Delivering packages for Amazon is a popular way to make cash on the side, but drivers complain they're being penalized for something that's out of their control.
Amazon Flex allows people to make money by picking up packages from an Amazon warehouse and delivering them to customer's front doors.
For Melissa Gyfteas, it was the perfect way to make almost $20 an hour.
"I homeschool my son, so he got to go with me," Gyfteas said. "It was a lot of fun for us."
The fun stopped though when she got her first customer complaint: someone claiming they never received their package.
"It was heartbreaking," she said. "They're basically calling you a liar and a thief."
Gyfteas claimed she had photographic evidence to prove the package was delivered, but was still penalized by Amazon.
She doesn't know whether the customer made up the complaint or whether the package was stolen after she'd dropped it off. Either way, she was soon fired after similar complaints were brought against her.
"This happens to so many people and it's not right," she said.
13 Action News found dozens of comments on GlassDoor, Indeed, and Facebook from Amazon Flex drivers with similar complaints against the company.
We looked into the terms of service and found it clearly states, "If customers repeatedly report that they cannot find packages you marked as delivered, you will no longer be eligible to participate in the program."
Gyfteas thinks more needs to be done to protect the drivers from false complaints or thieves. She is in the process of appealing her termination.
