Some Walmart Spark drivers are getting hundreds of dollars in tips they never received due to the retailer's buggy system

Some Spark drivers are getting hundreds of dollars in “adjustment payments” for tips they never received. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

• Walmart is paying Spark drivers for past tips after a “system issue.”
• Some drivers are getting hundreds of dollars in tips that they should’ve been paid for past orders.
• Tips have been a big issue for gig workers, who say they deal with “tip baiting” from customers.

Some drivers for Walmart’s Spark delivery service are now getting hundreds of dollars in tips that they were owed after the retailer fixed a glitch.

Some Spark drivers got an email informing them of the payment on Tuesday, according to emails seen by Business Insider. Walmart’s message referenced a “system issue” that led to deliveries “where we may not have collected and issued tips customers meant for you.”

The message said that Spark would credit drivers’ accounts with the tips they were owed through “adjustment credits.” The message added that customers who placed the orders wouldn’t be charged for the tips.

The email message that some Spark drivers received on Tuesday. Insider source

“As part of our continued efforts to improve the Spark Driver platform experience, we identified an issue in the system that prevented us from collecting and issuing tips that certain customers intended to give drivers,” a Walmart spokesperson said. “Even though customers were never charged for the tips, we are crediting driver accounts with correct tip amounts for affected orders and have made changes within the system that caused this issue.”

Adrian Youngblood, who delivered for Spark in Ohio, said that he got a payout of $70 — even though his account has been deactivated since December over a car accident that happened off the clock. “Can you imagine how much was paid out to drivers who have been continuously working?” he told BI.

Indeed, posts on social media indicate that other drivers were owed much more.

One driver posted a screenshot of a $179.77 adjustment payment on Tuesday to Spark Driver Community, a Facebook group for Spark drivers with just over 30,000 members. “Thanks Spark daddy!” the driver wrote in the post.

“I had $94 in my account today from this!” another driver posted on a Reddit page for Spark drivers.

Tips have long been a contentious topic for Walmart’s Spark drivers. Many have reported that customers appear to take them back after an order is delivered — a practice known as “tip baiting.”

One former employee who worked in a call center fielding Spark drivers’ questions and problems told BI that tips were sometimes credited to Walmart instead of the driver.

The tip glitch is the latest problem that drivers for the app have faced.

In February, Walmart said that hackers had taken control of some Spark drivers’ accounts and got access to personal information such as Social Security numbers. The hackers didn’t target Walmart’s own systems but appeared to gain access through phishing or other methods that involve logging into individual accounts, the company said.

Some Spark drivers said that other people used their accounts to shop and deliver orders for the service.

Last year, BI reported that some people delivering for Spark appeared to use multiple accounts under names other than their own, raising driver and customer concerns about security on the app.

Do you work for Walmart Spark, DoorDash, Instacart, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

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