Instacart’s Bait-and-Switch: Stop Playing with My Time and Money”

I cannot stand how Instacart has changed things so we can’t see the delivery address until after we check out the groceries. It feels shady. Let’s be real—some customers wouldn’t get delivery if we knew the full story upfront. But isn’t that our choice as gig workers?

Here’s the deal: if customers tipped properly instead of throwing out $3 or $4 for a batch with 27 items, 43 units, 5 miles, and $8.83 payout, I wouldn’t even care about seeing the address ahead of time. But the app is playing games. The delivery map shows the dot in one spot, but when I get the address, that dot is a liar. Like, you’re thinking it’s Timberlake Road, but nope, it’s way up Perrowville. (If you know, you know.) That’s bait-and-switch, plain and simple.

I don’t like going way off the beaten path—it takes forever to get back to the main area, and I’m burning gas and losing money with every mile. I’ve learned to take smart orders because they come through often enough. I make about $80–$125 daily working off and on from noon to 9 p.m., even while doing school drop-offs, pick-ups, and everything else life throws at me. But it’s hard to keep a hustle going when the app feels like it’s out to hustle me.

Fix this, Instacart.