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1. yig+(OP)[view] [source] 2020-03-30 18:05:47
According to this Reddit post, Amazon Prime Now plays the same shenanigans with the tip:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AmazonFlexDrivers/comments/9ji1af/p...

"Amazon will never disclose any information about specific deliveries beyond what you see in the app before and after the delivery. They will not tell you who tipped or how much. The only ways to tell if a customer tipped are cash tips and blocks with only one order completed, including instant offers, for which the earnings exceed the initial offer."

"If an offer shows a pay range, the base rate is never more than the low end of that range. For example, if you accept an offer for a 2 hour block with pay of $36-50, anything you earn for that block beyond $36 is from tips."

"Amazon does not technically steal tips, but the end result is the same as if they did. They call it variable base pay. They state in the contract that 100% of tips are passed on to the driver. This is true. However, they often lower the base rate enough so the net earnings is the minimum stated in the block offer. Think of it like a piece of string. The entire length of the string is your earnings. The right side of the string is tips and the left side is base pay. They promise never to cut the right side of the string. They cut the left side instead. It still results in a shorter piece of string."

"If the base pay plus tips ends up being more than the offered pay for the block, you will get paid the full amount. So if you accept a 2 hour block for $36-50 and get $55 in tips, you will be paid at least $55. They don't lower the base rate on every block and they don't always lower it the same amount. They say it's based on demand. For a 2 hour block, after tips, you might be paid $36 or you might be paid $80. It just depends."

"I'm not sure how Amazon determines the suggested tip for orders that include tips. I just played around in the Prime Now app and it seems like the suggested tip is a percentage of the total item cost, before shipping and tax, but is a minimum of $5. Customers can, of course, change it to whatever they want."

replies(1): >>tomp+1h
2. tomp+1h[view] [source] 2020-03-30 19:45:19
>>yig+(OP)
I don't understand.

If Amazon is promising to pay you at least $36, then the "base pay" must be $36 - that's what you'd be getting if there was $0 tips - and either you're getting all the tips (i.e. if there's any tips, you're paid more than $36), or Amazon is lying and stealing tips (i.e. if there's $2 in tips, they reduce ("steal") your base pay to $34 so you're still paid just $36).

replies(1): >>Alexan+Un
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3. Alexan+Un[view] [source] [discussion] 2020-03-30 20:29:41
>>tomp+1h
This is the correct analysis. Anything else is just obfuscation of scummy behavior.
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