Shoppers encounter grocery delivery problems
Many residents, including senior citizens, thought delivery would be the safest and easiest option.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Hoping to avoid the risks and long lines at grocery stores, Gail Diodati decided to try delivery.
The first challenge is getting a delivery date, sometimes requiring that you log in during the middle of the night to find availability.
“It could be up to three days before you get a date and time,” said the North Kingstown resident.
It’s a similar problem on the Whole Foods website, for example, where you have to wait to be assigned a time just to start shopping.
Diodati eventually managed to get a delivery time on Instacart that was still about a week away.
The app paired her with a shopper who texted her with substitutions for the out-of-stock items on her list.
She approved those substitutions, but after the groceries arrived, she discovered multiple items were missing. She was still charged for everything.
“I gave a larger tip, got charged a higher delivery, and didn’t get the goods that I really wanted,” Diodati said.
Instacart said it would take up to 10 days for her to get a refund. The company also says it’s working hard to meet the sudden massive increase in customer demand.
But with other services like Stop & Shop’s Peapod not doing curbside pick-up, Diodati says she has to turn to her last resort.
“I am going to suit up,” she said, “with my mask, and my spray, and my gloves, and I am going to the market.”
Yet Diodati says markets could do more to help solve two issues at the same time.
“There are so many people out of work right now. Even the smaller markets that are not delivering, hire people and start a delivery service.”
©WLNE-TV/ABC6 2020
