04-12-2026, 07:48 PM
Costco Instacart thing isn't new. They've never delivered outside Kona and I doubt they ever will.
A month or so ago I placed a $200+ order with Costco-Instacart. For delivery to Puna. They accepted the order, and for three days just stated there was a delay. Apparently the website will accept an order, but a driver has to also accept the order. I tried raising the tip. No luck.
As far as I can tell, unless multiple people in Puna place large orders on the same day, and perhaps a driver in Kona also wants to visit his Unko Kimo in Puna anyway, it’s not worth the pay for the drive. That’s understandable.
Last week on another local social media site I started to read how someone in Puna placed a $450 Costco-Instacart order which was quickly accepted by a driver. Great! I thought. That seems to be the magic number.
Then… I went on to read how the delivery person was a scammer. Fake receipt, fake delivery photos. Others commented how that had happened to them too. They all seemed to get their money back, but the entire experience was more of a hassle than it was worth.
Buyer beware.
A month or so ago I placed a $200+ order with Costco-Instacart. For delivery to Puna. They accepted the order, and for three days just stated there was a delay. Apparently the website will accept an order, but a driver has to also accept the order. I tried raising the tip. No luck.
As far as I can tell, unless multiple people in Puna place large orders on the same day, and perhaps a driver in Kona also wants to visit his Unko Kimo in Puna anyway, it’s not worth the pay for the drive. That’s understandable.
Last week on another local social media site I started to read how someone in Puna placed a $450 Costco-Instacart order which was quickly accepted by a driver. Great! I thought. That seems to be the magic number.
Then… I went on to read how the delivery person was a scammer. Fake receipt, fake delivery photos. Others commented how that had happened to them too. They all seemed to get their money back, but the entire experience was more of a hassle than it was worth.
Buyer beware.