In a viral TikTok, an Instacart worker says she watched an order for a store over 30 miles away sit on her screen for over two hours because no worker would want to take it. The video sparked controversy in its comments section over who was to blame for the long-distance order, soaring gas prices, and more.
The viral video, which has over 198,300 views, was posted by TikToker Angelica (@angelicaa__ca), a delivery and shopping worker who has attracted over 51,500 followers for her videos describing her experience fulfilling orders for grocery delivery services like Instacart and Spark.
Since Instacart delivery drivers can see the details of total trip miles, the length of shopping lists, and pre-paid tips prior to accepting an order, the TikToker often shares details of her trips to determine how much money she is actually making. These details include how long it takes her to pick out grocery items, how much mileage she accrues, and the cost of gas.
In one of her most recent viral videos, the TikToker shows a screenshot of an order from a small beach town called Dana Point, California. The order sends the delivery driver to a Walmart store in a town over 36.5 miles away despite there being closer Walmart locations to shop from. The order also had no pre-paid tip.
“This customer that placed this order, I feel so bad. You guys, this order has been sitting on my screen for the last two hours. Two hours! And you know what the problem is? Instacart is trying to make somebody shop for these items in a city that is far, far, far,” the TikToker describes in the video.
“Instacart really needs to change how they do this, because that is ridiculous. Nobody is going to take that. Hence why it’s been sitting there for two hours,” she continues.
@angelicaa__ca #greenscreen the orders for fourth of july are popppppin today 🤣 #fyp #foryoupage #instacart #instacartshopper #instacartdelivery #worklife #groceries ♬ Live Fast Die Numb – iann dior
The viral TikTok sparked debate in its comments section over the order, with many users saying they would never take it. Many users complained about the high cost of gas, as prices have soared this year due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, labor shortages, and other supply chain issues.
“36.5 miles?? That’s gotta be at least 2 hours total total to make no tip at 12$/an hour with gas being insane? I’m good,” one user debated.
“I do not take any orders that are more than 8 miles away ! Not worth the gas period,” another argued.
Although Instacart temporarily imposed a month-long fuel surcharge on customers in March when gas prices initially began to soar, it appears the program has ended, leaving drivers to bear the brunt of still-high prices alone. Instacart did not respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment regarding whether the fuel surcharge program will be continued.
Users also debated whether Instacart chose the store location, or if it was chosen by the customer. On Instacart’s website, it says users can select from multiple store locations when shopping.
“I wonder if the customer chose that specific store because it had items he wanted in stock. And they just didn’t care enough to up the tip,” one user speculated.
“I’m pretty sure you can accept it and shop at any Walmart convenient to you unless it say it can only be shopped at that location,” another commented.
“Yes you can, however, it’s the drive for me sis no one wants that,” the creator of the TikTok responded.
The Daily Dot reached out to Instacart and TikToker Angelica for comment via email. Neither replied in time for the publication of this article.
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