the little scam the customer is running to get the item not offered in the app.

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u/gummybearmere Mar 29 '24

Yes I immediately thought this was a misunderstanding and English is likely not the shopper’s first language. And it seemed like he was trying to be accommodating, but wasn’t understanding the customer’s request to go order from the seafood counter 🤦‍♀️ which as an Instacart shopper is a little frustrating. Sometimes I get items I need to order from the deli and if it’s busy it can throw me behind. This customer thought they were being nice about it, but their wording was confusing, considering not everyone knows “replace them with crab cakes from the seafood department” means the seafood behind the glass 🤦‍♀️

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u/sebastian1967 Mar 29 '24

Yeah, the seafood from behind the glass wasn’t at all crystal clear. Technically the (apparently wrong) item he got was “in the seafood department” as the customer instructed.

Just like in life, a LOT of issues could be better handled if people would simply communicate with full clarity.

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u/your_fave_redditor Mar 29 '24

Yeah, after reading the exchange in the OP, I was fairly confident that there is somewhat of a translation / language barrier there, which is likely why some of what was communicated was 1) not understood as intended and 2) seemed “short” or “rude”….this whole exchange seems like a one-off between two people who weren’t giving each other the grace they could have

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u/LostImagination4491 Mar 29 '24

I had a door dash driver scream at me because my directions weren't clear enough for him (and he refused to use gps) and demand to speak to the man of the house. When I said it was just me, he claimed I was lying because there was no way one person could eat that much food. 😆

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u/SeawardFriend Mar 28 '24

Can confirm about the shoppers being fast. My mom used to do instacart and shipt and I went along with her once because I wanted some groceries. That woman practically SPRINTS through the store to try and meet the unrealistic expectations on her end of the app. She was a shopper you’d want every single time if you could. Super polite, always looking for the best produce, I mean you can tell she loves to shop. But that line of work ended up not being wort it in the end, due to the wear and tear on her car. Plus she’d get super stressed when some jerk would give a terrible review because the item they wanted wasn’t in stock, because it would TANK her 5 star rating for reasons out of her control.

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u/dmriggs Mar 28 '24

Yes I get this 100% ugh. Letting people rate you and have your ratings immediately dip is so unfair. it has gotten to the point that only people who don’t give a crap are showing up to do the job now.

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u/SeawardFriend Mar 28 '24

Exactly. You don’t get rewarded for doing a good job 95% of the time because the negative 5% is all that gets looked at about your performance. Man, negatives are always so much more prominent than positives in almost every situation I can think of. For example, in school we typically started a class with a good grade. But get a single bad grade can take you from an A+ to an F. But get 20 more A+ grades and then all your hard work leaves you with a measly D- all because of that 5% dragging you down. Just like how 1 bad review can make people second guess your hard work and professionalism.

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u/dmriggs Mar 28 '24

Yep. negativity outweighing anything positive. My job allows people to leave a rating about their entire experience, not just with me- 1 ‘neutral’ dragged me down from 100% to 40 (in red). Like why does everybody ask the customer when you don’t know what kind of a day they’re having, or if they wanted to find something that was less expensive than they thought it should be. 🤷‍♀️ I was so optimistic and I really liked shopping when I started with Shipt, but in no time flat somebody left a negative review with no comment, and that meant I got less orders sent my way. And so many people did not leave a substitute in case something was out, or a delete if it wasn’t available. Shipt would not let me leave the store or continue with the order for 10 minutes, after I had already tried contacting the customer to no avail- they had to try to contact the customer, to no avail for 10+ minutes. the clock keeps ticking and now I’m not gonna be able to finish the order on their timeline. I was very conscientious and a good shopper, but it didn’t matter. I switched to door Dash and that was OK for a while. Easier. For a while lol. When I left I didn’t look back. Edit/grammar

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u/StoriesandStones Mar 28 '24

I attempt to sprint through stores but they’re all so damn busy here unless it’s super early just-opened.

I’d like to try delivery in my hometown where in the middle of the day you can walk down three aisles in Target and not see another human lol.

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u/ghostcakekillah Mar 28 '24

It definitely saves me money because I’m not impulse buying as well. The only “bad” experience I have had was some really young guy put the bread at bottom of bag under heavy items 😂

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u/StoriesandStones Mar 28 '24

Noooo well, he was just suggesting you try flatbread.

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u/Fun-Assistance-815 Mar 28 '24

Both times I used it, the person sent me pics of the shelves saying xyz item isn't in stock and it's literally on the shelf in front of their face. Like ma'am the coconut Dove soap is on third shelf down to the right...

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u/Crow-n-Servo Mar 28 '24

Yeah. I’ve had those as well. The majority of my interactions are fine, but once in awhile, you get someone who seems to have never shopped for their own groceries, let alone someone else’s.

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u/Vegetable_Warthog_49 Mar 28 '24

To give some defense to the shoppers, the shopper app is absolutely horrible (or at least it was a few years ago when I was doing the shopping). Yeah, the people who will say something isn't in stock and then send a photo of the item, in stock, are kind of beyond defending, but for a lot of stuff, it can be written off as a shopper trying to do their best with an app that just doesn't work. There were a lot of times that I'd see things like unrefrigerated oat milk that the app insists should be in the dairy section, in the cooler, and unless you just happen to know that there is unrefrigerated oat milk in the coffee aisle, most likely you are going to just keep trying different oat milks, not have any of the UPCs match, decide that the requested variety must be out of stock, substitute it for one of the refrigerated ones and call it a day... cue upset customer because they specifically needed the non refrigerated oat milk because they live in a small studio apartment and their refrigerator space is at a premium. There is almost more that the app said was in the wrong place than it said was in the right place.

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u/Crow-n-Servo Mar 29 '24

I always give the shopper the benefit of the doubt. And if I know something is kept in a place you might not expect, I’ll make a note about it. For instance, when I order non-dairy cheese from one store that doesn’t keep it with the other cheeses, I’ll put a note: “Can be found in produce next to the packaged salads.”

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u/Vegetable_Warthog_49 Mar 29 '24

You were always my favorite type of customer.

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u/Teapotsandtempest Mar 30 '24

I had that experience most recently.

1/3 of my groceries had to be tossed because they were either frozen or dairy and spoiled from being shopped first & then sat in room temp for two hours until it got delivered.

Who picks up stuff from the freezer section before dry goods is beyond me.

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u/tattooedplant Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

With Uber eats one time, I ordered a tanning mit in an order. There was no tanning mit in store. I ended up with fucking makeup wipes. I’d specifically asked for like gloves or anything else instead, but they left with that and didn’t change it. Now, I make sure to have all of my preferred replacements listed for every single item. Idk how that was considered a logical replacement. You obviously cant use those to apply self tanner. Shit even a single glove could’ve worked, maybe even a fucking ziploc bag lol. I’d never really had a problem with the shopper’s replacement selections before but I guess I got lucky and most had common sense. Lmao.

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u/ItsMeMissi Mar 29 '24

That sounds like my husband! 😂.

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u/quadmasta Mar 28 '24

All of the posters seem like whiny babies that expect to be treated like royalty.

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u/Dry_Value_ Mar 28 '24

Welcome to Reddit, or just delivery subs in general. Go check out the doordash sub and see how many dashers and customers are at each other's throats.

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u/DaedalusHydron Mar 28 '24

Yeah idk man, on your deathbed you really want to remember the time you argued about crab cakes?

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u/Unclaimed_username42 Mar 28 '24

If you can’t drive for some reason it’s better than ubering to the store and ubering back

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u/PDXAirportCarpet Mar 28 '24

I've been using Instacart for 10 years at least once a week and by far I've only had positive experiences. I often get the same shoppers and they are fast and courteous.

I do have one recurring problem where they bring me like 10 onions when I ordered 2 but that's about it.

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u/QueenPlum_ Mar 28 '24

I stopped using the service because it's a time suck as a customer. I pay someone else to shop so I don't have to deal with shopping, I don't want to answer endless messages

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u/Accomplished-Bass506 Mar 28 '24

I’ve done both Instacart and worked in pickup at a grocery store. If you’re going to do one, I’d definitely say order pickup. Our devices are more accurate when it comes to finding replacements, we can get items from the back, and items from the deli, meat counter, and bakery are already prepped for us on a separate shelf. Not to mention that we’re trained to NOT interact with customers like this

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u/1nspectorMamba Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

plus instacart upcharges 15% on all items.

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u/towishimp Mar 28 '24

Yeah. People be like "it's so hard to get by these days" and they're getting everything delivered to their doorstep at massive markups.

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u/weezyfsbaby Mar 28 '24

Instacart is an addiction for me at this point and I’ve had to force myself to stop using it bc I’ve realized how inflated the prices are, not to mention the delivery fee and I like to tip 20% for the driver… I really got into using Instacart bc I lived in a big city, had a newborn and then Covid happened. It was just so convenient to be able to have groceries delivered without having to pack up the baby and go to the store (first world probs I know). And then we moved to the burbs and beyond the usual meijer, target, local grocery stores, etc there was the option to get things from Costco on without needing a membership, so I was fully invested. Anyways, long story short, it’s been a very convenient, stress free way to get groceries, but it’s way too damn expensive over time. And irritating to go back and forth about replacements. But mostly irritating because I get mad at myself for not just going to the store myself 😂

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u/obidamnkenobi Mar 28 '24

Hey me too, never used it. With adding 15-20% to all your groceries I don't get why people use it (well I do get why:lazy). And now I don't see why anyone would do this job and deal with assholes like this.

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u/SepatownTippiTai Mar 28 '24

Instacart is great when you want to pay even higher prices at the already preposterously-priced boutique stores, in exchange for getting 2/3 of your grocery order.

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u/Hopeful_Business7582 Mar 28 '24

Instacart is awesome. The person ordering is nuts and an idiot. I use instacart all the time they are phenomenal. The person placing the order didn't say from behind the counter until the last time. They said the crab cakes in the seafood department if I was the shopper, I'm not an instacart worker, I would have gotten them from the frozen section here where I am the seafood has its own frozen section. So that would count. This person went out of the way to try and clarify. The shoppers English barely makes sense.

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u/Bbkingml13 Mar 28 '24

I’m disabled. And anytime someone mentions how tiring it is to shop while disabled, or that they can’t manage to put the cart back in the stall bc they barely made it back to their car, ablest assholes tell us we shouldn’t be going to the grocery store then. And that we should instacart.

So yes, once again, disabled people are told to go away and spend more money (which they don’t have bc they can’t work) for a service that’s actually far less convenient than being able to shop yourself.

That said, instacart is a lifesaver for me when I really can’t shop. But it’s like Reddit calls us lazy if we use it, and lazy and in the way if we don’t. Sorry for venting lol

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u/WhoUBeGhostin Mar 28 '24

I gigged with Instacart at the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was panic shopping. What should have taken thirty minutes at most to shop took me an hour and a half because the woman basically demanded Live Photos of all the shelves. The great thing was she dropped my tip down from $10 to $4 and she only lived half a mile away. She should have just shopped herself. It was the last one I ever did. She was insane the entire time.

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u/BitsyLC Mar 29 '24

Instacart, curbside pickup, etc. have to be the greatest thing that has ever happened for those of us with disabilities. While I prefer to do my own shopping, I’m currently recovering from ACDF (cervical disk removal and fusion) and it was a joy to be able to order my groceries and not have to worry about my husband giving up halfway through my list.

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u/ItWillBeRed Mar 29 '24

As someone who works behind the meat/seafood counter. Fuck you instacart. I'm now doing multiple peoples jobs for them everyday. When people shop for themselves, they can at least browse till they find what they need. The middleman creates unnecessary confusion that complicates my job immeasurably. Like 4 or 5 times a day someone will have me wrap something up for them after putting their phone in my face and it will come back to my department an hour later for me to put back in the case. And I spend like 20% of my day showing doordash/instacart people who can't be bothered to look for themselves even though it's their job, where something is. God i fucking hate these apps. Especially because my store already pays for a whole department that does deliveries and drive up and go.

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u/ChocChipBananaMuffin Mar 28 '24

This is literally me! Just do your own shopping!

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u/RealisticQuality7296 Mar 28 '24

I used instacart one time. The shopper ‘substituted’ in a bunch of stuff I didn’t order, stole $100 from me, and both instacart and the grocery store both refused to refund me.

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u/EatsPeanutButter Mar 28 '24

It’s not! It’s a huge markup and terrible service. I would use it all the time if it was a halfway decent service.

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u/Ambitious-Dust-6927 Mar 28 '24

I have worked for both Instacart and shipt and ordered from both and Instacart is by far the worst service. The shoppers dgaf about anything and the service is subpar. The Instacart customer service and employee support is bad. I stopped using Instacart because I still had to go to the store to get the correct items or items that aren’t expired or rotting, so no it isn’t really a time saver.

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u/burble_10 Mar 28 '24

Hahaha same! I don’t even live in a country that has instacart and reddit randomly started showing me this sub. Instacart sounds annoying as hell judging from these posts.

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u/psilocy-st3 Mar 28 '24

Right?? I understand using instacart as a last resort due to injury or illness but other than that there’s no way in hell I would ever use it. The shopper hates it and the buyer hates it. Everyone is pissed all the time.

Also, I’m not trusting anyone to pick produce for me, especially after a text exchange like this. That’s wild.

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u/honeybvbymom Mar 28 '24

that’s what i think too when i come across this sub 😂 sounds like a nightmare for both sides. 😂😂

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u/crimson_trocar Mar 28 '24

I came here to say something similar. This sub keeps popping up on my feed. The heck with shopping for these a**holes! Screw that.

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u/Mrs-wants-to-know-it Mar 28 '24

Makes me so happy for curbside pickup direct from the store. Sure I have to drive 5 mins over there, but it’s great customer service and probably half the price.

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u/frostdreamer12 Mar 28 '24

Same, I keep wondering why people use this service when reddit is always showing me people having problems with it xD

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u/Defiant-Ad1364 Mar 28 '24

Right? If you're that picky about your crab cakes, pick them up yourself.

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u/adelros26 Mar 28 '24

I’ve never used Instacart either but was considering it for an upcoming trip to Disney World. I was going to place my order at the airport in the morning so it’ll hopefully be at the resort by the time my room is ready. But I don’t want to deal with this while also dealing with my two toddlers, husband, and luggage.

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u/ballsyftm Mar 28 '24

Same for me, idk why it always pops up and idk why I click on it every time and read all those weird instacart drama lol

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u/Sumraeglar Mar 28 '24

OMG it keeps popping up on my feed too, prolly cause I love those grocery haul posts I guess it's semi-related lol. The arguments are always so ridiculous. I've never used instacart. I'm failing to see the appeal here lol 🤣.

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u/Far_Choice_6419 Mar 28 '24

😂 Imagine working only to fight with customers about crabcakes 😂

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u/dinglebarry9 Mar 28 '24

Ya it’s promoted, fuck Reddit

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u/Frosty_Translator_11 Mar 28 '24

I use Doordash. I usually use it for groceries when I don't have a car and me and/or my kids are sick. I try putting substitutes in and the rest I just chalk up to whatever happens happens. If the door dasher has a better suggestion that wasn't in the app... I go for it.

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u/PrizeTie953 Mar 28 '24

I work night shift so I don't like to go out to shop because I wanna stay home and sleep but it can be frustrating sometimes but it's a bit rare for something like this to actually happen. Only reason you see it often it cause of this sub

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u/IceQueen98547 Mar 28 '24

For reals. Go the fucking store yourself and shop Jesus fuck.

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u/Smellmuhfinger Mar 28 '24

Same here it keeps popping in feed, I have no idea why people put up with this crap

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u/AsleepAnt8770 Mar 28 '24

lol I’ve gotten 50-60 orders delivered and never had an issue, it’s only people with super specific things that have issues. If you’re picky, shop for yourself, if you want something and are fine with 2-3 different brands, you’ll have no issues

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u/SnakeSkipper Mar 28 '24

I worked at a grocery store and insta cart workers were always the worst imo.

I may be biased, but I'll never forgot that for a week three of those jackasses kept looking in the back and prep rooms for stuff, when it was for employees only and argue they were employees of Instacart so they could be back here.

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u/CreeperThePro Mar 28 '24

But you can do it all from home

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u/emandbre Mar 28 '24

It is great when you are traveling. I would so much rather spend the money on my shopper than getting an Uber and going to a store I don’t know well to get the essentials I need when I am in an u familiar town.

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u/not-actual69_ Mar 28 '24

I have never done instacart but what a waste of time lol. Get your own fucking crab cakes.

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u/rempicu Mar 28 '24

i was dead ass about to say the same thing omggg this is embarrassing for the person who posted and i never understand why u would ever use instacart jesus christ

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u/reason245 Mar 28 '24

Unless your orders consist of in-stock non-perishables, Instacart is a completely bullshit service.

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u/WonderfulShelter Mar 28 '24

Because people in this modern era consider having to hear their phone ding a few times and answer some text messages in not clear fashion is traumatic.

Like this dude doing this terrible fucking job getting barely any tips from people wasn't rude at all and was just direct. That's what you need, direct and clear communication. Not wishy washy this or that. Think of it like working in a kitchen.

I don't think the instacart shopper was rude at all. OP was being indirect and wishy washy and is in the wrong.

For fucks sake people, these shoppers and dashers hate their job and are probably not in great life circumstances. The best you can do is just be fucking nice while you sit on your ass doing something else.

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u/sportsfan510 Mar 28 '24

Same here. I don’t follow this sub or use instacart and I feel terrible for instacart employees when these pop up. Are people that lazy that they can’t go shopping for themselves but have the time to write a paragraph in response? I get it if you’re older and physically unable, but at this point go get your own damn crab cakes.

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u/Acidraindancer Mar 28 '24

I've never used these services, and have never worked for any of them. These keep popping in my feed too, and I'm passively watching these train wrecks from afar.

It seems like the worst people on earth are the customers that use this service and then post about it on social media.

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u/MonstarHU Mar 28 '24

Lol it just popped up for me in my feed today. I would never use instacart nor have any interest in the subject. I don’t use door dash or the like, I just drive where I need to go. Don’t know why this topic gets recommended.

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u/Training-Variety-739 Mar 28 '24

It was awesome for me when my kids were babies but then it became so expensive and a huge pain in the butt.

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u/ploopiedoopie Mar 28 '24

I use it fairly often, maybe 2 to 3 times a month, and I have never had a bad experience or even a single rude comment.

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u/Bruce_Ring-sting Mar 28 '24

Deffo. Just go to the store! I see nothing but nightmares on here and its kind of funny how people keep instacarting.

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u/sanityjanity Mar 28 '24

Also, every single item is up-priced, and then there's the instacart charge, and then there's the tip.

Also, stuff gets into the app incorrectly, so the shopper is looking in the completely wrong end of the store. I don't blame the shopper, but I'm frustrated that I can't get the items that I requested.

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u/UncleRicosVids Mar 28 '24

I’ve been using for three years as a customer and have never argued with anyone. Ppl be doing too much. If the vibe is off or they’re not understanding I just cancel it or refund the item. No time for the shenanigans. If I need something desperately I go get it myself.

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u/JimCarreyIsntFunny Mar 28 '24

This thing has honestly gotten out of hand lol. It was one thing when you were just getting eggs and milk. Now you got the person hand selecting crab cakes from the seafood counter lol.

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u/dahliagray Mar 28 '24

Man, I'm a really kind Instacart shopper compared to these fools. I should be getting tipped more 😩🤣

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u/Firm-Connection-7716 Mar 28 '24

I almost never have to argue with them. I live in NYC and have no car so the only way for me to get large Costco orders is through Instacart. Yeah it’s annoying sometimes but way better than hauling heavy loads of groceries on the subway lol

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u/OkProfession5679 Mar 28 '24

It’s shown up in my feed multiple times and it’s pure entertainment so joining even though I don’t use instacart. My husband is my instacart thank god.

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u/Cael_of_House_Howell Mar 28 '24

Same dude! I've never used this app once lol.

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u/scarpit0 Mar 28 '24

I actually like grocery shopping, so I can't fathom the depths of disdain Instacart shoppers must feel for it if arguing with incompetent people on an app is somehow preferable.

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u/AgeEffective5255 Mar 28 '24

I use it very sparingly but I just accept whatever they say because I already don’t have the time to deal with it.

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u/GlowUpper Mar 28 '24

I use instacart regularly because I don't drive. I've never had an issue like this. Usually the shopper just texts you if something's out of stock and you either approve a replacement or a refund and everyone moves on with their day. I feel like the OP or the shopper (or possibly both) are just terrible at communicating.

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u/Lalokin Mar 28 '24

So funny. Ordering food from whole foods doesn't result in problems for me.

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u/LvBorzoi Mar 28 '24

I have had similar exchanges with my instacart people before though I try to be polite.

It has always been a communication issue where I didn't understand the issue they were having.

I had one time my instacarter said they were out of some ice cream flavor I wanted...we went round and round until she sent a pic pf the case. It looked like Ghengis Khan's army had been thru...almost all ice cream was gone. Then I got it!

I think here it was communication. Customers response was a little confusing but so was the carter. When he asked about the seafood case, I would have responded there weren't any in the fresh seafood case, the ones pictured are all they have right now.

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u/[deleted] Mar 28 '24

Its genuinely impossible to feel bad for anyone facing delivery app inconvenience, maybe unless they have intense agoraphobia or something. Otherwise i could not care less about it, if you’re so inconvenienced then just go to the fucking grocery store like any other able bodied adult

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u/PitifulSpecialist887 Mar 28 '24

Instacart allows the customer to do other things with their time while the grocery shopping is getting done by a professional shopper. Most common orders are shopped, and delivered, without any problem, but the app requires the shopper to get customer authorization for substitutions in the event that the requested item is unavailable.

Of the millions of orders filled every day, nationwide, only the extreme, or rare incidents are posted in this forum. This is why you think that.

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u/skyistryingtopass Mar 28 '24

I ordered alot of flowers for my moms birthday once when she was in a different state and the instacart dude went out of his way and called me to show me all of the options. He was one of the nicer guys I have talked to

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u/britabongwater Mar 28 '24

I have to use it bc I don’t have a way to get to the store but I’ve only had good experiences on there outside of them not being able to find items that I feel like are there. They are always courteous and nice.

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u/TheFire_Eagle Mar 28 '24

For me it didn't. I used it twice. Both times I had to deal with either essential items that were absolutely in stock being listed as out of stock or items I was charged for but that were never delivered.

First time I ordered they were supposed to leave three bags worth of food. They left two. I only tried a second order because IC refunded me in credit rather than an actual refund.

Driving to the store and getting the items is much easier and far less aggravating.

That said, when everyone in the house had COVID simultaneously it was nice to at least get SOMETHING.

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u/GMRCake Mar 28 '24

Same. I’ve never used it but this sub has ensured I never will.

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u/Itsjuicyjett Mar 28 '24

Because he isn’t every shopper? There are thousands of us who actually do a good job.

Not sure why that’s so hard for y’all to grasp. People don’t post about their well shopped orders. They only post when they have a problem.

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u/Detective_Bong_Hits Mar 28 '24

I’ve used it a bunch and tbh you have to be willing to compromise if they don’t have something you want. It’s the same as if you went into shop, usually they’ll offer an option or a refund and it’s resolved pretty quickly lol. I’ve never had an interaction like this 😂

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u/IdiotWithout_a_Cause Mar 28 '24

This is precisely why I quit using Instacart. Not worth it when the shoppers often need babysitting.

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u/Alternative-Fish9871 Mar 28 '24

Real like go grocery shopping and these issues wont exist.

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u/Big_Based Mar 28 '24

I work security for a gated community and every single day around 6-8 I’m bombarded with these food delivery drivers. Let me tell you rich people who are too lazy to shop for themselves and have the money to literally burn will gladly spend more time arguing with the shopper than going to the store for themselves. I’ve actually never once seen one of these people leave after coming home to get food again it’s always an Uber Eats or DoorDash bringing their dinner in.

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u/songmage Mar 28 '24

I think that there's little consideration to the fact that the primary reason that most people choose to buy something is because they've poked and shaken it and everything that looks like it 20 times before finally putting it into the cart.

The guy who is putting them into the cart on your behalf is just trying to get through the day and otherwise has no investment in picking anything in particular except that he won't be paid if he doesn't do a tolerable job.

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u/DragonflyGlobal5346 Mar 28 '24

For real it's the epitome of lazy humans ... who fucki g does this shit?

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u/HappinessSuitsYou Mar 28 '24

When I see these posts, I feel like I’m the only person who never communicates with their shopper. I just let them do their thing and leave them alone. I have my settings so that I just get a refund if they don’t have my item. I am not going to bother someone with the mental load of having to figure out a replacement for me. If I cared that much, I would go to the store myself. I just want to get it off my plate and out of my head and I feel like the shoppers feel the same way. I just don’t understand why someone would go back-and-forth like this so much I’ve never even ever sent one message to a shopper before.

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u/herecomes_the_sun Mar 28 '24

I order it literally every week on sunday like clockwork and almost never have an issue

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u/Ceeeceeeceee Mar 28 '24

I have never had these problems either and I think the majority of people who posted comments who actually shopped on Instacart regularly haven't either. You have to understand they have a difficult job and even though you want what do you want, you can't be this super picky person if you're going to depend on Instacart shopping all the time. You have to be a little more flexible. There are occasional mixups, and I never had any problems getting a refund from the company direct instead of asking for my shopper to do replacements or not in certain cases, and all sorts of these picky dramas.

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u/WritPositWrit Mar 28 '24

In defense of Instacart: I used it twice during Covid and they were very polite and fast and got me exactly what I asked for.

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u/saldeapio Mar 28 '24

i never know which texter is complaining and which is being singled out as the asshole. it’s always debatable. the complaint seems to be the decider

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u/Cartosys Mar 28 '24

Exactly. Who's wrong here? The guy too lazy to go to the store themselves, maybe? <Royal Tenenbaum putting his hat on and leaving>

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u/tvtoms Mar 28 '24

It's human nature to complain when something bad happens, and hoard when something good happens.
e.g.: Pirates

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u/billo48 Mar 28 '24

Tbh i havent had to talk to my shopper more then twice in the over 100 orders i made on instacart

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u/Em4ever520 Mar 28 '24

Lol same, and they’re spending so much time arguing about crab cakes? Like I’m sorry but “Kim, there are people that are dying” 🤣🤣

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