Thread by @frodofied

I am so broken by @instacart that it's almost hard to describe. After two years with this platform, and after over 1000 shops I was summarily deactivated three days ago. It is my ONLY source of income.

@instashoppers #instacart

1/

My initial devastation has been replaced by pure shock at the treatment I have received since.

I was informed of my deactivation through a form letter email that did not outline a specific problem, but asked me to defend against it anyway in the single appeal I was allowed.
2/

I begged them repeatedly to explain why I was deactivated and what specific charge I was defending against, but I received only a single response that said my appeal was denied and their decision was final. It was in that letter that they finally told me what I had done wrong.
3/

That's right. I learned what the accusation was after my appeal was denied.

And I was both flabbergasted and relieved when I learned what it was, truly.

Flabbergasted, because what happened should NOT have even been able to happen, seriously this is on @Instacart.

4/

And relieved because I honestly believed that once @instashoppers understoodwhat had happened that they would immediately reactivate me, thank me even, for this whole event exposes some huge flaws in their system.

It is almost too bizarre to explain it all, but I'll try.

5/

On February 23rd, the day before a major milestone birthday, I was working batches, and doing so during a snowstorm. I was depressed about my birthday and was feeling petty down about everything in general. At mid afternoon I stopped by ROSS department store on a whim.

6/

I found a few items there I really wanted, but I did not have the money to purchase them. I almost put the items back, but, instead, I went and begged an associate to let me put by cart in a corner so that I could return for the items later.

It was my birthday.

7/

I continued on w/ my day and debated several times whether or not I should go back for the items, and after completing my final batch I decided that I could justify the purchase. But I still needed to come up w/ the funding.

I decided to go with @Quadpay to cover the costs.

8/

After I returned to the cart, which was still there thanks to some kind associates, and setup the @Quadpay transaction on my phone by adding it to my Google Pay account and making it my primary firm of payment. It took only two minutes.

10/

After the merchandise was rung-up I asked to pay with Google Pay. She asked me to wait a moment and then told me to place my phone in the clearly marked place on the terminal, but when I did my phone froze and I had to restart it. I did so as quickly as possible .

11/

Once restarted I reopened the app and simply swept my phone across the terminal and it was accepted. 

Incidentally, Quadpay card transactions show up as a green card that looks exactly like Instacarts physical card. 

12/

At some point after I restarted my phone Instacart must have repositioned itself as my primary card for Google Pay without my consent, as it often does, much to my annoyance.  This is not the first time that this happened.

13/

It's happened at gas stations. Fast food restaurants, and even grocery stores. Despite making my own card the primary payment option on MY own personal Google Pay account when I've gone to pay for some transaction I would swipe my phone and have the transaction denied.

14/

Because somehow Instacart would make itself the primary payment method on my account and would rightly deny the charge.

I've would freak out everytime it happened but the transactions were always declined as the card are supposed to moment and location specific.

15/

Money is moved to each card for the amount of the order and can only be used at the store the order was for.

Given all of this, I had ZERO reason to suspect that a transaction for $90 from a store outside of Instacarts network could possibly be used for my transaction.

16/

I left the store that night, and quite frankly, with my birthday being that following day and the state of the world such as it is, and my work for Instacart I never thought of the transaction again.

Until yesterday when I got the following denial of appeal letter from IC.
17/

It was in this letter, a denial of appeal, that I first learned what I was supposed to have done and what I had been expected to defend

I never even knew that this backend or even imagined it could.

I'm not an idiot @Instacart / @instashoppers.

I didn't imagine that I could use a corporate credit card on a $90 purchase at an unapproved location and that no one would notice.

This was my only job/source of income. It wouldn't make sense.

I have been with Instacart for two years. I don't deserve this.

19/

There are so many obvious problems here.

1. Why did no one simply ask me about the transaction prior to deactivating me without notice?

2. Do you believe this kind of behavior strengthens your organization or its reputation?

3. Why has no one from Instacart talked with me?
20/

4. Why was I not informed of the specific problem until AFTER I was asked to defend myself against it and a verdict was rendered on my appeal?

5. Why was a high dollar transaction at a non network store approved by your system when legitimate transactions are often denied?

21/

6. Does any of this seem fair to anyone in our outside your headquarters?

I have worked through snow storms, rainstorms, a pandemic and more @Instacart @instashoppers.

I was a 5 star shopper with a low 7% cancelation rate.

I did not deserve this.

22/

Attached please see the Quadpay transaction record showing j had set up the transaction as I have claimed and screenshots of some of the comments in have received from your customers during my two years with @Instacart

Here are some of the customer comments I've received over the past two years. Granted only the ones I've taken screenshots of, which is not many

I need @Instacart / @instashoppers to reconsider their unfair decision asap. I cannot survive without this job.

That's a fact.

Any ideas anyone has to help facilitate that eventuality would be appreciated greatly.

Please.

#instacart #Shopper