My complaint:
First of all, I expect a full refund for my membership fee, charged to me last week. I am filing a dispute with the cc company.
I will try to make this short but relevant. The massive, gross incompetence exhibited by Instacart at every step will shine, trust me.
I’m handicapped and use delivery services all the time. The absolute shining stars in this area are Shipt shoppers. I’m a charter member, and will never change. Anyway…my mother is 97 and in a rehab facility locally. She called, and told me she’s starving for fresh fruit. Ok, I thought, I can do this. I decided to use Instacart for delivery of a fresh fruit basket from Publix because A. I just got charged a membership fee, and B. The fruit basket I chose was not on the Shipt app. New things..hey, I’m open. This delivery was to take place yesterday, December 29, 2020.
Placed the order, and then it occurs to me that my mom isn’t fond of apples, so I wonder if I could get the adjustment made. I called Instacart customer care. I requested the Publix store my order would be assigned to so I could talk to the produce manager about my fruit basket order. I was told it would be Publix Brandon Mall, 939 W. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, Fl 33511. Ok, good. Call the store, talk with Sarah, who is a gem, got the changes made. She tells me it will be in the cooler. I’m good. I was VERY specific to leave detailed instructions for Instacart that the store they MUST use is the Brandon Mall store.
I get a text from an Instacart person later saying that fruit baskets require prior ordering, and there is no order made, so it will have to be rescheduled. I again said you have to go to the Brandon Mall store. I asked where are you? She says 301 in Riverview. That’s a number of miles away. After that, she disconnected. No notice, nothing..just the equivalent of a hang up. I was never rude.
Next, I get a text from Instacart telling me that since the order was changed, it will have to be rescheduled, and it’s rescheduled for TOMORROW, December, 30th. NONONO!
This is at 11am. There was PLENTY of time to deliver it. But, me being a mere customer, what do I know about anything? At that point I said ok, it’s not worth the time and my nerves to start with all the phone calls bad feelings. It’s scheduled for tomorrow, mom will get it then. Let’s let the process work, being optimistic.
This morning, I get a text from the shopper, and it’s the same old dumpster fire. The store shopper from wherever she was finally called after our back forth. I discover that there is no Instacart service from the Brandon Mall Publix!! The very store Instacart customer care sent me to. And, indeed, my fruit basket is being made at some undetermined Publix. Now, they have promised to get it to my mother today sometime. This is all happening at @ 10 am. I’m supposed to be texted when a delivery person is on their way to deliver. It’s 11:15, and I’m waiting.
I’m so upset it’s off the chart. I’d never had good experiences with Instacart in the past, but this one has to be the shining beacon of penultimate stupidity, inefficiency and just plain not giving a damn that will and should shine for decades. I’ve spent far too much time and made far too many phone calls over this than should ever be necessary.
Instacart upper management, take notice of this incident. The ball was dropped by every available person, and it never got better. It was so unnecessary. We had a fruit basket made, marked for Instacart pickup and ready. All you needed was someone to deliver it. What a pipe dream.
For me, I’ll never use your service again. I intend to post this anywhere and everywhere I can to warn people. And, again, I expect a full refund of the membership fee you charged me this past week. I’d agreed to a free trial, and like many people, I let time run out, and I was charged the annual fee for Instacart. At first I thought, well, go with it, maybe they’ve changed; give them another chance. Uh no, in fact if anything, the incompetence is even MORE pervasive, and at a much higher level.
Text just came in that someone is going to deliver the fruit basket by xx time. I’ll wait to hear. I want to know what Instacart is going to do about this.
Suggested solution:
Refund my membership fee. Do better training.
