Problem Solving

Written by Kristin Lipp

PROBLEMS

Deactivation

Instacart

7/24/20

I’ve been deactivated for 16 days now without having been provided a reason; a record; or a resolution. It started with a glitch in their system that swapped my phone number & email with other Shoppers’ around the country and logged/locked me out of the app 3×. I originally tried to reach Trust&Safety since the 9th to fix my account for good; but when shopper Support got me in again (it’s worked since then)– I was deactivated! I never got an email why so I had to reach out to Support since T&S only sent me the terms of service and said I violated it. I haven’t cancelled recently and the ONLY time I’ve canceled is when I asked Instacart to cancel a batch bc I was getting screwed bc their technical difficulty kept me from checking out an order, and they weren’t going to pay me for the shopping I did and the quote I got initially was going to be chopped -by how much I had no idea-.

After over 10 hours of chats and emails with Instacart, I feel like a toy and I am done playing their games. I am a human being with a family and bills; and I am also one of their best shoppers (with 5 stars),, not trash– and I will not be disregarded. I will no longer stand by and allow companies to abuse people, and workers like me.

Update: 3/16/21: I was reactivated after 40+ days of not being able to work and trying every day to get my account back. I was still never provided a real reason but they claimed I was at a 19% cancellation rate when the last time I looked I was at a 6% and never canceled after that. Unfortunately six months later I’ve been deactivated again without a dispute, nor proof of the allegation which is “threats of violence”. 🧐 I was also tip baited which is what I reached out to shopper “SUPPORT” about right before I got off the phone and my account was deactivated. Message me if you’re a lawyer because I’m not the only one, so I started a group on Facebook against their policies and procedures..

Poor Pay

Instacart

After mileage, Instacart often pays less than minumum wage! Tips are meant to be extra– not subsidize our pay!

Set tips aside, bc they are meant to be supplemental income. 35 hours × minimum wage ($12/hour) is $420— but we can clearly see Instacart gets away with paying workers who have COSTS -unlike employess- significantly LESS THAN MINUMUM WAGE!!

We don’t know how much the customer paid. If EITHER the worker, customer, and/or third party companies (ie restaurants) are left in the dark– companies can always pay subpar wages for labor without a law to restrict them.

Each item should take over 2 minutes (zone average) according to instacart, so it would make logical sense to multiply the count of items by 2– and THAT is how many minutes it will take to shop (30 items=~1 hour).

This example would take roughly 2 hours 10 minutes to shop for alone. Instacart does not pay us for checkout/bagging; loading/unloading; nor travel time to/from stores. 65 items/117 units is about 2 carts full so it’s going to take 15-20 to check out/bag -without a line-, plus about 20 minutes to load/unload. We’re just shy of 10-15 minutes short of 3 hours now. It’s also 9.8 miles away which would roughly take 15-20 (not counting the trip back). Minimum wage in Washington is now $12/hour. This offer should be at least (3 hours×$12) + (9.8×$.60/mile) = $41.88!

This example would take roughly 40 minutes to shop alone. It takes roughly 5-10 minutes to check out (without a line) and another 10 to load & unload. That’s looking at about an hour so far. Now consider the 10.2 miles (& gas + wear) plus the TIME it takes to drive, but Instacart is only paying $13.21 including the $.60/mile to the delivery from the store. Disregarding the tip, the driver just got ripped off by the company. This happens to shoppers all day, every day.

Uber

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Uber/Lyft started us at 80% in 2015. As the years went by and more drivers -supply- joined, the riders’ rates went down as did our earnings; but Uber Lyft said we would get more rides (as if we could take more rides than we were already). It was as if one were to go to work the next day and the boss says that since they hired more people, that you are less valuable and will be paid accordingly.

Within the past year or so, Uber and Lyft both changed their partner contracts again– but now they can charge and take as much as they want! I’ve seen as much as NINETY-ONE PERCENT go to Uber of $181 ride (Uber stole $161 from the rider/driver/community). This also happens all day every day.

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Lyft

Rideshare drivers should be making $30+/hour to cover the costs, taxes, and everything an independent contractor/business owner needs (like we used to). Before the virus, I was lucky if I made $15-20/hour -before costs-.

Instant Pay

Update 5/12/20-

I have $163.47 and $555.01 is being withheld:

  • $125.81 This week Instacart
  • $292.99 Next week Instacart
  • $136.21 Roadie

Currently my expenses are:

  • Gasoline
  • ½ Rent (Late bc COVID)
  • Auto Insurance

I haven’t been able to file with ESD for unemployment bc I can’t get through to ask a question about the form. I need what little I am making NOW– not LATER!!

I quit the 22nd of March due to the virus -as I mentioned above-, and switched/adapted to using other apps. Uber/Lyft charge a $.50 fee to cash out all of our earnings whenever we need them. As an independent contractor/business owner, that should be an inherent right. All of the apps I’ve signed up to pay for leads/billing for my business withhold workers’ earnings to make a profit -interest-, and I (we) do not consent!!

Being in a small town like Longview, we don’t get as much demand through the apps– and having to make a 70 mile daily commute isn’t cheap!! If I had access to cash out instantly, I wouldn’t be forced out of Longview to go make money I need NOW. 

I’m stuck using only Instacart and Roadie since I can’t sign into DoorDash bc they require TWO WEEKS working w them before they even let you instantly cash out -and then it’s $1.99 fee too-!! I quit PostMates after my 1st run since it turned out they don’t pay for high demand zones showing in the app and don’t ALLOW instant cash out -unlike Uber- unless you make $5+ (even though we have to pay for the transfer), and the compensation wasn’t worth the work -as is Uber without surge (“dynamic ratio”)-. 

I’ve barely been cutting $200-250/week for the past 4 weeks, and I can’t even work today (4/24) bc Instacart is having technical difficulties with their Android version! I have a loan due tomorrow (and I can’t cash out)!! 

The gig economy is unreliable and unsustainable especially during this pandemic and this is why I am so adamant and pursuing some help from above finally!! My husband has been paying my bills (else we would have to split & I would have to move back in with my parents/live on the streets). Not all of us are from around here and have support or a plan B for backup. We need you. NOW!

Learn more about app company abuse here.

SOLUTIONS

#GigWorkersRights

  • All humans are worthy of minimum wage (we’re not even counting the time waiting for a request/gig) AT THE VERY LEAST!! Companies need to charge enough to pay us ethically. Tips are extra & not meant to be subsidized. We have costs, unlike employees -even if we do get tax credit-; employees don’t have costs, and employees don’t have unpaid time/travel. That’s why we’re demanding a minimum guarantee of 120%×minimum wage before miles and tips. Miles would be at least 1⅔×IRS mileage reimbursement rate.

#CAPtheAPPS

  • Transportation network companies need to pay us a minimum of 80% of the fare that the rider paid out. Pending, dynamic ratio pricing may* go entirely to the driver; and furthermore, the company may* be capped from taking >$50 from any transaction.

We pay the companies for branding & billing (which is why they should pass prong B in CA AB5): We are consumers of their services.

The reason some workers can’t distinguish a line between being an employee v IC is because they’ve been accustomed to being an employee– so they’re not likely to view the IC situation differently, especially if they experience similarities of being employed. You can be an “Uber driver” or truly treat it as your own business: It’s all about perspective.

Independent contractor laws such as Borello and IRS are vague/open-ended (which is why AB5/HR2474), and there’s certainly a ton of misinformation -& manipulation- causing misclassification. They should be called MiSclassification tests since BOTH companies AND politicians abuse them for their special interests. When perspective/bias/, corruption is what classification is based on, the result decimates businesses, careers, and lives.

I’ve written new proposals for law(s) to clarify qualifications/rights for independent contractors, including Transportation Network Company drivers. Years back when I originally knew we were going to need regulatory assistance to address drivers’ rights, the official at Portland Bureau of Transportation instructed me to define our solutions and quantify support. In doing my research through TNC laws across the country in order to compile (borrow existing language & add improvements) a consistent TNC law, I discovered independent contractor qualifications in a states I browsed through which helped me compile a new law into a concise format:

TNC INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR DRIVER QUALIFICATIONS

Whilst drafting a new (sustainable) TNC law, AB5 and HR2474 have emerged as anti-worker threats. In response, I began drafting a new general independent contractor law also:

See the PEOPLE’S IC TEST

MORE

DELIVERY

RIDESHARE

Uber Lyft

-Charge more than the driver gets

-Pocket all but miles + minutes

-Rates fluctuate every ride (miles & minutes)

-Set the rates/value of the work

-Do not provide instant pay

-Must pay $.50 for ‘instant’ pay (Lyft)

–Charge $1/transaction for safe ride/’booking’ fee

-Only accepts debit cards (no cash/other)

-Do not provide driver upfront pricing

-Do not enable recurring business / preferences

-Deactivate without investigation/evidence

-Do not provide notification/reason for deactivation

-Prohibit drivers from alternative advertising (Uber)

-Prohibit unattended minors -not due to insurance/law

-‘Instant’ pay is not available for drivers with accounts that are currently deactivated or on-hold 

-In order to dissociate your debit card you had connected with your account, you will need to add another card to that account

-Before you’ll be able to view the available rental vehicles, you’ll be prompted to submit a rental deposit.

TIMELINE

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#Rates #UpfrontPricing2016^

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#Rates #HeatMap2018^

#Rates #Surging

https://www.wcvb.com/article/family-charged-dollar898-for-uber-ride/10252696

#Outsourcing

Our local economies globally are being extracted.

#Arbitration

Forced consumers not to sue for their technology. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2018/05/15/uber-ends-arbitration-sex-assault-claims-passengers-employees/610616002/

#Harassment

Susan Fowler & more former Uber employees: http://observer.com/2017/02/uber-sexual-harrasment-susan-fowler/

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#Insurance

It’s not clear if the ‘users’/pax are covered by the insurance for Lyft’s Carpool, but drivers sure aren’t! Also, are passengers informed and agree to taking rides from drivers who haven’t had a background check, vehicle inspection, nor possibly even an MVR (dmv) check?

https://www.lyft.com/carpool/terms

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#Discrimination

“It’s just so selfish. Why would you do that?” said one vet who jumped through hoops to prove his pup is a trained service dog. https://www.kgw.com/mobile/article/life/fake-service-dogs-are-becoming-a-problem/283-436594428

#Constraints

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2018/01/11/see-jane-go-out-of-business.amp.html

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#Rates https://youtu.be/ZHKfvnnXVDI

#Greed

Hertz doesn’t require Lyft to hold a deposit.
They’re making interest on providers’ $. Lyft has tripled the rental fee to $150.. It used to be $0!! They’re even not advised by the rental company to withhold our $ and it’s keeping not-valued Partners from driving. They’re making interest off partner $! When will you see your deposit? They told us a week after we return the rental.. perhaps months or years down the line when we don’t need a rental

#Debt

https://www.kqed.org/news/10499074/one-uber-drivers-story-how-he-was-trapped-by-auto-loan-program

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#Manipulation

#Corporate

Uber president quits: http://huff.to/2nbHWWT

Uber CEO resigns: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-01-18/the-fall-of-travis-kalanick-was-a-lot-weirder-and-darker-than-you-thought

#Automation

What do you think the bus drivers are going to do when Lyft and -worse- automated vehicles take their jobs? https://www.theringer.com/2017/3/31/16041806/lyft-shuttle-routes-ridesharing-transportation-silicon-valley-aa68125705e2

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#Insecurity

Drivers: Claim malarkey and sue TNCs if you get deactivated bc you are innocent until proven guilty. Pax should provide video/audio or TNCs had better provide a third party to immediately investigate.

#Fraud https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/rideshare-lyft-uber-vomit-fraud-fees/

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