Rip Off: Customer Learns She Paid a $77 Convenience Upcharge After Ordering LobLaws Groceries Using Instacart Delivery Service

An Instacart customer orders groceries from Loblaws and finds out the reality of using a delivery service versus going to the grocery store herself. She posted the cold reality in a TikTok video after discovering her delivery driver accidentally left the real grocery receipt in her bag.

credit: @sophiakokolakis on TikTok 

Sophia Kokolakis found out that she is paying way more to order her groceries through Instacart and have them delivered, thanks to the upcharge, and that doesn't even include the tip.

She posted a video to TikTok on 29 September 2023 after she received her groceries from Instacart, and the reality sets in that she just got ripped off.

TikTok Video: Instacart is Making Serious Money with Upcharge for Convenience

In the TikTok video, she says:

"This is honestly the first time that an Instacart delivery person has left the receipt in the bag and my total was $221 and I paid $298 on Instacart...from Loblaws. Damn." -Sophia Kokolakis

She paid about $77 more to Instacart for the convenience.

The video can be seen below.

TikTok video credit: @sophiakokolakis on TikTok 

Comments on the Video

Users weigh in on the video Sophia posted to TikTok. Here's what they said:

• User 'Cat Officially Cat' says, "That's the price of convenience."

• User 'TikTokMadeMeSayThat' gives a free tip, saying, "just order through Loblaws website itself. They use DoorDash to deliver and you don't pay any upcharges." (word 'upcharges' corrected in comment)
• User 'John C' says, "It clearly tells you on the app whether or not you're going to pay in-store prices or not, depending on what store you choose."
• User 'Wiara953 says, "I put stuff in my Instacart from Aldi's and went to the store myself and checked the prices. They tax the stuff like crazy."

Kate Witmer (Instacart shopper) said:

"As an Instacart shopper, I get sticker shock when I see the price the customer is paying vs. what the store is actually charging."

Jenny (Instacart shopper) said:

"We're supposed to keep the receipt for 30 days per our contract. The price mark up is insane though. Instacart makes money on every item you buy."

Mia (Instacart shopper) said:

"Do you live in the states? In Canada, we have to leave the receipt."

Boopie Jones (former Instacart shopper) said:

"During the brief moment I shopped for them is when I realized they were scamming customers & underpaying shoppers. Def left the receipt in their bag."

Readers, it's time for you to share your thoughts on the subject:

Do you think that customers would tip less or stop using the service if they found out how much Instacart is charging people for convenience?

Walmart Plus Member in New York Buys Chicken Breasts That are 'Stringy' & 'Like Twizzlers'. He Tries to Get a Refund Without the Chicken.

A New York man buys a $13 package of chicken during a shopping trip to Walmart. He takes it home and finds it to be "stringy and disgusting." He refers to it as "lab-grown chicken." He throws the chicken away at home and goes back to Walmart with his actual receipt and the digital receipt on his Walmart Plus account. Walmart refuses to give him a refund without the actual chicken or package.

Chet, a Walmart Plus member, buys some chicken that is very stringy when he tries to prepare it at home, and asks if it is "lab-grown." He is unsatisfied with the product, so he goes to Walmart to get a refund with just the physical and digital receipt on his phone.

He documents his experience purchasing chicken breasts from the Glenmont Walmart located at 311 Route 9W in several TikTok videos.

Chet Buys "Stringy" Chicken Breasts from Walmart

Chet posts his first video on 16 July 2023, stating "Wal-Mart Lab Grown Chicken" in the video description and in the caption of his video.

Chet buying chicken breasts at Walmart

After he opens it up to prepare it for grilling, he said:

"Why does it look so stringy? So I go to try and trim it off a little bit and...let me just show you. Look how stringy this chicken is. Maybe it looks normal to you, but it's like Twizzlers. I was peeling apart like string by string by string. Look at this." -Chet, Walmart plus customer

The picture below shows the shot from his video.

Stringy chicken breast meat

He continued:

"What is Walmart up to? Is that lab grown chicken? You can peel off every single piece of chicken like a line. Ya see it? Now I don't know if there's some butcher out there that can tell me what's goin' on, but all I know is that I'm not eating this crap. That's crazy, I'm getting my money back." -Chet, Walmart plus customer

The Daily Dot reported that this phenomenon in the chicken is likely "spaghetti meat" as a result of trying to grow chickens bigger, faster.

His first video can be seen at the link.

Chet Tries to Get a Refund, But Walmart Denies Refund Without Chicken

Chet posted another video on 17 July 2023 but Walmart will not give him a refund based on just a receipt and his digital receipt, regardless of his Walmart plus membership because he did not bring the chicken and the packaging with him.

He says in the video he spends "over $500 a month" at this Walmart.

His follow-up video can be seen at the link.

Thoughts

Have you ever bought meat that wasn't good and it needed to be returned?

(Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments)

Please share this article on social media so others can be informed about this story.

Sources

Chet on TikTok: @chet_deleo

Bjella, Braden. "‘But how do they know you didn’t eat it?’: Customer blasts Walmart after they wouldn’t refund him for ‘stringy’ chicken. It backfires." The Daily Dot. 9 August 2023.