COMP NEWS – Delivery workers for Walmart’s delivery platform Spark are raising alarms over users that deploy bots to swipe orders.
Some drivers for Walmart’s delivery platform Spark say there’s a growing problem on the app involving users who deploy bots to hoard orders and make it harder for other drivers to get deliveries.
A group of drivers who said they had been affected by the prevalence of bots in their area held a demonstration in front of a Walmart Supercenter in Cicero, Illinois, on Thursday, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Drivers at the rally said they now had to work longer hours on the Spark app to make close to what they were making before and attributed the slowdown of jobs to hoarders who were gaming the system to their advantage. These drivers’ concerns highlight a growing issue for many gig workers.
One Spark driver, Nancy Marcos, told the Tribune that while she used to make between $100 and $150 delivering for the app daily, she now makes half that amount. Eric Guzman, a Spark driver who had been delivering for the platform for a year and a half, said that he makes around $200 a week now, compared to the $1500 he was making previously. Another driver said she had started noticing a drop in orders in January.
It’s unclear exactly how prevalent bots are on Walmart’s Spark platform.
Workers for delivery services such as DoorDash and Insacart have complained about bots for years.
Workers who fill orders for multiple apps, from Instacart to DoorDash, have used — and complained — about bots for years. Bot users download an app or code to their phone, which they then use to claim batches faster than shoppers claiming orders by tapping them as they appear on their screen.
Gig workers can set bots to claim specific orders, such as those with delivery addresses close to them. But using bots violates the terms and conditions of most delivery apps.
Some bots, like Instaman, are apps that shoppers can download themselves. Sometimes, shoppers pay for access to an app or code. Some of these offers are scams, and shoppers end up paying for bots that don’t work, Vice reported in 2020.
