Amazon Flex Driver Complaints – A Few Things To Be Aware Of
In this short post I’ll be going over some of the most common Amazon Flex driver complaints. Whats the point of this? Well I think it is very important for people that are looking into this job opportunity it know what current drivers complain about. Its best to know the positive and negative aspects of a job before getting involved.
As with similar services like DoorDash, GrubHub, and even rideshare services like Uber & Lyft… there are a fair number of complaints. The Amazon Flex job can be a great job but this opinion ultimately depends on what you are looking for. But anyway… let me get to the complaints
Common Complaints That Drivers Have
These complaints that I consider to be the most common there are come from research I have done as well as talking to other Flex drivers.
#1 – Hard to Get Blocks
This is by far the number one complaint out there. It is just too difficult for drivers to pick up blocks. And if you don’t know what a block is, it is just another name for a shift.
As a driver you don’t have a set work schedule. You will be able to set your availability in the app for when you can work but this does not guarantee they will assign you any blocks. The driver market is very saturated and this is just another case of too many workers and not enough work.
It is possible to pick up blocks in the app but this is also a challenge due to the many other drivers that are trying to pick up blocks as well.
There are so many complaints out there of drivers signing up and not getting any work, or maybe getting one 2hr block per week or something like that. Some drivers make out well but this seems to really depend on the location.
There is an article here I wrote on how to get more blocks.
#2 – Car Expenses
Another common complaint is the expenses that come with the job. As a Flex driver you are an independent contractor and will have to pay for all the vehicle up-keep. Unfortunately you don’t get to ride around in one of those nice delivery vehicles like the post office workers do.
The expenses here can be pricey depending on what you drive and could be a major factor in determining if this job is even worth it for you.
Paying for gas is more than likely going to be your main expense as long as you don’t have any serious problems with your car. And of course there are the brakes, rotors, tires, etc. that will need replaced with the wear and tear that your car will be subjected to.
Luckily as an Amazon Flex driver you will receive tips which in some cases could cover these unwanted expenses. Some people make as much as $7 in tips per hour. I wouldn’t expect to get that much though. This is very dependent on your location.
#3 – Unreliable Income
The fact that working for Amazon Flex is not a very reliable job ties into the #1 complaint that I went over above, which is that it is too difficult to get blocks. Because of this the job is very unreliable. You cannot count on it to get a certain amount of hours per week or to make a certain amount. If you do then you will probably be disappointed.
There are some drivers out there that do somehow get steady hours each week but there are plenty more complaints that I find and have heard from drivers having the opposite experience.
The Amazon Flex driver job is best looked at and treated as a way to earn supplemental income. Which is the same with Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, etc. These jobs are not good for someone looking for a stead income and definitely not for someone looking for a full-time job.
Final Thoughts
One thing that is very important to know is that not every driver has these complaints. Although these are the most common and they are some that you should definitely be aware of, some drivers think differently. For example the number 1 complaint is about how difficult it is to pick up blocks yet somehow there are drivers that don’t really seem to have a problem with this.
I would say however that there are a lot more people complaining about these things than disagreeing with them. Whether or not these are complaints that you will have depends on what you are looking for with this job. If you are expecting too much then you will be disappointed.
Questions, comments, concerns? Leave them below and I’ll get back to you 🙂