• Instacart

Instacart

Is this your business?
Write a Review

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
See all photos
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)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (654) credit card (194) service fee (172) delivery fee (136) grocery store (110)
Thumbnail of user lorraineg333
Canada
1 review
1 helpful vote
  • Send Message
October 20th, 2023

I use there service over 2 weeks,paid each delivery 5 tip,my acc was locked suspicious activity.paid the membership refuse to refund the money,and won't unlock my acc.would suggest there service to anyone.

Thumbnail of user lewb22
Rhode Island
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
March 31st, 2020

So, first time instacart user. When I placed my order on 3/30 I thought I was going to have to wait until 4/4. Get a text on 3/30 saying good news, your order will arrive by 3:00pm. Really, wow. Going back and forth with the shopper all afternoon so I think I'm good. Then I get a text saying shopper en route. Their website says in-transit. A few hours pass and I ask when will the driver be here. He finally texted back saying "I don't have your order, you cancelled it." What? Did not cancel. Never got food. Should have checked the reviews first. And, they had the nerve to immediately put $75 pending on my credit card. Order was only for $50. It's still there and better disappear soon!

Thumbnail of user brennas21
Florida
1 review
3 helpful votes
  • Send Message
May 6th, 2020

This is my second time using instacart and I should've learned my lesson the first time. They also "forget" products and then your still charged for them... you cant submit multiple problems so of course they keep your money. Not to mention my shopper started shopping at 10am but didn't deliver them until 1:16 because of a random maintenance issue on their ap. Don't use instacart. They don't have a customer service line and they are garbage.

Thumbnail of user jenniferb1894
New Jersey
1 review
2 helpful votes
  • Send Message
October 29th, 2020

They do not keep their word.
At first, when you place an order it tells you you will receive your orders within 2 hours.
It's a complete lie. I kept waiting now over 3 hours, and it was already changed for another hour later than before. So, now it would be 4 hours.
I had to call customer service, otherwise who knows when I would receive the order.
Then, the shopper forgot one of the items on the list, which I really needed. Uggh

Thumbnail of user elizabethm1693
District of Columbia
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
December 22nd, 2020

I am a 62 year old and disabled. Instacart completely ruined my Christmas. I put in an order from Smart and Final. The only thing I got was a turkey. Not 1 side dish. I paid $21 for the 12 lb turkey. The delivery guy never knocked, just left the turkey on a chair at my back door.

Thumbnail of user donj270
Oregon
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
February 1st, 2022

I signed up with these guys about a month ago for their "express" membership with free delivery till April. It worked great the first time. Second time, two weeks later, I got a notice to upload images of driver's license and credit card to verify the account. Then my account was locked out. I called and was sent a 'reset' link. The link did nothing. Now, a week later, I called again and was emailed a link which did not include any provision for resetting my account. I kept the lady on the line while I tried it. She tried sending the exact same email again. Then, she must've found out what I just learned with my last phone call, that my account had been cancelled last week, but we were mysteriously disconnected (I'm sure it was an accident). Three phone calls and hours of my time, wasted trying to get this to work. Thanks, Instacart! Just wait'll you try charge me in April. The one-star rating symbolizes how many times this "free" delivery offer actually worked.

Thumbnail of user kathyk583
Hawaii
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
December 2nd, 2020

Just found out that Costco charges 20% more for each item ordered through instacart. Obviously, it is cheaper to join Costco and shop yourself. We are Costco members and just found out (because delivery person left us actual Costco receipt) that we paid about $100 more just for the items before tip, delivery fee, etc etc. This information on Costco pricing should be told to prospective buyers.

Thumbnail of user janej251
Washington
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
November 17th, 2020

I used Instacart for several months this year, and, at first, they were awesome. Occasionally, I would get drivers who whipped through the store replacing and refunding so they wouldn't have to look for an item and wouldn't communicate. Others were so unbelievably customer-oriented, it was a pure pleasure to deal with them. Sadly, Instacart must have chased the good ones off in my area because now both drivers and the company are ripping the customers off far too often.

It's always the high dollar items that don't seem to make it to your door and Instacart only credits the amount to your next order, which means you'll be paying twice as much for delivery, service fees, and tips.

I checked the price on a roast at my local store, and it was 60 dollars. Through Instacart, it was 100. The next time I want to go to a piranha feeding frenzy with myself as the entre, I'll head back to Instacart.

Thumbnail of user miked834
Canada
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
March 18th, 2020

I just made a order of $100 dollars and not one of my items was delivered to me this was 72 hours ago and i still haven't heard from customer service. They always screw up your orders, customer service never responds.

Thumbnail of user donnaq93
Georgia
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
April 13th, 2020

Waited three days for delivery and they left the food on the side of my house by garage. It sat out there for an hour and 15 minutes. I tried to call but the hold time is 59 minutes. I had to discard meat and milk items, who does this? I thought they would leave it at my door and ring the door bell or knock and then leave.

Thumbnail of user donnab115
Texas
2 reviews
3 helpful votes
  • Send Message
April 17th, 2016

When I started using Instacart, I was all about it. They sucked at dealing with replacements pretty bad, but that was just a minor annoyance. It was still so convenient. I payed about $100 for a 1 year membership, if I remember correctly. The price was well worth it to have my groceries delivered in just 2 hours! But now I guess they are so busy that it takes an entire day. Every time I log in to place an order, the delivery time is 11 hours or more, so I just go my groceries myself. My membership is completely worthless to me now. I will not be renewing.

Thumbnail of user barryf154
Washington
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
June 10th, 2021

I ordered again from Instacart. Last time. While groceries were fine and delivery person kind, they insist on scanning my Driver's License in order I receive the alcohol I ordered. I showed my ID to her like one does in a bar, and she said it had never come up before (everyone else lets her scan their ID!). She texted her boss who insisted my ID get scanned. Nope, sorry. No more Instacart for me. Does Ubereats do that? I need a list so I shop elsewhere. I know Walgreens has that policy. Who else?

Thumbnail of user suzannep287
Washington
1 review
2 helpful votes
  • Send Message
August 9th, 2021

I tried a few months ago to register to drive for them. I made a simple mistake on my phone number and tried to correct it so I can complete my application but after dozens of times trying to correct it and get in touch with customer service, there is absolutely no resolution. They just send out automated advice that doesn't get you anywhere. How can such a large company be this useless and not staff real people to help with problems. I know that if I did become a driver and needed assistance, I would be up $#*!z creek trying to be in touch with them. Judging by other reviews stay away!;

Service
Thumbnail of user rachelb293
California
1 review
1 helpful vote
  • Send Message
April 22nd, 2019

Instacart has continuously let me down time and time again. From delayed orders to accidental overcharges, it's a service I hesitate to recommended to anyone. I not only use instacart for personal use, but rely on it for my office deliveries, with orders being placed in the $200-$300 range WEEKLY. There has not been a single account where instacart has delivered our groceries during the time frame that was requested (often postponing the drop off by an hour). I promise that this is no exaggeration. The idea behind instacart is great, but it's route of execution is completely flawed.

Thumbnail of user estad1
Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
October 10th, 2020

When you place your order Instacart puts an estimated hold on your account which is dropped after actual payment is made. Okay thus far but sometimes they put a double hold (2x) on your account and then release only one hold. They then tell you it will take 3-5 days before you will see your money. In this instance they owe me $1,130.00 which I'll get eventually. Since I really need shopping and delivery I am going to have to change my favorite store, Publix, to use a grocery that has a different delivery service.

Thumbnail of user maryloul2
Washington
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
September 26th, 2019

Instacart shoppers are trained with videos. I don't think you can train people to select good produce unless you have a very good video and require shoppers to view it. While I have been relatively happy with the shoppers when they are shopping for canned or packaged food, many shoppers are poor at selecting good produce. Telling them to shop like they would for themselves, as I have been advised is the advice given, doesn't work as many of these young shoppers eat mainly fast food and pizza - so they are not really shopping for themselves. Perhaps telling them to shop as they would for their Mom might help improve things. If they were trained in a class in my city, I would volunteer to teach them about produce. Things need to improve in this area. I live in Seattle.

Thumbnail of user robertb3753
Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
October 7th, 2020

Putting aside the absolute user-unfriendliness of the interface (a big deal), I got into online hell because I dared cancel "Express" within the trial period. My account was suspended. Then I couldn't start over with a new account based on a different email address. I was told repeatedly, "You can if you provide a new payment method," i. E., by providing them with a new credit card. Anyway, back to the first point, it took an hour online to put together an order that would at most take 10 minutes to put together on any other site. THE WORST.

Thumbnail of user ronalda80
Georgia
1 review
2 helpful votes
  • Send Message
August 13th, 2018

99% of my issues were getting it delivered! It was always at least 5 hours or so late. Most of the time they didn't have drivers. They would have to reschedule the next day. They would leave items out. One time a driver left products scattered on the porch... not in any bags or boxes! It's not instacart but latercart cause you never know when it'll come!

Thumbnail of user heidyr3
Washington
1 review
2 helpful votes
  • Send Message
August 11th, 2018

So in a frantic Sunday at 4 in the evening I thought this might be a great idea. I was so wrong! Not only did my "personal shopper" start at the wrong time, most of the items were out of stock, really? Shelves never seem bare in our local Safeway. Her reply when she showed up 2 hours late was the website was showing Albertsons prices. I thought it was ok only getting 1/2 of the things I ordered but somehow my $77.00 grocery bill is now $92.00! The customer service is a scam to She actually told me that they do not honor the stores prices and have to charge the web sites charges? I mean really and the difference will go to both instacart and Safeway. Buyer Beware. Do not use this service!

Thumbnail of user kirsting8
California
1 review
2 helpful votes
  • Send Message
March 12th, 2021

Waited 3 hour Friday night for my $100 order I really needed. The store is 2 miles away. The fees and tip are ridiculous. At 8pm they basically said 2 bad I have to wait another 3 hours Saturday morning 8am. Or get a refund in 7 to 10 days. This is the worst delivery service i have ever used. So unreasonable and unprofessional.

Tip for consumers:
Use a different service

Products used:
Household

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user amyw177
Florida
1 review
3 helpful votes
  • Send Message
July 22nd, 2017

I ordered over a hundred dollars in groceries through instacart. They replaced items with others I would not have approved, upped weights and then was the icing on the cake. They precharged my card for $130 and when the actual amount of about $111 they did another charge. Now I have two charges pending and erroneously tying up $130 on my available balance. When I complained I got moronic scripted answers. Don't waste your money. This company stinks!

Thumbnail of user brucef176
Bruce F.
Michigan
1 review
3 helpful votes
  • Send Message
April 13th, 2020

Constant contact throughout their shopping progress. Great communication on items not available or substituted for. An absolutely necessary service for us elderly shoppers. Our driver, Boun, was very courteous and helpful. This is our third time using Instacart and the service gets better every time!

Thumbnail of user marcusg222
New York
2 reviews
3 helpful votes
  • Send Message
February 15th, 2023
Verified purchase

They charge you a huge fee for delivery and then a huge service fee, then the tip and then they tax the fees they charge you! It's outrageous. Don't forget, the stores pay them fees as well. Many times you don't get what you order because it's "out of stock". Then what?! I think ALDI should just get their own delivery service! They only good thing is that they will refund pretty fast for damaged food.

Tip for consumers:
If you have lots of money...no problem. If not, forget it

Products used:
food

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user nataliac112
California
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
  • Send Message
January 6th, 2022

In addition to the tip, which is important, customers are charged a service fee which varies according to the amount of the bill. I spent $125.and I was charged $11 and change for service fee, that's too much. Whole foods charges less than $10 fixed fee and the customer gets the items in a few hours. I've gotten my items with Instacart on the following day., Which I don't really mind, the service fee is just too much.

Tip for consumers:
I don't know what to say just that their service is too expensive and it's not a flat rate.

Products used:
Groceries

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user candacew150
Michigan
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
January 16th, 2022

I am disappointed with the poor Instacart service. Recently, I placed a pickup grocery order for the next day. I received a mobile notification 30 minutes before the pick-up time stating, "no one is available to shop." Furthermore, the notification message did not state an expected time either.

It is unprofessional and inconsiderate for Instacart to wait until pickup time to notify customers of "no service available."
I will not waste my time or money on Instacart again.

Service
Value

Sitejabber for Business

Gain trust and grow your business with customer reviews.

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.

How do I know I can trust these reviews about Instacart?

  • Sitejabber’s mission is to increase online transparency for buyers and businesses
  • Sitejabber has helped over 200M buyers make better purchasing decisions online
  • Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members
Have a question about Instacart?

Is this your business?

Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and manage your listing.

Claim Your Business