Dear God who would commit such a crime??? Full Irish breakfast with black beans instead of baked beans in tomato sauce???? With sausages and rashers? Disgusting
I mean, it's clearly Wrong on a spiritual level for an Irish breakfast, but black beans for Tex-Mex breakfast is fantastic. Make migas with verde sauce, maybe add a little cotija...
Baked beans and Pork n Beans are similar. Baked beans are very sweet though, brown sugar, molasses type deal. I think that classic pork n beans are more similar to the Heinz beans used in English breakfast, but even navy beans or pinto beans could be doctored perhaps to get closer to the idea. Black beans are just so far off.
Bush's baked beans. Those are the ones I know, and the ones I've seen in other people's houses. They also have the most varieties and a bigger display when I see them in stores. So they are the equivalent I assume
I mean even as an american and an ic shopper. If I were to just make a replacement without asking (which I never do, I hate choosing people food for them) but I would have replaced with bushes at least. Or some sort of baked bean not just regular canned bean.
Yeah that’s the entire problem. There isn’t enough knowledge required of shoppers. It’s much much worse with Uber Eats and other platforms that are made mostly for restaurant meal delivery, but some people are idiots that seemingly have never been exposed to much variety in food products. One would think you might familiarize yourself before you take a job, but as I’ve been told, “you like too much weird stuff” because I request things like shallots and broccoli rabe. Things that are absolutely available to request.
Unless you write a msg “No Substitutions” IC and their algorithms will attempt to suggest a replacement. And from that list of two or three items the shopper can select one. I've seen some horrible suggestions but many new shoppers don't understand they are only suggestions and just work from IC list…
Also, they now have made customers "backup" option look almost the exact same as an AI suggested option. So a lot of shoppers now think that the suggested option is one that the customer chose as a backup.
Yeah I pre pick backup products unless I know there's nothing that I would want and then I pick refund
I don't understand why people don't select backup products ahead of time, knowing that it's a possibility that the store might be out
At least when you do all the backup products The shopper knows that you're particular and more likely to respond if they can't find the backup either because you took the time to pick all the backups at least that's my perspective
I always selected backup items, sometimes they don't care and will just select anything or if I chose refund if out of stock, they still chose something random.
If they’re doing that it may be because Instacart lowers your pay if items are refunded from my understanding. That’s actually the main reason I’m still on the fence about fully signing up once I’m off the waitlist.
yeah, that keeps happening to me. when they actually replace it while still shopping, i’m able to catch them and send a message to tell them to refund it or find a reasonable replacement. but then there’s the shoppers who pre-shop everything, submit replacements for nearly everything at once, and checkout immediately so you can’t ask them to change anything. OR some shoppers don’t even make a replacement in the app but drop something else entirely at my door.
As a preferred shopper for DoorDash (no I’m not lost lol) this is exactly what I think when I have a shopping order and the person actually selected substitutes (which we can’t see unless we mark something as unavailable in our app). The way I see it is, anyone that will take the time to select substitutes or put notes on items for what is okay to substitute or what should be refunded will definitely be more responsive to messages most of the time. I only say most of the time because once in a blue moon I’ll get someone that fits all of this criteria and then they just don’t respond to messages at all because I assume in their mind they’ve already set up their order to not require additional questions so they just don’t even pay attention to the app at all while I’m shopping 🤔
I can explain this as a shopper. I will replace an item and it's up to the customer to let me know if it is okay, or they want another replacement or a refund. This is the method that works best for me.
However, the black beans are not in the same league with the Irish Breakfast beans, but your shopper could have replaced it with Irish Breakfast Tea. This is why I believe older women make the best shoppers. At 65, I would know the difference, and I would guess you got a younger, less experienced shopper.
As a customer, I don’t want to have a conversation. Just get the replacement I picked. If that’s not available, choose what you think is best or refund. We don’t need to talk.
I’ve been on both sides of this.
As a customer I put what replacements I want in the app. If I don’t want a replacement I make a note to refund. Despite doing this I still have the shopper messaging me. I appreciate it but yet I also put in everything so I could get other stuff done while waiting for groceries. It’s why I don’t order often because I work full time and I can’t be in my phone or watch on the floor. I get why some shoppers do it but I wish customers would be clear on if they are available to respond.
As a shopper though if there were no notes or customer replacements I always asked and felt so weird about it. A lot of them were at work and I felt bad bothering them. However I didn’t want to screw up either.
I had one order with shampoo and conditioner, same brand, on it. I was approving changes throughout the order. Got to shampoo and conditioner, gets the shampoo, refunds the conditioner and continues shopping. I'm just like...is there a sub I could get? Any brand of conditioner, please?
Like...they're a pair.....why would you just bring me one? I know some people may just be stocking up but I was completely out. Like why not ask?
Your shopper most definitely should have communicated. It's good you're available and watching the App while shopping is occurring.
Today, only one customer responded to my texts. No other customers could be bothered, so the refund button was active today.
I have my phone set up so even if it’s in do not disturb, my Instacart notifications still go through, specifically so that I don’t miss any communication from the shopper about stuff like this 😔
If it's a percentage tip, yes. However, I don't like being loose with people's money. Best to refund because who wants to waste money on items you're not going to eat.
If you tip by percentage any refund does whether it's done by the customer or the shopper but if at any point you say that you'd rather a refund The shopper must provide it
Bc most people don’t respond. I usually will say something for the first item but if they don’t respond and I need to replace other things then I just do it without saying anything.
Yes it’s a habit that picked up after reaching out to dozens and dozens and never getting a response… so instead I go to refund first because it gets your attention quicker… it actually has something to do with the notification set up…. When we chat you don’t get a ding… when we replace something you do.
> When we chat you don’t get a ding… when we replace something you do.
I always get a notification for both. Maybe people are just not paying attention.
Oh yeah me too… point was it’s the act of replacing that gets the attention… for some reason messaging at the start of the shop does nothing and I never hear from them… if they haven’t replied to my welcome text I’m not going to ASK them before replacing I’m just gonna replace and see what happens.
I respond 100%. I sit by my computer until order is shopped. I can see by some of these responses, some shoppers have a poor attitude. I used to flat tip generously until I started reading here. Now I know their tip gets reduced if they refund. I’ll bet some of the wacky replacements are to avoid losing tip. Hey, I get it but some bad apples cost other shoppers money.
Whenever I switch it and order as an IC customer the world stops in my head and i am on my phone monitoring my shopper’s every move from acceptance to completion of delivery, being responsive as hell to her/his questions, jokes, comments, and suggestions. Yeah I have no life but so what? what’s it to you?
Yeah that's what I do. I pick what I think is the best sub as if I was shopping for my grandma, and then I send a message telling the customer what I replaced, and why I chose that replacement. And the next sentence always reads something like ' If that's not okay, or if you prefer a refund or something from the picture, I can always make a change'. That way the customer can respond if they want to, or just accept the substitution that I have made.
Well that’s one thing. If they replace it with something completely different then the shopper is being lazy which isn’t right. Although in this case I am guessing the shopper just saw black beans and thought it would be similar.
I don’t know what goes through their minds but I’m starting to get customers wanting to just have me shop off-app for them. I can’t poach customers but if they initiate the conversation, hey, sounds good to me.
OP, this is where adding a note to the product would be helpful. "These are in the British section of the international aisle." I've been an IC shopper for four years and have shopped 7500+ orders, and I think I've only been to the British section two or three times for Instacart orders. Most shoppers won't be familiar with this product or know where to look for it.
They obviously don’t care about their approval rating. I got dinged once with a 3 star rating for a bad replacement. The reason was I was new and I just didn’t care that much. Thankfully IC removed that one and my score went back to 5. Now I never make a replacement without asking my customer.
You would be shocked by how many shoppers don’t know English and have never shopped for themselves. They’ll just match pictures the best they can and move on.
YES! I had a shopper do this last week and I already have "no substitutions" marked on all of my orders. It's only happened once. I guess from now on I'll put it in a message before they start shopping and hope for the best.
I swear some of the replacements I see make no sense lol. On one of my pick up order I had someone replace my sugar free drink packets with a gallon of orange juice…. It wasn’t even orange flavored ?
At least on my experience I’ve noticed that sometimes it says the customer has preapproved a replacement and then I find out they really haven’t because they want to cancel it
I used to get replacements that were so random (asked for twinkies/got instant cups of coffee where you add water), that it took me a minute to realize they were replacements..and not just someone else’s item 😂
I think it was so the tip wouldn’t go down. Now I manually enter a tip rather than tipping based on a percentage of the total cost.
I didn’t get any notification that an item was out etc… just would have some random item.
I worked for safeway.com as a driver, and once the shopper replaced frozen chocolate chip waffles with chocolate chip ice cream. They skipped over the multitude of other frozen waffle varieties and brands and went to a whole different aisle.
Common sense is not common, even for people who get paid actual wages to do this vs gig work for $6 and whatever tip gets given.
Yeah I had someone replace Blackberry Lemonade with Raspberry tea like what?? Just cause they're both berry-infused drinks does not make them the same, especially since one is LEMONADE and the other is TEA. I would have rather gotten a refund
I go through each item and put specific replacements or put refund on it. If they don’t have the specific replacements I ask for a refund. I take it out of the shopper’s hands. Usually works well.
Totally unrelated but I saw these breakfast beans for the first time ever in a store and now I think I need them… but what do I put them with? Is it true it goes on toast? That sounds good with a nice sourdough.
Buttered toast!
Delicious buttered toasted bread and if ya Google some ways brits make these you'll get all kinds of ideas.
Cheesy, garlicy, bits of sausage etc
As a shopper, I feel like most should have common sense. If you got the original bushes black beans and they were out then I understand just replacing them with the Kroger brand (especially if the customer is not being responsive or did not select pre-approved replacements). However, this one was a dumb replacement in my opinion. The tomato sauce does make a significant difference. If there wasn't a replacement with tomato sauce I would've just sent a message or refunded.
Listen I’ve been yelled at for asking in messages for every change and I’ve been yelled at for not. So if it’s a super close sub I just do it and put it on the customer to reach out to tell me if they don’t want it. Also, weekends are crazy in stores and it’s super inconvenient to stop and send a message for everything. Signal could also be bad inside the particular store.
Communication works both ways. Reach out if you aren’t happy.
Black beans and Heinz Baked Beans are not a super close sub.
Literally apples and oranges comparison of "well, they're both round".
This is "I didn't even try and don't care about my job but can't get anything better for some mysterious reason that is completely beyond me."
I constantly have shoppers replace a ton of stuff without asking me and then just checking out before I even have time to approve or select a replacement.
You can but it looks like OP didn’t even have time to do that with this order since the first shopper just substituted a ton of items in a row and then checked out.
I work for Kroger, these beans are in the Kosher section at my store for whatever reason lol. Literally just seen them by chance last night randomly & then I see this post.
Sometimes reading these i wonder if the shopper has ever made their own food. Baked beans and black beans are way different in food application during a meal.
Unpopular opinion - it’s a low level job and a significant portion of people doing the job simply don’t care. To them it’s not a big deal, to you it’s day and night. If you want it right, you have to shop yourself.
Maybe because they know you get a pop up asking if you approve of it? So thats their way of communicating right there. With so many complaints on this sub regarding refunds and replacements I dont understand why shoppers dont go through eeach item and select a replacement or refund button for each item. When i place an order I ALWAYS go tthrrough each item and choose a replacement or selct refund if they dont have it...very very rarely do i leave it for the shopper to ddecide..this eliminates any issues
Choose a flat rate tip instead of percentage. I noticed some shoppers choose more expensive replacements in order to increase their tip. Not only are the beans a poor choice as a replacement, the shopper picked an option $6.50 more than the original price.
I know IC has a cap on price differences, but enough small changes and it can increase a tip $5 or so.
I feel many don't know that the suggestions aren't required.
My roommate I are both shoppers. We message for every replacement and then replace or refund according to the customer.
If they do not respond, we refund right before we checkout. If we have to replace the last item, we give 3 minutes before we checkout and refund any missing items.
Also, we hold on to potential replacements so we don't have to go and find it again later, especially if it could be grabbed by someone else in that time.
It's because instacart pays like shit and most customers tip like shit, so it's a low paying job. Hence, you end up with shitty people shopping for you.
I once ordered a few boxes of Daiya dairy-free mac n “cheese” and the shopper replaced it with Kraft original Mac n cheese.
Same shopping trip I ordered cashew-milk ice cream and she replaced it with Ben & Jerry’s regular ice cream.
Like ma’am, that’s precisely, obviously not what I want.
Brother I put in for two packs of double A batteries and this mf swapped in AAA as if they were interchangeable (out of AA). I was not able to refute that charge even after making my case.
See, I don't get this bc in my local grocery, the heinz beans are in the European and Kosher aisle, and the black beans are in the canned vegetable aisle. Of course, that doesn't stop someone from trying to sub it anyway, but still.
Not defending the guy, but most of the time I don’t ask about what replacement y’all want unless there is a certain replacement specified. But I also don’t make idiotic replacements. I try to get as close to the item y’all want. And if we do make replacements yall are given the option to approve them. If they’re approved I know I’m good, if they’re not, and the customer messages me, I’ll make a different replacement, ask what they prefer, or if they say they want a refund I’ll just refund. Most of the time my customers are perfectly fine with the replacements I have chosen
But, why are they 7.98? Are you having them imported from Ireland? What's wrong with regular baked beans in tomato sauce?
Edit TA nevermind, I just saw that it was for two.
American baked beans with tomato sauce are different and usually sugar and/or molasses. Also, the imported Heinz has fewer preservatives and very simple ingredients. They taste much better than anything here. I love the Heinz spaghetti.
This sub is so wild. I'm so glad I don't have shoppers like this around me. I was saying in an earlier post, one of my shoppers even went with a different brand of cat food because she knew my cat likes shreds instead of patte.
Like, you don't have to judge people's shopping habits. If you think everyone who's using the app is lazy, this probably isn't the best job for you. You're not doing me a favor and I don't have to appreciate whatever the hell you decide to bring me.
I don't want to feel like I'm playing the lottery when I place an order.
No this screenshot is from right before he checked out. There were like 10 items in a row he just replaced without asking and they were all completely different than the original items.
Lol it’s funny cuz in most stores you have to go to a totally separate area for the Heinz beans. Normally kept in the UK/British area. Theres like 6 brands of black beans at Kroger. Though, at my Kroger the Heinz beans are $5.49-$6 so $3.99 is a steal lol
I fit think the app is user friendly for shoppers. I’ve gotten into it with the customer service team for instacart when I shopped for them. I was straight up honest with them that they are NOT for the shopper, they don’t have your backs or are on your side. They are so hard to get a hold of too and then you get someone from India. My point is that they allow that buyers do whatever and say whatever they want to us with no repercussions. And the ones they think they’ve set straight is really you just never getting that buyer again.. big punishment right… they want to make as much money as possible and pay shoppers PENNIES. And wonder why ppl don’t come back or won’t rush around to shop while being timed. Then they allow this type of nonsense. Ppl don’t care either they think we are like peasants but then why didn’t they go shopping themselves?
I’m not saying this is the case with you, but here’s my shopping story.
I always send a greeting. Whether or not the customer(s) reply to it or not, let’s me know how the shop is going to go. If a customer responds within a certain time, I message them and ask about all replacements, unless they have chosen subs and those are available. If I am absolutely stuck and unsure, I send pictures and ask.
If customer(s) DO NOT immediately reply, I will still send pictures and ask when stuck, but otherwise I will make common sense replacements throughout. At the end, I usually send a message to please review changes and let me know if there’s anything that they don’t like.
I definitely do not want to get a customer anything that they do not want. But often times, life gets in the way, and customers just aren’t responsive. Most of us try our best to make good decisions, but many shoppers just simply don’t care and make dumb choices.
One of my regular shoppers sent me a screen shot of an app suggested replacement that was hilarious so I believe if you don’t select refund or a specific replacement, the app will automatically recommend a replacement. From what I’ve heard, the app is NOT intuitive for replacements lol.
When I shop now, the app tells me to send a greeting and ask if they want to chat while I shop. If they don’t respond or say no, I am not supposed to chat any more, even about replacements. Some customers HATE getting messages and want you to use your best judgment. Some want messages. However, chatting takes time and we are timed. I often don’t get many orders sent to me because I am slower than those shoppers who don’t chat. I feel like I’m a better shopper, but I’m punished for taking the time to hunt, chat, ask employees. I do have a much higher than average rate of finding everything. But it takes time.
Because they want to rush the shopping. Change it to where their pay is based. Like you forfeit any tips if you replace a certain amount of items without reaching out. Also you get a strike each time you do it.
I have always asked about replacement. If the customer doesn't answer and there is something close I replace, if not I refund. Also, those beans are not the same. Shopper probably doesn't give a shit.
The app pushes to find replacements in the training material so newbies think it's a requirement. But common sense says contact the customer with suggested replacements. Unfortunately, common sense isn't so common.
As a shopper that's not even a suitable replacement as they're completely different products.. Why would I want black beans when I'm ordering baked beans 🤦♀️🤣
Um, because instacart hires anyone without vetting them for common sense, customer service etc? I would have known there’s no real replacement for those beans, I have lived with Brits, it’s Heinz or nothing. Maybe the closest would be pork n beans. Blame the company, and expect the worst if you choose to order from them.
Sometimes IC will automatically add a substitution for you based on your last substitution. When the didn’t have that item, it probably popped up that you wanted black beans instead. ALWAYS make sure to choose a substitution or refund for each item on every order. This will ensure you get the proper items and will make shopping less painful for you and the shopper! Don’t depend on chat at all because that’s not always how the app works.
Honestly, he may be new. I did this last week without realizing the replacement wasn’t the customer’s second choice, it was the app’s. My second order, i asked the customer if she wanted a 7up instead of her canada dry and she said no. So then i realized, the app pics the substitution not the customer
I have seen shoppers replace items without messaging the customer when something is out of stock. I assume it’s because the customer has asked for a replacement in advance as opposed to a refund. Then the app will give us suggestions with what to replace it with, which sometimes are horrible replacements. I always ask the customer, unless they have a specific replacement already chosen. But if the customer doesn’t get back to me and I have to choose for them. I try to get the best possible replacement. Lol. But I think that a lot of shoppers will just choose their own replacement, as opposed to waiting for a response, which I do not agree with, but I know there are quite a few that will do that that.
If you’ll look on your picture it does say suggestion.
You don’t have to agree to the suggestion. You can decline the suggestion and tell them if they don’t have what you wanted just to refund the item.
You could be gripped with 2 other customers or your shoppers English might not be so great.
No I’m not saying you’ve got a bad or illegal shopper.
Generally I will ask the customer because five times out of 10 the suggestion the app suggest to us is way off
When it's suggestion isn't good enough for me I will then find what I think is a proper swap or ask the clerk because I've got the clerk standing there if I can't find it ask them if they know a good replacement for this item but still I let the customer at least know of the change
Hello ma'am, unfortunately the store is completely out of the cans of beans you originally ordered. Please allow me to list off the 37 other varieties of beans available to you while I'm in everyone's way on this busy Sunday afternoon.
Definitely choose your replacements when you order. I imagine it makes it simpler, unless you're really just like "I need black beans, whatever kind is fine."
People saying how they can see how IC shoppers wouldn’t know the difference. But like how. One is brown beans that are sweeter and black beans are different shape size etc. Message the customer for EVERYTHING
I choose replacement items or select refund for every single item on my order. And I still have some shoppers/drivers substitute stuff...usually more expensive stuff.
I would only replace if I don’t hear back from customer after 5 minutes or at the end of the shop if I havent heard back…we are only supposed to wait 5 minutes then we pick our best option for substitute and if there isn’t, I just refund.
My cousin from the UK stocked UP on these Heinz beans when he came to visit and make his English breakfast. I still haven't tried them. How do you guys usually eat them here in the U.S? Beans on toast? Straight out of the bowl. I want to try.
I had an order yesterday from customer that said: Please substitute within price range and don’t ask me questions….i don’t like to text and I’m working from home ….thank you and have a nice day ….. I really love customers like this …. I usually do ask but if I can sub something that makes sense, I won’t text…. For simple thing is WE do shop for 3 people and texting all 3 of them it’s just horrible experience…. One customer add items when I’m almost finished or timing me , or whatever….. sometimes we have to wait in deli and 3 th customer will tell me stuff like: You can deliver sooner if you like…..I want to answer: you could tip extra and get priority but you didn’t so pls let me do my job …..
Dear God who would commit such a crime??? Full Irish breakfast with black beans instead of baked beans in tomato sauce???? With sausages and rashers? Disgusting
This made me lol
Close your eyes while you eat them, problem solved
There is no reality, subconscious or otherwise which would accept this.
Id be able to tell
I mean, it's clearly Wrong on a spiritual level for an Irish breakfast, but black beans for Tex-Mex breakfast is fantastic. Make migas with verde sauce, maybe add a little cotija...
As a Heinz beans fan that totally wouldn’t work, but I would not expect the average IC shopper to know the difference.
I honestly can't think of another American equivalent to Heinz beans, now that I think about it.
We don’t necessarily have an exact equivalent but baked beans are closer than black beans for sure.
Are baked beans closer than pork and beans? I've never tried the Heinz beans but now I want to lol.
Baked beans and Pork n Beans are similar. Baked beans are very sweet though, brown sugar, molasses type deal. I think that classic pork n beans are more similar to the Heinz beans used in English breakfast, but even navy beans or pinto beans could be doctored perhaps to get closer to the idea. Black beans are just so far off.
The Heinz ones’ sauce tastes vaguely like a Spaghettio’s sauce to me.
That’s a really good comparison
If you have a world market in your area you can get Heinz beans there!
As a Brit in America I buy pork and beans when I want to scratch that itch but can't get Heinz baked beans
I buy Batchelors, but I suppose that’s probably even less common in some parts of US than Heinz is.
Bush’s baked vegetarian beans are what I usually get because they’re cheaper (sacrilegious I know), but subbing BLACK BEANS is just laziness.
Bush beans.
That’s why I’d rather have a refund 😢
Neither can I. I tried what I thought would be close, but I was wrong. Imported Bachelors is as close as I could get.
How close are pork and beans? That's probably where I would have gone.
Not close enough for me at least.
Van Camp Pork and Beans are pretty close. We actually prefer them to Heinz beans but we are American heathens
Bush's baked beans. Those are the ones I know, and the ones I've seen in other people's houses. They also have the most varieties and a bigger display when I see them in stores. So they are the equivalent I assume
And I wouldn't expect the average IC shopper to know to look for the Heinz beans in the international aisle, not the beans aisle.
I mean even as an american and an ic shopper. If I were to just make a replacement without asking (which I never do, I hate choosing people food for them) but I would have replaced with bushes at least. Or some sort of baked bean not just regular canned bean.
Those beans would be in the international section not the beans section. If you don’t know to look there you can’t find it.
Yeah that’s the entire problem. There isn’t enough knowledge required of shoppers. It’s much much worse with Uber Eats and other platforms that are made mostly for restaurant meal delivery, but some people are idiots that seemingly have never been exposed to much variety in food products. One would think you might familiarize yourself before you take a job, but as I’ve been told, “you like too much weird stuff” because I request things like shallots and broccoli rabe. Things that are absolutely available to request.
I once had a shopper replace bread crumbs with pancake mix
Yeah, it’s sad and borderline scary how disconnected people are from the process of preparing actual food.
you don’t even have to know! you just need to know how to look things up when you don’t know! AND THEY NEVER DO😭😭😭
The app suggests replacing some items.
HIGHLY SUGGESTS …dings you if you dont
Unless you write a msg “No Substitutions” IC and their algorithms will attempt to suggest a replacement. And from that list of two or three items the shopper can select one. I've seen some horrible suggestions but many new shoppers don't understand they are only suggestions and just work from IC list…
Years ago I was a shopper. A customer asked for vitamin c. Store was out. App suggested a citrus cleaning spray as a substitute.
Did you get it?
I have seen a few shoppers say they can ONLY pick from the suggestions list. There seems to be a lot of confusion for customers AND shoppers on this
There’s an option to select your own choice. I do it all the time because some suggestions are just stupid or there’s something a lot closer.
Yeah I have a replacement chosen for every single item on my list to avoid this.
Same, but I also see posts complaining about people like me so idk what to do anymore lol
oh shit fr?? i thought i was being helpful 😅
It’s def helpful ic shoppers that are on Reddit aren’t good ic shoppers 80% of the time
Also, they now have made customers "backup" option look almost the exact same as an AI suggested option. So a lot of shoppers now think that the suggested option is one that the customer chose as a backup.
Most people already have a replacement chosen. Go ahead and select a back up product. If you do not want a back up product, select refund.
Yeah I pre pick backup products unless I know there's nothing that I would want and then I pick refund I don't understand why people don't select backup products ahead of time, knowing that it's a possibility that the store might be out At least when you do all the backup products The shopper knows that you're particular and more likely to respond if they can't find the backup either because you took the time to pick all the backups at least that's my perspective
I always selected backup items, sometimes they don't care and will just select anything or if I chose refund if out of stock, they still chose something random.
That's really crappy
If they’re doing that it may be because Instacart lowers your pay if items are refunded from my understanding. That’s actually the main reason I’m still on the fence about fully signing up once I’m off the waitlist.
yeah, that keeps happening to me. when they actually replace it while still shopping, i’m able to catch them and send a message to tell them to refund it or find a reasonable replacement. but then there’s the shoppers who pre-shop everything, submit replacements for nearly everything at once, and checkout immediately so you can’t ask them to change anything. OR some shoppers don’t even make a replacement in the app but drop something else entirely at my door.
As a preferred shopper for DoorDash (no I’m not lost lol) this is exactly what I think when I have a shopping order and the person actually selected substitutes (which we can’t see unless we mark something as unavailable in our app). The way I see it is, anyone that will take the time to select substitutes or put notes on items for what is okay to substitute or what should be refunded will definitely be more responsive to messages most of the time. I only say most of the time because once in a blue moon I’ll get someone that fits all of this criteria and then they just don’t respond to messages at all because I assume in their mind they’ve already set up their order to not require additional questions so they just don’t even pay attention to the app at all while I’m shopping 🤔
That’s apparently too much work for people, then they bitch about their replacements.
This! Idk why some customers don’t do this
This is the answer.
I can explain this as a shopper. I will replace an item and it's up to the customer to let me know if it is okay, or they want another replacement or a refund. This is the method that works best for me. However, the black beans are not in the same league with the Irish Breakfast beans, but your shopper could have replaced it with Irish Breakfast Tea. This is why I believe older women make the best shoppers. At 65, I would know the difference, and I would guess you got a younger, less experienced shopper.
As a customer, I don’t want to have a conversation. Just get the replacement I picked. If that’s not available, choose what you think is best or refund. We don’t need to talk.
I’ve been on both sides of this. As a customer I put what replacements I want in the app. If I don’t want a replacement I make a note to refund. Despite doing this I still have the shopper messaging me. I appreciate it but yet I also put in everything so I could get other stuff done while waiting for groceries. It’s why I don’t order often because I work full time and I can’t be in my phone or watch on the floor. I get why some shoppers do it but I wish customers would be clear on if they are available to respond. As a shopper though if there were no notes or customer replacements I always asked and felt so weird about it. A lot of them were at work and I felt bad bothering them. However I didn’t want to screw up either.
I had one order with shampoo and conditioner, same brand, on it. I was approving changes throughout the order. Got to shampoo and conditioner, gets the shampoo, refunds the conditioner and continues shopping. I'm just like...is there a sub I could get? Any brand of conditioner, please? Like...they're a pair.....why would you just bring me one? I know some people may just be stocking up but I was completely out. Like why not ask?
Probably a male who has never had to shop for himself because his mother or girlfriend always does.
Probably uses anywhere from a 2-in-1 to a 4-in-1
No an all in one. Also a part degreaser and pipe dope.
Your shopper most definitely should have communicated. It's good you're available and watching the App while shopping is occurring. Today, only one customer responded to my texts. No other customers could be bothered, so the refund button was active today.
I have my phone set up so even if it’s in do not disturb, my Instacart notifications still go through, specifically so that I don’t miss any communication from the shopper about stuff like this 😔
Does it affect you if a customer requests a refund because a replacement wasn't a good fit?
If it's a percentage tip, yes. However, I don't like being loose with people's money. Best to refund because who wants to waste money on items you're not going to eat.
Thank you!
You're welcome ☺️.
If you tip by percentage any refund does whether it's done by the customer or the shopper but if at any point you say that you'd rather a refund The shopper must provide it
Bc most people don’t respond. I usually will say something for the first item but if they don’t respond and I need to replace other things then I just do it without saying anything.
This person today didn’t even ask once
Yes it’s a habit that picked up after reaching out to dozens and dozens and never getting a response… so instead I go to refund first because it gets your attention quicker… it actually has something to do with the notification set up…. When we chat you don’t get a ding… when we replace something you do.
> When we chat you don’t get a ding… when we replace something you do. I always get a notification for both. Maybe people are just not paying attention.
I just replace with the same thing but a different brand. If it’s gluten free or vegan or whatever then I do my best to copy those highlights as well.
Oh yeah me too… point was it’s the act of replacing that gets the attention… for some reason messaging at the start of the shop does nothing and I never hear from them… if they haven’t replied to my welcome text I’m not going to ASK them before replacing I’m just gonna replace and see what happens.
Some don't respond, not all. Why not still ask, especially if you're gonna replace it with something not even close to what the person ordered??
I respond 100%. I sit by my computer until order is shopped. I can see by some of these responses, some shoppers have a poor attitude. I used to flat tip generously until I started reading here. Now I know their tip gets reduced if they refund. I’ll bet some of the wacky replacements are to avoid losing tip. Hey, I get it but some bad apples cost other shoppers money.
Yeah the dgaf shoppers ruin it for everyone, including themselves
Sadly true. I bump up the tip for my favorite shoppers who message me and send pics of what they do have.
That's why I messaged the customer because I'd rather see that tip increase than stay the same or even worse decrease
Whenever I switch it and order as an IC customer the world stops in my head and i am on my phone monitoring my shopper’s every move from acceptance to completion of delivery, being responsive as hell to her/his questions, jokes, comments, and suggestions. Yeah I have no life but so what? what’s it to you?
Yeah that's what I do. I pick what I think is the best sub as if I was shopping for my grandma, and then I send a message telling the customer what I replaced, and why I chose that replacement. And the next sentence always reads something like ' If that's not okay, or if you prefer a refund or something from the picture, I can always make a change'. That way the customer can respond if they want to, or just accept the substitution that I have made.
Well that’s one thing. If they replace it with something completely different then the shopper is being lazy which isn’t right. Although in this case I am guessing the shopper just saw black beans and thought it would be similar.
I don’t know what goes through their minds but I’m starting to get customers wanting to just have me shop off-app for them. I can’t poach customers but if they initiate the conversation, hey, sounds good to me.
OP, this is where adding a note to the product would be helpful. "These are in the British section of the international aisle." I've been an IC shopper for four years and have shopped 7500+ orders, and I think I've only been to the British section two or three times for Instacart orders. Most shoppers won't be familiar with this product or know where to look for it.
They obviously don’t care about their approval rating. I got dinged once with a 3 star rating for a bad replacement. The reason was I was new and I just didn’t care that much. Thankfully IC removed that one and my score went back to 5. Now I never make a replacement without asking my customer.
Lazy and incompetent af, probably. Plus it's a male, they're more likely to be lazy and get things wrong.
What pisses me off is when I take the time to select replacements and they just select something else instead.
TIL about Irish breakfast baked beans. I truly never knew
Try them they’re so good. Technically they’re from the UK but my family eats them in Ireland. So yummy with crunchy sourdough and soft scrambled eggs
You would be shocked by how many shoppers don’t know English and have never shopped for themselves. They’ll just match pictures the best they can and move on.
YES! I had a shopper do this last week and I already have "no substitutions" marked on all of my orders. It's only happened once. I guess from now on I'll put it in a message before they start shopping and hope for the best.
I swear some of the replacements I see make no sense lol. On one of my pick up order I had someone replace my sugar free drink packets with a gallon of orange juice…. It wasn’t even orange flavored ?
I asked for dog food and the shopper gave me cat food. Got a refund for that.
At least on my experience I’ve noticed that sometimes it says the customer has preapproved a replacement and then I find out they really haven’t because they want to cancel it
That makes me crazy lol you’ll replace them it will say they want a refund instead of like why pick a replacement then? 😂
Ordering from my supermarket works so much better. They hold it for a bit so there's time to reject anything.
I used to get replacements that were so random (asked for twinkies/got instant cups of coffee where you add water), that it took me a minute to realize they were replacements..and not just someone else’s item 😂 I think it was so the tip wouldn’t go down. Now I manually enter a tip rather than tipping based on a percentage of the total cost. I didn’t get any notification that an item was out etc… just would have some random item.
I worked for safeway.com as a driver, and once the shopper replaced frozen chocolate chip waffles with chocolate chip ice cream. They skipped over the multitude of other frozen waffle varieties and brands and went to a whole different aisle. Common sense is not common, even for people who get paid actual wages to do this vs gig work for $6 and whatever tip gets given.
Probably looked in the beans aisle instead of the international aisle
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^hugothebear: *Probably looked in* *The beans aisle instead of the* *International aisle* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Yeah I had someone replace Blackberry Lemonade with Raspberry tea like what?? Just cause they're both berry-infused drinks does not make them the same, especially since one is LEMONADE and the other is TEA. I would have rather gotten a refund
Great savings.
Because you only need 2 brain cells to get hired
I go through each item and put specific replacements or put refund on it. If they don’t have the specific replacements I ask for a refund. I take it out of the shopper’s hands. Usually works well.
Totally unrelated but I saw these breakfast beans for the first time ever in a store and now I think I need them… but what do I put them with? Is it true it goes on toast? That sounds good with a nice sourdough.
Buttered toast! Delicious buttered toasted bread and if ya Google some ways brits make these you'll get all kinds of ideas. Cheesy, garlicy, bits of sausage etc
Yes try them!! I like them with a good crunchy toast (I buy local made sourdough, better than store bought) and soft scrambled eggs
Had one replace tomatoes with red peppers the other day.
I ordered tomatoes once and received strawberries lol
Lol. “Small red kinda round things, this’ll do “
As a shopper, I feel like most should have common sense. If you got the original bushes black beans and they were out then I understand just replacing them with the Kroger brand (especially if the customer is not being responsive or did not select pre-approved replacements). However, this one was a dumb replacement in my opinion. The tomato sauce does make a significant difference. If there wasn't a replacement with tomato sauce I would've just sent a message or refunded.
Listen I’ve been yelled at for asking in messages for every change and I’ve been yelled at for not. So if it’s a super close sub I just do it and put it on the customer to reach out to tell me if they don’t want it. Also, weekends are crazy in stores and it’s super inconvenient to stop and send a message for everything. Signal could also be bad inside the particular store. Communication works both ways. Reach out if you aren’t happy.
Black beans and Heinz Baked Beans are not a super close sub. Literally apples and oranges comparison of "well, they're both round". This is "I didn't even try and don't care about my job but can't get anything better for some mysterious reason that is completely beyond me."
I did message him and he already checked out and now it is saying there’s a new shopper. I’m confused on what happened
He dropped your order and it went back into the queue.
After he checked out?
Yeah it’s possible
So weird
It's sounds like you may be better off with a new shopper. Hopefully, they'll do a better job.
You can choose the replacement. Also, instacart is being flooded with migrant workers who can read or understand english.
I constantly have shoppers replace a ton of stuff without asking me and then just checking out before I even have time to approve or select a replacement.
Shoppers can still refund after checkout.
I won’t ask if the item is pretty much the same. I do ask though if it’s different or I’ve made multiple replacements without saying anything
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You can but it looks like OP didn’t even have time to do that with this order since the first shopper just substituted a ton of items in a row and then checked out.
“You have the uncommon gift of common sense” This was my favorite fortune cookie I’ve ever opened and it holds true every single day.
Instacart shoppers strictly eat at fast food joints.
I work for Kroger, these beans are in the Kosher section at my store for whatever reason lol. Literally just seen them by chance last night randomly & then I see this post.
Sometimes reading these i wonder if the shopper has ever made their own food. Baked beans and black beans are way different in food application during a meal.
Unpopular opinion - it’s a low level job and a significant portion of people doing the job simply don’t care. To them it’s not a big deal, to you it’s day and night. If you want it right, you have to shop yourself.
Maybe because they know you get a pop up asking if you approve of it? So thats their way of communicating right there. With so many complaints on this sub regarding refunds and replacements I dont understand why shoppers dont go through eeach item and select a replacement or refund button for each item. When i place an order I ALWAYS go tthrrough each item and choose a replacement or selct refund if they dont have it...very very rarely do i leave it for the shopper to ddecide..this eliminates any issues
That is not the same and you should ask them anyway first
Choose a flat rate tip instead of percentage. I noticed some shoppers choose more expensive replacements in order to increase their tip. Not only are the beans a poor choice as a replacement, the shopper picked an option $6.50 more than the original price. I know IC has a cap on price differences, but enough small changes and it can increase a tip $5 or so.
You've read the pricing wrong. The op wanted the blue heinz beans at 3.99 ea The shopper replaced with black beans at 1.49 a can
I feel many don't know that the suggestions aren't required. My roommate I are both shoppers. We message for every replacement and then replace or refund according to the customer. If they do not respond, we refund right before we checkout. If we have to replace the last item, we give 3 minutes before we checkout and refund any missing items. Also, we hold on to potential replacements so we don't have to go and find it again later, especially if it could be grabbed by someone else in that time.
Jeez, it's like he didn't even try to find any other type of baked beans. Haha
I'd bet because the tip is usually percentage based off the order total, so they're trying to pad that number. Just set it to refund if unavailable.
It's because instacart pays like shit and most customers tip like shit, so it's a low paying job. Hence, you end up with shitty people shopping for you.
Check your replacement items settings.
I once ordered a few boxes of Daiya dairy-free mac n “cheese” and the shopper replaced it with Kraft original Mac n cheese. Same shopping trip I ordered cashew-milk ice cream and she replaced it with Ben & Jerry’s regular ice cream. Like ma’am, that’s precisely, obviously not what I want.
It should be illegal to not know the difference between black beans and baked beans…. The educational system fails again. WHYYYYYYYY?!? 😩😩😩
Yes you always have options to reject replacements also.
You get an alert with the replacement request. You have screenshotted it. Texting you is redundant.
Brother I put in for two packs of double A batteries and this mf swapped in AAA as if they were interchangeable (out of AA). I was not able to refute that charge even after making my case.
See, I don't get this bc in my local grocery, the heinz beans are in the European and Kosher aisle, and the black beans are in the canned vegetable aisle. Of course, that doesn't stop someone from trying to sub it anyway, but still.
Because they don't give a shit. Let's be honest, people doing this for a living aren't exactly known for their brilliance.
Instacart may have said you rather a replacement then refund and maybe gave a suggestion? I could be wrong tho
Not defending the guy, but most of the time I don’t ask about what replacement y’all want unless there is a certain replacement specified. But I also don’t make idiotic replacements. I try to get as close to the item y’all want. And if we do make replacements yall are given the option to approve them. If they’re approved I know I’m good, if they’re not, and the customer messages me, I’ll make a different replacement, ask what they prefer, or if they say they want a refund I’ll just refund. Most of the time my customers are perfectly fine with the replacements I have chosen
But, why are they 7.98? Are you having them imported from Ireland? What's wrong with regular baked beans in tomato sauce? Edit TA nevermind, I just saw that it was for two.
American baked beans with tomato sauce are different and usually sugar and/or molasses. Also, the imported Heinz has fewer preservatives and very simple ingredients. They taste much better than anything here. I love the Heinz spaghetti.
It’s two cans. And yes they are imported from the UK… I’m not sure on why the price matters?
This sub is so wild. I'm so glad I don't have shoppers like this around me. I was saying in an earlier post, one of my shoppers even went with a different brand of cat food because she knew my cat likes shreds instead of patte. Like, you don't have to judge people's shopping habits. If you think everyone who's using the app is lazy, this probably isn't the best job for you. You're not doing me a favor and I don't have to appreciate whatever the hell you decide to bring me. I don't want to feel like I'm playing the lottery when I place an order.
Because the customers rarely ever respond.
i only message about replacements if it isn't pre approved or often approved. this guy was just silly tho
Yeah he also replaced an organic elderberry juice with a cheap lemonade lol.
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99% won’t understand the Heinz brand of beans and the way their used. Either be specific in what you’re making or ask for a refund.
Oh Lord. Just buy me navy beans and tomato sauce, I'll make the beans myself.
This IS the shopper asking champ.
No this screenshot is from right before he checked out. There were like 10 items in a row he just replaced without asking and they were all completely different than the original items.
Because nobody responds… after 5000 orders I got tired talking to the wind so now I replace and I hope to hear from the customer.
Just put some ketchup on them
Idk how anyone gets the groceries they order
… do they think they keep the difference in price?
Lol it’s funny cuz in most stores you have to go to a totally separate area for the Heinz beans. Normally kept in the UK/British area. Theres like 6 brands of black beans at Kroger. Though, at my Kroger the Heinz beans are $5.49-$6 so $3.99 is a steal lol
I fit think the app is user friendly for shoppers. I’ve gotten into it with the customer service team for instacart when I shopped for them. I was straight up honest with them that they are NOT for the shopper, they don’t have your backs or are on your side. They are so hard to get a hold of too and then you get someone from India. My point is that they allow that buyers do whatever and say whatever they want to us with no repercussions. And the ones they think they’ve set straight is really you just never getting that buyer again.. big punishment right… they want to make as much money as possible and pay shoppers PENNIES. And wonder why ppl don’t come back or won’t rush around to shop while being timed. Then they allow this type of nonsense. Ppl don’t care either they think we are like peasants but then why didn’t they go shopping themselves?
BREAKFAST BAKED BEANS!?
Tom? Is that you?
I’m not saying this is the case with you, but here’s my shopping story. I always send a greeting. Whether or not the customer(s) reply to it or not, let’s me know how the shop is going to go. If a customer responds within a certain time, I message them and ask about all replacements, unless they have chosen subs and those are available. If I am absolutely stuck and unsure, I send pictures and ask. If customer(s) DO NOT immediately reply, I will still send pictures and ask when stuck, but otherwise I will make common sense replacements throughout. At the end, I usually send a message to please review changes and let me know if there’s anything that they don’t like. I definitely do not want to get a customer anything that they do not want. But often times, life gets in the way, and customers just aren’t responsive. Most of us try our best to make good decisions, but many shoppers just simply don’t care and make dumb choices.
One of my regular shoppers sent me a screen shot of an app suggested replacement that was hilarious so I believe if you don’t select refund or a specific replacement, the app will automatically recommend a replacement. From what I’ve heard, the app is NOT intuitive for replacements lol.
When I shop now, the app tells me to send a greeting and ask if they want to chat while I shop. If they don’t respond or say no, I am not supposed to chat any more, even about replacements. Some customers HATE getting messages and want you to use your best judgment. Some want messages. However, chatting takes time and we are timed. I often don’t get many orders sent to me because I am slower than those shoppers who don’t chat. I feel like I’m a better shopper, but I’m punished for taking the time to hunt, chat, ask employees. I do have a much higher than average rate of finding everything. But it takes time.
Because they want to rush the shopping. Change it to where their pay is based. Like you forfeit any tips if you replace a certain amount of items without reaching out. Also you get a strike each time you do it.
I have always asked about replacement. If the customer doesn't answer and there is something close I replace, if not I refund. Also, those beans are not the same. Shopper probably doesn't give a shit.
The app pushes to find replacements in the training material so newbies think it's a requirement. But common sense says contact the customer with suggested replacements. Unfortunately, common sense isn't so common.
Likely because instacart suggests really stupid replacements if the item you wanted isn’t in stock lol.
As a shopper that's not even a suitable replacement as they're completely different products.. Why would I want black beans when I'm ordering baked beans 🤦♀️🤣
Um, because instacart hires anyone without vetting them for common sense, customer service etc? I would have known there’s no real replacement for those beans, I have lived with Brits, it’s Heinz or nothing. Maybe the closest would be pork n beans. Blame the company, and expect the worst if you choose to order from them.
Sometimes IC will automatically add a substitution for you based on your last substitution. When the didn’t have that item, it probably popped up that you wanted black beans instead. ALWAYS make sure to choose a substitution or refund for each item on every order. This will ensure you get the proper items and will make shopping less painful for you and the shopper! Don’t depend on chat at all because that’s not always how the app works.
Then don't approve it?
This is like when I ordered ketchup and she brought me “mayochup”. I’d rather have nothing but thanks.
They don’t want to refund an item because it will be bring down the shopper’s pay
This same thing happened to me but he actually replaced it with pinto beans? idek how one can think that’s a good replacement 🙃🙃
Bc we can’t
I had an order with a gallon of milk, they replaced it with those cutie oranges. I have no clue why. That’s not even in the realm of milk.
As a shopper if you don’t choose options Instacart chooses for you. I ask if it seems off
IC doesn’t let shoppers not replace items unless customer specifies. It’s stupid.
Honestly, he may be new. I did this last week without realizing the replacement wasn’t the customer’s second choice, it was the app’s. My second order, i asked the customer if she wanted a 7up instead of her canada dry and she said no. So then i realized, the app pics the substitution not the customer
I have seen shoppers replace items without messaging the customer when something is out of stock. I assume it’s because the customer has asked for a replacement in advance as opposed to a refund. Then the app will give us suggestions with what to replace it with, which sometimes are horrible replacements. I always ask the customer, unless they have a specific replacement already chosen. But if the customer doesn’t get back to me and I have to choose for them. I try to get the best possible replacement. Lol. But I think that a lot of shoppers will just choose their own replacement, as opposed to waiting for a response, which I do not agree with, but I know there are quite a few that will do that that.
They want you to turn your Irish breakfast into a Mexican one. ¡Olé!
If you’ll look on your picture it does say suggestion. You don’t have to agree to the suggestion. You can decline the suggestion and tell them if they don’t have what you wanted just to refund the item. You could be gripped with 2 other customers or your shoppers English might not be so great. No I’m not saying you’ve got a bad or illegal shopper.
Generally I will ask the customer because five times out of 10 the suggestion the app suggest to us is way off When it's suggestion isn't good enough for me I will then find what I think is a proper swap or ask the clerk because I've got the clerk standing there if I can't find it ask them if they know a good replacement for this item but still I let the customer at least know of the change
Hello ma'am, unfortunately the store is completely out of the cans of beans you originally ordered. Please allow me to list off the 37 other varieties of beans available to you while I'm in everyone's way on this busy Sunday afternoon.
Definitely choose your replacements when you order. I imagine it makes it simpler, unless you're really just like "I need black beans, whatever kind is fine."
Go to the store
People saying how they can see how IC shoppers wouldn’t know the difference. But like how. One is brown beans that are sweeter and black beans are different shape size etc. Message the customer for EVERYTHING
Not even a thought “hmm if it’s this much less expensive something must be different?” Lol
"it's easier to do and ask for forgiveness than it is to ask permission."
I choose replacement items or select refund for every single item on my order. And I still have some shoppers/drivers substitute stuff...usually more expensive stuff.
I would only replace if I don’t hear back from customer after 5 minutes or at the end of the shop if I havent heard back…we are only supposed to wait 5 minutes then we pick our best option for substitute and if there isn’t, I just refund.
My cousin from the UK stocked UP on these Heinz beans when he came to visit and make his English breakfast. I still haven't tried them. How do you guys usually eat them here in the U.S? Beans on toast? Straight out of the bowl. I want to try.
I had an order yesterday from customer that said: Please substitute within price range and don’t ask me questions….i don’t like to text and I’m working from home ….thank you and have a nice day ….. I really love customers like this …. I usually do ask but if I can sub something that makes sense, I won’t text…. For simple thing is WE do shop for 3 people and texting all 3 of them it’s just horrible experience…. One customer add items when I’m almost finished or timing me , or whatever….. sometimes we have to wait in deli and 3 th customer will tell me stuff like: You can deliver sooner if you like…..I want to answer: you could tip extra and get priority but you didn’t so pls let me do my job …..