A strange phenomenon has emerged near Amazon delivery stations and Whole Foods stores in the Chicago suburbs: Smartphones hanging from trees. Delivery drivers place them there to compete with other drivers.
Drivers place multiple devices in a tree near the station where deliveries originate. The drivers then sync their own phones with those on the tree and wait nearby to be notified of an order. The reason, according to people with direct knowledge of operations , is to take advantage of the proximity of the headsets to the station, combined with software that constantly monitors Amazon’s shipping network.
That drivers are resorting to such extreme methods is a testament to the fierce competition in the job market in the US , which is suffering from double-digit unemployment rates due to the pandemic. A smartphone hanging from a tree could be the key to getting a $15 ride before someone else.
Drivers have been posting photos and videos on social media to try to figure out which technology is being used to get orders delivered faster than other devices. Some have complained to Amazon that unscrupulous drivers have found a way to circumvent the company's delivery system.
Amazon told Bloomberg that it would investigate the issue, but would not be able to disclose the outcome of its investigation to delivery drivers.
What exactly do drivers do? They approach the hanging smartphones and sync them with their own devices. Then they sit or stand waiting for a notification about a route.
Drivers compete for Instant Offers, which require an immediate response and typically take 15 to 45 minutes to complete. Instant Offers are sent by an automated system that detects which drivers are nearby via their smartphone. When drivers see an Instant Offer, they have just a few minutes to accept the delivery or lose it to someone else.
The system can track a smartphone's location, and of course distance plays a role. That means a phone in a tree outside a Whole Foods will receive a delivery offer before drivers who might be sitting in their cars just a block away.
The phones in the trees appear to be serving as the primary devices that send out rides to multiple drivers nearby, drivers who have observed the process. They believe an unknown person or entity is acting as a middleman between Amazon and the drivers and charging drivers for more rides, which is against Amazon’s policies.
One driver said the company needs to take steps to ensure all drivers are treated equally and the process is fair. “Amazon knows,” the driver said, “but they’re not doing anything.”
