That's not really free delivery

[Onyrlef]

So I signed up for the WalMart+ 30 day trial. After 30 days it's either $98.00 for a year or $12.55 by the month. The draw for me was free grocery delivery. The drawback however was after placing an order and just before pulling the trigger I noticed the bill was $4.00 more than the actual price of the items. Come to find out an automatic driver tip surcharge of $4.00 is added. I don't mind tipping delivery folks but these drivers are WalMart employees driving a WalMart delivery vehicle and I'm not aware ( having worked for WM Corp.) of any program in the pay structure for tips or a box on the paystub for tips, ever. This person as far as I'm aware is paid like any other WM employee, I don't tip the person stocking the shelves and I don't tip the Amazon driver, the postal guy or the guy who picks up the trash. Apparently the $98.00 per year charge doesn't really include free delivery. So much for WalMart+ and my tip is : stay out of dark alley's on payday.

 

[A Traveler]

Wow…just wow.

Much ado about nothing. Just tip the guy for goodness sakes!

Geez…

 

[Tulecreeper]

Wow…just wow.

Much ado about nothing. Just tip the guy for goodness sakes!

Geez…

You are not understanding the issue.

 

[Onyrlef]

Wow…just wow.

Much ado about nothing. Just tip the guy for goodness sakes!

Geez…

Thanks for your opinion, but no. He ain't delivering a pizza and he ain't Grub Hub, he's a WM employee driving a WalMart delivery truck and the tip runs through WM corp. Do you tip the Amazon driver every time he drops a box on your porch? If not, then wow and geez

 

[Skookum]

It would appear Walmart runs their own equivalent of InstaCart called "Spark". You would tip the driver just like you do for Instacart.

Spark Driver

drive4spark.walmart.com

 

[Onyrlef]

It would appear Walmart runs their own equivalent of InstaCart called "Spark". You would tip the driver just like you do for Instacart.

Spark Driver

drive4spark.walmart.com

Nope, Instacart/Spark delivery people are independant contractors. I'm okay tipping them, it's how they make their living, but the person driving the Walmart EV delivery truck is a WalMart employee. I just have an issue with paying a tip with WM Corp as the conduit. They don't exactly have a stellar Corporation/Employee record.

 

[Skookum]

Nods. If they're a Walmart W2 employee in a Walmart-owned vehicle, I have feelings about that too. I'd leave a tip only because it would be exceptionally rare that I'd ever order or shop at Walmart. I put effort into avoiding their stores where possible.

The other factor that would cause me to leave a tip (although begrudgingly) for a Walmart driver and not a FedEx driver is there's a required element of interaction. They may have to scan your license to validate your age for a liquor delivery. They have to ring your doorbell and put up with you as the homeowner.

A FedEx driver throws your box at the door while slowing down slightly, so I'd say there is a difference, even if only a minor one.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Many Amazon Prime drivers are independent contractors driving Prime labeled vehicles leased from Amazon. I don't know if Walmart has a similar program.

 

[LarsMac]

So, you have actually seen these guys that deliver the groceries from WalMart?

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Makes me wonder if it isn't WM doing some creative accounting, paying their drivers less and making up the difference with the "tip". Tip income is handled differently than hourly wages. Another consideration might be the "tip" is used to offset fuel or other overhead of the program. Say for example the driver can make 3 deliveries an hour. Over an 8 hour shift that's 24*$4, almost $100 a day. Totally guessing here but it is curious that this fee is separately and specifically assessed.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Onyrlef]

So, you have actually seen these guys that deliver the groceries from WalMart?

No, on second thought maybe the person in the blue and white truck with WalMart on the side stole it and was dropping bags of groceries off on people’s porches to lighten the load before taking it to a chop shop.

 

[Onyrlef]

Many Amazon Prime drivers are independent contractors driving Prime labeled vehicles leased from Amazon. I don't know if Walmart has a similar program.

Even their eighteen wheel drivers are W-2 employees. WM doesn’t as far as I’m aware have an owner-operator arrangement like Amazon. WM is super liability averse and extremely insular.

 

[Onyrlef]

Makes me wonder if it isn't WM doing some creative accounting, paying their drivers less and making up the difference with the "tip". Tip income is handled differently than hourly wages. Another consideration might be the "tip" is used to offset fuel or other overhead of the program. Say for example the driver can make 3 deliveries an hour. Over an 8 hour shift that's 24*$4, almost $100 a day. Totally guessing here but it is curious that this fee is separately and specifically assessed.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

That’s my issue and the fact when you pay a yearly subscription and it includes free delivery it was my expectation the deliveries were free, as in that’s what the $98.00 was for. I pay Amazon Prime a subscription fee and they use contract drivers but no tip is expected and that’s because Amazon pays them. If WM is stiffing their drivers, I’d feel obligated to subsidize them or not use them.

 

[LarsMac]

Even their eighteen wheel drivers are W-2 employees. WM doesn’t as far as I’m aware have an owner-operator arrangement like Amazon. WM is super liability averse and extremely insular.

Yep. WalMart hires all their own OTR drivers to drive WalMart Trucks.
And yes, if the guy is driving a WalMart vehicle, it is likely that he is a WalMart employee.
Having said that, Out here where we live, anything WalMart delivers from their store up in town is delivered by some guy in an unmarked van. Same thing with The Home Depot. Or ACE Hardware. The guy who owns the van contracts with all three to deliver their product to the online customers within a 60 mile radius. (This, of course, you might guess, was the notion that prompted my question.)

 

[Onyrlef]

Yep. WalMart hires all their own OTR drivers to drive WalMart Trucks.
And yes, if the guy is driving a WalMart vehicle, it is likely that he is a WalMart employee.
Having said that, Out here where we live, anything WalMart delivers from their store up in town is delivered by some guy in an unmarked van. Same thing with The Home Depot. Or ACE Hardware. The guy who owns the van contracts with all three to deliver their product to the online customers within a 60 mile radius. (This, of course, you might guess, was the notion that prompted my question.)

I fully understand WM is likely using contract delivery drivers, but my calculus for paying the $98.00 yearly fee was it was to cover delivery since the other benefits to being a + member don't involve any service at WM that any other shopper isn't privvy to. Curbside delivery is always free to any shopper w/o a subscription. Of course if part of a contract driver's compensation is dependent on tips that's another matter, but in the app the card is charged the tip regardless who is delivering, contract driver or W-2 employee.
Then too, none of all this gig economy is free, as it's advertised. Which is reflected by inflated grocery prices. Those folks pushing the bins through the store carrying a pick list, carrying curbside deliveries outside, delivering groceries to homes and etc all have to be paid. The shopper who has never utilized curbside delivery or ordered groceries delivered is paying for it whether they know it or not. We're even subsidizing the self checkouts, shoplifting by self checkout is a serious issue for stores, which is also reflected by higher prices for everyone.

 

[Onyrlef]

So, kind of related, WalMart, as of today and as reported in USA Today, is settling a class action suit which alleges the retailer conspired to misreprent the weights on bagged and pre-weighed produce ( which is the only way Sam's Clubs sells bulk produce). They aren't admitting to anything however claiming by some strange coincidence the packing machines at every supplier in their chain were so out of calibration they unknowingly put less produce in the bags. To the tune of $45,000,000. The only catch is you have to possess receipts from 5 years ago when some enterprising VP in Bentonville told the boss he had a neat new way to claw back some of the money they were wasting on employee pay and benefits. W/o receipts anyone willing to quit their job and spend 700 hrs on hold with the intern at WM's global claims processing center can get a check for up to $25.00.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I can't ever see myself getting home delivery until I can't make it out of the house.

My only issue with tipping is when establishments automatically include a tip in the invoice. Whether a restaurant, Pizza Delivery or Walmart delivery. To me tipping is "voluntary" and should not be included in the bill.

 

[RedForeman]

I think I get what the problem is, but have you reached out to Walmart and asked them about the mandatory tip, along with how it's distributed to whom? FWIW I figured easy enough to look at their T&C's since I get spammed with a popup for that any time looking at walmart.com. LOL nothing there. Not even when clicking to see the "long" version nobody ever reads. Keyword search for "tip" = 0.

Not being argumentative, as I wouldn't be happy with that discovery either. Maybe not for the exact same reasons. I'd see it as a way I'm being fleeced for a couple extra bucks without any choice in the matter. If it's truly a tip, then put it in a free text field where I can choose any value, even if it's pre-populated with $4. If it's not a tip, then just call it a service fee or something, instead of deceptively line-iteming it. Papa Johns lets me choose that on the tip line, so should WM if they're going to stick it in there.

Regarding the transport side of the debate.. I currently have a motor carrier authority since 2011 and have been recently hauling Amazon trailers around. I've also delivered loads to many Walmart distribution centers. So not "insider" wisdom like a current or former employee, but seen enough under the skirts to draw a few conclusions.

Walmart Transportation is the subsidiary company that holds their interstate operating authority. Next time you see one of their semis in traffic, you'll see that in smaller lettering somewhere on the side of the cab, next to their DOT number. That driver is a Walmart employee. WM also contracts with other carriers, and you'll see them clearly marked in their native coloring and stickers, hauling the Walmart trailer. From what I gather, the WM private fleet does most if not all store deliveries whereas the contract carriers typically handle loads between DC's and from primary suppliers.

It gets much more unclear when talking about final mile or package delivery, since those (usually smaller) trucks usually never leave their state. @Onyrlef Texas does require intrastate authority, so they would be required to display a company name and DOT number on the vehicle. So that "Walmart" delivery van may not be owned or operated by them. I can't say for sure, since I don't contract with WM like that for personal experience.

However, I do know for fact that Amazon does it. I've spotted many AZ blue day cabs in traffic and at their distribution centers that appear to be company colors, until you notice the different company name and DOT number in small lettering where it isn't as obvious as the expected Amazon graphics all over. Best I can tell, these are carriers that are exclusive to Amazon, or at least have a designated fleet serving them, to have the right/privilege/requirement to run trucks that look like that. If Amazon is doing it, probably fair to expect their competition is also doing it.

I bring you this wall of text to explain some of what you see, and possibly didn't notice. Or maybe look for next time you're out and about and see one of these delivery trucks out in the wild.

Another interesting data point was a separate discovery that popped up in my Youtube recommendations a while ago. The guy doing the video is a Spark driver in Arizona (seems similar service as DoorDash or the like) complaining about other contractors scamming the service, consequently reducing the available deliveries for legit drivers like himself. Meanwhile, Walmart and Spark doing nothing to curb it. The main point in bringing it up is: these are the guys doing grocery delivery. So Walmart does use contractors, at least in some markets.

I think it's fair to say that Bentonville gets farther away from their roots every year.

 

[gwinger]

I can't ever see myself getting home delivery until I can't make it out of the house.

My only issue with tipping is when establishments automatically include a tip in the invoice. Whether a restaurant, Pizza Delivery or Walmart delivery. To me tipping is "voluntary" and should not be included in the bill.

Plus, how do you know that the tip is actually getting to the driver? I order online from a local chain restaurant for pickup. I never add the tip to the bill. I hand cash to the person at the window. Same with delivery.

 

[RedForeman]

Plus, how do you know that the tip is actually getting to the driver? I order online from a local chain restaurant for pickup. I never add the tip to the bill. I hand cash to the person at the window. Same with delivery.

That's the only way to be sure. I even do that in restaurants when paying with a card - write "cash" on the tip line and leave money on the table. I do know most places that collect credit card tips automatically withhold taxes before distributing to the person that receives the tip, and include it on their W2. So I may be technically enabling tax evasion LOL.