I'm hoping you can follow without me getting too specific because without knowing for sure that they were up to some shenanigans, I don't want to throw this MSC under the bus.

This weekend I had a shop to complete. I looked over my instructions carefully and set out to complete it. During the shop, I received an email from the company with some "shop reminders". I glanced over them and realized that some of the things I was so sure about were slightly tweaked. It was stated very firmly in the email that if I didn't follow these guidelines specifically, my shop would be invalidated. So I changed my shop slightly to adhere to what the email said and went home. When I got home, I got another email from the company that they had sent me the wrong guidelines for the specific shop I was doing and to disregard the previous email. Well, I had been doing the shop correctly the first time and once I changed it, per the first email I received, it wasn't quite to the requirements any longer.

I submitted my shop and in the notes section to the MSC I explained exactly what happened.

Well, two days later, I get an email from them telling me that the date on my first receipt did not match the date I stated I completed my shop and I didn't submit my second receipt at all. I submitted both receipts exactly as they had requested and checked the dates and they were both correct. Could this company be trying to invalidate my shop hoping that I had tossed my receipts? I submitted them both again, exactly as I did the first time. I wouldn't have sent a different receipt because this was the first shop I had done with them in a while and I always date my pictures before I send them. It just seemed fishy...

Thoughts?

It sounds more like disorganization than anythings else. It's a rare scheduler/MSC that would try to invalidate a shop this late in what is a short reporting month (due to the holiday).

Just to be sure about the MSC's reputation, why not do a search on that company name here on the forums and see what other shoppers have to say. Of course, you may want to discount any one time "rants" as those are often shoppers who just won't admit that they clearly did not work according to the guidelines.

Sounds like you have good grounds to be paid, assuming all else went according to hoyle on that shop.

I would be likely to respond to the editor and copy in my scheduler. I would keep it calm and attach copies of my two receipts indicating that I was pretty sure this was what I had attached to the report and that it looks to me as though the dates were indeed the dates I had indicated. If it were me, I would probably indicate that if I had accidentally attached the wrong receipts, please accept my apologies.

Well I already logged back into the website and re-sent them. Let's just hope that it was my oops and I submitted the wrong picture with a previous receipt instead of the current pic that had both receipts included. Looks like the shop is approved! It's a well known MSC and I've only had one payment issue in the past that was corrected when brought to their attention. It seemed odd to me that this time of all times my receipt would be rejected but I guess I can just give them the benefit of the doubt.

I am not making excuses for companies whose goofs cause shoppers unneeded anxiety. I do recognize that companies are in flux at this time of year, adjusting their workforce to deal with incoming and outgoing clients in addition to folks wanting time off with families for the various holidays coming up during the next six weeks or so. I note I am getting paid for work recently done when previous work has not yet been paid, I am getting conflicting instructions and a few companies have admitted to computer issues. This too shall pass. Hopefully a lot of the chaos is ramping up to bring on board lots of new clients for us to begin shopping in 2016!

Flash,
From your lips to god's ears!

I don't know the company your referring to, but I did notice that MarketForce updated the website to allow you to delete a receipt and re-upload it. I sent a receipt from the wrong (old) folder and spotted immediately that I uploaded the wrong $%! receipt as the browser opened the last folder and last job and I didn't catch it till I sent it.

Now you can delete the file and upload the correct one. As far as Sassie and ShopMetrics, you have always been able to delete a photo and submit the correct one if you screwed up and catch it right away.

I got the same erroneous emails about the same shop, but luckily I didn't get them while I was completing that shop. I submitted a single image with both my receipts in one picture--that seemed to work. I wasn't sure it was possible to submit two receipt files on their website--might you have uploaded one image over another (deleting the first)?

If u think a MSC is trying to screw you just put on a giant body condom for protection.

I did upload both receipts in one picture. The more I think about it, the more I think I must have been the one to make the mistake (must have send the wrong picture). I was all ready for a battle since I really didn't want the shop to be invalidated because of their incorrect email, I was too quick to assume the worst.