Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/30/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I placed an order though instacart. The shopper contacted me to tell me 3 items were out of stock and did I want a replacement or a refund. I requested a refund and the shopper agreed to give me a refund. I picked up the order and my final receipt showed I was charged for the items. I contacted Instacart and they refuse to provide me a refund. I then made an appeal and again they have refused a refund even though they have access to the chat and so do I that shows the item were out of stock and the shopper was supposed to be refunded. This is not the first time this company has done this and refused money back for items never received.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  Hi ***,

  I apologize that you faced this negative experience with us. We appreciate your patience and the opportunity to make things right. We know how important it is to receive the right items and were sorry for any inconvenience.
  
  The issues below are related to the order you placed on Nov 20 from Publix.
  
  Order Issues:
  - Publix Bakery Halloween Cookies (previously resolved)
  - Create-A-Treat Building Kit, Haunted House, Pre-Built (previously resolved)
  
  Actions we've taken:
  - Refunded $42.03 USD to your original payment method
  
  You wont see this refund in your Instacart account. Refunds appear in your bank account as a reduction to the initial charge or a separate line item. Please allow **** business days for the refund to process, depending on your bank. Check out our help center to learn more about refunds.
  
  Thanks,

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/29/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have never been more aggravated with a company until today. This might be a long post but I feel as if this should be known to other users of Instacart... Just over an hour ago, I started receiving emails from Instacart saying that my address had been changed, and my password had been changed then I immediately received a notification that an order of 987.60$ had been made to my account (my PayPal account is linked) I live in ****** and the charge was from an unknown location somewhere in *******. The mere fact that all of this changed so quickly and the charge came from the states and no red flags were raised from Instacart shows how useless their so-called security is. Right away, I contacted Instacart customer support, told them my situation, and asked if they could contact the driver to cancel this fraudulent charge as this would have ended this situation before the charge to my account was completed. The customer service agent told me he would and he placed my call to his manager/supervisor. Whilst speaking to the supervisor/ manager, he told me that he would talk to a higher-up to try to resolve this and I was placed on hold for 30 minutes. During these ************************************************ this situation is quite frequent and they deal with a lot of people who have had their Instacart account hacked (they couldn't do anything at the time apart from locking my card). I contacted PayPal and although they were helpful in acknowledging my problem, they just told me to contact Instacart. The problem with this was that right when I got on the phone with ******, the supervisor/ manager from Instacart that I had been on hold with for 30+ minutes hung up the call and did not contact me or send me any paperwork. The delivery was never canceled although I let them know right away and requested them to cancel it. The charge has gone through now too.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2023

  Hi ******,

  Thank you for contacting the Better Business Bureau.

  I am sorry for the unknown charge. We have sent you an email with further instructions on submitting screen shots and more information. 

  Please refer to the email. 

  We look forward to assisting you further regarding your current situation.

  Sincerely,

  Instacart Customer Experience

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/29/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Used Instacart shopper to purchase several items at *********** Works and when items arrived the perfume had no fragrance and something is wrong with it. Used an Instacart gift card and now out $59.95 because it is unuseable and cant return to store because I am physically unable to take back to store.*********** Works cant help and I have contanct *************************** and they have done nothing

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2023

  Hi ********,

  Thank you for contacting the Better Business Bureau.

  Im sorry about your recent order. We reviewed your request, and unfortunately, we cant issue any refunds, credits, or redelivery on this order. Your account remains active, and you can still shop on Instacart. Please allow 3-4 business days for the Order appeal team to get back to you,
  
  If you had an issue with replacement items, you can avoid future issues by updating your item settings to Do not replace. Visit our *********** to learn more about replacement settings.
  
  Thanks, as always, for being part of our community.
  
  Best,

  Instacart Customer Experience
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2023

   
  Complaint: 20934506
  
  I am rejecting this response because I have contacted ************************** and have received no reply to my problem.  I just get the same form letter stating exactly what you just stated in your reply.

  instacart is not there to help their customers like me who have been using their service for the past few years.

  please issue a credit back to my gift card of $59.95.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  Hi ********,

  Thank you for contacting the Better Business Bureau.

  Im sorry about your recent order. Our order appeals team reviewed your request, and unfortunately, we cant issue any refunds, credits, or redelivery on this order. Your account remains active, and you can still shop on Instacart. Please allow 3-4 business days for the Order appeal team to get back to you,
  
  If you had an issue with replacement items, you can avoid future issues by updating your item settings to Do not replace. Visit our *********** to learn more about replacement settings.
  
  Thanks, as always, for being part of our community.
  
  Best,
  Instacart Customer Experience
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

   
  Complaint: 20934506
  
  I am rejecting this response because:it doesnt resolve my problem 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/29/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  1. Ratings still not being reviewed and are being ignored over months 2. Promised payments not being received 3. Tip- baiting is still being allowed by the company 4. Support not acknowledging issues and deliberately ignoring shoppers communications 5. Milage still not being paid accurately 6. Heavy pay still not being paid accurately, $2-5 extra dollars for over 200lbs of ****** items is not right 7. Asked Support for calculations on heavy pay and milage, then was put on hold for 10min, just to be told "heavy pay was added" but no information on calculations were given when when requested.8. You have been hiding $0 tipping customers in batches of 2 or more, with no indication they are not tipping for the service being done 9. Asked Support for transparency on who is tipping and who is not. Says " they can see each customer separately tips, but can't tell the amount of tip". Pay transparency is a must You have ignored multiple request for changes and even when going into public trade, you chose to pay us less and ignore more issues for the sake of personal company profits. We the shoppers are suffering because you will not put in the work you get paid to do? Imaged attached show proof of non payments and false statements made by the company.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2023

  Hi *******,

  Thank you for contacting the Better Business Bureau.

  I understand you have questions about orders with heavy items and how they are calculated in your earnings. I can help you with that.
  
  Instacart considers a batch a heavy order and incorporates that into the batch incentive calculation if:
  The batch includes at least one heavy item that weighs at least 8 lbs. AND
  The total weight of all the heavy items in the batch is at least 49 lbs.
  
  The heavy order amount calculated into the batch incentive depends on the total weight of the heavy items in the batch. Retailers provide the weight data in the catalog, and we use their data to calculate this component.
  
  The batch incentive youre offered automatically includes heavy order pay if eligible. This isnt a bump, so it isnt a separate line item in your earnings.
  
  Thanks for shopping with Instacart,
  

  Instacart Customer Experience

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/29/2023

   
  Complaint: 20931363
  
  I am rejecting this response because: attached is the heavy order in question. Clearly showing over 200lbs worth of liquids yet not actually pay according to weight. After canceling order, due to not paying properly,  you bumped it $2. As stated and proved, you are not paying accurate or according to policy.  

  And as stated, you are not reviewing the customer ratings and reports,  causing lower scores, and are ignoring post delivery notes and pictures as well. 

  You still have not solved any problem,  yet keep creating issues for shoppers. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2023

  Hi *******,

  Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, this batch did not qualify for heavy pay.

  Instacart considers a batch a heavy order and incorporates that into the batch incentive calculation if:
  The batch includes at least one heavy item that weighs at least 8 lbs. AND
  The total weight of all the heavy items in the batch is at least 49 lbs.

  We understand this isn't the resolution you were looking for and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  
  Sincerely, 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

   
  Complaint: 20931363
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Repetitive responses,  and no help given. Companies is stealing money and ignoring responsibility.  

  Willing to be contacted by any news outlets that want to discuss the evidence I have and how your company ************ its workers.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  October 12,2023 I did not authorize instalation to take money from my bank account for a membership they did and told me it was to late for me to cancel this and refuse to refund my money for a membership I did not authorize I am a senior and on and on a budget please help me recover my funds Thank you

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2023

  Hi *******,

  I apologize that you faced this negative experience with us. If you cancel now, you wont receive a refund because you placed an order during your subscription period or its been more than 15 days since your enrollment or renewal date. I reviewed your account and your Instacart+ membership has been on auto renew since October 2021.

  Best,

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  1. they replaced the weekly membership button with annual membership, using the exact same button and same wordings to trick customers into thinking its the weekly one during check out. once purchased, their policy which states no refund can be made if any order was made with this membership, so they trick and force people into paying annual and the phone/live chat support is trained to not listen and just repeat irrelevant policy to wear out the customers. 2. they say in-stores prices but its not. even though my paper bill is only $247 after tax, im charged $282 before tax, with tax its $322. thats $75 extra unaccounted for. they will tell you its the stores fault for setting different prices, but wont be able to give a break down of where that $75 occurred. they have hidden fees, and ******** while pretending its in-stores prices. very misleading. 3. their phone support/live chat support are extremely odd. they just ignore everything and repeat nonsense sentences/policies in order to make you tired of repeating your case. they will say the extra is due to the extra fees, completely ignoring the fact that the totals already differ before any fees were added. its just a lot of word salads and lying. they will also pretend to escalate an issue just to get you off the phone and hope that youll wait past the 4 or 15 days period then they will say nothing can be solved due to said policys timeframe. i genuinely believe having hidden fees while charging other fees is not ok or honest to the customers. also having in-stores prices is deceiving when in-stores cost way less, in my case $75 less. in total i paid $103 more for a $247 order if i went in person. thats insane.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2023

  Hi Cinderel,

  I apologize for the poor experience that you faced. Upon review, I have issued a refund for the yearly subscription. Please allow up to 10 business days for this to reflect on your bank statement. We appreciate your patience as our specialized teams are reviewing our product for future improvements.

  Further, I've reviewed your order and it reflects as follows :

  Items Subtotal $285.20
  Checkout Bag Fee $0.30
  Checkout Bag Fee Tax $0.04
  Tip $14.26
  Service Fee $12.52
  Item GST(tax) $37.08
  Service HST(tax) $1.63

  Total: $351.03

  The paper receipt is not a reflection of what you were charged, being that it does not include the delivery fee, service fee, and the tip and any taxes from your order. Furthermore, the prices that are shown on the labels are not what Instacart charges because your purchase was made online.

  In some instances, online prices are typically higher than in-store prices. This is stated on the main page beneath every store logo view pricing policy as well as in our terms of service on Instacart.com.

  I am sorry for any misunderstanding this may have caused. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out.

  Sincerely, 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 11/4/2023, I signed up for a free 7 day trial period when buying groceries. On 11/9, I logged into instacart and took what I thought to be the steps to cancel my subscription. When I opened my credit card statement, I saw a membership charge of $106.13 on 11/4. I immediately called and was told that after the 7 days, I was charged which is not true. I was also told that I can't cancel via instacart but had to cancel through the grocery store that I made the original purchase which didn't make sense to me at all. I was also told that only if I call within 15 days of the transaction date, that I might have received some kind of refund. Of course, that wasn't possible since I had no idea until I received my statement. The rep told me the only thing she could do is turn off the auto update for next year. I feel the entire thing is very misleading and confusing. In this economy, no one can afford to lose this kind of money for something I thought I had done the right thing and cancelled.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Hi ***,

  Thank you for contacting the Better Business Bureau.

  Im sorry that Instacart+ isnt working for you right now. Ive cancelled and refunded your membership for the amount of $106.18. You should see this in your bank account within **** business days.
  
  Best,

  Instacart Customer Experience

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Placed order with Insta Cart for 2 turkeys and a bottle of windex from No Frills.Shopper advised by text the store had no turkeys. I text back then the order had to be cancelled. The shopper text me back stating I was to contact customer service. I called the senior line as I am a senior. I wanted to ask for a credit to my instacart account as I did not want the money tied up waiting for it to be back in my bank account 5 days from now. I am a senior on pension and cannot afford to have the money tied up.I was told I was already refunded meaning I now what for the refund.I did not get asked if I wanted credit to account at all. I was told two phone calls later there was nothing they could do. I have to wait for the refund. I did what the shopper told me to do and called customer service. Insta cart just automatically refunded with letting me get credit.So today I cannot shop for my Christmas turkey. I have to wait 5 days!

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Hi ****,

  Thank you for contacting the Better Business Bureau.

  I reviewed your order from No Frills. The order was cancelled and the authorization hold (for $130.00) was removed. You will not have to wait **** business days for the hold to be released. However, the agent which cancelled your order charged you a cancellation fee for $15.00 plus tax for a total of $16.95. I have refunded the fee since the main item in your order was out of stock. The refund for $16.95 will take **** business days.

  We appreciate and value your business with Instacart and our partner retailers. 

  Please let me know if I can assist with anything else.

  Sincerely,

  Instacart Customer Experience

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I placed an order through Instacart on 11/20 by the time my groceries arrive the cold items was warm to touch and the chips was damage IC willnt refund or credit my money which is not fair!

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Hi ****,

  Thank you for contacting the Better Business Bureau.

  Here is a confirmation that you will receive a $34.31 credit on your Instacart account  
  
  I am so sorry again for the inconvenience. Thank you for being an Instacart customer!
  
  Best,

  Instacart Customer Experience

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/01/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/27/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am fed up with Instacart and the way the do not help the shoppers on their platform. My number was reverted back to my old number which I do not have access to without my permission. I have updated my number numerous pix times and still no updates. Ive had customer service agents lie to me multiple times saying that they have updated my information themselves and did not. I even had one representative impersonate a supervisor and tried to insult my intelligence while doing so. I have been out of work for months because of this back and forth with no action done. There is none to speak to directly which makes the issue even worse. The customer service representatives make it seems as though they cannot comprehend the issue at hand and how it affects their shoppers. I cant access my tax documents, nothing. This is unprofessional and unacceptable as there are more people affected by this issue! There needs to be remediation or legal intervention.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Hi MJ,

  I apologize that you faced this negative experience with us. I'm sorry to hear that you haven't been able to update your phone number.
  
  Our Fraud & Identity team confirmed they received your request and your phone number has now been updated.
  
  Thank you for your patience in resolving this matter.
  
  Best,