Any gig workers here? Is it illegal to tip an Instacart or Postmates driver cash after a delivery?

[TidWell]

So I won't be working for several days, I got days off and dropped my car off today for a tune up and inspection.

I ordered Instacart and was impressed with the person who shopped for me, when I saw they already got all the items and some of these items are super hard for me to find when I go shopping, so when I saw they got the items I was happy. I saw them arrive on my ring camera on my phone and I tipped them an extra $10 dollars in cash personally.

Weird sidenote the name on the account said Margarita and it was a White guy lol, I wonder if he is using his wife or girlfriends account.

As I was putting my groceries in the house, my neighbor across the street she yelled while watering her plants that you are not supposed to tip them, they already get tips in the app as the guy was putting the last of the groceries on my porch.

I been cash tipping these gig workers for a while now, so I never knew it was illegal according to her

but it also bugs me that she is spying on me and nosey I mean wtf why you focusing on me like that, thats some Karen behavior. She moved in just 5 months ago, I got a Karen who moved into my neighborhood. I miss the family that lived there before they were there for years but they moved to Pismo Beach once their youngest child graduated college.

 

[Bald1]

How the hell is giving someone a gift illegal?

 

[davisxp]

Just do it. Your neighbour is just a hater.

Besides, How the fuck does she know that The money is for the delivery? It could have been for anything.

Assuming things can lead to trouble nowadays.

 

[Thrawn33]

Why would it be?

Working at a mom and pop hardware store (not my mom or pop) growing up, I got tipped a few times for helping folks figure out what they needed on their jobs. On unpackaged items (most of our plumbing and hardware stock) there was no restocking fee, so the customer got a 100% refund on returns. If they weren't 100% sure what size things were I convinced them to buy several options.

They either A) returned the stuff they didnt use and were grateful for me saving them multiple trips (that is the worst part of home improvement) that they slipped me some cash. Or B) didn't bother with a return and the boss made money (which frequently led to random cash bonuses)

Cash transaction between two adults is 100% good

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

It's not illegal. They are supposed to report it as income but nobody does. You're good. Karen just being uppity

 

[Seeahtik]

Tell your neighbor to mind their own fucking business or file a report to the irs if they're so concerned about unclaimed tips

 

[THEfightsAREfixed]

to begin your retaliation on your neighbor for invading your privacy and publicly assaulting your families honor, I would poison her precious plants and prob her grass too, that is unless you dont mind living in shame and dishonor

 

[sweetviolenturg]

The only time that I ever had a job in which I got tips was when I was a hospital security guard working midnights. I had the keys to the morgue & it was my job to let the local morticians in so they could get the bodies of the deceased to transport them to the funeral homes. And rather than just stand by & watch while the mortician did his business I'd always give them a hand lifting & bagging the body. It wasn't at all pleasant but most of them would tip me $5 or $10 for it. One, in particular, would only give me $2 to help him out but he was about 80-years-old so he probably thought that it was a good tip. So, it didn't bother me. And it all added up to an extra $50 to $60 or more per week.

 

[Nada.]

I hope you'll get arrested for this.

 

[mozfonky]

So I won't be working for several days, I got days off and dropped my car off today for a tune up and inspection.

I ordered Instacart and was impressed with the person who shopped for me, when I saw they already got all the items and some of these items are super hard for me to find when I go shopping, so when I saw they got the items I was happy. I saw them arrive on my ring camera on my phone and I tipped them an extra $10 dollars in cash personally.

Weird sidenote the name on the account said Margarita and it was a White guy lol, I wonder if he is using his wife or girlfriends account.

As I was putting my groceries in the house, my neighbor across the street she yelled while watering her plants that you are not supposed to tip them, they already get tips in the app as the guy was putting the last of the groceries on my porch.

I been cash tipping these gig workers for a while now, so I never knew it was illegal according to her

but it also bugs me that she is spying on me and nosey I mean wtf why you focusing on me like that, thats some Karen behavior. She moved in just 5 months ago, I got a Karen who moved into my neighborhood. I miss the family that lived there before they were there for years but they moved to Pismo Beach once their youngest child graduated college.

that's shady that he was using someone's account, now I know why i've gotten several complaints from people saying the delivery picture and I don't look alike. For whatever reason, it's always chinese nationals who accuse me of that but i shut them down now, I don't get into, "I don't think that's you" I just say "Yes that's me, I don't know why people wouldn't recognize that's me" and if they still want to complain so be it. I follow all the rules, I do ubereats, amazon and postmates. Right now, I don't have a car in my name so i can't do uber because they are strict and customers like yourself do check things like that and they might complain about anything. So, i'm just doing amazon and postmates right now.

As for tips, since when is it illegal to tip anyone? that's stupid. People have two ways to tip, either in the app or in person. It's not mandatory and I appreciate every dollar but it's not mandatory. All in all, i'd say I make a little over half in tips when I did Ubereats. I've never asked for tips as some idiots do and I don't expect it. Truth be told, even a thumbs up would be as good as a tip as I think much of my uber business came from my ratings.

 

[mozfonky]

to begin your retaliation on your neighbor for invading your privacy and publicly assaulting your families honor, I would poison her precious plants and prob her grass too, that is unless you dont mind living in shame and dishonor

no no, what he needs to do is go there in the middle of the night, tap on her bedroom window and wave his sausage when she looks, stick out his tonge like the guy from Kiss and say, "I have a tip for you too!." That'll fix her nosy ass.

 

[mozfonky]

Why would it be?

Working at a mom and pop hardware store (not my mom or pop) growing up, I got tipped a few times for helping folks figure out what they needed on their jobs. On unpackaged items (most of our plumbing and hardware stock) there was no restocking fee, so the customer got a 100% refund on returns. If they weren't 100% sure what size things were I convinced them to buy several options.

They either A) returned the stuff they didnt use and were grateful for me saving them multiple trips (that is the worst part of home improvement) that they slipped me some cash. Or B) didn't bother with a return and the boss made money (which frequently led to random cash bonuses)

Cash transaction between two adults is 100% good

Some places just won't allow it, I blew out a tire driving over a curb, took it to Costco where the car owner had a really good deal, only paid 25 bucks for a new tire, when I asked if they could accept tips he said no, I figured they couldn't but i'm sure I could have pushed it on him. I do amazon package delivery, only got one tip doing that and it was when it was snowing, it was 20 bucks, I wrote a thank you on the post it and left it on their delivery. When people try to do good, let them, I do it all the damned time when I don't have to and it's not so I can get anything in return, I do it because i want to.

 

[HeffDoesWant]

Illegal highly unlikely.

Against company policy, probably. They don't want drivers having their hand out after each job. If legitimately customer driven no harm no foul.

My assumptions anyway

 

[TidWell]

that's shady that he was using someone's account, now I know why i've gotten several complaints from people saying the delivery picture and I don't look alike. For whatever reason, it's always chinese nationals who accuse me of that but i shut them down now, I don't get into, "I don't think that's you" I just say "Yes that's me, I don't know why people wouldn't recognize that's me" and if they still want to complain so be it. I follow all the rules, I do ubereats, amazon and postmates. Right now, I don't have a car in my name so i can't do uber because they are strict and customers like yourself do check things like that and they might complain about anything. So, i'm just doing amazon and postmates right now.

As for tips, since when is it illegal to tip anyone? that's stupid. People have two ways to tip, either in the app or in person. It's not mandatory and I appreciate every dollar but it's not mandatory. All in all, i'd say I make a little over half in tips when I did Ubereats. I've never asked for tips as some idiots do and I don't expect it. Truth be told, even a thumbs up would be as good as a tip as I think much of my uber business came from my ratings.

Those gig jobs are tough work man, you gotta pay for gas as well, I know some guy who barely makes enough to survive and said its extremely hard to get a good route on Amazon flex because so many people do it and sweep up all the good paying gigs.

I work shipping but I use the company Van and drive from LA to Indio California 4 days a week the company I work for does personalized business goods like mugs, pens, towels, etc for businesses like restaurants, hotels, casinos, etc. I think those Amazon flex and instacarts are tougher than my job, I don't have to look for random homes and places or shop for items. I just basically go the same routes and drop things off at businesses in different cities.

How many hours you work a day or week doing those deliveries? How do you report taxes, do they do it automatically for you and then send you the paperwork?

I always tip extra, I only started using these services during the pandemic back in 2020, and thats why ill throw an extra cash tip on top of the app tip I already add.

 

[mozfonky]

Those gig jobs are tough work man, you gotta pay for gas as well, I know some guy who barely makes enough to survive and said its extremely hard to get a good route on Amazon flex because so many people do it and sweep up all the good paying gigs.

I work shipping but I use the company Van and drive from LA to Indio California 4 days a week the company I work for does personalized business goods like mugs, pens, towels, etc for businesses like restaurants, hotels, casinos, etc. I think those Amazon flex and instacarts are tougher than my job, I don't have to look for random homes and places or shop for items. I just basically go the same routes and drop things off at businesses in different cities.

How many hours you work a day or week doing those deliveries? How do you report taxes, do they do it automatically for you and then send you the paperwork?

I always tip extra, I only started using these services during the pandemic back in 2020, and thats why ill throw an extra cash tip on top of the app tip I already add.

well, as independent contractors, you are responsible for paying your own taxes but last year I didn't make enough for them to hit me with taxes. This year, i don't know yet. It's stressful for sure, and you burn through cars like nothing, and.., someone stole a car of mine, which is why i'm not doing ubereats right now, you have to have your own vehicle. But, the freedom is nice. As far as how much work, today i did a 78 dollar block which was supposed to be four hours, I got done in 3 and yesterday i had a five hour and got done in two and a half, the system is far from perfect and you never know what neighborhood or town you'll go to. But, generally, I like working alone without being hassled. At the beginning of the pandemic, I did nothing but work and i made about 1700 in one week so it's not too bad. If I find something better I'll take it.

you can work as much or as little as you want, that's a good thing for me as a musician/martial artist, I do what i want. if my bills start catching up, just work a few twelve hour days and I'm straight. I don't have a wife, kids and very few bills, so, things would be different if I did. Still, it allows me to make an honest living which i always have, there's no excuse for just being a bum and stealing or what have you.

 

[Gambit MMA]

youre really asking if its illegal to give the man a cash tip?

 

[TidWell]

well, as independent contractors, you are responsible for paying your own taxes but last year I didn't make enough for them to hit me with taxes. This year, i don't know yet. It's stressful for sure, and you burn through cars like nothing, and.., someone stole a car of mine, which is why i'm not doing ubereats right now, you have to have your own vehicle. But, the freedom is nice. As far as how much work, today i did a 78 dollar block which was supposed to be four hours, I got done in 3 and yesterday i had a five hour and got done in two and a half, the system is far from perfect and you never know what neighborhood or town you'll go to. But, generally, I like working alone without being hassled. At the beginning of the pandemic, I did nothing but work and i made about 1700 in one week so it's not too bad. If I find something better I'll take it.

you can work as much or as little as you want, that's a good thing for me as a musician/martial artist, I do what i want. if my bills start catching up, just work a few twelve hour days and I'm straight. I don't have a wife, kids and very few bills, so, things would be different if I did. Still, it allows me to make an honest living which i always have, there's no excuse for just being a bum and stealing or what have you.

This girl got a 3 star rating because the woman who ordered the food didnt respond for 10 minutes so she just left the stuff at the gate. She said if they give you poor ratings your batches dry up

 

[shunyata]

How the hell is giving someone a gift illegal?

Yeah you just got Karen'd bro.

The only thing in this cash tip situation that could MAYBE get illegal is if

A) the receiver of the tip fails to report the income when filing their own taxes (which is not your problem or hers)

or

B) if you are tipping for illegal services, like tipping an unlicensed sex worker or deliverer of illegal substances.

 

[Bald1]

B) if you are tipping for illegal services, like tipping an unlicensed sex worker or deliverer of illegal substances.

 

[shunyata]

Illegal highly unlikely.

Against company policy, probably. They don't want drivers having their hand out after each job. If legitimately customer driven no harm no foul.

My assumptions anyway

It's sadly common for companies to hold policies that are technically illegal and not legally enforceable.

Many US companies will advise employees not to discuss wages with each other, but that practice is called wage secrecy and it's actually illegal in the US. The company can say whatever they want, but it is not true and if they were to take action against an employee for freely discussing wages that would be illegal.