by Scott Creighton
--- UPDATE 2 ---
Well would you look at this. Not only is Instacart bleeding out customers these days, but Robbie ( @Robbie96781988 ) found this from FTC official website:
Insrtacart was just hit with a massive ruling regarding their deceptive practices, fraud and 'unlawful subscription enrollment processes'
'FTC settlement resolves allegations that Instacart deceived consumers with false advertising, failure to provide refunds, and unlawful subscription enrollment processes ...
Today, the Federal Trade Commission announced that grocery delivery provider Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to consumers to settle allegations that the company engaged in numerous unlawful tactics that harmed shoppers and raised the cost of grocery shopping for Americans. Instacart will be required to cease its deceptive practices under a proposed FTC order, and consumers who were charged for Instacart+ without their express informed consent will receive refunds as a result of the settlement' FTC website
So it looks like Instacart has found a NEW WAY to unlawfully enroll people in their subscription services... just sign up old ones who have quit them. I mean, after all, they still have their bank account information, just take the money and see how many make noise about it.
Not only am I now contacting Chase fraud services, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,More Perfect Union and Groundwork Collaborative... but now I also have to contact the Federal Trade Commission with this news about how Instacart seems to be trying to make up the $60 million hit they just took for being corrupt in the first place.
H/T and big thanks to Robbie ( @Robbie96781988 ) for finding this and to Aunt BB ( @AuntBee8 ) from bringing it to my attention. Give em both a follow if you can.
see UPDATE at end of article
It's not enough that they jack up the prices on stuff you need from the store.
It's not enough they charge some people more for the same product from the same store as they charge others.
Nope.
Apparently they are now waiting until late Friday evening (after bank offices close that can help you fix this fraudulent charge) and then hit you with a totally fraudulent charge for accounts you no longer have.
Just straight up stealing from their previous customers who helped make them rich over the years.
Just flat out thieves at Instacart.
When I got the car I immediately cancelled my Instacart subscription. Didn't need it or want it anymore. I'm happy shopping for myself after several years of not being able to.
This evening I can't sleep so I checked my email and saw I was under $50 in my account. That made no sense. After going to the store this morning and dealing with the sunroof all day, I knew I had about $117 in my account which is not much but enough to maybe get what I need to try to fix the sunroof in the morning.
Come to find out, Instacart, after all this time, submitted a fraudulent charge against my debit card of $99, a year subscription to their service.
This is a screenshot from my Chase account showing clearly that the $99 charge is for a subscription to Instacart.
So I went to Instacart and tried to log in on my old account to see what was going on and maybe have to jump thru the hoops of cancelling it... again... and lo and behold... I don't have an account at Instacart.
That's the screen you get when you try to log into an account with an email it doesn't recognize as having an account. Of course it doesn't because I don't have an account with Instacart anymore.
I took to Twitter immediately after trying to call the bank to challenge this fraudulent charge but they are closed for the day. Will see if they even open on Sat. in the morning.
When More Perfect Union and Groundwork Collaborative did a study they found that Instacart users in the same area shopping from the same stores were being charged different prices for the exact same goods by Instacart.
'Grocery delivery app Instacart uses artificial intelligence pricing tools that have caused many U.S. shoppers to pay higher or lower prices for identical products from the same store, according to a new study.
The study, released Tuesday by Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive advocacy group, Consumer Reports and news organization More Perfect Union, enlisted 437 shoppers across four cities to add the same items to their carts within the Instacart app from the same store.
The researchers ran the experiment at a number of popular grocery retailers that partner with Instacart, including Target, Costco, Albertsons, Kroger and Safeway.
Almost 75% of the items tested were offered at different prices to shoppers, the organizations found. In one case, users observed that a carton of a dozen Lucerne eggs was listed at five different price points at a Safeway in Washington, D.C.' CNBC Dec 9 2025
Instacart had entered into agreements with various grocery stores to see if they could get away with charging what they figured was the most individualized customers would pay for products. It was called 'algorithmic pricing'
As soon as it was exposed in a mini documentary by More Perfect Union, Instacart quickly cancelled the 'test'
Also of note:
'Instacart is facing retention challenges due to high inflation, increased delivery fees, and intense competition from services like DoorDash and Uber. Customers are increasingly sensitive to, or frustrated by, marked-up prices, service fees, and poor service experiences. Despite being the market leader, their customer retention rate (61% in Q2 2023) trails behind major physical grocery chain...
Key Reasons for Customer Loss:
- High Costs & Inflation: Increased food prices, service fees, and delivery fees have made the service less attractive to budget-conscious shoppers.
- Competitive Market: Increased competition from DoorDash, Uber, and direct, in-house,, or faster delivery options from retailers like Kroger and Ahold Delhaize
.- Poor Experience & Service: Reports of poor service, including missing items, incorrect orders, and long delivery times, have degraded trust.
- Surveillance Pricing: The company faced backlash for testing "surveillance pricing," which led to negative public perception
So it appears, to help offset the losses, Instacart is just stealing from former (and current) customers in an effort to save the business.
A hundred bucks may not seem like a lot of money but I wonder how many thousands of people they are doing this to or just did this to tonight.
Most folks wouldn't even notice it. Some might not even care. But I noticed and I certainly care. If I were to go to a local store and steal $100 out of the cash register cops would chase me down the street at excessive rates of speed until they caught up with me and threw me a beating for making em work for it.
How many MILLIONS of dollars is Instacart stealing like this? They knew damn well I am no longer a subscription holder with their business and they just outright took the money from me anyway.
That's fraud. That's theft.
Just like they were doing with their pricing 'test'
We can expect a lot more of this as Big Business starts to wither and die on the vine. They literally think they can get away with anything.
Will update you when I hear from Instacart IF I hear from Instacart.
--- UPDATE ---
I entered into a DM chat with various AI bots with human names. It asked me to go fill out a form for a 'questionable payment' which I did and now they say it may take up to 7 days to get a reply. Not to get my money... just a reply. So it seems the bot intends to keep the money they stole from me... even AFTER it clearly stated I don't have an account with them.
My next step is to contact the fraud department at Chase as soon as they open and then to file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Asking me to file something on their website when they can clearly see they took the money by mistake or fraudulently and then when I do it I find out I will hear from someone in 2 weeks? Not get my money back in 2 weeks... but HEAR FROM SOMEONE in 2 weeks.
That shows they intend to keep the money as long as they can. If someone at a store messes up the charge on your debit card they review it right then and there and put it back on your card IMMEDIATELY.
This just proves it's a scam from the start.
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