Everyone is doing their job but Shipt: Shoppers report tip delays as Shipt’s tech fails them again.
Shoppers are earning tips and members are paying tips; but somehow Shipt can’t isn’t paying the tips.
Shipt has a history of not being transparent when it relates to the concerns of shoppers. The gig app, owned by Target, likes to throw around words like “glitch”, “error”, “bug”, and “delayed” to sidestep responsibility for a myriad of both human and technology failures.
In mid-March, The Shipt List, a Facebook group dedicated to affecting positive change for Shipt Shoppers, began to receive reports of issues related to Shoppers not receiving tips. The group began to track and monitor the issues reported by members (what Shipt calls customers) to shoppers. The Shipt List’s efforts to document these cases revealed two issues.
1. On numerous orders, members were not presented the option to tip after the order was delivered.
2. Member paid tips were not being applied to Shopper accounts on orders completed at various retail partners, including Target and Meijer.
A number of members have reported to shoppers they were not prompted to tip. Both members and shoppers have voiced their concerns about Shipt’s less than user-friendly interface. Despite this, Shipt has not acknowledged there is even a problem.
More disturbingly, The Shipt List began to hear from multiple shoppers that paid tips were not reaching them in their final order pay-outs; and worked to provide support to shoppers attempting to report the issue to Headquarters. Per their usual M.O., Shipt’s initial response was to dismiss those concerns, but shoppers pushed back. Armed with copies of member receipts showing tips had been paid, they continued to press for answers.
Once shoppers backed them into a corner, Shipt was forced to address the issue and email an official apology to shoppers. Shipt’s official communication doesn’t acknowledge that shoppers brought the problem to them. This is deceptive and fails to address the whole problem and Shipt’s complete lack of urgency in developing a solution. Shoppers reported the issue to Shipt on March 26th on both Target and Meijer orders. Shipt’s communication only addressed Meijer orders.
Shipts resolution does not appear to have resolved the problem. The Shipt List continues to receive reports of the same troubling issue at the same retailers and also include Costco orders. These new reports further indicate the issue is systemic and remains unresolved.
Shipt’s lack of transparency regarding tips has left shoppers, who depend on those gratuities more and more as base pay continues to be lowered, wondering how many more tips were lost in limbo on their way to shopper’s paychecks? Shipt’s failure to make those tips available to shoppers in a timely manner is just the most recent in a long list of ways the company has fallen short of its responsibilities to shoppers.
Media inquiries: Shopperpress@gmail.com
As a Shipt Shopper, how do you feel about the tips on the Shipt App?
We asked Shoppers how they felt about the reported tip issues. Below are some of their responses. Please note: for anonymity purposes Survey Monkey has given each worker a unique ID.
11477584674
“Frustrated, ripped off, undervalued and more stressed than ever all while trying to still work for income but I can’t count on it.”
11476929423
“In the month of March, between 10–15, there were 2 members who texted me saying they tried and could not. This is huge issue. It is the tips that pay us. I most weeks, as of the last 2 weeks I worked, did not make above $5.25 an hour from ship. It is only through the generosity of the members I can make minimum bank.”
11476894743
“I know I’m losing money and it’s NOT OKAY!”
11476890324
“I have had many people tell me the option doesn’t come up to tip or it takes them back to the order page. It pisses me off. Out here putting our health on the line and then get screwed out of tips. Mind boggling”
11477659304
“Pissed off that the issue has been ignored for so long. We have been telling them there was a problem for over a year and they keep gaslighting us.”
11476867767
“I have several missing tips I believe, and we aren’t being paid appropriately for the job”
11476899438
“I feel like anytime I’ve addressed concerns over tip issues, I’ve gotten brushed off with a “the member has unlimited time to add a tip” Or “there are no known glitches in the tipping system.” I don’t believe it for a second.”
11477759749
“We are risking safety for ourselves and our family by exposing ourselves to the outside pandemic. Would be nice to see the stuff our customers are actually trying to give us. Especially since shipt will not approve a tip for higher than the order total.”
11476925621
“I have no confidence in Shipt’s commitment to their shoppers, who they see as entirely expendable. The lack of transparency, the cult-like obesience (sic) to the Mother Ship, and CONTINUAL “GLITCHES” (which are pretty much code for “We got caught” ) have eroded my confidence in this company. Tips are what we really work for. Get your SHIPT together.”
11476880843
“I feel like the prepaid tip issues are a horrible problem. Most customers don’t know how to find where to tip us. There should also be a way to include the tip in the beginning of the order, like Instacart. Also, no 3 days to change it.”
11476895395
“I depend on tips to make the pitiful amount of pay somewhat worth shopping!”
11476881271
“I feel like we are being taken advantage of. For an app that gets updated regularly you’d think these inconsistencies would stop but it seems like if it’s not one thing it’s another with shipt. No tips coming through, pay changes without contracts being given, paying us little for hours of work being done. The rumor that hq is being paid hazard pay while we are on the front line and not getting anything more but having pay taken away from us.”
11476881609
“With the technology that we currently have, there have to be a safe guard in place so we can feel assured our tips are coming. This feels a lot like what door dash was doing which caused a class action law suit.”
11476920991
“I feel as though I’m not getting all of my tips since my customers tell me they tpped (sic) me on the app and even tell me how much they tipped but I don’t receive it. So where in the world has my tips gone? Someone is getting them but surely isn’t me. I work hard and deserve all my tips, and it would be nice for Shipt to pay there shoppers there well deserved tips”
11476927027
“Unsettling I work hard”
11476925332
“I have been highly praised by some customers and tipped me from their app, only I never received the tip. I also have spoken with customers that said a tip option never came up. I have ordered as a customer myself and after my shopper delivered my order I went to tip her and was unable to.”
11476961178
“I depend on my tips. When a regular who always tips, suddenly does not, I wonder why. I’ve had several tell me they got an error message when they tried to tip. One tried to contact Shipt and she said they never responded.”
11476936110
“Tips should be required! Like added gratuity especially during a pandemic”
11477362005
“Shipt needs to make tipping the shopper more if a priority. If we can tip a waitress or pizza delivery person, why not a shopper who uses theirboen (sic) gas, shops the order, loads and delivers it in all kinds of weather not get tipped? There should be more than just an option to tip, it should be required.”
11477326731
“This is the single biggest reason why I no longer support Shipt and only shop promos.”
11477278145
“I believe shoppers should be paid fairly so that tips would be something extra and not something we depend on.”
11477520622
“Honestly most of the time the tip can make or break if the order pays enough. Especially for order 16+ miles away. Plus, that is OUR MONEY we are making. Being held from us. If a restaurant did that to their servers they would be shut down.”
11477501463
“It is 100% ridiculous that tips are not going to the shopper. They are risking their lives right now and are busting their asses to get groceries to the members to not be getting tips that are sent through the app/.com/prepaid.”
11476892409
“I think Shipt is trying to keep our tips. Like we won’t notice if they nail every shopper a couple of times.”
11478528065
“We do not get paid enough base salary to not rely on the tips. If a customer wants to tip but doesn’t know how bc it’s not in front of them that’s an issue.”
