Welcome to the forum, cruiser. Typically, when any MSC refuses a report, neither the fee or the expenses are paid. That's the nature of being an IC. We are not employees. Employees get paid for showing up and trying. ICs are required to perform the job correctly or there is no pay.
Since you have been paid for the restaurant shops you have completed for them, I am assuming that you have recognized that this is a reputable company which is not difficult to work with. The number of questions asked usually relates to how well a submitted report explains the requirements. I've worked for them since 2008, performing many assignments. I have only once gotten a question about my reports; otherwise, I just get the grade with no feedback.
As far as your friend not being paid or reimbursed, I would guess that she did not correctly complete the assignment. Did the company tell your friend why her report was not accepted? Did she share that reason with you? Because the company is required to send another IC to perform the shop when a report is rejected, your friend was not paid. The second IC who did the assignment was the one who got paid.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2015 10:57PM by AustinMom.