With the Biden Administration cracking down on companies like Ticketmaster and Live Nation demanding that customers know upfront about any charges being made and avoiding those ‘hidden and junk fees,’ many consumers are asking for the same crackdown to be made on delivery food apps like DoorDash and Instacart.
@vane.ssota Never using Instacart again. this is robbing customers. Its bullshit and it’s straight up robbing people #instacart #robbery ♬ original sound – Vanessa Flores
A viral TikTok video posted by Vanessa Flores (@vane.ssota) shared her experience purchasing a huge grocery delivery order with Instacart. The clip has grossed over 135,800 views and 4,300 likes as of Wednesday morning.
Flores embarks on a 3-minute venting session and numerical breakdown of the hidden fees she was hit with via Instacart.
“Never using Instacart again. This is robbing customers. It’s bullshit and it’s straight up robbing people,” Flores wrote in the video’s caption.
She says her Instacart shopper left the receipt from her Los Angeles Ralphs in one of her bags, revealing that the store only charged $435.42 for the items on her list. When she later checked her Instacart receipt, she discovered it was a significantly higher amount.
“And I check what’s been taken out of my account and it’s $624.91,” Flores states.
She continues to show screenshots and compares a numerical breakdown of Ralph’s store prices versus the Instacart prices. Her calculations reveal between a $0.50-$2.00 increase on each item.
Flores later explained she contacted Instacart customer service. “We have an agreement with the supermarket and us to markup each and every single item you purchase through us [Instacart],” Flores says the company told her.
Many viewers in the comments shared their experiences with Instacart, from both delivery drivers to customers.
“I do Instacart and Instacart tells us not to give the customer the receipt,” claimed one viewer.
“Vanessa the shocking part is, Instacart pays us $4-$7 depending on the order. They charging all that and we don’t see a cent of it,” said another viewer.
Other viewers expressed that Instacart explains price differences in their terms and conditions and disclaimer.
“Instacart puts a disclaimer right on the app or website depending on what you use. It states prices are higher than the in-store price. They tell you,” explained a viewer.
According to the Instacart website, the company does not set prices for each store on the platform. “Retailers set the item prices on the Instacart marketplace,” it states. “While many retailers offer everyday store prices* on Instacart, some retailers may set prices on the Instacart platform that is different from in-store prices.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Flores via TikTok comment and Instacart via email.
