So, last weekend was the opening for Hunger Games and, apparently, in my drug addled haze, I decided for some reason to do the trailer shops. Everyone knows that trailer shops on opening days for big movies is a big mistake, anyway, right? FIVE THEATRES. I had five theatres to check: 12:00PM, 12:15PM, 12:30PM, 12:45PM, and 1:00PM. And like a trooper, I managed them all!

Now, I don't know how many of you are familiar with this phenomenon or not, but Market Force decides, in their infinite wisdom, to send out emails every once in a while. Some you get, some you don't. I've been told by the folks at Market Force that they're aware of the issue, that their technical support is working on it, and... well, there you go.

I was going through back mail today (because who has time to shop, live a life, work a full time job, have kids and a family, whatever else we do) to check another place for email, and what do I find? Oh, a notice that the $10 for the first screen, $2 each additional that I'd signed up for for The Hunger Games got changed. $7 for the first screen! SEVEN DOLLARS.

So let's see here-- 1 hour, fifteen at the theatre, ten minutes home, and forty-five minutes inputting survey stuff. 2 hours for a grand total of $15 or $7.50/hr. Awesome.

Bait and switch sucks most of the time, but this... I'm so angry. I was just told that "no one forces you to take these shops, ma'am" and "I don't know why you didn't get your email, everyone else does." Are you kidding me? Just, seriously. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

UGH.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2012 05:30PM by jentodd.

Yep, that sucks. I got baited and switched this week as well. Different MSC. I took a route and know for darn sure I didn't schedule a visit 1 hour away from the rest of my shops and put me 3 hours from home. But it was there. I did it, moaning and groaning the whole way. I will NEVER do that again.

That's what I told them today.

We do these things in good faith. We accept the jobs based on the parameters they provide us and to go back and change payment/location/time & date/etc, without another pre-arranged agreement is NUTS. They rely on us to be truthful and accurate. Well, it's about damn time we made them responsible for the same. I'm just not working with MSCs that can't honor the same moralities, the same SOCIAL CONTRACTS, they demand of us.

I'm so GRR about this, anymore.

I really am sorry to hear about your shop!

I guess I don't understand. If you agree to do a job at a certain price, MF is contractually bound to pay you that price, as long as you have the proof in writing.

That's what I said. I have the paperwork that says the payment we agreed to, but they sent an "update" two days before that I didn't get (because MF has issues with email) that said the job was paying less, so... there you go. Some guy called me this afternoon and said if I could prove with documentation that I was supposed to get $10, he'd pay me the $10. Like... he was doing me a giant favor and it wasn't just the _right thing_ to do.

Bleh, the whole thing sucks. Arguing over $3, or feeling like you have to because you were mindful of their requirements and you did the job (and did it well) and it took a lot to do... it's tiring, but there's a principle involved.

The only problem like this I had was with an MSP that estimated the time needed to be so much less than the actual time I dropped them. One was for 2 hours, but took me over 7 hours. Same pay.
I would work for them again, but only on jobs where I know how long it takes me. I got them to 20 minutes, and those I would still take --- if I was still registered with them.

Do you print your CPI or save it to a PDF when you're assigned work?

jentodd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, last weekend was the opening for Hunger Games
> and, apparently, in my drug addled haze, I decided
> for some reason to do the trailer shops. Everyone
> knows that trailer shops on opening days for big
> movies is a big mistake, anyway, right? FIVE
> THEATRES. I had five theatres to check: 12:00PM,
> 12:15PM, 12:30PM, 12:45PM, and 1:00PM. And like a
> trooper, I managed them all!
>
> Now, I don't know how many of you are familiar
> with this phenomenon or not, but Market Force
> decides, in their infinite wisdom, to send out
> emails every once in a while. Some you get, some
> you don't. I've been told by the folks at Market
> Force that they're aware of the issue, that their
> technical support is working on it, and... well,
> there you go.
>
> I was going through back mail today (because who
> has time to shop, live a life, work a full time
> job, have kids and a family, whatever else we do)
> to check another place for email, and what do I
> find? Oh, a notice that the $10 for the first
> screen, $2 each additional that I'd signed up for
> for The Hunger Games got changed. $7 for the
> first screen! SEVEN DOLLARS.
>
> So let's see here-- 1 hour, fifteen at the
> theatre, ten minutes home, and forty-five minutes
> inputting survey stuff. 2 hours for a grand total
> of $15 or $7.50/hr. Awesome.
>
> Bait and switch sucks most of the time, but
> this... I'm so angry. I was just told that "no
> one forces you to take these shops, ma'am" and "I
> don't know why you didn't get your email, everyone
> else does." Are you kidding me? Just, seriously.
> ARE YOU KIDDING ME.
>
> UGH.

Yup, they do that all the time. First Shows almost always get downgraded to the anytime show but they still tell you, it is preferable to do the First Show though they have docked the fee by $3.00. One time they did it to me, I went to the last shows. I had messages right and left on my machine and on my log asking me to submit my paperwork asap. LOL.

Well, this Friday, I was all set to see a movie where I had accepted the trailer check two weeks in advance. My sons were treating me to the movie and I even accepted another movie trailer. Guess what? They not only changed the First Show category but cancelled both movies. Just like that! I read about it when I was about to download the paperwork.

The trailer checks are now assigned two weeks in advance. And you cannot accept more than one movie theatre as the shows are designated First Shows. So if you accept it because you are planning to see the movie anyway, be aware that it is not going to be a First Show and that it could be cancelled anytime.

You see, if you have made many cancellations, you get a record and could be deactivated. However, they could cancel your shops at will anytme and blame the client. I get a better deal when I relax at home and someone calls. Then I negotiate the rate. Otherwise, forget it! As I had told the scheduler, I am not wasting my time in the movie house waiting to complete all auditoriums when they could be more than 30 minutes apart. I have better things to do. Besides, the minimum wage in Toronto is $10.25. Considering that they pay in US$, regardless of rate of exchange, we still lose in just the conversion.

risinghorizon Wrote:

You see, if you have made many cancellations, you get a record and could be deactivated. However, they could cancel your shops at will anytme and blame the client. I get a better deal when I relax at home and someone calls. Then I negotiate the rate. Otherwise, forget it! As I had told the scheduler, I am not wasting my time in the movie house waiting to complete all auditoriums when they could be more than 30 minutes apart. I have better things to do. Besides, the minimum wage in Toronto is $10.25. Considering that they pay in US$, regardless of rate of exchange, we still lose in just the conversion.

PRECISELY! Like... x one billionty. =P And it sucks. I told the guy I spoke to that I don't want MF calling me anymore with the whole sob story that they have no one to do these and they really, really, really need them done so badly, etc. etc. If I can't count on them to be decent when I volunteer for the job, then why should I consistently keep pulling their chestnuts out of the fire. =P

This hasn't happened to me but:

Class action lawsuit? How much does $3 add up to for all of us? Is there a minimum?

Maybe news publicity?

I just don't like to see cheating rewarded. It is everytime a cheater wins.

Hey Sandra,

I'm not sure there's really much to be done. Especially since they claim it's the client that changes the rate every time. I don't know, I really think their system is so convoluted, it's designed to work for them like this. It's _designed_ for them to be able to "offer" the job at one rate and then change it later... and just run the risk of someone _not_ seeing their email where they warn you they're changing the rate.

I don't like feeling cheated, either. One thing I've discovered in the ten months I've been shopping is that a) it's really easy to be taken advantage of; b) consistently fighting tooth and nail for what we deserve creates a lot of cynicism; c) the best thing (that I've discovered) that can be done is to share experiences so we all know what to look for.

I really feel like the less we all put up with unfair treatment (and the more we do it together), the more the industry changes. It seems like it takes the shoppers to "shop" the shopping industry, in order to better it for us all! =)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2012 10:59AM by jentodd.

But the fact remains that you were cheated.

Everyone complains about marketforce yet still works for them. I gave them up years ago and never looked back. Now whenever they buy a company like they do every year, if I do routes for that company, I stop because I want no part of the marketforce way.

If everyone would unite and do the same, they would get the hint. People can only speak in numbers!

Hence the need for a new thread titled "MS Companies Who Flake On Payments" This could be a "one stop" thread for shoppers to warn others about payment issues. These may be justified or not, but it would be one thread so that shoppers do not have to peruse the entire site to find MS companies who have a better than average history of non/short payment issues. One idea.

risinghorizon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
...Besides, the minimum
> wage in Toronto is $10.25. Considering that they
> pay in US$, regardless of rate of exchange, we
> still lose in just the conversion.


Don't forget to add in the cost of postage to mail your documentation within two business days. There goes more than another dollar of your pay.

I think the problem would be that most companies would be on that list. =X It might be easier to create one that has companies that _haven't_ flaked.

As far as shopping again for MF goes, I didn't say I was going to continue shopping for them; as a matter of fact, I told the person I was speaking with that I didn't want them calling me at the last minute and begging me to do their shops at two local theatres, anymore, because they had no one help them make quota. I told the person if I couldn't trust his word on this, what was the point?

It's all-important, as we know as shoppers, that we uphold the highest ethical standards (truthful reporting, fast, accurate, etc.). I told him that if I did the job with the same due-diligence, by rights, I would have sent him an email two hours prior to the job stating that I would plan on doing $7 worth of work, instead of $10, and that I would have brought him a fraction of the report filled out either accurately or honestly, my pick, and it'd be up to him to figure out.

-shaking head- I don't plan on working for MF again. There is one report I enjoy and one scheduler I really like, but that's not enough to eclipse this kind of frustration for me. I will say this, though. After saying all of that, and expressing that I wouldn't continue shopping for them, the guy I was speaking to sounded like he could really _care_. The sad fact is this-- there are other shoppers that'll fall into the "market" and fill my gap. In the end, my small contribution will hardly be missed.

Maybe we should develop a report form to mystery shop the MSCs?

plmccut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe we should develop a report form to mystery
> shop the MSCs?


Good Idea !

Call it" MSC Cheaters, Swindlers, and Cons"

It's not a "social contract", it's a business contract.

They have given you a contract to sign, and everytime they send out a notice for a job to do at a certain price that falls under that contract.

SAVE EVERY EMAIL .

IF THEY OFFER A BONUS OVER THE PHONE....ASK THEM TO CONFIRM IT TO YOU IN EMAIL.

cause if it's just over the phone, you have no proof.

Market force told me $80.00 job was cancelled , after i finished it, 2 hours work, no pay.

photomike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Market force told me $80.00 job was cancelled ,
> after i finished it, 2 hours work, no pay.


Are you sure they aren't going to pay you something anyway? If you weren't told until after the shop was completed, I'd think you'd be entitled to something, even if it was just 50% since no report was required.

I accepted a trailer check job two weeks in advance and then the day before my visit I got the "bait & switch" email. I decided to cancel because it takes me over an hour to get to the theatre and I thought it was a waste of time to trek all the way there just for a measly $9.

It pisses me off that I was initially willing to hold my end of the bargain while MF didn't and I'm the one who got penalized for cancelling in the end. It's not fair >

From now on I'm not accepting any more trailer check jobs in advance. Some other sucker can do them.

I know without a doubt that they have changed a rate on me and NOT sent an email warning so. Only noticed it the day I went to complete the shop and printed out a statement with a fee $2 less. From that point on I print all CPIs for Market Force, and overview with fee stated, for Certified.