# This funny article popped out today in my Google app



## Behemoth (Jan 26, 2015)

https://gizmodo.com/amazons-last-mile-1820451224


----------



## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

I had just read that as well. I don't do Flex but seems to be in line with the other on-demand apps in terms of drivers not being thrilled with the way it's run.

Is it a relatively accurate article?


----------



## surlywynch (Jun 22, 2017)

https://uberpeople.net/threads/amazons-last-mile.218679/


----------



## Behemoth (Jan 26, 2015)

MHR said:


> I had just read that as well. I don't do Flex but seems to be in line with the other on-demand apps in terms of drivers not being thrilled with the way it's run.
> 
> Is it a relatively accurate article?


I did this gig for a year, then got deactivated. It's pretty accurate from my experience. Included YouTube video shows the way you get blocks in oversaturated markets nowadays.



surlywynch said:


> https://uberpeople.net/threads/amazons-last-mile.218679/


Sorry for repost.


----------



## CarmenFlexDriver (Jun 21, 2016)

Article is pretty accurate and kudos to the person who wrote the story for getting most information right and presenting a fairly accurate picture.

Most interesting part of the story...maybe people missed it. Quoted from the article:
Despite the enormous amount of access Amazon is afforded to its drivers' phones, "botting" remains popular and poorly policed. At least one device was built specifically to increase the likeliness of landing blocks-the Flexbot. It's creator, a former driver named Tim McDaniel who suffers from arthritis, claims to have made it "just to level the playing field to able-bodied folks," though certainly some of the customers who have paid $130 for the contraption-a pair of Arduino-controlled mechanical fingers-do so to avoid detection by Amazon's software. Unlike software alternatives, Amazon told Gizmodo that Flexbot does not violate its terms of service. McDaniel originally sold Flexbot 6 on Amazon, but had his account shut down after he "fell behind on customer relations."

How is a contraption that "auto clicks" and "auto accepts" acceptable while a piece of software that does the same thing not???


----------



## surlywynch (Jun 22, 2017)

I read that, and thought that too. I considered purchasing one, but after reading here, decided that buying a contraption that taps, will be useless when they go back to swiping for blocks. I'm still doing OK madly tapping blindly accepting blocks, and forfeiting them later if they don't work with my schedule.


----------



## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

Could someone explain how you accept your blocks, what the whole process is.

As I said I don't do flex (and don't want to) but I hear about 'bots' and 'madly tapping' and ' controlled mechanical fingers' and I have no idea what all this means and honestly I'm interested in how this pertains to you getting work.


----------



## CarmenFlexDriver (Jun 21, 2016)

MHR said:


> Could someone explain how you accept your blocks, what the whole process is.
> 
> As I said I don't do flex (and don't want to) but I hear about 'bots' and 'madly tapping' and ' controlled mechanical fingers' and I have no idea what all this means and honestly I'm interested in how this pertains to you getting work.


Click on the flexbot link in the quoted text I posted and watch the video. It shows the flexbot in action. Basically the "tappers" replace our fingers.

Amazon releases "blocks" randomly that show up on our "offers" screen. We have to keep tapping a "refresh" button to make them show up as fast as possible and select and accept the blocks as fast as possible. At least in most locations. This is how we get blocks to work.


----------



## MHR (Jul 23, 2017)

Interesting and looks like quite a PITA. But dang people are ingenious.

So it's not like DD or GH where they put up a schedule once a week and you chose which block hours you want to work. That's the part I was getting stumped on.

Thanks.


----------

