Instacart customers are baiting shoppers with high tips, then stiffing them
Instacart shoppers—the gig workers who shop for groceries in exchange for a fee and a tip—are in high demand right now, as more and more people avoid the supermarket. App users can sweeten the deal (and sometimes skip the line) by tipping ahead of time. Yet CNN reports some customers are exploiting the feature: Workers report accepting orders which promise $50 tips, only to see the bonus erased upon delivery. It’s a classic bait-and-switch, but it might sting less if the company paid a more substantial base wage. Instacart shoppers are demanding the app mandate a minimum 10 percent tip and offer hazard pay. So far, the company hasn’t budged.
