INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Here’s proof that Hoosier hospitality has no borders. A central Indiana businessman helped out a young mother of three living halfway across the country by turning a $55 tip into a $5,000 tip.
Indianapolis businessman Chad Jensen is currently relying on delivery companies like Instacart to bring groceries to his family’s doorstep. Earlier this month, Jensen was shocked to hear about "tip-baiting," which is when a customer goes on Instacart, promises a big tip to entice fast delivery but then pulls that tip back as soon as the groceries are delivered.
“These Instacart workers are providing just such a fantastic service to people, and I was just so appreciative of these workers,” Jensen said. “I just heard this story that these people were getting the service from people, even offering these bigger tips, and then pulling [the tip] back financially. I couldn't get around that.”
When Jensen first heard of tip-baiting, he went online to see if it was truly real. That’s where he read about an Instacart worker in Oregon named Annaliisa Arambula, a mother of three who was promised a $55 tip to deliver groceries in late March but then fell victim to "tip-baiting."
When Jensen saw her story on the morning of Friday, April 16, he immediately called the TV station responsible for reporting the story, and he asked them to set up a Zoom call with Arambula.
When Jensen was on a video call with Arambula later that afternoon, he offered to make up for that lost $55 tip by offering her $5,000.
“I just wanted to make a little difference in her life and just take something bad and make it positive,” Jensen said. “Originally, my tip was going to be $1,000, and then, that quickly became $5,000 when I heard her story.”
Arambula’s story is unique. Right around the time she was stung by that "tip-baiting," she started showing symptoms of COVID-19. That meant she couldn’t deliver groceries for two weeks, which was devastating news for this wife and mother of three who was the main income provider for her family.
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