EPMS ripoff - shoppers beware!
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You cancelled the shop because you did not like the shirt they sent?
i see NO FAULT with what ellis did
I would have done the same thing.
i see NO FAULT with what ellis did
I would have done the same thing.
"because they have violated interstate shipping laws of recording equipment?" What!? I thought about it and sent it back anyway with a lengthy explanation
I am baffled by this statement. There is nothing wrong with shipping recording equipment across state lines. Many MSCs do this.
In my loooong experience with EPMS, Robert has proven to be a most helpful and knowledgeable professional. If you check out another thread about EPMS, a few lines from this one, you will see that another frequent video shopper (colokate) agrees with me. She and I have little in common, but our mutual respect for Robert Asher.
I am baffled by this statement. There is nothing wrong with shipping recording equipment across state lines. Many MSCs do this.
In my loooong experience with EPMS, Robert has proven to be a most helpful and knowledgeable professional. If you check out another thread about EPMS, a few lines from this one, you will see that another frequent video shopper (colokate) agrees with me. She and I have little in common, but our mutual respect for Robert Asher.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
What an amateur.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
You sent the equipment back because you didn't like the shirt??
And, why would you not keep a copy of your agreements and receivables???
You must have signed something that allowed them to penalize you the $75....
This all sounds a bit fishy to me....
And, why would you not keep a copy of your agreements and receivables???
You must have signed something that allowed them to penalize you the $75....
This all sounds a bit fishy to me....
O.o o.O
Happily shopping New England and beyond!!!!!
Happily shopping New England and beyond!!!!!
I could totally see them sending you a ridiculously obvious shirt then dinging you for being spotted once you wore it.
In my mind it was probably as outdated as their scenarios.
There have been others who have posted here about the same problems when returning the equipment.
Kudos to you for not jeopardizing your identity as a mystery shopper. I too place that above all else.
Too much work in my area to risk doing a shop in a clown shirt for a company that is one way. Their outdated way.
That is unless you were fortunate enough to work with Robert Asher mentioned in the posts above.
Search here under apartment shopping, video shopping and you will find other companies to work for.
In my mind it was probably as outdated as their scenarios.
There have been others who have posted here about the same problems when returning the equipment.
Kudos to you for not jeopardizing your identity as a mystery shopper. I too place that above all else.
Too much work in my area to risk doing a shop in a clown shirt for a company that is one way. Their outdated way.
That is unless you were fortunate enough to work with Robert Asher mentioned in the posts above.
Search here under apartment shopping, video shopping and you will find other companies to work for.
I have done 4 video shops for EPMS and never had a problem. Yes the shirt they sent me was hideous and WAY to short for my 5'9 body, but I threw it on with a cute jacket over it and zipped it halfway up right below the camera. All of the information they give you for the shop clearly states that you will be charged the fee if you don't complete the shop. They pay for overnight FEDEX shipping, there and back, so you can complete the shop ASAP, not so you can decide if a shirt you are going to wear for an hour suits your style. I've had to wait a week or so before they could ship me equipment because they were being used by other shoppers. So yes, you wasted everyone's time and money.
On another side to this hope that shirt is washed between users or are we just passing it along with the equipment? ICK!!!!
How bad could that shirt have been? I would jump at the chance to do video with a companies equipment before I purchased my own just for the experience. As far as the hideous shirt goes I would love to see a picture.
canadamommy,
The sky is not falling! Loaned shirts are cleaned/washed between users.
The best video shirts have a very, very busy pattern on a black background. This helps divert the target's eye and greatly reduces the chances that the target will spot the camera.
The sky is not falling! Loaned shirts are cleaned/washed between users.
The best video shirts have a very, very busy pattern on a black background. This helps divert the target's eye and greatly reduces the chances that the target will spot the camera.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
And you know this how?
walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> canadamommy,
> The sky is not falling! Loaned shirts are
> cleaned/washed between users.
>
> The best video shirts have a very, very busy
> pattern on a black background. This helps divert
> the target's eye and greatly reduces the chances
> that the target will spot the camera.
walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> canadamommy,
> The sky is not falling! Loaned shirts are
> cleaned/washed between users.
>
> The best video shirts have a very, very busy
> pattern on a black background. This helps divert
> the target's eye and greatly reduces the chances
> that the target will spot the camera.
Many shirts arrive in the laundry/cleaners package or with a fresh laundry tag on them. In many cases, I have also visited the MSC company on site and seen how they operate.
You have a long history of scare mongering concerning the "hazards" of video shopping. Anyone who is interested can do a search on your comments on numerous video shop threads to verify this. I am not willing to spend the time to compile the list. But frequent readers of video threads here are familiar with this history.
You have a long history of scare mongering concerning the "hazards" of video shopping. Anyone who is interested can do a search on your comments on numerous video shop threads to verify this. I am not willing to spend the time to compile the list. But frequent readers of video threads here are familiar with this history.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
So EPMS is a ripoff because they sent you a shirt that you didn't like? Are you kidding me? You do know that any shirt that they send probably has a value of $5-10, compared to $600-700 for the equipment. Robert A. is pretty upfront about the costs of sending the equipment out as well as returning it, to include the costs of what the shop penalties will be if EPMS receives the equipment + shirt late, as well as a flaked/refused shop.
I don't quite see what EPMS did wrong here. Reading your post, I have to surmise that your shop expectations with them are a bit unreasonable and ridiculous.
I don't quite see what EPMS did wrong here. Reading your post, I have to surmise that your shop expectations with them are a bit unreasonable and ridiculous.
For starters CanadaMommy, the reason why Walesmaven would know this is because she knows what she is talking about. She is a valued contributor to the major video shopping MSCs as well as to the IMSC and MSPA. If you've ever been present during one of her classes and presentations that she gives at conferences, you would see that she is sought out by MSC owners and employees, experienced video shoppers, and new shoppers.
Frankly CanadaMommy, if I needed video shopping advice, Walesmaven would be among my top 5 go-to people. I hope that you would consider the same.
CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And you know this how?
>
> walesmaven Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > canadamommy,
> > The sky is not falling! Loaned shirts are
> > cleaned/washed between users.
> >
> > The best video shirts have a very, very busy
> > pattern on a black background. This helps
> divert
> > the target's eye and greatly reduces the
> chances
> > that the target will spot the camera.
Frankly CanadaMommy, if I needed video shopping advice, Walesmaven would be among my top 5 go-to people. I hope that you would consider the same.
CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And you know this how?
>
> walesmaven Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > canadamommy,
> > The sky is not falling! Loaned shirts are
> > cleaned/washed between users.
> >
> > The best video shirts have a very, very busy
> > pattern on a black background. This helps
> divert
> > the target's eye and greatly reduces the
> chances
> > that the target will spot the camera.
My comment was only about the clean shirt folks. You are over thinking the post.
I don't think so.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
Canadamommy, your history here indicates that we are most assuredly not overthinking your post.
.
Have PV-500 & willing to travel.
"Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions which is hard." (The Fourth Doctor, The Face of Evil, 1977)
"Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.” J. Andrew Taylor
"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." Galileo Galilei
Have PV-500 & willing to travel.
"Answers are easy. It's asking the right questions which is hard." (The Fourth Doctor, The Face of Evil, 1977)
"Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.” J. Andrew Taylor
"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." Galileo Galilei
I asked how you knew the shirt was a clean shirt. That is a simple question and you gave a simple answer.
You folks have way more time than I do over analyze a question.
You folks have way more time than I do over analyze a question.
And you know a dirty shirt how?
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
Hey there. Does EPMS rent the video equipment? What is the cost? I like the company but sometimes they take a long time to respond to my questions. Than;s 
This was not about fashion, please. It was about being obvious as a shopper and the ethics behind video taping someone without their permission.
This was not about fashion, please. It was about being obvious as a shopper and the ethics behind video taping someone without their permission.
Eric assumptions are the problem of the assumer. Robert has always been professional and we had a good working relationship. I talked to him about this before returning the shirt and was expecting to be dinged the $75. However, not have my profile pulled down and not be paid other monies due. I keep an accounting but had not gotten to that one yet and have never had an issue with this company in over four years. You don't know me so don't be so quick to judge. I am venting about them closing my account over this. I did not see anything that described the fee when I assigned the shops. Have a nice day in the world where you seem to have it all figured out and the rest of us just need to catch up!
Eric assumptions are the problem of the assumer. Robert has always been professional and we had a good working relationship. I talked to him about this before returning the shirt and was expecting to be dinged the $75. However, not have my profile pulled down and not be paid other monies due. I keep an accounting but had not gotten to that one yet and have never had an issue with this company in over four years. You don't know me so don't be so quick to judge. I am venting about them closing my account over this. I did not see anything that described the fee when I assigned the shops. Have a nice day in the world where you seem to have it all figured out and the rest of us just need to catch up!
Not because I did not like the shirt. Because I thought it was incredibly obvious and when I discussed with a friend who is a law ethics professional I found it to be sketchy ethically. I understood the fee but removing my profile is not fair.
I was baffled by that comment also. Robert has always been great to work with. That is why I am frustrated that they did not just fine me and move on, they took down my profile with hundreds of shops.
Yeah, that's me pure amateur..... And laughing. What til something like this happens to you.
Not because of fashion, because it was so obvious. I have never seen or signed anything in regards to the fee. You're welcome to your opinion.
Whatever trips your trigger. I had no problem with the fee. It was the removal of my profile after such a long and successful relationship that grinds my gears. I also found it unethical to be wearing a camera. So I changed my mind.
The James Bond shirt went back w/o a photo sorry. I am glad video shopping works for you. Personally, it violates my belief system and I should have thought that through before requesting the shop. Understand the fairness in the fee, just not in taking down my profile after four years of work.
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