Community Chat

[tessam]

I was used Instacart for years and often get expired food or poor quality (cracked eggs, smashed baked goods etc.) produce. At first, I relied on them after surgury and could not shop, and then during the heat of the pandemic.  In the absence of alternatives, I chose not to discontinue using them depite some issues which are bound to happen.  As example, once I ordered toilet paper and the shopper substitued computer printer paper, even though I refused the substitution as I shop along with them LOL

I always take a photo to document the issue and forward it with each report.  Whenever I report an issue I am assured by their CS there is no need to document and I simply say that I prefer to do so.   After maybe 15 years I was angry to receive a similar letter. I spend thousands of dollars with them and am an honest and careful customer who leaves copious notes for my shoppers.   I referenced the documenation always provided, and encouraged them to listen to the tapes calls.  They apologized and its never been an issue. Good luck

[CatsyCline]

i do my own shopping - Aldi produce is very hit or miss, first they operate on a shoestring with employees strtched so thin.  Summer deliveries seem to have sat once off the truck for hours.  this impacts fresh and perishables.

i dont count on fruits in summer,  i got a Bolthouse juice, it's fermenting. embarrasingly rotten peaches!  should not even have been on the shelves.    salmon i've been lucky with so far, past summers its been bad.

many of their specialty items and frozen foods are a one & done.

maybe forget about Aldi and have Instacart try another market. Looking at the BBB though Insta has a lot of complaints.

[Spurt]

---

@tessam wrote:

I was used Instacart for years and often get expired food or poor quality (cracked eggs, smashed baked goods etc.) produce. At first, I relied on them after surgury and could not shop, and then during the heat of the pandemic.  In the absence of alternatives, I chose not to discontinue using them depite some issues which are bound to happen.  As example, once I ordered toilet paper and the shopper substitued computer printer paper, even though I refused the substitution as I shop along with them LOL

I always take a photo to document the issue and forward it with each report.  Whenever I report an issue I am assured by their CS there is no need to document and I simply say that I prefer to do so.   After maybe 15 years I was angry to receive a similar letter. I spend thousands of dollars with them and am an honest and careful customer who leaves copious notes for my shoppers.   I referenced the documenation always provided, and encouraged them to listen to the tapes calls.  They apologized and its never been an issue. Good luck

---

@tessam @AngelPuppy1 

I think a lot of issues have to do with the training of the Shopper when they are hired...The Shoppers here even send photos showing the expiration dates on items like milk, eggs, and other items...Some want to refund everything, while others are taught to chose a similar substitute thats why I always send them a chat message before they begin shopping giving them a heads up to see special instructions regarding subsititutions or whether I want a refund....

[1Snickers]

   I shop Aldi often but in person. I've seen employees there and in other stores fill orders for multiple customers and they do it rapidly and never check expiration dates. 
  They don't have time to check produce and see if it's spoiled. I've picked out perfect bananas in other stores also only to have them turn brown and show spots the next day. Grapes are sometimes frozen I think.  Supply and stocking problems. But wrong prices should be corrected. 
   That e mail would infuriate me also. I think this is something guest relations should be concerned about since they should want to keep customers. I'd keep writing and calling. 
                 😡

[tessam]

Some shippers are great.  Some... not so much.  You can also request that a specific shopper no longer be assigned to you if you really have issues. I make it work.   I leave very detailed instructions and notes.  Start a shopping with a note,  Thanks for your help.  Please let me know if you have any questions and follow along as they shop. 

I have found that Instacart is very responsive to issues in general and very quick to refund albeit I'd rather have the food I ordered. lol

[gertrudecloset]

---

@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I have been using Instacart to order food from Aldi since the covid thing began.  At times we have had some issues with orders such as the shopper substituting items when we have stated in our order that we do not want substitutes made, items missing from orders, receiving fruit or produce which is not up to par or beyond good, and being charged a higher price for an item that is listed on the sale flyer, etc.  We have contacted them and they have always rectified it in some way.  

YOU SHOULD PLACE YOUR ORDERS ON YOUR COMPUTER SO THAT IT IS EASIER TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR SHOPPER. (sorry for the all caps) trying to distinguish my response to you....the place where it indicates a substitution, provide one.  If no substitution is found it should say refund me.  You can note that no substitutions can be made w/o your permission.

You can also call Instacart to get credit back for missing, unfit items and to complain about your shopper.

We recently got an e-mail from them stating that our ordering process will be restricted due to the "high number of order issue reports and refund requests".  The e-mail further states that Instacart "will restrict your ability to request future refunds, credits and redeliveries."

I was so livid when I received this!!!  Has anyone ever gotten such a thing from them?  There were some other things in the e-mail as well.  

Of course, I have written back to them several times telling them that this is erroneous and highly offensive and attacking my character, etc.  And furthermore, why should I be held responsible for mistakes and errors made by their company and their employees?

The latest response I got was that the e-mail I received was an automated response and that this is generated automatically and that they are sorry but there is nothing they can do about it!  In other words -- they don't care about their customers and if their company and their employees mess up, so what?  

I am seriously considering filing a claim with BBB but I doubt it would do any good and I would have no clue about how to go about it. I don't want to come across as some crazy old woman fussing over spoiled or missing produce!!!! 

I am really steamed about this.  I have never abused this company, nor tried to cheat them --- or any company or anyone out of anything in my life!

If anyone has had this issue, please post and say what you have done.  If not, how would you feel?

Thanks! 

---

If they sent you a response like that I would stop shopping with them.  Have you paid their yearly membership?  All communication between you and the shopper is visible to them, so I don't see why they would blame you.  

They are doing this because they are the only on demand shopping service in many places.  Amazon can't do that in every market the work in.  Only in certain cities.  Walmart is trying to compete.  

[gertrudecloset]

---

@millieshops wrote:

@AngelPuppy1  One of the reasons I never signed into grocery delivery from anywhere was that when I read the fine print for the 2 chains where I shop most often I saw they didn't honor sale prices.   

Never thought to read Aldi's fine print, but I know I buy very selectively when I shop there.  I also would not want substitutions.

---

There are many stores in my area that participate.  The bad thing is that they many don't do the in store pricing when it comes to the instacart shoppers.  Some stores do and some don't.  So, as far as that's concerned OP needs to shop at the store that will honor the "in-store" price.

[gertrudecloset]

---

@gidgetgh wrote:

I found Instacart to be way too expensive.  I used them a handful of times during the lockdown, and was grateful at the time to be able to do so, but you really have to watch the entire time they're shopping. If I'm going to monitor each time they add something to the cart, I'll just go to the store myself, which I prefer to do anyway.  

I did end up a few times with weird stuff even when I reqeuested "no substitutions" on each item, but not often. 

Would I use Instacart again if I were home sick and absolutely had to get groceries right then or if I was physically unable to shop for myself, yes, of course, but I really prefer to just go myself.

Grocery shopping for me is a task I don't mind.  If I'm going to use Instacart and it's more expensive and I literally have to watch the app for each item they put in the cart and then contact the company if something isn't right, it takes away most of the convenience factor. I just prefer to go myself.  I didn't find it that much of a time saver. 

---

@gidgetgh Yep!  When I place an order they always think I'm using their stupid app.  I always tell them I can't see what I want from an app.  I log on with my desktop. 

I communicate with the shopper while they shop my order.  Tell them upfront that I have selected my exceptions and for them to pay attention to it so that the shop goes smoothly.  This usually works.  Sometimes my original item and a substitute is not available and then they will ask me what to do at that point.  They can show me what's available. and I can see. 

I'm very engaged, but I shouldn't have to be because they should follow the instructions.

[gidgetgh]

---

@gertrudecloset wrote:

---

@gidgetgh wrote:

I found Instacart to be way too expensive.  I used them a handful of times during the lockdown, and was grateful at the time to be able to do so, but you really have to watch the entire time they're shopping. If I'm going to monitor each time they add something to the cart, I'll just go to the store myself, which I prefer to do anyway.  

I did end up a few times with weird stuff even when I reqeuested "no substitutions" on each item, but not often. 

Would I use Instacart again if I were home sick and absolutely had to get groceries right then or if I was physically unable to shop for myself, yes, of course, but I really prefer to just go myself.

Grocery shopping for me is a task I don't mind.  If I'm going to use Instacart and it's more expensive and I literally have to watch the app for each item they put in the cart and then contact the company if something isn't right, it takes away most of the convenience factor. I just prefer to go myself.  I didn't find it that much of a time saver. 

---

@gidgetgh Yep!  When I place an order they always think I'm using their stupid app.  I always tell them I can't see what I want from an app.  I log on with my desktop. 

I communicate with the shopper while they shop my order.  Tell them upfront that I have selected my exceptions and for them to pay attention to it so that the shop goes smoothly.  This usually works.  Sometimes my original item and a substitute is not available and then they will ask me what to do at that point.  They can show me what's available. and I can see. 

I'm very engaged, but I shouldn't have to be because they should follow the instructions.

---

@gertrudecloset - yes, I am very engaged with the whole process also.  And paying more just to use the service.  I'll just drive the 3 miles to the store and shop myself.  That way, if I come home with cruddy strawberries, I only have myself to blame.

[gertrudecloset]

---

@gidgetgh wrote:

---

@gertrudecloset wrote:

---

@gidgetgh wrote:

I found Instacart to be way too expensive.  I used them a handful of times during the lockdown, and was grateful at the time to be able to do so, but you really have to watch the entire time they're shopping. If I'm going to monitor each time they add something to the cart, I'll just go to the store myself, which I prefer to do anyway.  

I did end up a few times with weird stuff even when I reqeuested "no substitutions" on each item, but not often. 

Would I use Instacart again if I were home sick and absolutely had to get groceries right then or if I was physically unable to shop for myself, yes, of course, but I really prefer to just go myself.

Grocery shopping for me is a task I don't mind.  If I'm going to use Instacart and it's more expensive and I literally have to watch the app for each item they put in the cart and then contact the company if something isn't right, it takes away most of the convenience factor. I just prefer to go myself.  I didn't find it that much of a time saver. 

---

@gidgetgh Yep!  When I place an order they always think I'm using their stupid app.  I always tell them I can't see what I want from an app.  I log on with my desktop. 

I communicate with the shopper while they shop my order.  Tell them upfront that I have selected my exceptions and for them to pay attention to it so that the shop goes smoothly.  This usually works.  Sometimes my original item and a substitute is not available and then they will ask me what to do at that point.  They can show me what's available. and I can see. 

I'm very engaged, but I shouldn't have to be because they should follow the instructions.

---

@gertrudecloset - yes, I am very engaged with the whole process also.  And paying more just to use the service.  I'll just drive the 3 miles to the store and shop myself.  That way, if I come home with cruddy strawberries, I only have myself to blame.

---

Problem solved.  Many of the stores I shop that have delivery would be too time consuming.  I can't all the stuff I like/want at just one store.  This is where instacart has been convenient for me.

Do what you gotta do @gidgetgh .