Instacart deactivated a shopper, and he nearly lost his home. He battled the company and won $28,000 in back pay.

Instacart deactivated shopper Jason Via's account after Walmart self-checkout charged him for an extra item.

Via fought back by exercising an option that most gig workers may not know they have: arbitration.

Via won a payout of just over $28,000 , according to a copy of the arbitrator's decision.

Via's case was resolved by arbitration in October .

Instacart representatives argued that the company could "terminate the independent contractor agreement for any reason or no reason" Via spent months in arbitration before winning an award in his favor.

The arbitrator issued a cash award to Via in October , 15 months after the deactivation email.

Via's house in Los Angeles was on the road to foreclosure, but he and his wife avoided losing the property.