Verified: March 3, 2026 03:25 pm ET
Industry: Online Grocery Delivery
Jurisdiction: United States
Primary Regulator: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) & State Attorneys General
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on Google. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. Instacart staff will never ask for your account password, PIN, or multi-factor authentication codes.
Level 1: Customer Support (Initial Complaint)
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How to complain: Instacart intentionally pushes users to the in-app Help menu to encourage automated resolution. However, you can bypass the chatbot to reach a live agent by using their active direct phone lines:
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General Support (US Bypass): 1-888-246-7822
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Senior Support Line (Ages 60+): 1-844-981-3433
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Source Verification Note: Instacart Help Center (Instacart obscures their general phone numbers online to prioritize chat, but these routing numbers remain active).
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Availability: In-app live chat is available 24/7. The Senior Support phone line operates daily from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM ET.
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Timeline: Instacart aims to resolve standard missing item or delivery disputes immediately over chat or the phone. Complex investigations generally take 24 to 48 business hours.
Level 2: Formal Corporate Escalation (Notice of Dispute)
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Who to contact: If standard support is unsuccessful, Instacart’s Terms of Service dictate you must send a formal written “Notice of Dispute” detailing your claim via certified mail to their corporate headquarters: Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart, Attn: Legal Department, 50 Beale Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105.
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(Pro-Tip: You can also email a copy of your dispute notice directly to legal@instacart.com to ensure it is logged).
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Source Verification: Instacart Terms of Service (Dispute Resolution)
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Timeline: Once received, Instacart’s legal and executive customer relations teams have a standard 30-day to 60-day informal resolution window to investigate and attempt to resolve the dispute before you can proceed to arbitration.
Level 3: Regulatory Authority (Government Ombudsman)
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Authority: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your State Attorney General.
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Portal/Contact: File a consumer complaint online via the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or contact your State Attorney General’s consumer protection office.
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Source Verification: FTC Consumer Protection
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Timeline: You can file a complaint at any time after attempting to resolve the issue with Instacart directly. Regulatory agencies will review your complaint to identify patterns of deceptive practices and may mediate on your behalf.
Level 4: Legal Action (Final Step)
- Pre-Litigation: Before pursuing legal action, carefully review the Instacart Terms of Service. Maplebear Inc. strictly enforces a Mandatory Binding Arbitration clause and a Class Action Waiver for most U.S. consumer disputes.
- Court/Arbitration: If the informal resolution period (Level 2) fails, you may file a lawsuit in Small Claims Court for claims below your state’s limit (if the claim qualifies). If the dispute exceeds small claims limits, you are required to initiate Binding Arbitration (typically administered by JAMS or AAA, depending on your specific terms) as mandated by your user agreement.
- Source Verification: Instacart Terms of Service (Arbitration Agreement)
Community Action: Is Instacart still ignoring your complaint? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full account numbers, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right arbitration templates!