Amazon Flex reneges on promise to pay contract driver
Source: Amazon Flex website showing promise to pay and encouragement to work for Amazon Flex.
My name is Kathy Brocks. I am a contract worker. One of the applications I work for is called Amazon Flex. How it works is you apply to work for them via an online application or via the website. After a full background is completed you watch videos for training, take a test and then accept available blocks to work. Each block tells you how much the pay is prior to hitting submit button to work. For example, the lowest you can get paid is $54 for 3 hours of work delivering packages. The app lets you know the address and gives you turn by turn directions. You do not need to be a resident or be very knowledgeable of the area in which you are delivering. You can actually deliver 25 residential addresses or 17 to 20 commercial or corporate addresses in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Contract drivers are given up to 63 packages or 50 plus addresses to deliver in 2 hours 30 minutes.
The issue, I worked on 10/14/2016 for two blocks a 10:30 am to 1:30 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm shift. Normally, the shifts will run back to back without gaps. But, the support team or application did not make the additional blocks available until I had returned to the pickup location in Lisle, Illinois to drop-off the undelivered packages.
Amazon Reneges on promise to pay contract drivers. No option for drivers to decline. This is sent after work is completed. Source: Kathy Brocks
A typical day is 47 to 60 plus packages. It takes me about 30 to 35 minutes to scan and load that many packages into my vehicle according to 4 digit category which can be something like 4385, 4380, 4395, 4370. So you may have 15 to 20 for category 4385 or 10 for category 4395 or 25 of another. I put the largest boxes in first in the trunk and the smaller ones on the back seat often separating with a brown bag. The packages that I can not stuff in the trunk and in the back I will put on the front seat from the floor to the door level. Some may go above door level but I make sure I can see my mirror.
So, on 10/14/2016 for the first block I loaded up my car trunk, back seat and front seat with packages. Since additional blocks are not automatically added I had to constantly check for open blocks. A block did not become available til I had arrived back at the pick up location. I asked if I needed to scan more boxes or re-scan the ones already in my car. The young woman said she needed to ask the supervisor. She walked away to the front desk, came back and said no just wait til 1:45 pm and then just finish delivering the packages already in my car from the first block. I completed delivering all the packages and when I finished the screen turned red and said I would not be paid for working the second block. It took me over 2 hours to finish delivering those packages during 2 pm to 5 pm block. The message has an “ok” button. So, if you hit it, its like a confirmation to non-payment. It does not give you the option to say “no i do not agree”. No one agrees to work free after accepting work for payment. So, I sent an email explaining what happened and support sent me an email stating they can not see where I worked on 10/14/2016, 2 pm to 5 pm. I am still writing trying to get payment for this block. As of today 10/31/2016, I still have not been paid for working that block.
On, 10/16/2016, The same thing happened but I did get paid after I sent an email. The picture in red shows what happens when Amazon Flex refuses to keep promise to pay contract drivers after work completed.
On the day in question 10/14/2016 I delivered to a white house before delivering to the golf course. I delivered to addresses off of Ferry street near the gigantic indoor golf building, including delivering letter package to the same golf building on celebration and odyssey roads off of Ferry street. I delivered to a woman off of Ferry street who said her birthday was 10/14/2016.
I delivered packages to the very large luxury apartments across from the real-estate building who name begins with a “C”. The older female security guard took my name and plate number and said she finds it hard to get use to contract delivery drivers and told me to take packages to the leasing office and do not go onto the property just to the office. I delivered to a business that I had to call support to get help to find. This was behind the luxury apartments. I delivered to a location off Ferry road with building number 2180 which had a very large barking dog. The woman had to come out side to get package. That was my last package of the day about 4:10 pm for 10/14/2016. Since my questions and complaints began work availability has dramatically decreased to no work slots available. I am not sure if the two are related. I am sharing my story in the hope that this behavior by Amazon Flex and other companies like it will stop cheating and mistreating contract employees and pay the funds owed.
Posted on 10/31/2016, in AMAZONFLEX, News and tagged Amazon Flex Can't find where contract drivers worked, Amazon Flex Contract Drivers Not Paid, AMAZON FLEX Reneges on payment, AMAZON FLEX sophisticated system looses contract driver proof of work completed, AmazonFlex cheats contract drivers, AmazonFlex Contract Drivers Chicago Illinois, AmazonFlex Seattle Washington Corporate offices, Contract employees rely on payment promised, Don't Work Don't Eat. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
acawmedia 
I drove for Flex and they repeatedly gave me 5 hours delivery for 3 hour blocks. They won’t pay if you run over the 3 hours but expect you to continue delivering. I drive for Uber and Lyft and know my gps apps well. I told them I can give them spreadsheets from MileIQ but is fell on deaf ears. They don’t want them or acknowledge they are cheating drivers.
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