I just got an email from this company, a consumer research company, to shop/ evaluate (two retail outlets) ??? Anyone know anything about this company?? Is it legit or a SCAM???

Mod note: Even though you have not signed an ICA with this company, forum rules preclude mentioning MSCs together with their clients.

Baby Cakes, HS Brands is another name for Service Sleuth. They pay well and on time according to their guidelines (however, their guidelines are by the end of the month two months later). That means that they are now paying soon for shops done in May.

If you do want to take the job, be sure to follow the link in the official list of mystery shopping companies below -- Not from the email. Look through the job board on the known official site to see if they have the job in the email listed. The email could have hijacked the known good companies name.

@ Baby Cakes ~ You can not put client names in the body of your post when you have named the MSC in the subject title. That is a violation of your ICA and this forum's rules. Please edit your post and remove the client names or the Mod will eventually. Thank you.

Although this is a legitimate company, the email may not be. Check directly with the MSC if you are interested in these assignments.

I've done work for them. Good pay, easy forms.

I picked up a shop in June that might have a reimbursement. When I went to look at the Guideline/report, I saw they had just paid for FEBRUARY! I looked at their payment schedule. I turned the assignment down. I'll wait on a Job Fee, but not on reimbursement.

I was just paid by them today for shop done on May 16th. $20 reimbursement. While I'm happy to get paid, I object to waiting 2 months for a reimbursement.

Those are their standard payment terms.

Shops have decent reimbursements. Just takes forever to get paid. They aren't late with payments, their terms are just over two months.

Good company, interesting shops in my area. I accept shops from them knowing the long wait for reimbursements. They are not late payers but the time is long. I like having my shops pay staggered. I always have money coming in especially during my slow months.

I do a good amount for them but am also limited. I don't want to spend my whole reimbursement budget with a company that takes 2 months to pay back. I have enough income flow where it's now coming every month because I do jobs for them every month. The jobs I do add up to around the same amount so I am getting a steady monthly pay. Got paid in May for March, got paid in June for April, just got paid in July for May.

It's really too bad to. I like the company and what they have to offer. I would do a lot more for them if it didn't take so long to get payment.

I will say they pay on time like clockwork according to the agreement that you agree to when you sign up.

It uses the name, Service Sleuths and KSS handles their postings in Indiana. I signed up for a shop with a possible large expenditure/reimbursement, then read the payment policy. I emailed them and said while I'll wait that long for a fee, I will not for a reimbursement. They took the shop off of my account.

I just received a Citation from Service Sleuth. I was just surprised because it was a bonused shop and I did not expect an acknowledgment of my having juggled my schedule to complete a flaked shop. That just shows that some of their schedulers and editors are appreciative of what the shopper does. Although payment is long, it is actually as they stated when you sign up. Sometimes they are within 60 days or earlier. That depends, but never later than agreed upon.

Hannah is one of the best schedulers. And Lori asked to reactivate my account a few years when I asked to be deactivated. There are some editors who are a credit to their jobs but a couple who I would be happy not to deal with, though I seem to stay with 10s and a few 9s.

When you are signed up with a number of MSCs with different payment schedules, you would not normally notice the length of time for payment. And sometimes Service Sleuth surprises with a lump sum for various shops at a given month. I actually never expected to include it among my favourite MSCs but having had corresponded with extra special schedulers and editors who have established a symbiotic relationship with me, I would not hesitate to add it to my top list. It's not even because of the citation as I have received them before and did not change my outlook.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2014 07:42PM by risinghorizon.

Glad I found this thread! I've done two shops for them. The first one my payment and reimbursement were sent two weeks after I sumbitted my report. Today I was just looking to see when I should expect the money from my most recent shop and it has already been a month. I guess August will be good to me with the other shop fees I have rolling in.