• Instacart

Instacart

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Overview

Instacart has a rating of 1.2 stars from 2,477 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Instacart most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and grocery store problems. Instacart ranks 134th among Grocery Delivery sites.

  • Service
    597
  • Value
    560
  • Shipping
    401
  • Returns
    408
  • Quality
    498
Positive reviews (last 12 months): 1.1%
Positive
1
Neutral
1
Negative
91
455
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How would you rate Instacart?
Top Positive Review

“Convenient Grocery Delivery Service”

Rekhmir S.
4/2/24

Instacart offers a convenient grocery delivery service, allowing me to shop from my favorite stores without leaving home. Whether I need fresh produce, pantry staples, or specialty items, Instacart delivers everything I need with reliable service and fast delivery. I appreciate the flexibility of scheduling delivery windows and the option to communicate with my shopper in real-time. Instacart has become a lifesaver, especially during busy weeks

Top Critical Review

“Bad customer service”

Mike K.
9/14/24

I had to wait on hold for 35 minutes before the problem with my order was addressed. The shopper delivered someone else's order. I'm not upset about that - nobody is perfect. What is outrageous to me is the time I had to spend on-hold waiting for a person in the "delivery mistakes" deptartment to get on the line. The person who answered my call was not allowed to take care of the problem, whether rescheduled delivery or refund, so I had to be punished with a long wait on the phone. When the wrong order delivered person finally got on the line, they rescheduled my delivery for tomorrow and promised some discounts or free delivery or something else because I had a hard time understanding what she was saying. For all the money I spend in a year with Instacart, I would expect far better customer service than this!

Reviews (2,477)

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Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (654) credit card (194) service fee (172) delivery fee (136) grocery store (110)
Thumbnail of user philq
Texas
1 review
0 helpful votes
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January 3rd, 2018

Was tricked by search engine to order HEB items through there website thinking it was HEB. Wasted 130 minutes of time to find out that they don't deliver to my area even though the excepted my address and took my order after navigating there gosh awful website. How are these people in business. Poor ran misleading website buyer be ware. If they have to divert you from a website you want meaning steeling business in a scrupulous tactics they cant be trusted earn your business for gosh sake.

Thumbnail of user kimberleym111
North Carolina
1 review
7 helpful votes
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March 13th, 2022
Verified purchase

I Pay the yearly Express Membership fee. They are now adding so many additional fees along with the yearly fee. These are things that should be included. Fee for "additional items in cart," (this was an order for 14 items), fee for "background checks on employees", fee for "alcohol delivery"... look them up bc there are so many others. This, along with obscene upcharges on your purchases. We have way too many other options to use someone else which I'm doing as soon as my membership runs out.

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Value
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Thumbnail of user crystalg88
Illinois
3 reviews
0 helpful votes
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October 2nd, 2018

I ordered groceries through Instacart. I chose a delivery window between 11-12. I got notified that my delivery was running late due to waiting for an item, and they wanted to know what they could do to make this right for me. They were very apologetic. I appreciated them notifying me and i waited for my grocery's. The surprise blessing came in my bank account a day later when I realized they had refunded me for my full grocery amount because they had felt bad that my order was an hour late. I can't express how thankful and blessed I feel. This blessing could not have come at a better time. I'm a single mom, trying to climb the ladder to build a strong financial future fir me and my kids and sometimes it falls short. God always has a hand in every situation and this is one if the many! Thank you!

Thumbnail of user johnb4609
Maryland
1 review
0 helpful votes
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March 27th, 2020

Used instacart to order from Wegmans. The app doesn't explain the relationship with the company you choose. No returns allowed. If you order something and its wrong... no return; the food gets thrown away. Unlike returning items to the store where someone else can use this is not possible from n. V this worthless app. Your shopper will ignore you and deliver your order no matter what you tell them. Our shopper was rude and arrogant.
Total Hucksters. Don't waste your time and money. They could care less about you.

Thumbnail of user janah88
Texas
1 review
41 helpful votes
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March 26th, 2020

I ordered groceries about a week ago... the guy that got my groceries (Ramiro R.) bought himself 2 protein powders for 75 dollars and a shaker bottle for 10 dollars and put it on my card. I have done everything i can to reach instacart and they have never replied. Forget calling them because they will never answer your call. This is the worst experience and i highly recommend not using them unless you want to be stolen from.

Thumbnail of user maryj2952
Minnesota
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 15th, 2022

I have had terrible service. The first 2 years were great. Now in August I was charged over 100 dollars for a subscription. What he f***. Now I have to wait 5 to 10 days, It is there fault i am negative -111. I was told it would be posted immediately. You are a crappy company and I will tell all of my friends to never join your company for delivery. What right do you have to take that kind of fees for subscription
**************, If you like getting screwed up the a** have at it.

Tip for consumers:
Do not ever trust this company. I was f***** up the a** they charged me over 100 dollars in a subscription fee. please think twice before joining this. if I had a car I would not be using this website. covid hit and all hell broke loose
be careful
if I could I would vote negative a million times if I could

Products used:
grocery

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user louise919
Illinois
1 review
1 helpful vote
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November 29th, 2017

I suspect this company is more interested in immediate profits than in customer service. Shopping staff is fine. But there is no training at all--fresh fruit and frozen items have been placed in the same bag! Also, they don't give employees carts for the deliveries. So if you have a $200 order, they need to walk to a vehicle, then walk to the apartment multiple times. Convenient, but uncaring.

Thumbnail of user kaylent
Virginia
1 review
20 helpful votes
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October 16th, 2020

Awful awful awful. They allow the customer to decide if you keep your job or not. The customers continually lie and say they didn't get this or that or something was damaged with no photo proof and that automatically drops the driver down. $#*! system. Terrible company. They over charge by at least 10 cents on every single item sometimes much much more. Do not spend your money here.

Thumbnail of user friedas23
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
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January 29th, 2023
Verified purchase

My bill was for $164.02 +tip $7.51 +Service Fee $7.51+ Service Fee Tax.55 +Delivery Fee $7.99 + Delivery Fee Tax.60.

Imagine the fees for this order is $24.16.

Highway robbery. I am now on my way to shop at Costco and with the $24.00 ( I cancelled my Instacart order) I can buy some books for my grandchildren.

Thumbnail of user lauriey34
California
1 review
6 helpful votes
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September 30th, 2021

Always missing items and now go out to our car to find a lovely note from one of there drivers now I am on vacation and never in my life had so many things come up missing they don't fix it all they do.is report back to the drivers so they can leave notes lmao what a time period we live in today to rip off a single mother

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user tiar78
Ohio
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 28th, 2021
Verified purchase

Doing whatever they can to take your money. I tried out Instacart since I saw an advertisement from them saying they now deliver from Kroger, and to use a promo code for $20 off your first order of $30 or more. So I did just that, signed up, ordered my groceries and submitted the promo code which then said "promo code applied successfully". The code did not apply, the money never came off. And when i contacted them about it they stated my purchase did not meet requirements and reiterated the rules. First order. 30 dollar minimum. Participating stores. I did just that. How is that okay? That is false advertisement and theft.

Thumbnail of user kathrines6
California
1 review
2 helpful votes
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February 4th, 2019

The driver was lovely!
Instacart is holding my funds from 3 days ago! Called to ask why as this has never happened before the guy was rude af! Told me that's how it is, I need to wait and hung up on me!
NEVER will I use this (lack of) service again! Horrible experience!

Tip for consumers:
Customer Service is horrible!!!! Be aware of the monies they take and hold

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Value
Shipping
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Thumbnail of user joanm712
Texas
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 18th, 2021

I subscribed to Kroger's $79 plan for one year of deliveries. I finished the year but had problems with Instacart the whole time. The biggest problem was the substitutions. Even though I clearly indicated on each order that I did not want substitutes, I got them anyway and they were always unsuitable. The final straw came on the last order when they brought a bag of wilted lettuce on its expiration day. That did it. I switched to Walmart and Amazon Fresh and have good luck with their deliveries. Walmart has a system whereby they correct each mistake immediately.

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Shipping
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Quality
Thumbnail of user deannad97
North Carolina
1 review
18 helpful votes
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January 4th, 2020

Ordered.
They held the possible amount.
Receipt reflected $90 less.
Called InstaCart.
They REFUSE to refund the difference.
Blamed it on the merchant.
Top it off, the "get $15 off your order instantly" is a lie. You have to catch it, then call them to honor their discount.
This is corporate prey.

Thumbnail of user johnsonr10
California
1 review
5 helpful votes
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September 16th, 2013

Careful using Instacart: it seems like their products are the same price as in the store and then you just pay them for shipping, but it's not always true. I wanted to buy something at Trader Joe's, and I noticed the price seemed a bit high so I decided to call the local store. The local store was 20%+ less. I was planning on buy 10 items, so that would have been an extra $15 I would have had to pay on top of their shipping cost. Instacart is a good idea but I think they should be clearer about their pricing.

Thumbnail of user alexandrac30
Florida
1 review
2 helpful votes
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July 1st, 2017

Instacart Express: The most worthless service I've ever encountered. A fidget spinner has more worth than this garbage. I pay $15 per month. Just so they can charge me around $10 per order if the order is less than $35, and even if it has "express" on the name, you will still have to wait hours and hours for the order to arrive at your door.

Thumbnail of user rajs114
Canada
1 review
151 helpful votes
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April 10th, 2020

Anyone using Instacart for ordering grocery online please be aware that they are seriously gouging you. On my last order, they accidentally left the actual store receipt in my bag. I saw that the store check out was for $164 before taxes. Instacart charged me $190 + tips+ service fee + taxes = $226. I tried calling them. Had to hold for over 2 hours. They refused any refund and said I wasn't supposed to get the paper receipt. Be aware.

Thumbnail of user ezioc
Massachusetts
1 review
1 helpful vote
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May 28th, 2020

Never buy fresh fruits or veg using Instacart. I ordered blueberries and they delivered blackberries which were half rotten. The strawberries also smelled as if they were very old.The cut mushrooms were old.

Thumbnail of user lynnw545
Massachusetts
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 15th, 2022

This is the third time I have used instacart and been told my order would arrive within 2 hours - today my order place at 3:30 has still not arrived. Why am I paying a service fee or even a tip when you don't stand by your commitment to deliver in a specific period of time - and this is not 30 or 45 min you are always at least 2 hours later than you state - false advertising.

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Thumbnail of user frankg70
New Jersey
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
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April 11th, 2021

It was too late before I realized how bad the buying service actually was they overcharge you for for most items and they take advantage of the situation. I've been charged as high as 35% difference between store price and their price you are not dealing with the stores when you purchase using their service you are purchasing from them.

Some of the big box stores like Costco and Aldi must set a limit because there seems to be a great difference in markup between these stores and other ones.

Once I realized this I tried to cancel my subscription you have to read the fine print you only have a limited period of time before you can cancel and then you're stuck I would definitely advise against it I have made sure that it will not renew.

Amazon Prime and the new service at Walmart much better. Best pricing, Walmart. You cannot beat it.

Tip for consumers:
Make sure you read all the terms and conditions before you decide to use this service.

Thumbnail of user craiga114
Oregon
1 review
0 helpful votes
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April 4th, 2020

Impossible to talk on the phone to Instacart, always a 3+ hour wait and then the call disconnects! Similarly, online "chat" is equally unresponsive. Trying these communication modes because they double shipped the same order and therefore we paid twice!

The shoppers have all be great and most appreciated.

I get it! This is a company overwhelmed at the moment and equally unprepared.

Thumbnail of user disappointedc16
Colorado
1 review
4 helpful votes
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November 28th, 2017

What a disappointment. Ive used instacart for over a year and never realized they were up charging me in every single purchase.
The last purchase came in with a paper receipt (by accident). My surprise was that the paper receipt was for $15 less than the instacart charge on my checking account. When I called, they said that is their pricing policy. Basically you get an estimated price on their app. They pay the true price at the store, but charge you their own price. Wow. So disappointed. Cancelled my subscription today. I dont do well with dishonesty and unclear rules.

Thumbnail of user lynnl642
Connecticut
1 review
0 helpful votes
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March 20th, 2023

I have been ordering from Instacart for years because of physical limitations my husband and I have. I probably order around 5-6 times per week, pretty significant orders. When there are issues with broken items, the wrong items, being charged for missing items, spoiled items, etc. I expect they will resolve them. They put a block on my account for notifying them of these issues. I do not hire the shoppers so have no control over who is shopping my order. Thus I am expected to send an email to resolutions along with photographs of the issues. I complied each time. The responses come from an automated system that many times do not address the questions at hand. It seems to take as long as eight weeks and at least a phone call every Saturday to check on the status of my issue. With many issues being unresolved it becomes a full time job to try to get resolution.

Products used:
groceries

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user tammys737
Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
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May 23rd, 2021
Verified purchase

Be warned... DO NOT USE INSTACART! My delivery of frozen foods and perishables through Instacart was delivered 1&1/2 hours early today. The driver did not knock at my door or ring my doorbell. Therefore, the frozen items fully defrosted and the refrigerated items were warm to touch once I discovered them on my doorstep at the expected delivery time. After reporting the issue through the Instracart app. I was offered a $5 credit for the $90 plus worth of lost items. Oh and they included instructions to change my order delivery instructions. Needless to say, I am not impressed with their resolution. I'm writing this to warn others, so that they do not experience the same appalling service. I hope that this helps.

Thumbnail of user judithd487
Georgia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 21st, 2022

On August 11,2022, Instacart deducted $105.93 from my credit card account. A notice was sent via email, and I called Instacart immediately and told their agent I did not click on the line requesting a 14-day trial period that leads to a yearly membership. First, they sent an email reply to my phone call that said they were refunding $99 and retaining $6.93 in taxes. I demanded they return the entire amount which they agreed to in later phone conversations, but all other emails still maintained $99. I contacted The Federal Trade Commission. I also contacted GA Legal and my credit card company to dispute the charge. I will contact any other agency to let the public know of what I consider Instacart's unsound business practices. Why I am very angry also is their agent said because of my age I probably did request a yearly membership.

Tip for consumers:
I will never use Instacart again! Instacart has a division in their company for senior citizens called Senior Care for those aged 65 and older. What seniors get for contacting that phone option when we have issues, I couldn't tell you. But what I have come to believe is this is their way of isolating those that are most vulnerable and taking advantage of us. The Instacart agent said that because of my age I most likely clicked on the yearly membership agreement. I am insulted!

Products used:
Groceries.

Service
Value
Shipping
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Quality

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About the business

Instacart delivers groceries from local stores in two hours. Choose from stores like Whole Foods Market, Target, Costco and Petco. Try us today for free.

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