In today’s news round-up for Amazon Flex, rare as these stories may be, the delivery division of the world’s leading eCommerce platform made history by opening the first Puget Sound branch, and the former structure there is interesting. Plus, Amazon Flex drivers saying they’re walking “on eggshells”? What does this mean? Read on.
Former Bartell Drugs space
Amazon Flex has unveiled its first-ever branch in the Puget Sound, its first-ever Seattle-area location at Roosevelt Square. That’s history, but this time, they’re leasing a former Bartell Drugs space.
Roosevelt Square, located just a stone’s throw away from the University of Washington Campus, was the former home of a Bartell Drugs space after the drug chain vacated this property in 2023, as part of their massive closing down of their stores.
Bartell Drugs itself is history. It was founded in 1890 – yes, the time of the American Revolution – in Seattle, Washington, serving the Puget Sound area.
The newly opened Amazon Flex location now is part of a 15,500-square-foot space on the second floor of the retail center. Amazon Flex currently operates across the country, with seven outposts in the Washington vicinity.
Bartell Drugs was a long-standing American pharmacy chain, founded in 1890 in Seattle, Washington, that served the Puget Sound region.
Walking ‘on eggshells’?
Meanwhile, in other Amazon Flex news, drivers are not satisfied with what they get, which is why they say they’re walking on eggshells. Thought “walking on air.” Here’s the news scoop.
You know Amazon Flex has provided opportunities for drivers to earn a living, too. It’s supposed to be a convenient experience for these drivers, but for others, it’s not.
Some Amazon Flex delivery partners spoke with Ridesharing Forum, saying they’re finding themselves in a system wherein users who flout rules and use bots to snatch competitive delivery shifts are going undetected and unpunished by Amazon. But, should they?
“They use a carrot and stick approach, but they use a lot more stick than carrot,” one of the drivers pointed out.
Some of them also raised concerns about the “behemoth practices” of the platform. They are saying that they are being threatened with being removed from the platform for infractions they might have committed, but in fact, they did not.
“It feels like you’re walking on eggshells constantly… because you never know when or how you’re going to get terminated,” others are saying.
Amazon Flex came to their own defense, saying that before they close the platform for a driver, they do so “with careful consideration.”
“On the rare occasion where we end a delivery partner’s engagement with us, we always do so with careful consideration and manual human review,” a representative for Amazon stated.
When you work for Amazon Flex, you are not directly employed by Amazon, but unfortunately, right now, you are tagged as independent contractors using your own vehicle to deliver packages.
And then, you choose your own time. Your blocks, also known as shifts, are managed by the app, so you don’t have to worry about managing them. They include the time limit and payment, for example, earning $154 for a four-hour shift.
It’s a viable way to earn extra, but with these drivers complaining, the company might want to take a look further. Agreeing with these drivers? Tell us your thoughts by signing up for your account here today.