Hi Everyone, I got an acceptance email from this company. I am still new to this game, but doing okay so far. Can someone please give me some insight about this company ie...are they honest, how they pay and when they pay.....I would appreciate the input. Thanx in advance

The are strict and honest. They pay by check and details should be on their FAQs page.

Lisa, Thanx for the info....I know about the faqs page......I just wanted some opinions from some of you guys who have worked for them for a while......I appreciate the info......Now I'm gonna see what they have to offer.

They are okay. I find some of the shops a bit low paying and the reports depend on the project. The only truly tough reports were for casinos and even those can be worse with other companies. Depending on where you are and if you travel, they will bonus and bonus well. I don't work for them often.

I like them. I have been shopping for them for a year. They pay pretty quick (I think twice a month). The reports I have done for them require a fair amount of narrative. I did a few of their new car shops, but I don't think those are worth the starting price. My favorites are the oil change shops and the casual dining shops.

Mothersmilk, you didn't happen to choose your screen name from the phrase, "Mother's milk in a cup!"?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2012 01:55PM by spaztck.

NO.....plain and simple....

Good morning,

I did one shop for them close to my home. Don't really care to do anymore.

Savana23
Silver Certified
Virginia

They pay quickly and by check. Their reports can be time consuming, but are straightforward and simple. I think they are a good company for beginners.

I have done only one of their shops, the big box electronics store. It was, in no way, worth the time I spent on it. Because of this, I am unlikely to shop with them again.

When posting a comment with respect to this MSC, I state the following:

I was fired by these folks in 2007 for refusing to accept their low pay/high work shops.

Now, to first answer the questions: BestMark pays quickly and I've never read of them cheating a shopper. With that completed, I'll address the thread title: In my opinion, they're definitely not worth the effort. Their pay is very low for the required work and expense. I don't, though, have any experience with them offering a bonus.

Well, worth it is strictly in the eye of the beholder, and until you do a few shops with them, only you can determine that. They were the first company I signed up with and I used to do shops for them all the time. I liked that they paid so quickly which helped build up my bank account that I have strictly for mystery shopping. After working with other companies, I don't do as much for them, because as others have said, their reports can be a bit lengthy for the amount the shop pays. I am doing one of the big box stores tomorrow (which I am now kicking myself for) only because my week was pretty blank when I looked at my schedule on Sunday. Now, I am overloaded which is far too typical in how my weeks end up. I actually ONLY work with them to do my tire rotations and oil changes as they pay nice bonuses for the make of the car that I drive. When I am stuck at home, I still look on their site and will snag up as many $3 internet surveys as I can if they are offering them at that time. Those are easy, and if I am homebound for the day, why not? Most people would not agree with me on taking those, but I will either find myself shopping online or making a little money online so, I take the latter and my husband greatly appreciates that!
I say you should try one or two, and if you hate it, you can bid them farewell.

nanabelle, What is it you dont like about this MSC?... Sounds like you had a bad experience......

I like them and have done shops for them monthly, for the last 7 years. Some shops are FANTASTIC and other shops sucks, but that's life. Their instructions are clear and they pay timely.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Bestmark as it is the first company I shopped for. Reports can be long and redundant, but if you do the same place over and over, I find you can use some standard phrases. I love that they pay so quickly. They are very reliable in that regard.

Bestmark provides clear guidelines and they pay on schedule. The reports on the shops I've done require considerable narrative for the money paid, but that doesn't mean a working relationship with the company is undesirable. If you have a problem with narrative, you may want to accept these assignments with caution. If you write fluently and don't regard detailed narrative as a negative, these are doable shops. I believe your own personal preferences on the types of shops you want to do is the main thing to keep in mind with regard to Bestmark. The company is first rate.

I just started shopping in August and have done 2 shops for Bestmark. My first was supposed to be a retail store that turned out to be a warehouse. Because of the staff there, I wasn't able to get the required picture. Fortunately, as a pro photographer, I was able to park across the street, roll down the car window [tinted to the max allowed by law] and shoot a picture of the warehouse interior with a 500mm lens. It took a bit of Photoshop work to get a useable image. The evaluator called me and I explained the situation to her and they ok'ed it.

So far it's been a positive experience; yes their reports are a bit more intensive but if I have a light week it's worthwhile.

mothersmilk Wrote:
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> nanabelle, What is it you dont like about this
> MSC?... Sounds like you had a bad experience......


had the nastiest scheduler EVER...I have shopped for many years and this woman was just evil in my eyes. I have a good friend in my area and she had an even worse experience with the same person. Once I get "stung" that's it, I'm outta that company. I'm sure they don't miss me and I don't miss them......

I shop for them weekly. I've been MSing for 11 years and although the pay isn't real high (Car dealerships are only $17 - $20, no test drive required), their guidelines are clear, and pay is ALWAYS on time and I don't think the reports are bad. Wish they had direct deposit and I do think dedcuting $2.00 for being 1 minute late on reports is rediculous! None the less, they are one of my favorites and I enjoy yhe fact that they have a variety of shops in my area. I got a well needed haircut also recently through them!

I have shopped with BestMark for most of this year. So far, they pay regularly (every other week usually) and I have had no problems. If you maintain contact with them, they will be very helpful. Recently, I had some serious family illnesses occur and it was just a matter of letting them know what was going on to have them reschedule and/or cancel shops based on my (then) extremely hectic life. I appreciated that, as other companies were not willing to work with me on reschedules and one actually referred to me as a 'total flake' (which they later retracted).

They get mixed reviews. Some people don't like Bestmark but I've never had a single issue or a single payment partially docked for anything. They pay like clockwork, too. By check, as previously mentioned.

They always paid me in a timely manner but after the last 3 shops I did for them I said no more. The pay was just not worth the long strange report.

Honest company, but like others, not worth my time, IMO. Check payments are a mild aggravation. Reports are a tad on the long side and more narrative-heavy compared to some of the other MSC's in their pay range (CoRI and Maritz, to name a few). And, in my experiences, their editors are a bit pickier than most.

But, like I said, to each his own. If Bestmark emailed me today, saying they had a $50 job nearby, I'd probably be on it like Kirstie Alley at a buffet.

I have done over 250 shops for them, and occasionally do 10-12 a week. I get paid on a weekly basis, it's a sweet deal for me.

Unlike 90% of the people here, I really enjoy the Big Box electronics stores. I often do two a day, every day of the week. I live in a major metropolitan area that has a couple dozen of these stores. I like them as my "late night" shops, because I can go do them up to 8:00 pm. And they have Sunday shops, which I will do because they are convenient to my work schedule.

Like the USPS shops, once you get the hang of their Big Box shops they are second nature. I am also the resident electronics genius in my family, because I have asked every single question related to home electronics known to man at this point due to these shops. LOL!

I have no complaints about Bestmark. My advice is that if it looks like the pay is too low for a particular shop, don't do it. Usually, the requirements are stated well. I have done many restaurant and car dealer shops for them and although they ask for a lot of narrative, their editors are pleasant and happy to resolve their questions on the phone. I dabbled in their big-box audits, but decided that the client was so disorganized that trying to do the audit was too frustrating. They pay pretty quickly and keep a helpful list of shops you've done on their site.