T M.

So, I had my first Instacart experience here in Atlanta recently and I'm a bit ticked off.

Now, I know that they have got to make money off more than the delivery fee, so I expect that there is a margin built into the prices I see online. But when I agree to pay $6.99 for a pound of ground beef, and the beef comes marked with a "special price" of $4.99, I send Customer Service a note asking if they are really pocketing the difference, or are going to credit me.

Their rep comes back and says that they can't offer credits for sale prices, so they just made at least a 40% markup on that item. At the end of the day, I know I'm paying for convenience. But that seems a little rich. How many items, without a price marked on them, did I also just get jacked on?

Also, I'm guessing that Instacart pockets the loyalty rewards and discounts from my local Kroger, and that they are somehow getting some of the back-end from the store as well.

Will I use them again? Sparingly, and only in a pinch. Can I wait for Amazon to enter my market? Nope - the sooner the better.