News and notes from around the interweb:
- Don’t trust Instacart prices.
Right now, Instacart is quietly running experiments on millions of us while we shop for groceries online. They are trying to figure out exactly how much they can get away with charging you for breakfast cereal, lunch meat, pasta, and everything in between. How do I know? 1/9 pic.twitter.com/sbmcBUrczg
— Lindsay Owens (@owenslindsay1) December 9, 2025
Instacart charged shoppers different prices for about 75% of the items in the basket–sometimes they charged as much as 23% more for the exact same item. Using Instacart’s own estimates, we find that the Instacart tax could cost households as much as $1200 a year. 3/9
— Lindsay Owens (@owenslindsay1) December 9, 2025
- The earnings aren’t game-changing, but most people don’t realize that in addition to points with Alaska or Bilt and stacking that with credit card rewards, Chase credits, and potentially even card-linked offers, you can also stack earning with ThanksAgain. Those points can be converted to gift cards or JetBlue points (gift cards are the better value).
- All the airlines do it, but this is such a bad customer experience.
@AmericanAir “You have to check you bag. There’s no overhead room left.”
?????? pic.twitter.com/5HKNH8BZ2D
— kellybeanz (@kellyjelly103) December 9, 2025
Reviving this account for the sole purpose of complaining to airlines again…@united care to explain why group 2 needed to gate check every single bag? He’s a sample of the more than a dozen empty overhead bins available. I lost track because every bin was like this!! pic.twitter.com/6K0QQIMixj
— Corinne Beemer (@CorinneBeemer) December 8, 2025
- Austin to offer $5 million in tax subsidies to Southwest Airlines for growing jobs. This part is just made up:
According to council documents, the city estimates Southwest expansion in Austin would create 2,000 new jobs in the airline industry “with an average wage of ~$180,000.”
- American Airlines says that since the government is reducing the fine imposed for mistreatment of wheelchair passengers, they’ll spend the money on getting better. But doesn’t this mean they were resolved not to improve otherwise? “[I]nstead of money simply going to the U.S> Treasury, American iwll invest millions more to further improve…”
American agreed to spend money to better track wheelchairs so they stop losing them, and lifts to transport them more safely at 3 hubs. But these are investments that the airline that’s been worst at dealing with this should have already made, before they were fined $50 million and certainly since.
Here is @AmericanAir statement https://t.co/WbYxtF4IFR pic.twitter.com/wkGoZ0nQjS
— David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) December 9, 2025
- Nancy Mace acknowledges cursing out TSA agents but takes exception to the idea that she’d call them idiots.
Mace: I use vulgar language frequently. I mean, the president does… the idea that I would call somebody an idiot, I have never done that in my life. And to me it was an incredible hit job.
Collins: And who do you think was doing the hit job?
Mace: Oh, it was the attorney… pic.twitter.com/wtcNEt41nT
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 10, 2025
Do we at least break-even with these two silly $10/mo CSR credits? The $5 for food delivery used to be stackable (3 months, $15), but now it’s use-it-or-lose-it, in-app, etc. Ugh.
INstcart sucks. Not only should their pricing be much more transparent, their delivery times are bait and switch. They often say delivery in 10-20 and then after checkout it is 1 hour +
Y’ALL. Instacart really out here charging different folks different prices for the SAME groceries like we’re in some kind of Hunger Games: Produce Edition.
I clicked on strawberries and the app basically said, “How bad do you want ’em, sweetheart?”
At this point Instacart is like: “Let’s see how much we can charge Anita before she loses it.” Honey, we passed that exit seven miles ago. I’m one overpriced bell pepper away from yelling safe words at my phone.
If Instacart wants to treat groceries like they’re part of some erotic pricing experiment, FINE — but I need to know who’s getting the friends-with-benefits rate and why I’m stuck paying the OnlyFans price for potatoes.
why anyone would use a grocery service where shenanigans like this can take place is beyond me. Why would you ever let a random person pick your fruit, meat, and veggies. Did your mother not teach you anything?
Ah, thank you for the reminder to try and figure out how to use my credit card Instacart credits I don’t use to donate to food pantries via the community cart.
@1990 – just $5 and no stack?? How not-deliciously absurd.
@L737 — Nothing sordid, I assure you…
Okay now, somebody explain to me why ‘1990’ has the last NINE outta TEN comments on this website.
Did the rest of y’all’s keyboards catch a STD and stop workin’?
Did 1990 drink a whole pot of coffee and decide this was their personal TED Talk?
Is this a discussion thread or their emotional support comment section?
’Cause nine outta ten is bold.
Nine outta ten is ‘I ain’t gettin’ enough attention at home’ energy.
Nine outta ten is ‘I’m tryin’ real hard to impress somebody, and baby… it ain’t workin’.’
At this point, I don’t know whether to call tech support or call a wellness check.
Lord have mercy, if 1990 leaves ONE more comment, I’m gonna start sprayin’ holy water on my screen like it’s an exorcism of the chronically online.
Somebody else jump in before this turns into the 1990 Show, sponsored by ‘Please Touch Grass.’
@ Warning to Instacrart: the Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits are being written now.
I personally LIKE going to the grocery store, and I imagine I can’t be the only one. Buh-bye, Instacrap.
re: Instacart
PedidosYA and even UBER is doing this in Panama. You can get almost anything ordered via the apps (even a single xanax pill!) from the app, but they use dynamic pricing depending on the day of week AND time of day. I’ve seen a combo meal from McDonalds – that is $3.99 USD in person and on the app at times, jump to $5.99 in the evenings and all weekend. Plus their $1 delivery fee.
Looks like Anita Grits is desperate for attention. Ok, I obliged. I read your screed, which is weak sauce, man.
You made a new account just to post all that drivel. Why did you put all this time and energy into it?
What you did isn’t bold, it’s “I’m trying to impress somebody” and “I’m not getting enough attention at home” energy.
Do try to to remedy this YOU problem on your own, without imploring others to “step in”.
@Anita Grits — I like coffee, tea some times. You can comment as much or as little as you like. Gary has no stated rules, and he doesn’t micromanage these comments. Engage or ignore. You do you.
By the way, nicce use of erotic, friends-with-benefits, and OnlyFans above. Hot stuff. And, in addition to touching grass, please Keep Yourself Safe, too.
Post #6 in the Instacart X thread says: “Companies no longer price according to how much it cost THEM to make something. Instead, they price based on what YOU are willing to pay. ”
In other words, tell us you flunked Econ 101 without actually saying that.
But then, she used to be with Warren, Ellison, Jayapal and Sara Nelson, so nothing unexpected.
Nancy Mace – South Carolina Repug who has a fetish for checking our people’s genitalia in restrooms? That Nance Mace?