Question about Instacart mark up

[mrsd2006]

Tell me if I have a right to be mad . I'm so annoyed with them right now. I don't order from them often, but I had a code for free delivery so I ordered from Publix over the weekend. 

I ordered .75 pounds of Boar's head chicken. I received .5 pounds. First of all, you shouldn't mess up the amount ordered, so that's one mistake. Then I was charged 11.59- mistake #2. 

I sent them a message and let them know I was charged incorrectly. They said I should have been charged 9.12 and offered me a credit of 3.04 (the math doesn't add up). 

I received a credit of 2.61. Mistake #3. So I was charged 8.98 for a half pound of chicken, the price on the tag from the deli was 5.87. I think that is an excessive amount of markup. 

In contrast, I ordered a half pound of Boar's Head pepperoni from the deli as well, the markup on that was .48 cents (4.56 to 5.04)- that seems reasonable. 

Am I crazy to think that 3.11 markup on 5.87 of chicken is excessive? I've emailed them a few more times but with no resolution. I don't think they see the problem. I've given up.  



 

[jinkies]

Yes, it's excessive. It's why I only used instacart once. But also, in the scheme of what I spend in December... an extra $3 for the convenience of not having to grocery shop is such small potatoes that it wouldn't be worth my time to fight it.

The only time I used instacart, I thought it was really reasonable in terms of the delivery charge, but somehow didn't realize that there was a mark up on every item. The groceries were delivered with the actual reciept (from Aldi) and I was really annoyed when I realized how much extra I had spent on every item. I never used instacart again, because I don't feel like it is worth it. Several stores around me have grocery pick up, which is only $5 on top of the actual cost of groceries. I find that is much more reasonable than instacart.

[MixedBerryJam]

That markup is crazy. I did an item-for-item shopping comparison one time with Instacart using a receipt from an actual grocery run I had done when they first came to my town and the markup was about 25% which is way more than I'm willing to spend. I had no idea they actually give you the store receipt. Was that a mistake or do you always get that? If I were instacart I'd print up a bogus one with instacart prices on it or something.

As a cashier I often get a kick out of what people use instacart for. My favorite order was a Friday night order for a bottle of wine and a swiffer. #BigNightIn

[Leeham Rimes]

This is why I only use grocery delivery when I’m on deaths door and can’t go grocery shopping. And the markups aren’t always a set amount, or if it is, i can’t figure it out.

That said, a 50%ish markup is astronomical, and I’d want an explanation.

Eta:
I googled and it still seems enormous. Most article states the biggest mark up is 25-30%.

[mccallister84]

Did you not know the prices when you placed the order? I mean they can charge whatever people are willing to pay.

But if you don’t know the prices up front then I can see being annoyed.

[madringal]

Dec 12, 2019 19:27:52 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

Did you not know the prices when you placed the order? I mean they can charge whatever people are willing to pay.

But if you don’t know the prices up front then I can see being annoyed.

I use Shipt and it doesn’t give you a price when you order something that’s done per/weight. Because might order 2 lbs of chicken breast but if they grab a package that 2.13 lbs, it’s going to be more.

But I am also all about grocery delivery. I’ll happily pay the mark up
Not to have to go to the store.

[mccallister84]

Dec 12, 2019 19:55:08 GMT -5 madringal said:

Dec 12, 2019 19:27:52 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

Did you not know the prices when you placed the order? I mean they can charge whatever people are willing to pay.

But if you don’t know the prices up front then I can see being annoyed.

I use Shipt and it doesn’t give you a price when you order something that’s done per/weight. Because might order 2 lbs of chicken breast but if they grab a package that 2.13 lbs, it’s going to be more.

But I am also all about grocery delivery. I’ll happily pay the mark up
Not to have to go to the store.

Do they give you a price per pound? Like you’re not just ordering totally blind right?

[mrsd2006]

Dec 12, 2019 20:33:12 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

Dec 12, 2019 19:55:08 GMT -5 madringal said:

I use Shipt and it doesn’t give you a price when you order something that’s done per/weight. Because might order 2 lbs of chicken breast but if they grab a package that 2.13 lbs, it’s going to be more.

But I am also all about grocery delivery. I’ll happily pay the mark up
Not to have to go to the store.

Do they give you a price per pound? Like you’re not just ordering totally blind right?

Yes, they do tell you the price. With deli meat, it shows the price per pound.

[mrsd2006]

Dec 12, 2019 19:06:52 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

That markup is crazy. I did an item-for-item shopping comparison one time with Instacart using a receipt from an actual grocery run I had done when they first came to my town and the markup was about 25% which is way more than I'm willing to spend. I had no idea they actually give you the store receipt. Was that a mistake or do you always get that? If I were instacart I'd print up a bogus one with instacart prices on it or something.

As a cashier I often get a kick out of what people use instacart for. My favorite order was a Friday night order for a bottle of wine and a swiffer. #BigNightIn

The original price is on the sticker that the deli counter places on the package of meat.

[trissie18]

Dec 12, 2019 19:06:52 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

That markup is crazy. I did an item-for-item shopping comparison one time with Instacart using a receipt from an actual grocery run I had done when they first came to my town and the markup was about 25% which is way more than I'm willing to spend. I had no idea they actually give you the store receipt. Was that a mistake or do you always get that? If I were instacart I'd print up a bogus one with instacart prices on it or something.

As a cashier I often get a kick out of what people use instacart for. My favorite order was a Friday night order for a bottle of wine and a swiffer. #BigNightIn

Pretty sure it was a mistake. I am an instacart shopper and we are specifically told in the app every time we finish checking out NOT to give the receipt to the customer because Instacart sends them one.

[countthestars]

Dec 12, 2019 22:24:31 GMT -5 trissie18 said:

Dec 12, 2019 19:06:52 GMT -5 MixedBerryJam said:

That markup is crazy. I did an item-for-item shopping comparison one time with Instacart using a receipt from an actual grocery run I had done when they first came to my town and the markup was about 25% which is way more than I'm willing to spend. I had no idea they actually give you the store receipt. Was that a mistake or do you always get that? If I were instacart I'd print up a bogus one with instacart prices on it or something.

As a cashier I often get a kick out of what people use instacart for. My favorite order was a Friday night order for a bottle of wine and a swiffer. #BigNightIn

Pretty sure it was a mistake. I am an instacart shopper and we are specifically told in the app every time we finish checking out NOT to give the receipt to the customer because Instacart sends them one.

I don't think she received the receipt, she just has the print out from the deli with the exact price on it for the deli meat.

[boiler717]

Instacart often charges more than what the deli or meat counter does. The shoppers are supposed to remove those stickers, but if they get left on you can see the mark up. Fresh Thyme always has $1.99/lb chicken breast but if I go through instacart I have to pay almost double for them ($3.49/lb for a 4 lb package).
Once I ordered a $0.99/lb whole chicken and they substituted a $8.99/lb organic whole chicken (3-4 lbs) and charged me the higher price. They didn’t refund. I was not happy.

[hbomdiggity]

I only use Instacart for a store that doesn’t do markup.

[wildrice]

Dec 13, 2019 11:44:17 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

Instacart often charges more than what the deli or meat counter does. The shoppers are supposed to remove those stickers, but if they get left on you can see the mark up. Fresh Thyme always has $1.99/lb chicken breast but if I go through instacart I have to pay almost double for them ($3.49/lb for a 4 lb package).
Once I ordered a $0.99/lb whole chicken and they substituted a $8.99/lb organic whole chicken (3-4 lbs) and charged me the higher price. They didn’t refund. I was not happy.

Whoa - that's terrible! That's a difference of $24-32. That's a heck of a lot of money to charge without permission.

I've never used Instacart but I've used Shipt and Amazon Fresh in the past. I've always marked "do not substitute without checking" or something like that, so that I didn't get hit with an unexpectedly higher priced item. I've always been afraid of that!

I looked into Instacart but it definitely didn't seem worth it. Paying a mark up, monthly fee, and tip adds up to a whole lot larger grocery bill. I see how it can be a lifesaver for busy families, but I really have no excuse. 

[blondemoment123]

I stopped using Instacart for this reason. I used it on maternity leave when I was a sleep deprived mess and didn’t really notice or care about the markup. Now there’s no way I can justify that much of a markup on groceries.

[winecat]

I have a friend who shops for them and they've greatly reduced their compensation. (I don't remember how but I got the impression it's really not good for the shoppers.) They're marking up groceries a bunch and not paying shoppers well. I wonder if they're just trying to make as much money as they can while they can?

[starburst604]

It blows my mind what it costs to use Instacart, at least for the stores we shop at. Our Stop & Shop which is a 1/4 mile from our house, recently started same day online pickup. Regular store prices with $3.95 pickup fee. I call when I arrive and they bring it out, put it in the trunk, and don’t accept tips. I’m not exaggerating that it’s life changing. I place my order in the morning and can add to it until 1:00. I pick up the order on the way home from picking up DD at daycare.

[cinnamoncox0]

I use it for Aldi,Shaw’s,Market Basket, and Wegmans. Prices all seem very comparable to in store prices. And my time savings is priceless.
I used to shop in store at Shaw’s and stop and shop weekly. Depending. I’d not get out of either store for under $250/wk to save my life. Family of five, one child is 20 so eats like a man.
Once I began to use instacart Aldi has been a lifesaver. I get a week for under $100 including fees and shipping (I have the yearly membership thing). Once in a while I have to do a second order for the week but usually only if there’s a holiday or party something.
It’s really saved us tons of money and shopping time.
And that $ includes home lunch for twins four days a week (they get school lunch one day to give me a break on Monday’s to start the week a bit easier).
This is clearly regional. I’m in Ma.

[cinnamoncox0]

Dec 13, 2019 20:13:47 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Dec 13, 2019 11:44:17 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

Instacart often charges more than what the deli or meat counter does. The shoppers are supposed to remove those stickers, but if they get left on you can see the mark up. Fresh Thyme always has $1.99/lb chicken breast but if I go through instacart I have to pay almost double for them ($3.49/lb for a 4 lb package).
Once I ordered a $0.99/lb whole chicken and they substituted a $8.99/lb organic whole chicken (3-4 lbs) and charged me the higher price. They didn’t refund. I was not happy.

Whoa - that's terrible! That's a difference of $24-32. That's a heck of a lot of money to charge without permission.

I've never used Instacart but I've used Shipt and Amazon Fresh in the past. I've always marked "do not substitute without checking" or something like that, so that I didn't get hit with an unexpectedly higher priced item. I've always been afraid of that!

I looked into Instacart but it definitely didn't seem worth it. Paying a mark up, monthly fee, and tip adds up to a whole lot larger grocery bill. I see how it can be a lifesaver for busy families, but I really have no excuse. 

I use instacart Aldi and never pay more than 1.89/lb for boneless skinless chicken breast and I live in a high cost of living area (Boston area). This seems very regional based on the replies in this post.
I sing instacart praises every where I go. It’s saved me so much time and money since about mid September.

[biscoffcookies]

Dec 14, 2019 20:09:28 GMT -5 cinnamoncox0 said:

Dec 13, 2019 20:13:47 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Whoa - that's terrible! That's a difference of $24-32. That's a heck of a lot of money to charge without permission.

I've never used Instacart but I've used Shipt and Amazon Fresh in the past. I've always marked "do not substitute without checking" or something like that, so that I didn't get hit with an unexpectedly higher priced item. I've always been afraid of that!

I looked into Instacart but it definitely didn't seem worth it. Paying a mark up, monthly fee, and tip adds up to a whole lot larger grocery bill. I see how it can be a lifesaver for busy families, but I really have no excuse. 

I use instacart Aldi and never pay more than 1.89/lb for boneless skinless chicken breast and I live in a high cost of living area (Boston area). This seems very regional based on the replies in this post.
I sing instacart praises every where I go. It’s saved me so much time and money since about mid September.

Same. But I have noticed certain items at Aldi are marked up while others (like the chicken breast) aren't. But the markup typically is not much. I'm willing to pay an extra dime or two for a handful of my items if it means not going to the store. Plus at Aldi I often impulse purchase seasonal items or the limited-time buys that are in that one aisle, so in the scheme of things it is probably saving me money.

But yeah I held off on grocery delivery for a long time because I had trouble reconciling the cost for it when it was a task I could do myself. I still feel a twinge of guilt from the frugal side of me, but the overextended overstressed part of me has overruled her to get one thing off my plate.

[turnipthebeet]

I got a year of shipt through target because they were reno-ing our store. I can order through the target app, rack up circle/cartwheel deals and pay with my red card for 5% discount and have it delivered by shipt. From what I’ve seen, the prices are similar to what I see in the store and cheaper than my grocery store thru shipt.

[VillainV]

Dec 14, 2019 20:01:07 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

It blows my mind what it costs to use Instacart, at least for the stores we shop at. Our Stop & Shop which is a 1/4 mile from our house, recently started same day online pickup. Regular store prices with $3.95 pickup fee. I call when I arrive and they bring it out, put it in the trunk, and don’t accept tips. I’m not exaggerating that it’s life changing. I place my order in the morning and can add to it until 1:00. I pick up the order on the way home from picking up DD at daycare.

We’ve been doing Walmart pickup for over a year. Orders over $30 are free. I make my list on Saturday, can add to it until 1:45am Sunday, then pick it up on my way home from the gym Sunday morning. I pull up, they load my trunk, i sign their handheld electronic gizmo, and I drive away. My only criticism is that they use a LOT of plastic bags, but I’ve commented enough that it’s gotten significantly better recently. I’d love for them not to use any bags at all, then just load into my reusable bags trunk-side, but that’s currently not an option. I can see how that would take their runners more time at your car and could be a burden during busy periods. But I keep requesting more eco-friendly options through online surveys, so hopefully that will change soon.

[starburst604]

Dec 15, 2019 8:12:59 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Dec 14, 2019 20:01:07 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

It blows my mind what it costs to use Instacart, at least for the stores we shop at. Our Stop & Shop which is a 1/4 mile from our house, recently started same day online pickup. Regular store prices with $3.95 pickup fee. I call when I arrive and they bring it out, put it in the trunk, and don’t accept tips. I’m not exaggerating that it’s life changing. I place my order in the morning and can add to it until 1:00. I pick up the order on the way home from picking up DD at daycare.

We’ve been doing Walmart pickup for over a year. Orders over $30 are free. I make my list on Saturday, can add to it until 1:45am Sunday, then pick it up on my way home from the gym Sunday morning. I pull up, they load my trunk, i sign their handheld electronic gizmo, and I drive away. My only criticism is that they use a LOT of plastic bags, but I’ve commented enough that it’s gotten significantly better recently. I’d love for them not to use any bags at all, then just load into my reusable bags trunk-side, but that’s currently not an option. I can see how that would take their runners more time at your car and could be a burden during busy periods. But I keep requesting more eco-friendly options through online surveys, so hopefully that will change soon.

Ours uses paper bags that you can bring back for recycling/reuse, but I too wish there was an option for none. Even if they could load them into leftover boxes that their own shipments come in I'd happily break them down for recycling.

[SugarKane]

Dec 14, 2019 10:42:33 GMT -5 winecat said:

I have a friend who shops for them and they've greatly reduced their compensation. (I don't remember how but I got the impression it's really not good for the shoppers.) They're marking up groceries a bunch and not paying shoppers well. I wonder if they're just trying to make as much money as they can while they can?

Yes, they have.  I've been a shopper for almost 4 years and my earnings have decreased by at least half.  

[Deleted]

Dec 14, 2019 20:01:07 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

It blows my mind what it costs to use Instacart, at least for the stores we shop at. Our Stop & Shop which is a 1/4 mile from our house, recently started same day online pickup. Regular store prices with $3.95 pickup fee. I call when I arrive and they bring it out, put it in the trunk, and don’t accept tips. I’m not exaggerating that it’s life changing. I place my order in the morning and can add to it until 1:00. I pick up the order on the way home from picking up DD at daycare.

Yes! My grocery store does this, though I admit it's hard for me to remember to get my order in before the cutoff time LOL I just ordered my groceries for pickup this afternoon and the grocery store I'm stopping at is literally right on my commute. For $2.95 order fee, I pay regular grocery prices, and drive up and they put them right in my trunk. The first time I did it, I was prepared to hand them a cash tip and was told that they wouldn't accept it. I did use Instacart once, but only because I had a promo code and I literally was housebound. Most days, I'm out and about anyway, and grocery pick up is life changing.

VillainV my grocery store uses paper bags and you can bring them back next time and they recycle them. Plus they are the ones with handles. I love it!

[msmerymac]

Dec 14, 2019 10:42:33 GMT -5 winecat said:

I have a friend who shops for them and they've greatly reduced their compensation. (I don't remember how but I got the impression it's really not good for the shoppers.) They're marking up groceries a bunch and not paying shoppers well. I wonder if they're just trying to make as much money as they can while they can?

I think they are running on VC funding and they need to eventually show they can turn a profit, like Uber. 

I don't blame the shoppers for having to go so fast in order to make any money, but I also get things I explicitly tell them to NOT use as replacements, like 2 razors for $8.99 instead of 6 razors for $5.99. I feel bad about using it from the perspective of worker rights and quality of life, but I figure that, depending on what I'm getting and the markup (they markup the Wegman's family pack of boneless chicken breasts from $1.99/lb to $2.29/lb, which seems reasonable), it also saves me money because I'm not adding like, 3 other impulse buys to my cart. I use it maybe once a month or so. It's also REALLY nice to use with Costco, since I let my membership expire and would rather stick a fork in my eye than physically shop at Costco.

[revolution]

That's a crazy mark up.

I use instacart a couple times a week. But I use Kroger that doesn't mark up. You don't get the kroger card savings, but the prices aren't marked up.

I've also found I save money by using instacart. My grocery bill is so much lower because I'm not throwing random crap in my cart all through the store. And it's saved my sanity.

[sunshine608]

The markup is crazy and it varies which is frustrating. I have Shipt and unless its Target ( there is no markup on Target via Shipt since they own them), I find Instacart 20-30% cheaper than Shipt, even with a Shipt membership. I usually load carts on both apps and go with the cheaper one. I rarely use any of them because the markup makes it not worth it.
I regularly use Walmart grocery pickup which is free. They just added delivery in my area, but I haven't tried it yet.

[CloudBee]

Grocery delivery is an area where I'm willing to pay more. It's really saved us when DS has been immunocompromised (wanting go keep him from touching carts / counters), and when I blew out my knee this past fall. I'm still not walking around grocery stores. While I may pay a slightly inflated price, I'm also spending less. Fewer impulse buys. I am a smarter shopper when I have a virtual cart I can add / subtract from before checking out.

I don't know where I would be without grocery delivery.

[starburst604]

Dec 16, 2019 10:59:32 GMT -5 @sameoldstory said:

Dec 14, 2019 20:01:07 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

It blows my mind what it costs to use Instacart, at least for the stores we shop at. Our Stop & Shop which is a 1/4 mile from our house, recently started same day online pickup. Regular store prices with $3.95 pickup fee. I call when I arrive and they bring it out, put it in the trunk, and don’t accept tips. I’m not exaggerating that it’s life changing. I place my order in the morning and can add to it until 1:00. I pick up the order on the way home from picking up DD at daycare.

Yes! My grocery store does this, though I admit it's hard for me to remember to get my order in before the cutoff time LOL I just ordered my groceries for pickup this afternoon and the grocery store I'm stopping at is literally right on my commute. For $2.95 order fee, I pay regular grocery prices, and drive up and they put them right in my trunk. The first time I did it, I was prepared to hand them a cash tip and was told that they wouldn't accept it. I did use Instacart once, but only because I had a promo code and I literally was housebound. Most days, I'm out and about anyway, and grocery pick up is life changing.

VillainV my grocery store uses paper bags and you can bring them back next time and they recycle them. Plus they are the ones with handles. I love it!

My store used to have the paper with handles but has been using the ones without lately. This greatly reduces my ability to carry 14 bags inside at one!! #bringbackthehandles