"This Is F—ing Annoying": Over 3 Million People Couldn't Help But Relate To This Woman's Frustration Over Her Male DoorDash Shopper Who Only Got One Item Right
If you're anything like me and your shoulders are constantly sore from lugging several grocery bags back to your house, being able to utilize delivery companies like Instacart and DoorDash is a lifesaver. Unfortunately, if you use these apps, you might also be no stranger to some pretty questionable item replacements or out-of-stock messages from your shopper when the items are normally in stock.
Online conversations around these negative experiences usually come from women claiming that incompetence from male shoppers is the reason why using these delivery apps has become increasingly frustrating.
One of the botched grocery order victims, who goes by @Sammiellenclare on TikTok, recently went viral when she received her DoorDash order and suggested an app update that would solve the problem: allowing customers to choose women to shop for them.
"If you are not the CEO of DoorDash or Instacart, keep scrolling," she starts explaining. "I am begging you to make an update on your app where I can request a female shopper." Her frustration came after she placed an order for five items, and allegedly, only one was correct.
@sammiellenclare / Via tiktok.com
Sammi then begins to unpack her order. First is a quarter gallon of Tuscan brand milk. According to her, she ordered a half gallon of store-brand milk. "You can't tell me that they didn't have store-brand milk because I have never been in there, and they have been out of stock of store-brand milk."
Next up is an "ultimate" Caesar salad kit; the original order was allegedly a "chopped" Caesar salad kit. This one didn't surprise her, though: "I'm not gonna lie; I was expecting this because you have to look slightly harder for the chopped Caesar salad kit, and a man would never. He would just pick the one he sees first."
The third item was a mozzarella log; her original order apparently contained mozzarella pearls. "Again, because you have to look slightly harder for the pearls, and why would he ever?"
The fourth and final "wrong" item was Land O'Lakes Butter with Canola Oil. Sammi had ordered the brand's Garlic & Herb Butter Spread. In her video, she says that she specifically asked her shopper not to substitute the spread if it was out of stock. "I actually messaged him and said, 'Hey, can you just not substitute that one and refund me if you can't find the garlic and herb?'"
@sammiellenclare / Via tiktok.com
The one item her shopper got correct? A jar of store-brand Italian seasoning.
Sammi then reiterates the need for an update to these apps, "I'm gonna need that update to where I can request a female 'cause this is fucking annoying."
@sammiellenclare / Via tiktok.com
As a former Dasher, Sammi usually tries to avoid making a complaint on the app, claiming that the fault often gets pinned on the delivery person. However, in this case, she requested and received a full refund since "this was the driver's fault."
@sammiellenclare / Via tiktok.com
Over 3 million people have now seen Sammi's video, and the comments are flooded with women who have had similar experiences with their male shoppers. The one that truly took me aback was someone who allegedly had their tampons substituted with white mushrooms.
Similarly, this person ended up with napkins instead of pads.
Another poor, unfortunate soul claimed their ground beef was substituted for a watermelon.
And this person received an ungodly amount of bratwurst.
We can't forget about this commenter whose shopper apparently figured bok choy and a single Brussels sprout were interchangeable.
On the flip side, plenty of commenters shared their positive experiences with female shoppers who went above and beyond, from item suggestions to double-checking produce.
In a statement to BuzzFeed, a DoorDash spokesperson told us that negative experiences like Sammi's "are extremely rare on DoorDash." According to them, "less than 1% of grocery orders are reported with missing, incorrect, or defective items." They did, in fact, contact Sammi afterward to give her DoorDash credits and redeliver the items she originally ordered.
We only reached out to DoorDash since it was the platform Sammi used, so we can't speak for other delivery services.
When it comes to replacements, DoorDash seems to function pretty similarly to other delivery platforms. As a customer, you can choose substitutions for out-of-stock items before placing your order or in real time by messaging your shopper. However, shoppers who have worked for DoorDash and other similar delivery platforms have claimed that it actually takes more effort to replace the item in the app versus shopping for the originally requested product. According to them, male shoppers seem to actively choose this option rather than putting in the effort to find the right item.
A quick dive into the r/doordash_drivers subreddit shows that the replacement pop-up looks a little something like this (obviously, this one seems to have been glitching out):
Other posts show prompts that pop up if a shopper marks an item out of stock, like this one that asks them to take a photo of the empty shelf.
While I can't confirm why this pop-up exists, customers have posted about asking their shoppers (who, again, are often men) for photos of a grocery store shelf when they get a notification that their item is out of stock, only to then spot the item themselves.
@tierralamour_ / Via Twitter: @tierralamour_
When chatting with my friend and former DoorDash driver, he told me that it could be somewhat of a "toss-up" whether or not you get a response from a customer about an item replacement. At that point, you have to make a decision "between waiting for a response or being able to get to your next order sooner." As a driver, he said he often felt pressure to get orders done quickly.
Stock updates would also sometimes be inaccurate. Although DoorDash told us they "work closely with our grocery partners to refresh stock availability data daily and sometimes hourly," my friend told me that if a product were marked as "low stock" or "one left," the store would often be completely out.
At the end of the day, it's hard to say whether Sammi's and over 11,000 commenters' experiences are due to incompetence, faulty apps, or maybe even something else. One thing is for sure: Many women across the internet seem to share very similar frustrating experiences with male shoppers and delivery drivers.
What do you think of Sammi's suggestion to request a female shopper on delivery apps? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
BuzzFeed also reached out to Sammi for comment, but did not receive a response.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Moore Crunch! pretzel review: Heck yeah.
Moore Crunch! pretzel review: Heck yeah. There's a lot to like about Moore Crunch! pretzels. They're founded and crafted by an autistic adult, Marcus Moore. And the best thing about Moore Crunch! products? They're freakin' awesome. These are, in all honesty, the best pretzels I've ever had. They may be the best thing I've reviewed in my four years here. As much as I may want to talk about Moore Crunch!'s mailer -- replete with a massive foamboard poster detailing Marcus's backstory -- let's just get into it with my reviews of the company's offering of all kinds of incredible flavors: Garlic Ranch: A+ I'm excited about this blend. It speaks to my Italian roots and my current place in the midwest. Opening the bag unveils a stay fresh zip lock top -- a nice touch, but an unnecessary one for a one-ounce bag. The smell is baked bread and potent garlic, which is, honestly, just about perfect. I wasn't sure what to expect from the texture -- with a name like Moore Crunch! I expected a harder, crumbly pretzel. But these are a little more pliable. They crunch, to be certain, but they also have some give. You get into a softer interior that's more satisfying to chew than your typical Snyder's. It's a little more crumbly than your typical spindle, and it works. I like to eat my pretzels in small bites, spitting them down the middle with my front teeth before flinging them back to be digested. These work great for that. Each twist is well dusted in a combination of garlic powder and Hidden Valley-ish ranch. The balance is nice, with the tang of the garlic leaning into the softer, creamier base of salad dressing powder. The flavor hits each bite equally, lasting as long as it's on your tongue and a bit afterward. I have no doubt my breath is absolutely banging after this, but I don't care. It's worth it. What I said before about the resealable bag? That would probably hold true if these came in a half pound size. A single serving of these isn't enough. They're wonderful. The seasoning is addictive and the texture is just about perfect. It's one of the best snacks I've ever had. Maryland Crab: A- I don't much like seafood (hey, we're back to talking about food textures, neat) but I have had crab fries. This isn't Old Bay seasoning, but the smell coming from the bag tells me it's close. Once again, the bag is well coated in a fine dust of flavoring. There's a certain spice of paprika and black pepper that immediately zaps your tongue. It isn't as savory as the garlic ranch, which allows you to taste the pretzel a bit more than its predecessor. It's fine -- it's a pretzel -- but it slides to the background after that mild peppery influence rolls back at the end of each bite. The seasoning here isn't hot, but it's much more crisp than the last round. Again, it's deftly balanced and lingers through the satisfying snap of each bite. It doesn't hit the spot in quite the same way as the garlic ranch, but it's still an impressive and original leap into what had been a fairly routine snack. Cinnamon Sugar: A Pouring the bag onto a plate unleashes a proper stockpile of cinnamon and sugar. Once again, Moore Crunch! delivers its flavors in satisfying amounts. The cinnamon sugar is almost a dead ringer for the coating on Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. This is a good thing. That's basically like eating candy for breakfast. The texture remains soft but crunchy. The cinnamon sugar is sweet but savory. It's absolutely more of a dessert snack, but there are some real "walking through the mall and getting within 100 yards of an Auntie Anne's" vibes going on here. This stands as further evidence Moore Crunch! gets things right across its spectrum of flavors. The pretzels are a bit softer than other sticks. The flavor is familiar but still unique and liberally applied throughout each bag. These are next level pretzels. Most importantly, they're really, really good. Would I eat it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking (or eating) to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I pick Moore Crunch! pretzels over a cold can of Hamm's? Let's pair 'em up, they both rule. This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Donna Vickroy: We'll never know our family history if we don't ask questions
It was during a break in the interview with his 108-year-old aunt that the man whispered, 'Wow, I didn't know any of this. I'm learning so much.' I've written a lot of stories about a lot of people over the years. So often, family members have been shocked to learn of the hardships and accomplishments of their own elders. In most cases, the younger people knew facts about the older person's life — they'd been in the service or grew up an orphan — but not details, like they went hungry or embraced kindness even when in distress. When it comes to recounting how the ordinary folks in our own families endured extraordinary circumstances, so much seems to go unsaid. In any given episode of the PBS documentary, 'Finding Your Roots,' you'll watch the featured celebrity express shock at the events of an ancestor's life. Years ago, I interviewed the family of a Chicago Heights man who served in the Italian army during World War I. The father had passed away and his adult children uncovered his war journal, which was written in an obscure Italian dialect. With the help of a professor in Italy, they were able to translate the book to English, revealing a heartbreaking story of suffering. Though he had immigrated to America, the man had been drafted to fight in the Italian army back home. During a brutal battle, in which he recalled most of the soldiers in his trench were killed, he was captured. As a prisoner of war, he nearly starved to death. Upon learning her father's history, his daughter was moved to tears. She finally understood why he always ate so slowly, savoring every bite of food, including a common apple. 'I never knew any of this,' she said. More than not, history gaps are a common occurrence in families, including my own. It was on the eve of a serious surgery that my father-in-law finally agreed to be interviewed. I knew he had served during World War II, and that he had been back to the same parts of France and Germany several times. But, until that night, I didn't know why. He was a stoic man not given easily to emotion. I'd asked on many occasions about his war experience and he simply supplied cursory facts about time served. But on this night, a simple question opened the floodgates: 'You've been all over the world. But why did you travel to the same parts of Europe again and again?' 'To visit the grave of my friend,' he said. I grabbed a notebook. He had been a soldier in the 290th Engineering Combat Unit of the U.S. Army during World War II. Deep in the winter of 1944, he was on the frontlines in northern Germany, battling both the Nazis and a bad case of frostbite. When he couldn't get his boots on one morning, his commanding officer sent him to the field hospital. That night while he was recovering in the safety of the medical facility, the Germans attacked, killing almost everyone in his unit, including his best Army buddy. Many of the slain were subsequently buried at an American cemetery in France. Over the years, my father-in-law felt compelled to pay his respects to his friend and fallen comrades again and again. Upon hearing the story, my then-50-something-year-old husband became emotional. 'How come I never knew any of this?' he asked. His father shrugged and said, 'You never asked.' I think that simple explanation is why so many of us know so little about the family members who came before us. We can search ancestry files for facts and records, but the stories attached to that data often go unsaid. I recently learned that my maternal grandmother, who died in 2003, was a family heroine whose sacrifice and resilience went unnoticed or at least uncelebrated by most of her descendants. She found a way to divorce her abusive husband and retain custody of her four children during the 1940s, at a time when women had little say in the court system. I was very close to my grandmother and I am sorry she never confided in me, that I had to learn of her gallantry third-hand. I am even sorrier I never asked the right questions. I can't imagine how frightening it had to be for her to press charges against an abusive man, knowing the best outcome would be to become a single mother during wartime. As the story goes, the Army actually provided her the opportunity. When her husband was called up, he immediately went into hiding. Seizing the moment, she apparently ratted out his location and, with him shuffled off to boot camp, quickly filed for divorce. My nana endured a difficult life. But because of her quiet disposition, her grandchildren never would have guessed it. Even though America is a relatively young country, it has generational stories to tell. Tales of struggle, resilience, personal successes, heartbreaking losses, hilarious antics and big dreams offer a spotlight on the past and insight into who we are. Unless we find a way to prime the pump, too many these personal accounts will die with the protagonist.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Florence Anselmo: leading the Red Cross search for the missing
Tracing and reuniting family members separated by war, migration and disasters is as "bitter-sweet" now for Florence Anselmo, head of the Red Cross's missing persons agency, as the day she started. At 51, she still gets overcome with emotion during family reunions. "Even on video, it moves me. Fortunately, most of my years in the field were before I became a mother," she told AFP in an interview. "Sometimes I doubt I'd be able to do it again without breaking down in tears." After nine years as head of the Central Tracing Agency (CTA) of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Anselmo is preparing to leave her post in June. The Swiss and Italian national fondly recalls the first reunion she took part in as an ICRC official, in Colombia, aged 26. She walked the last few kilometres (miles) alone through the jungle to recover a hostage from an armed group, before bringing him back to his family, who greeted him in a "completely extraordinary moment of jubilation". Since then, the number of people asking the Red Cross to help find their loved ones has grown "exponentially", Anselmo said, driven by conflicts, ever-longer and more dangerous migration routes and climate change. More than 56,000 new cases were registered last year -- up from 13,000 in 2014. Anselmo is particularly moved by "the persistence and astounding courage" of women who risk danger to find their sons or husbands, sometimes venturing across front lines or braving gang violence in countries such as Mexico. "They are often the first to make contact with the families of the opposing side and build bridges between communities that demonise each other," said Anselmo, who also spent 10 years working for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) before returning to the ICRC. - Hope and despair - In the search for missing people, "there are moments of extreme joy", she said -- sometimes even in simple acts like giving good news to loved ones over the phone or in a letter. "Unfortunately, it's also very often bad news," she stressed. Reunions can also be upsetting. Anselmo recalled bringing back to his family a Burundian child soldier found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "You could see in his eyes... that he had experienced things that had robbed him of his childhood," she said. "It was a little bitter-sweet because there was the parents' joy but we realised that returning to normal life was going to be complicated." By 2024, the ICRC was trying to trace approximately 255,000 missing persons. This is only "the tip of the iceberg", as people often turn to the Red Cross only as a last resort, Anselmo said. For the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria alone, 116,000 and 35,000 cases respectively have been registered with the CTA. In all crises around the world people want, above all else, to be reunited with their loved ones. Family members are often left in a state of "ambiguous loss" that makes them "oscillate between hope and despair, and unable to move on", she explained. And in the current era of "financial contraction", the agency must sometimes restrict its criteria for accepting new cases -- something which troubles Anselmo. After growing up in the Swiss countryside and studying political science in Lausanne, she began her career in humanitarian work with a Swiss organisation helping asylum seekers, before joining the Geneva-based ICRC. - Mammoth task in Syria - The CTA's predecessor, the Basel agency, began its work during the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War. More than a century and a half on, artificial intelligence is now helping triangulate data to find missing persons. But the digital world brings its own dangers. In 2022, cyber-attackers seized the confidential data of more than 500,000 vulnerable people from the ICRC's servers, information relating to the movement's family links services. Anselmo hopes the tracing agency will be able to bring its experience to bear in Syria. The fate of tens of thousands of detainees and others who went missing remains one of the most harrowing legacies of Syria's long years of civil war, which erupted in 2011. "It's quite dizzying. We hear about mass graves but also individual graves that are still being discovered every day," she said. Estimates put the number of missing persons in Syria at between 100,000 and 200,000. Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024. Anselmo welcomed the new Syrian authorities' creation last month of a national commission for missing persons. But she explained that "even a government with the most sophisticated forensic system could not tackle such a mammoth task alone". apo/rjm/gil
