Does Anyone Use Uber Eats, Door Dash or InstaCart?

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
Or any other meal/grocery delivery services? I have yet to use Uber Eats (UE) or Door Dash but my granddaughter uses UE too often IMO. My son has used DD. I recently got a coupon for $10 off my first DD offer. Started not to use it because I've been leery about those services given some of the disgusting things that delivery people have done with people's food. But I told my son to come over after work one day and we'll use it to order two spinach parmesan dinners, which he raved about from a pizza place close to where he lives (next town over). I'm curious to try that.

There are other meal delivery services, some of which deliver the ingredients which must be cooked. I see no sense in that, for my purposes anyway. With one I would have tried, the meals are $11.99 but are for two people. It necessitates signing up for regular deliveries. I'd never be able to eat all that food.
InstaCart is a service that is affiliated with several supermarkets and grocery stores. They will deliver your grocery order to your front door. My DIL used to use the service but I've never needed to use it since I can walk to the supermarket for most of my needs and we make a Costco run at least every couple of months. Also, my grandson loves going to Walmart like I do, so we shop there a couple of times a year. I also use Walmart.com.

Have you ever used any of these or similar services?
 

I have started using Instacart pretty regular now. I received a free trial special promotion that is up in April. If I decide to keep it, I will subscribe. I probably will because I like it very much. Since I do not have a vehicle this has been a very helpful service for me. I can order the groceries from several different stores in my local area (except Walmart). I have been ordering from Tops, my closest store and they are delivered within a half hour.
 
Coming in on this discussion late (as usual, lol): for the Instacart users, what happens if they're out of an item you want? Do you order online and it tells you if they're out of it right then and suggest other options? Or do they just tell you they're out period? And does Instacart go to more than one store for you? Also, it was said above that grocery delivery is kind of pricey; how pricey are we talking; is it a percentage of how much you bought? Also do you pay online when you order or when they show up with the delivery? (And do they take debit cards or checks?) And is it preferred to tip the delivery person? Then I'd have to make sure I always have cash on hand for the tip, right?

Thanks for any info; I don't drive much any more and Huzz has to take me most places and I never have much liked grocery shopping anyway.
 
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With the weather being s-o-o cold..I don't want to go out...so I have tried Anycart..with Safeway.and it was o.k. and Shipt (owned by Target) o.k. also.
But once the trial period(April) is over and it gets warmer...I like getting out to get my own groceries.
To answer⬆️..credit card..and they can put the tip on it..or you can choose to pay cash to the driver.
If you know your prices,which I do... somethings are a little more..others items are store price.
 
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Jace said:
With the weather being s-o-o cold..I don't want to go out...so I have tried Anycart..with Safeway.and it was o.k. and Shipt (owned by Target) o.k. also.
But once the trial period(April) is over and it gets warmer...I like getting out to get my own groceries.
To answer⬆️..credit card..and they can put the tip on it..or you can choose to pay cash to the driver.
If you know your prices,which I do... somethings are a little more..others items are store price.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, Jace. The Instacart site isn't that informative; I found a teeny bit more info. on a money savers site.
 
Have used Instacart a few times very recently. The grocery store inventory is often not up to date, they do not have some items that you order. You can chat with the shopper, substitute items, and even add new items that you forgot on the original order. I decided today that I should add more notes to the order in advance, so the shopper knows more about substitutions.
 
officerripley said:
Coming in on this discussion late (as usual, lol): for the Instacart users, what happens if they're out of an item you want? Do you order online and it tells you if they're out of it right then and suggest other options? Or do they just tell you they're out period? And does Instacart go to more than one store for you? Also, it was said above that grocery delivery is kind of pricey; how pricey are we talking; is it a percentage of how much you bought? Also do you pay online when you order or when they show up with the delivery? (And do they take debit cards or checks?) And is it preferred to tip the delivery person? Then I'd have to make sure I always have cash on hand for the tip, right?

Thanks for any info; I don't drive much any more and Huzz has to take me most places and I never have much liked grocery shopping anyway.
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These are great questions Officer. Never mind that you came in late. :) Here are some videos about using Instacart. Nothing like "You Tube University" !! I haven't watched them yet but I'm hoping these videos will provide answers to your questions.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tips+for+instacart+shoppers+
 
officerripley said:
Coming in on this discussion late (as usual, lol): for the Instacart users, what happens if they're out of an item you want? Do you order online and it tells you if they're out of it right then and suggest other options? Or do they just tell you they're out period? And does Instacart go to more than one store for you? Also, it was said above that grocery delivery is kind of pricey; how pricey are we talking; is it a percentage of how much you bought? Also do you pay online when you order or when they show up with the delivery? (And do they take debit cards or checks?) And is it preferred to tip the delivery person? Then I'd have to make sure I always have cash on hand for the tip, right?
Click to expand...
When you are placing your order you can see if the store is low on an item and you can choose not to replace (and you get a refund for that item in the final bill) or choose a substitution. After the order is complete you will get the option to choose substitutions for other items in your order. If you shop there often, those substitutions will stay on your account for future orders. The shopper will let you know while they are shopping if they have to substitute and what is available.


I have only used one store so far through their service. Tops is about 2 blocks away and in nice weather I go there on my mobile chair, in wet, cold or snow, this is a great option for me. I usually buy about fifty or sixty dollars worth of groceries at a time and the tip is based on what percentage you want to pay. In the beginning, I gave less but after I got more into this, I give up to ten dollars. They get my groceries here in about half an hour. I have never waited long and the last time I placed my order and she was at my door even faster.

I always pay online with my debit card and include the tip right then. If you decide to increase the tip after the delivery you can go back and do that online.

I don't know if they charge any more for each item then usual. Tops is more expensive than the two other stores I usually shop at but they have better quality so I figure it evens out. The last time I ordered, I ordered pork chops that were on sale and the shopper said it was out so I said to get a different type. Then she messaged me back and said the butcher was going to cut them special for me. She had to wait for him to do that. So that trip took a little longer but not much.

I started using this service because my credit card company offered me a free trial for six months. There is no other charge presently. When I subscribe there will be a yearly or monthly charge like Amazon Prime. I like it and for me it is worth it. If I buy over $35. the service fee is only one dollar.

They bring it right to the back door of my apartment building so I just meet them out there and put the groceries on my walker seat. It is easy and a good option for someone who does not have a car. Yesterday, shopping at Walmart I was in so much pain walking around that big store. Not sure I want to go back there. I do order some groceries from Walmart online and it comes through FedEx. But you can't order everything there so Instacart fills a need for me.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Or any other meal/grocery delivery services? I have yet to use Uber Eats (UE) or Door Dash but my granddaughter uses UE too often IMO. My son has used DD. I recently got a coupon for $10 off my first DD offer. Started not to use it because I've been leery about those services given some of the disgusting things that delivery people have done with people's food. But I told my son to come over after work one day and we'll use it to order two spinach parmesan dinners, which he raved about from a pizza place close to where he lives (next town over). I'm curious to try that.

There are other meal delivery services, some of which deliver the ingredients which must be cooked. I see no sense in that, for my purposes anyway. With one I would have tried, the meals are $11.99 but are for two people. It necessitates signing up for regular deliveries. I'd never be able to eat all that food.
InstaCart is a service that is affiliated with several supermarkets and grocery stores. They will deliver your grocery order to your front door. My DIL used to use the service but I've never needed to use it since I can walk to the supermarket for most of my needs and we make a Costco run at least every couple of months. Also, my grandson loves going to Walmart like I do, so we shop there a couple of times a year. I also use Walmart.com.

Have you ever used any of these or similar services?
Click to expand...
I've used Instacart, Door Dash, and Walmart. I think Door Dash is a big waste of money, unless it's necessary, which it has been from time to time. Instacart only delivers from Aldi, and I wish they would deliver from a grocery store I like more.

Walmart once delivered 3 items in an 87 item order. I called them immediately, and they credited my account in full, immediately. I liked that no fuss, efficient response. So I will still order from them. My sister gave me a Walmart + subscription for Christmas, so that helps too.
 
katlupe said:
When you are placing your order you can see if the store is low on an item and you can choose not to replace (and you get a refund for that item in the final bill) or choose a substitution. After the order is complete you will get the option to choose substitutions for other items in your order. If you shop there often, those substitutions will stay on your account for future orders. The shopper will let you know while they are shopping if they have to substitute and what is available.


I have only used one store so far through their service. Tops is about 2 blocks away and in nice weather I go there on my mobile chair, in wet, cold or snow, this is a great option for me. I usually buy about fifty or sixty dollars worth of groceries at a time and the tip is based on what percentage you want to pay. In the beginning, I gave less but after I got more into this, I give up to ten dollars. They get my groceries here in about half an hour. I have never waited long and the last time I placed my order and she was at my door even faster.

I always pay online with my debit card and include the tip right then. If you decide to increase the tip after the delivery you can go back and do that online.

I don't know if they charge any more for each item then usual. Tops is more expensive than the two other stores I usually shop at but they have better quality so I figure it evens out. The last time I ordered, I ordered pork chops that were on sale and the shopper said it was out so I said to get a different type. Then she messaged me back and said the butcher was going to cut them special for me. She had to wait for him to do that. So that trip took a little longer but not much.

I started using this service because my credit card company offered me a free trial for six months. There is no other charge presently. When I subscribe there will be a yearly or monthly charge like Amazon Prime. I like it and for me it is worth it. If I buy over $35. the service fee is only one dollar.

They bring it right to the back door of my apartment building so I just meet them out there and put the groceries on my walker seat. It is easy and a good option for someone who does not have a car. Yesterday, shopping at Walmart I was in so much pain walking around that big store. Not sure I want to go back there. I do order some groceries from Walmart online and it comes through FedEx. But you can't order everything there so Instacart fills a need for me.
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Thanks, katlupe and everyone, for all the good info.! :)
 
CBC Marketplace (in Canada) had an interesting article the other day. They went around checking on these companies and found out that your $250 in groceries could cost you $325. The extra adds up to their fees in whatever form. There are no free rides. Someone has to pay for the drivers, the gas and their time. That someone is sure to be the customer. However, if you are fragile, house-bound or not well, then the extra cost is worth it. Just remember that there are added costs. No free ride.
 
Packerjohn said:
CBC Marketplace (in Canada) had an interesting article the other day. They went around checking on these companies and found out that your $250 in groceries could cost you $325. The extra adds up to their fees in whatever form. There are no free rides. Someone has to pay for the drivers, the gas and their time. That someone is sure to be the customer. However, if you are fragile, house-bound or not well, then the extra cost is worth it. Just remember that there are added costs. No free ride.
Click to expand...
Yes, but I don't have the expense of my own vehicle so I figure I probably come out ahead.
 
I’ve ordered online from Walmart and another local grocery store for pickup. There were very few substitutions and I could refuse that when delivered to the car. If there was any issue, notifying the store was not a problem. Most of the stores have a similar ordering plan and then a reasonable charge for delivery. Tip would be extra and I’d expect to do it when they arrive at my door. If I were ill or had another reason to have delivery, this would be a great service. I don’t need to pay someone extra to walk around the store picking up & notifying me of items. Maybe American stores don’t do direct delivery for you.
 
katlupe said:
Yes, but I don't have the expense of my own vehicle so I figure I probably come out ahead.
Click to expand...
Right you are. For the last 2 years I am keeping a record of my expenses in running my car which is a 2018 Ford Focus, 4 cylinder. For 2001 it was $5,500 Canadian. Now, I'm retired and sometimes don't use it sometimes for a week. It's all paid for so there are no payments. I sure would like to know the total yearly bill for one of those 4X4 trucks that people use when they live out in the country and have to commune to the city everyday to work? I have checked my local paper and many of these trucks sell for $60,000 plus 12% sales tax. Wow! That hurts! Yes, Katlupe, you are ahead. For me that would be $105/week which sure amounts to a lot of taxi trips.
 


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