Instacart’s earns a 1.1-star rating from 471 reviews, showing that the majority of customers are dissatisfied with grocery delivery service.
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unauthorized purchase/refund
I had an unauthorized deduction of earnings on the morning of the 16th of August, the amount deducted was $30.50. Upon reaching out to the support team through the app. I was told by several agents that I would get a refund after filling out a form. In 24-48 hours. It's been four days, and I really need this money put back into my earnings. The time this purchase was made, I was in bed asleep. I did not purchase anything nor did I agree for instacart to deduct money from my earnings.
Desired outcome: Refund please as soon as possible. and a return label for these bags I received that I did not order or need.
Trying to cancel and delete my shopper account.
I am trying to cancel and delete my Instacart Shopper account.
I keep trying to log into the website, but cannot find my profile.
I spoke to someone in customer service, she told me to go to the bottom right of the log in page and hit delete.
I do not have any information on the bottom right of the page.
I need to delete my information and cancel this account.
Desired outcome: Delete and cancel this membership.Donald Comella73 Blissful Meadow DrivePlymouth, MA [protected]-951-5227email: [protected]@yahoo.com
Delivery
Placed an Instacart order on the Kroger app at 10:05 am. Asked for delivery to be within 2 hours. Received a text stating shopper checked out at 12:30 pm. I Called to check status of delivery at 1:00 and again at 1:50 because the order was still not at my house. Received my order at 2:05. Frozen items were melted, bag was leaking from cottage cheese. Boxes of garlic bread were open and leaking butter and garlic. Shredded cheese was clumped together from getting warm and melting together. I called Instacart and was told there was both they can do needed to call Kroger
I shall leave that up to good people around the world everywhere,
Instacart seems to have under gone, new ownership or management or something, when 1st started shopping through Instacart they were nice and helpful (trying to grow their business), now they are extremely belittling, condescending, rude, mean and demanding, seemingly on purpose, they act like they are doing you a favor at customer service to take your complaint,
I order mainly fruit, the shoppers are not trained in buying produce at all, especially not fruit, therefore they buy whatever produce with no - to little care for the customers food quality, and to top that all off, when you call into Instacart to report the rotten or damaged food, they are rude demanding and condescending, the guys are the worst, some of the females were horrible though, you see, Instacart contracts out their employees, so they pay them something like 7 dollars an order, they call the orders a batch, then the shoppers make the rest of their money, essentially their pay check really, off of tips, from the delivery, that puts the Instacart employee in direct provocation with the customer, we should not have to tip them when we already pay a single fee fora premium account, to ovoid such stuff like that, they should fight that battle with Instacart for an actual pay check, so what Instacart has done to get their employees off their back and stop asking the customer to pay more of the grocery money in tips, was to make the employees shopping windows broader, meaning Instacart gives them 3 hour windows to shop before they have to actually deliver the customers food, and since they are ignorant to shopping they do stuff like bag bananas - meaning they put bananas in a greens bag then when they check out they’re put in another double bag then they go into their trunk, then when done shopping one order they take as many other orders as they can for that 3 hour window, the 1st order and how ever many more orders are sitting in the car bagged in plastic, the plastic tied in a knot, and condensation starts to form and rot the food, now they way Instacart has rigged their game they call a contractor, understand that the shopper, they have to do that to save on gas money and make as much money as possible for that window and that day, meaning while the customers foods spoiling in 100 plus degree heat, Instacart says that the customers food is in a temperature controlled environment, chilled! When in actuality It’s in their trunk! The shopper does not have a setup to be able to perform a multiple shopping orders much less do they have any kind of chilled nor refrigerated vehicle, to hold the food in their vehicle for 3 hours! Now with a set up operation like that, foods bound to spoil, rot etc, plus the food that doesn’t spoil in their vehicle, due to their poor quality produce picking skills or judgment, turns out to be rotten with in a day or 2, or doesn’t ripen at all, so the fruit has to be thrown away, for example the bananas,
You have to wait 1-3 days to be able to see if they are going to ripen or not, some longer like a week depending on how green, and some weather they are green or yellow are rotten when you open them, they never ripen at all,
They are uneatable, so you have to throw them away, a waste of money, now when they are thrown out, you still need to buy the food again that requires a new tip, new charges and taxes and there’s a minimum to you ordering food at all! And then you can’t use the app to report rotten food anymore past the same day the order was delivered, in other words, they have removed the option to return any food on the Instacart app, past the day the food was delivered, no doubt to ovoid, losing money, plus, they probably have stipulations in by laws or in contracts with the store, to where they are discouraged in some way, to not offer returns so easily, outside of that, they have implemented new software that reports your account if you do return to much food or to often, now keep in mind it’s Instacart’s and the shoppers fault for buying the unbeatable or rotten food in the 1st place! now the scam is, they don’t pay their employees a living wage, the employees also aren’t qualified to pick good quality fruit, that’s actually eatable, nor do they require any kind of suitable vehicle to truly keep the customers food cooled, now that’s liable, in the since that Instacart advertises that your food is in a temperature controlled environment, they mean the vehicles air conditioner, keep in mind the instacart employee seems to keep the food in the trunk! instacart does charge a premium to their customers 100$ a year, and now if the customers return the uneatable food, instacart has invested in new software that flags the account for abuse and the customer’s account is suspended from returning food, my account was in a state of suspension for 1 whole year, where I could not report nor return any food, not even food that was rotten upon delivery, not even missing food had ordered, not even wrong food or being charged for food I never received, now they say that the customer can email the a special department in side instacart to take care of suspended accounts, when ever sent any thing to that department I was never taken care of! So strong armed by all sides into being voiceless, powerless and wasting money, all due to their lack of good businessman ship, meaning they don’t pay their employees a proper wage, they don’t require a proper temperature controlled vehicle, they don’t train their employees, or as they call them independent contractors,
Sincerely to anyone reading, thanks for listening,
Unauthorized charges
I decided to give them a second try. It has been a long time since I used them. They welcomed me back with a very low fee of 9.00 and it I thought they changed. I am barely surviving with $$. However, I used them because I could use PayPal credit. I received a charge of 27.00 and they won't reverse it. They burned me again! People need to stay away from this company.
Desired outcome: I want my 27.00 back
The batch delivery fee
I do Insta-cart for a living every day. I think its crap that they changed it from 7 dollars a batch and lowered it to 5.43. We are not doing this for free. I am a small business accountant with degrees. It is not worth doing this for any Insta-carter for less than 7 dollars each.
You do realize we have to drive to the store park, get a cart go shopping, wait in line usually forever no matter what store, ring it at the self-help line cause its faster, than bag, pack cart, get to our car unload, drive to customer, miles usually away, in every type of weather hot 100 degrees, to freezing and wet days.
If I was going to do that for 5.00 dollars than its easier and faster to do door dash than Insta-carting. Even spark drivers for pick up only starts at $8.00 per batch. The government will give you .58 per mile on the taxes so when doing the batch however many miles you need to go you only get back .58 per mile. so, in conclusion if you get a batch for say 7 item 14 units at Aldi's which is half mile away from me going to 4 miles away for only $5.43 that took me 15 to 20 mins on top of 4.5 miles to my car and gas for that trip plus my time for 5.43. These item that are being pick up can be anything 7 cases water or heavy item to boot or we have to deliver it to apartments building where the customer wants you to lug it up the stairs two flights. What it comes down to is that we don't work for 1.50 per hour. I have been insta-carting for a year now and out of all the apps I do instacart, door dash, and spark drivers, insta carting was the best for both pay and work but messing with the worker amount when they make so little already really is low. You know what happens when you mess with your worker force you lose it to something else or something better. They are your money makers without them you are nothing.
Desired outcome: I would like our batches to at least go back to $7.00 a batch starting and pro rating the miles after that for longer mile batches would be appropriate.
Thanks for sharing this perspective.
Independent contractors and customer actions
I took an order. I get to the home address. I then have to walk 5 minutes because the gate was broken. Customer asked not to be contacted but asked to be handed the order! then i'm then to wait 10 min For a reply before returning the order to the store. 45 min for a $9 dollar order I feel Instacart needs to empower the shoppers with better options.
Desired outcome: I would like 45 dollars for the stress this order put me thru. Also got an axiety attack from all the stress
Free ebt card holders membership promotion/ false
Your false advertising there is no promotion for ebt card holders. $4.99 for a year. It’s a bunch of crap. I can’t order groceries with my ebt card because there is only $21.00 in my bank account. You charge so much. You would think being a member since 2019, that I would get some help. Terrible service. Then the disappointment is heartbreaking. You guys don’t value your customers. Anything for a buck. Terrible service Angela Mack of saintpaul Mn.
Wait time
Hi I wanted to reach out because the wait time for my order was completely unnecessary. There is no reason I should be waiting 2 hours for food delivery? And adding 10 extra minutes because god knows what the delivery driver is doing? It said the food would be here in 10 mins. It’s been 20. And she’s at the exact same spot. Please I am having trouble understanding why it is taking so long and there isn’t any traffic at 11:30 at night?
Desired outcome: I’d appreciate a response or a refund or something I’m not sure. I am upset and extremely hungry? The wait time is inexcusable. Thanks.
Not being paid for mileage and heavy pay
I have been a shopper for instacart for 2 years and I have done over 1,400 orders for them. And looking back at my past orders I see that I’m not getting paid for mileage and or my heavy pay. I’ve gotten in touch with customer service and all they want to do is give you what they call a bump in pay which is a 5.00 dollar payment. I can never get a supervisor to talk with me and nobody can give me a break down on how mileage is paid or for the heavy pay.
Desired outcome: I would like to know how mileage and heavy pay is paid out.
Breach of contract
On December 29,2022 with an execution date of 12/29/23 a fraudulent warrant was obtained and given to instacart to breach confidentiality and disclose information pertaining to an unknown amount of information. I have yet to be informed as to what information was given at the hands of this warrant. I do however know that i was arrested, incarcerated for 6 days, and have 200 pages of so called evidence given or accessed through instacart. ALL my accounts have now been compromised but not limited to emails, ip address, all banking account information, social medias, and i am sure there is more but as I said I still have yet to recieve a letter from instacart. My arrest was 3/29/23.
Desired outcome: I would like the 30,000 dollar bail paid for, and them to aknowledge my notices as the next will be to file a lien against them for direct breach of contract and anti-trust violations
Driver shopper high on meth during delivery
Driver Dena Vindiola high on meth at time of delivery along with drug addict gang members as passengers in the vehicle who were also getting high in the vehicle while in my driveway they also parked out on the street and continued to get high after the delivery the passengers also looked like they where shopping my neighbors yards for stuff to steal this woman was also recently arrested for stealing someone’s dog from their house while she was on the clock for Amazon delivery after she delivered the package she stole the homeowners dog when detectives went to Dena Vindiolas residence with search warrants drugs and theft tools were found inside the residence all you need to do is Google the name Dena Vindiola I recognized her from the local news after her non professional work ethic and suspicious passengers instacart shouldn’t have employees that driving around under the influence getting high casing neighborhoods for stuff to steal
Desired outcome: That’s a decision for Human Resources or management
Customer Service
For 7 months I had been trying to get answers in regards to my flex savings card. There are stores that you shop at that except this FLEX saving card if I go to those stores but Instacart does not give the option to attach it to my account! The reason I need this answered is because I am blind and I use online shopping to get my groceries. I presently use Walmart.com but I am not satisfied with there services! What can you do to help me?
Desired outcome: Change your payment options to so I can add my flex card
Groceries from aldi
I asked to be refunded on 6 items and was not refunded. I am very upset when I ask to be refunded I need to be refunded. I also asked to not have chocolate almond milk because I and my daughter are allergic. I am wanting a refund. I also never heard anything from him and it shows up as being refunded but it never was. I really want this refund.
Never received items
Today is July 3, 2023 and I have made arrangements for delivery at about 8:30 pm. Luckily, Mr. Antonio C. Was able to pick up my order and deliver. Upon arrival Mr. Antonio stated “ he is trying lol” then sent a message stating “ never mind found 12”, when sending text back to shopper I said “be right out”, and shopper sent a picture of someone else’s door and i immediately replied wrong house. My husband then tried to find to where the package was delivered but failed all attempts. When contacting Instacart they stated “driver looked for 12 and dropped it off” when explaining that I have a ring camera and assuredly he did not they refused to have driver re-attempt to deliver my two items and wanted to give credit or redeliver. This needs to be addressed ASAP. If shopper is lost shopper needs to make sure to deliver to correct address as I do not have option to just leave at front door.
Desired outcome: Full refund
Item shopped for was not in the delivered items from the grocery store.
Saturday, 2023 placed an order from Publix with instacart. Time was 5:08 PM. The item was ordered on my list but we did not get the item. I ordered some pods Tide and paid for them but not the item. This was putting a hardship on me needing the Tide that I was ready to use with my clothes.
I had to pay for someone else mistakes. I have a sick Husband that needs his cloths washed. I also paid for sales tax$6.01 Tip $10.3l Service Fee $2.64 and fee $9.99 for service.
I need my item Tide Pods for $l7.69, and $28.95 miscellaneous expense.
I related this complaints with Publix
Becky Channell 5767 Tree Swing Court Hoschton, GA 30548 Phone # [protected].
Desired outcome: I need a refund for this expense because of Instacart........[protected]@hotmail.com Email
I was charged three times today - unauthorized
My instacart account was hacked and I was charged for over $250 (for CVS orders that I never placed) today. When I tried to log in my instacart account after receiving the order conformation, I couldn't log in instacart. I tried to change my password through email, I never received the email to do so. Apparently my email on my account and the address information were changed right after I received the order confirmation. I called the support without much help. The charges were complete. And it was a fraud! I'll contact my bank and never use Instacart again!
Desired outcome: Get the unauthorized charges back.
Unauthorized charges
First of all, I would like to say no company prior to this has ever done anything that would prompt me to file a complaint, nor have I ever experienced customer service and breach of trust as I have with this company. I regularly place 2 orders a week with Instacart spending approximately $400 dollars a week shopping with this institution. I have always been a supporter of this service and have a subscription. On 06/24/2023 I placed my regular weekly order which totaled approximately $210.00 and authorized this charge. Upon checking my bank account the following Monday morning I was shocked to see a large amount of money missing. Instacart not only withdrew the authorized amount of $210.00 they attempted to withdraw this exact amount 3 more times and were appearing as pending and placed a hold on the money in my account. To clarify, I authorized only $210 and without my authorization Instacart placed a hold on 630.00 additional dollars after receiving their payment. I immediately called customer service in a panic as this account is used for many automatically paid bills and these charges had forced my account to overdraft. The customer service representative informed me there was a record of these extra charges and there was nothing they could do to stop it I would have to wait 7 to 10 business days for the charges to drop. There was no offer of any type to attempt to make up for the fraud Instacart committed with my banking information. No explanation of how this happened. No reassurance of this never taking place again. Just a robotic statement of facts. When I expressed my outrage I was then given an exact replica of the robotic script. When I asked the customer service agent to speak with a supervisor she then again repeated the same thing she just told me then placed me on hold. When she came back to the call she indicated a supervisor would not provide me different information and for a fourth time word for word stated the same information again. I explained at this point wanting to speak with a supervisor was beyond trying find a resolution it was to explain my outrage that fraud was committed and this was not a small dollar amount and was being treated as if a shopper had forgotten an item on my order. I asked the customer service representative if she was refusing to let me speak to a supervisor, she stated yes and for a final time blabbered her robotic statement. I then asked to cancel my subscription, which she informed me would need to be done in a different department and placed me on hold. After 20 minutes of being on hold Instacart customer service disconnected my call. This should not just be considered bad customer service this should be considered a crime for placing a hold on 3 times the money I authorized. Congratulations Instacart for providing the worst customer service of my life and breaking the trust of a loyal customer.
Desired outcome: To educate this company about this incident and warn everyone they do not care about their customers, nor can be trusted with banking information.
Aside from stealing my card info to purchase porn...Insta is a scam!
I am utterly disgusted over our Instacart experiences! They NEVER get it right; they upcharge at EVERY opportunity because their tips are based on a percentage of what you spend. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault or problem. There's NEVER a supervisor available to complain to. My account is constantly OVERCHARGED; and sometimes overdrawn because they take their money TWICE, and then reimburse the difference! They NEVER want to refund or reimburse me for items I don't receive, or the wrong items. IF they do, it takes an act of CONGRESS... and they sit on my dang REFUND for DAAAAYS! [SCAM] My worst experience was when we spent over $500 at Kroger in Cypress, TX; and because the final total was different [which it ALWAYS is] they recharged my account with even MORE money! So they took over $1000 out of my checking account; and sat on my refund for days! Who has that kind of cash lying around? I couldn't pay my bills on time; and the bills I had already paid that were not yet posted were returned because of Instacart! Hate this service! NEVER a good experience... we have switched back to just picking up our groceries at Kroger and not using Inst for a dang thing! These are JUST the 2023 dates with the final charges to JUST my debit card [does not include dates for credit cards] 01/07 for $156.15, 01/21, 01/31, 02/04, 02/05, 02/09, 03/18 for $278.48, 03/22, 03/23, 04/01 for $322.89, 04/08, 04/05, 04/15 for 231.61, 04/29 for $337, 05/06, 05/13 $249.13, 5/27 for $526.37, 06/ 04, 06/08, 06/11(2), 06/23..
Disappointing Experience with Instacart: High Prices, Inaccurate Inventory, Poor Worker Treatment, and Shady Fees
I've been using Instacart for about a year now, and I gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed with the service. I've had so many frustrating experiences that I've finally decided to move on to something else. Here are some of the reasons why:
First of all, the prices are ridiculous. I don't know why, but for some reason, everything on Instacart costs 15% to 30% more than it does in the store. And that's before all the little fees they tack on. So if you're not careful, you could end up paying a lot more than you bargained for. I mean, who wants to spend $160 on groceries that would only cost $100 in the store?
Another problem is that the online inventory is almost always wrong. Even before the pandemic, I would often order things that were listed as available, only to find out later that they were out of stock. And sometimes, things that were listed as out of stock were actually available in the store. It's frustrating to have to deal with these kinds of discrepancies, especially when you're trying to plan your meals for the week.
But what really bothers me about Instacart is their treatment of their workers. From what I've heard and read, they don't do enough to make sure their workers are compensated fairly or kept safe on the job. It's important to me to support companies that treat their workers well, so I don't feel good about using Instacart anymore.
And then there's the issue of shady charging and fees. When you place an order, Instacart adds a buffer amount to cover any changes in pricing. That's fine, but sometimes it's not clear how much you'll actually be charged, and they'll even place a hold on your money even if you haven't actually placed an order. I had an experience recently where I was charged $175 for an order that I never even placed. It took six days for the money to be refunded to my account. That's just not acceptable.
Finally, the customer service is terrible. It's almost impossible to get in touch with anyone, and when you do, they're not very helpful. I had to spend close to two hours in a chat box just to get an answer about why I was charged for an order that never happened. And even then, the answer was basically "we don't know." It's frustrating to feel like you're not being heard or taken seriously.
Overall, I would say that Instacart is not a good choice if you care about getting your groceries at a fair price, supporting ethical companies, or having good customer service. There are better options out there, so I would recommend looking elsewhere.
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About Instacart
The platform allows customers to browse and purchase groceries from their favorite local stores, including popular retailers like Whole Foods, Costco, and Safeway. Customers can select their items and schedule a delivery time that works best for them, with same-day delivery available in many areas.
Instacart has become a go-to service for busy individuals and families who don't have the time or desire to go to the grocery store. With the ability to shop from multiple stores at once, customers can easily compare prices and find the best deals on their favorite products.
In addition to its convenience, Instacart has also become known for its exceptional customer service. The platform offers a 24/7 customer support team that is available to assist with any questions or issues that may arise during the shopping and delivery process.
Overall, Instacart has become a game-changer in the grocery industry, providing customers with a seamless and stress-free shopping experience. With its growing popularity and expanding service areas, it's clear that Instacart is here to stay.
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2. Navigating to the complaint form: Once logged in, locate the 'File a Complaint' button situated at the top right corner of the website and click on it to access the complaint form.
3. Writing the title: In the 'Complaint Title' field, concisely summarize the main issue you have encountered with Instacart. Make it specific and clear, such as "Incorrect Instacart Order Charges" or "Delayed Delivery by Instacart."
4. Detailing the experience: In the complaint description, provide a detailed account of your experience with Instacart. Include key areas such as:
- The nature of the service or issue, like a missing item, late delivery, or billing problem.
- Specific details about any transactions, including order numbers, dates, and items involved.
- Describe the steps you have taken to resolve the issue, such as contacting Instacart customer service, and include their response or lack thereof.
- Explain how this issue has personally affected you, whether it's a financial loss, inconvenience, or any other impact.
5. Attaching supporting documents: Attach any relevant documents or evidence to support your complaint. This could include screenshots, receipts, or correspondence. Do not attach files containing sensitive personal information.
6. Filling optional fields: Use the 'Claimed Loss' field to indicate any financial losses you have incurred due to the issue. In the 'Desired Outcome' field, clearly state what resolution you are seeking from Instacart, such as a refund, credit, or apology.
7. Review before submission: Carefully review your complaint for clarity, accuracy, and completeness. Ensure that all the information provided is correct and that your desired outcome is reasonable and clearly stated.
8. Submission process: After reviewing, click the 'Submit' button to file your complaint. Ensure that you have filled in all the necessary fields and attached any supporting documents.
9. Post-Submission Actions: After submitting your complaint, regularly check back on ComplaintsBoard.com for any updates, responses, or further instructions related to your complaint. Be prepared to engage in dialogue if Instacart or other users respond to your complaint.
Overview of Instacart complaint handling
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Instacart Contacts
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Instacart phone numbers+1 (888) 246-7822+1 (888) 246-7822Click up if you have successfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (888) 246-7822 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (888) 246-7822 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (888) 246-7822 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (888) 246-7822 phone number+1 (910) 817-2278+1 (910) 817-2278Click up if you have successfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (910) 817-2278 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (910) 817-2278 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (910) 817-2278 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (910) 817-2278 phone number+1 (415) 689-5799+1 (415) 689-5799Click up if you have successfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (415) 689-5799 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (415) 689-5799 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (415) 689-5799 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Instacart by calling +1 (415) 689-5799 phone number
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Instacart emailshappycustomers@instacart.com100%Confidence score: 100%Support
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Instacart addressBlue Shield of California Building, 50 Beale St. Suite 600, San Francisco, California, 94105, United States
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Checked and verified by Janet This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn moreDec 15, 2024
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