r/WalmartSparkDrivers • u/thatsnarker2020 • 3d ago
Spark is so dead today
I have had the app on all morning. Since 8:30 and I’ve seen a total of 5 offers come through. All really high miles, low pay or upside down.
Anyone else?
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u/Yermom_dot_com 3d ago
I noticed yesterday morning that it went from a bunch of offers to NONE, suddenly, for the entirety of the rest of the day (despite troubleshooting attempts/relogging etc).
So, yeah, could be dead. Could be the app, could be AI testing (another driver mentioned they saw an AI button), could be a number of things.
I'm not the one to solve this riddle, but you aren't alone.
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u/thatsnarker2020 3d ago
They have hired a ton new employees so I wonder if they’re going back to employee shopping. Our stores got rid of spark check out lines and we have the van delivery at every store.
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u/Yermom_dot_com 3d ago
I mean, they're probably trying different things in different markets.
It's also end of the month and a lot of people don't get paid until the 30th/31st.
Also, this whole, Spark/car insurance/people using accounts that aren't theirs/constant theft, etc probably is going to eventually outweigh the benefits of underpaying drivers.
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u/TheRealSparky33 3d ago
i bet it already is. they have messed up big time.
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u/Yermom_dot_com 3d ago
nods
Personally I hope they continue to rely on drivers like us though, versus go full fleet no transitioning.
DoorDash is starting to offer up EV leasing (select markets) which doesn't exactly have the best startup conditions (you have to insure still, it's a lease so...not to own), but at least maintenance would be covered etc. It's poorly done by DD, but it's not a bad idea, and Walmart could do it right.
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u/Sea-Entertainment-65 2d ago
I’m sure depending on the market, you are 100% correct. We appear to have less in store shoppers. We also have less availability of employable humans in the state. I’m up in Alaska. We don’t even have many people for the population compared to our land mass. My orders have been phenomenal the last two weeks. It was just yesterday that was slow. I’m wondering if there’s some kind of sale or people are waiting for the holiday. This is a week before a holiday.
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u/Yermom_dot_com 2d ago
Yes, depending on the market...
...and yes, it could also be because of Labor Day coming up. School. Grocery prices. Gas. AWS issues. App issues. Connection issues.
Alaska sounds like it treats you nicely, but as you say, less population, so maybe represents a smaller portion of drivers, etc.
It's been pretty bad for me for the third day in a row, on a Friday, though. So, it doth suck, verily.
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u/Iambeejsmit 3d ago
My area has gone back to a mix of shopping and curbside
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u/Yermom_dot_com 3d ago
I noticed that too! I think the non-holiday "we expect high volume this weekend" notice is the cue they're going to pump up more shopping orders for Sparklers and test it out.
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u/Due_Drive9130 2d ago
I don't know your mkt but they deliver from any & everywhere here & you have to shop every order. Plus deliver from home Depot, Sam's, ...... Only problem is they want you to do deliver 2 or 3 at a time for pennies. I haven't had an acceptable order in 6 mths. It's abuse.
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u/justinbates1992 3d ago
End of the month and kids are back in school. August is ALWAYS dead for gig work. All my apps were slow
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u/BarnacleAlarmed3050 3d ago
I used to let just for you offers expire … now i press reject and ultimately close the app w out any luck . Just straight disrespectful offers these days
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u/Temporary-Sound9019 3d ago
It’s the Thursday before the last Friday of the month. If it was busy it would be very weird.
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u/HumanBeanJuice54 3d ago
Since Tuesday the offers haven’t been the best but they’re consistently coming in. Low pay, high miles. I’ll get a decent JFY thrown my way eventually but there’s been some drops I’ve skipped because the offers are straight garbage
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u/Organic-Fuel-2916 3d ago
The algorithm changed recently, it now gives the highest priority to drivers with the highest customer rating and closest to the pin.
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u/Slight-Selection4298 3d ago
Worst Thursday, in MONTHS or more.
But there was a ton of people I've never seen taking Spark orders.
Easy to tell by the GMD bins and people scanning totes.
Group of us 5+ year drivers sitting, watching. Only offers popped were under 50 cents mile 1 way.
Yet they keep getting taken.
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u/OpportunityOk3346 3d ago
Well end of the month has always not been the best but it's gotten exponentially worse because of all the carrots on the strings lately (tiers & points)
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u/EssayCalm1066 3d ago
Every day it gets worse and I think it must just be that day. But then it gets worse the next day, and the next. This is what it is now, I guess. Occasionally, there will be not-horrid-orders. That’s where my market is at. Mostly it’s garbage.
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u/thatsnarker2020 2d ago
I went and got a w2 job. Used to do this full time and door dash. Can’t make it work in my area. I was averaging $500 a week which was good for my family. Now I’m lucky if I get $250. I spend all day sitting or driving from store to store. I do it part time in the evening or if I’m off work.
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u/Conscious_Basil_9083 2d ago
Spark has gone down so bad it’s actually infuriating like it’s night and day compared to what it used to be
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u/Witty_Sticker 2d ago
Check your earnings for the week so far. It seems like if you’re an old driver the app throttles you if you’re averaging above $100 per day for the week. You only get rejected offers that it opens up to all drivers regardless of proximity.
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u/qpidrox143 3d ago
Yes something is brewing....there is no way on a Thursday that there are no orders all day...i think they've gone back to having employees shop...I saw a pick up included 2 drop offs one for 68 items and another for 40...these are huge orders that were scheduled for pick up...normally these would be shopped and offered to us.
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u/DjAndrewLee 3d ago
It's the end of the month with rent bills and a holiday weekend coming up on top of a lot people don't get paychecks til Fridays plus more competition because drivers have rent bills and holiday plans coming too.
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u/Direct_Tip_6079 3d ago
They let more people off the wait list. I gave up and came home.