It’s not unusual for gig workers using grocery delivery apps like Instacart to replace out-of-stock items with permission from the customer. But one TikToker says the man who shopped for her groceries took it too far.
In a video with over 1.4 million views, TikToker Asha (@ashahotcakes) shares a haul of the incorrect groceries an Instacart shopper added to her order without double-checking with her.
“A man shopped for me on Instacart, and here’s everything he got wrong,” she says.
First, Asha says she ordered a bag of Kraft shredded Mexican cheese. She continues that he told her it was unavailable and asked if he could replace it with the store’s generic brand. However, her delivery contains both Kraft cheese and generic cheese.
“I ordered grapes,” she says, holding up a mostly empty bag of the fruit. “This is how it came.”
She says she ordered one yellow squash and two zucchini, for a total of three vegetables—but the man purchased three of each.
“I ordered one beefsteak tomato, which is the largest of the tomatoes,” she says, holding up one small tomato. “This is not a beefsteak tomato.”
She says she also ordered a large mayonnaise and a small ranch, but he purchased a large ranch and a small mayonnaise.
“This is why when I get a male shopper, I cancel,” she says.
What happens if an Instacart shopper purchases the wrong items?
So what happens if you receive a disappointing Instacart haul like the TikToker? According to Instacart’s website, you may be able to get your money back.
In the app, you can report an issue with your order. Once you do that, you can request an Instacart credit—not a refund—or contact customer support.
Instacart users share their experiences
“The worst one for me was when I had tampons as a part of my order. He said there weren’t any and substituted them for bandaids,” one says.
“I had a guy try to replace the zucchini I ordered with a packet of zucchini seeds. Bro, I’m trying to make dinner this week, not in 6-8 months! And I live in an apartment!!” another writes.
“The way I ordered pads…. PADS like for my moontime and they replaced it with napkins…. Like party napkins,” a third adds.
However, not all Instacart customers report bad experiences with male shoppers.
“I had a old man once he was so picky he was getting all the best stuff for me. Even asked if he could replace the chicken I ordered for better chicken bc the one I had was not good bless him,” a viewer says.
A male Instacart shopper weighs into the discussion, too: “As a male Instacart shopper, I hear these stories and sigh. I feel like this shows who really went shopping with their mom as a kid. Cause I shop for ppl how my mom would shop for us…”
The Daily Dot has previously covered users who have slammed male Instacart shoppers.
@ashahotcakes petition for women-only shoppers on instacart pls sign
♬ original sound – ❤️🔥 asha ❤️🔥
The Daily Dot reached out to Asha via TikTok direct message and comment. We also emailed Instacart for further information.
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