High demand creates issues with online grocery services

Reporter: Stephanie Byrne Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Credit: via public domain.

Grocery services are in high demand, and stores could be having trouble meeting community needs. It has led to problems for people who’ve had their delivery canceled at the last minute.

We spoke to a woman in Lee County on Monday who said she didn’t receive her groceries after she had already paid for them.

Whether it’s Walmart grocery delivery, Amazon Fresh, Shipt, or Instacart, shoppers can skip the grocery store and have it come to them.

That’s what Dawn Case decided to do. She doesn’t want to leave her Bonita Springs home because of her asthma. She tried to order Walmart grocery delivery for Thursday.

“There was no availability until Sunday, so I chose the 6 to 7 p.m. time frame for delivery,” Case said. “I got an email that my order had been canceled due to high volume.”

Case received an email that said she didn’t get charged, but there could be a temporary authorization hold on her card, which should be removed in a couple of days.

“They said they would deliver, and they gave me the time frame to choose from,” Case said. “So I don’t like having my money tied up and then not having what I paid for.”

And Case isn’t alone. Several people have emailed us with similar situations. One reason for the problem, no matter where you order, is the high demand. And many delivery services are having a hard time hiring workers to help customers.

Two tips to improve the odds of ordering online are to place orders in the early morning and schedule an early delivery time.

Walmart is looking into Case’s issue and will get back to us when there is information available.

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