No payment from Service Scouts

@PasswordNotFound wrote:

The allegation that the client accepted the shop was not rebutted. I'm curious whether or not SS was indeed paid for the shop by the client.

Likely we will never get a definite answer from Service Scouts or from Tracy. And, at this point, if we got an answer from Tracy, after all the side-stepping, would we believe it?

@BYUIBoy, is there any update on this?

There is another current thread with multiple posters noting problems with Service Scouts and with Tracy.

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Tracy, and the owner have refused to pay me for the successfully completed shop. They also refuse to answer any questions or respond to any communication from me. So no, I have never been paid from Service Scouts, and I believe that they never will pay me, no matter what I do.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2016 09:41PM by BYUBoy.

Sounds like a scammer to me. If this was Pulp Fiction..... a visit from a couple of pipe hittin' folk from the south side would change Mr. Smith's iron grip on his pocketbook! Ha! Sounds like Mr. Smith used to have a piece of Intellishop.

I don't blame you for being mad. Perhaps you are looking here for others that have fixed a similar experience. Tell them you will file a complaint with the FTC about their website and not paying.If it was a substantial amount tell them you will sue them in Smal Claims. Did they ever give you a reason for no payment, such as shop not performed correctly?

Thank you for the warning on this MSC.

I applaud Tracy for handing the allegations with grace. I could certainly feel the restraint in her responses. On the other hand, I would like to know, from the OP, how he knew the shop was accepted by the client. That is the crux of this matter. If the shop was indeed accepted and the client paid SS, the shopper should be paid, even if an editor had to fix the report to make it acceptable. If the shopper did not complete THIS PARTICULAR SHOP accurately and completely -- regardless of how many he has done accurately in the past -- and the client refused to pay for an incomplete or incorrectly done shop, the MSC does not have to pay for the work. The fact that the owner agreed to pay anyway is a generous gesture on the part of the MSC, who did not get paid and is willing to compensate the OP for a partial job. OP -- How do you know the client accepted the shop?

Mystery Shopper since 1998; Author of Make Money Mystery Shopping available on Amazon in the Kindle Store.

I agree with Cali's post from a few posts back. I read Tracy's response about "breaking confidentiality" as meaning that the OP had contacted the MSC's client in an effort to get paid for the shop. Contacting the client directly is a definite no-no. The OP of this thread has not denied contacting the client so my suspicions are that he/she did.

I did not contact the client. Along with being a shopper, I was also an editor. This shop was completed exactly as all the other shops for this client were completed. I may be wrong, but Tracy has never denied being paid, so I am making an educated guess that the shop was paid by the client.

@Sybil2 wrote:

I agree with Cali's post from a few posts back. I read Tracy's response about "breaking confidentiality" as meaning that the OP had contacted the MSC's client in an effort to get paid for the shop. Contacting the client directly is a definite no-no. The OP of this thread has not denied contacting the client so my suspicions are that he/she did.

Although I initially read Tracy's post to mean the OP violated his ICA by contacting the client, he OP has definitely said that he has NOT contacted the client. How do you read Tracy's response "You are continually violating the terms of your shopper agreement. It has been requested that you cease and desist."

Cease and desist WHAT exactly? Posting on our shopper forum? What is it he is doing by posting on our forum that continually violates his shopper agreement? He has not given us any confidential information, has not identified the client, and has not even said what type of shop the thread concerns.

I said it before and I'll say it again: A lot of nebulous side-stepping going on here by Service Scouts.

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Methinks I will not be signing up with this MSC any time soon!

This company is at the top of my Worst List.

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@tracy@servicescouts.com wrote:

BYUBoy-

As indicated to you in several communications- you did not follow the requirements for the shop. Then, you violated your shopper agreement by breaking the confidentiality clause. This is why you are not being paid. Again, as indicated in several communications.

Please cease and desist.

Mmmm......a lesson in basic respect if I may? Don't tell a shopper to cease and desist on a public forum like this. Doing such does not reflect well upon yourself or the company you represent. That is all.

I sure am glad I found this thread and the other one regarding Service Scouts. 100 mile long pole for me.

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@JASFLALMT wrote:

I sure am glad I found this thread and the other one regarding Service Scouts. 100 mile long pole for me.

For you and me both...

BYUBoy Tracy mentioned that you violated the agreement. You stated in one of your statements that the Client got paid. How would you know that if you didn't get in touch with the client? I think that is where she is coming from.
I would never base whether or not to work for a company based on someone else experience. I do believe that a lot of us feel that way. I have not worked for Service Scouts I don't believe they have shops in my area. Massachusetts

shopper8, in an earlier post on this thread BYUBoy clarified that he did NOT get in touch with the client.

@shopper8 wrote:

BYUBoy Tracy mentioned that you violated the agreement. You stated in one of your statements that the Client got paid. How would you know that if you didn't get in touch with the client? I think that is where she is coming from.
I would never base whether or not to work for a company based on someone else experience. I do believe that a lot of us feel that way. I have not worked for Service Scouts I don't believe they have shops in my area. Massachusetts

shopper8, I agree with you. Tracy thinks BYUBoy contacted the client because he said he *knew* Service Scouts got paid. Think about it. If Tracy thinks he contacted the client because he says he *knows they got paid* she is confirming that Service Scouts actually got paid!

If the client did not pay Service Scouts, why would Tracy believe BYUBoy contacted the client when he says he knows they got paid? If the company did not get paid, the appropriate answer would have been "We didn't get paid. Why would you believe we got paid?" But NO. When he states SS got paid, Tracy immediately thinks "He contacted the client and he knows we got paid!"

BYUBoy actually told us in his posts that he did not contact the client. He says he just made an assumption that Service Scouts got paid. That may be true and it may not be. But It speaks volumes that it appears that Service Scouts DID get paid and chose not to pay the shopper. Tracy's assumption that BYUBoy must have contacted the client in order to find that out sounds like confirmation.

I also would never base my decision on whether or not to work for a company on someone else's experience. I would base my decision .on statements made by the company itself. And, based on Tracy's posts, this is a company I won't consider working for.

I agree with what JayC said.

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@Jay C wrote:

@shopper8 wrote:

BYUBoy Tracy mentioned that you violated the agreement. You stated in one of your statements that the Client got paid. How would you know that if you didn't get in touch with the client? I think that is where she is coming from.
I would never base whether or not to work for a company based on someone else experience. I do believe that a lot of us feel that way. I have not worked for Service Scouts I don't believe they have shops in my area. Massachusetts

shopper8, I agree with you. Tracy thinks BYUBoy contacted the client because he said he *knew* Service Scouts got paid. Think about it. If Tracy thinks he contacted the client because he says he *knows they got paid* she is confirming that Service Scouts actually got paid!

If the client did not pay Service Scouts, why would Tracy believe BYUBoy contacted the client when he says he knows they got paid? If the company did not get paid, the appropriate answer would have been "We didn't get paid. Why would you believe we got paid?" But NO. When he states SS got paid, Tracy immediately thinks "He contacted the client and he knows we got paid!"

BYUBoy actually told us in his posts that he did not contact the client. He says he just made an assumption that Service Scouts got paid. That may be true and it may not be. But It speaks volumes that it appears that Service Scouts DID get paid and chose not to pay the shopper. Tracy's assumption that BYUBoy must have contacted the client in order to find that out sounds like confirmation.

I also would never base my decision on whether or not to work for a company on someone else's experience. I would base my decision .on statements made by the company itself. And, based on Tracy's posts, this is a company I won't consider working for.

I like your take on this and I couldn't agree more.

On April 20, 2016@ BYUboy said: "I did not contact the client. Along with being a shopper, I was also an editor. This shop was completed exactly as all the other shops for this client were completed. I may be wrong, but Tracy has never denied being paid, so I am making an educated guess that the shop was paid by the client."

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

Any update on this?

@shopper8 wrote:

I would never base whether or not to work for a company based on someone else experience.

Isn't that the purpose of this forum? There are some companies that I have signed up with as a direct result of reading about other shoppers' experiences and others that I will never bother with for the same reason.

If one newbie posts something negative, it doesn't hold much stock, especially if others contradict what's posted. OTOH, if several shoppers are running into the same problems, I don't need the headaches. Newbie1's post might carry an ounce of weight in my decision, but there are those here whose wisdom is considerably more valuable. One negative post from them is enough for me to steer clear.

Now scheduling travel shops for the day after Christmas through mid-January.

Yeah, shopper8, if you'd been around when there were some companies who quit paying shoppers (Freeman Group, Franchise Compliance) and seen this thread, you'd have discovered that many shoppers were not getting paid (me personally $218.33 from Franchise Compliance). Those companies went belly up after that. Other shoppers not getting paid--that would not have deterred you from shopping for them?

@PasswordNotFound wrote:

Newbie1's post might carry an ounce of weight in my decision, but there are those here whose wisdom is considerably more valuable. One negative post from them is enough for me to steer clear.

I don't base my business practices on one bad review/negative post whether it is a newbie or a seasoned shopper.

I wholeheartedly agree and tend to weigh the number of issues and who is complaining. Rants from one hit wonders or shoppers who complain about non-payment or deactivation from multiple companies are taken with a grain of salt. OTOH, if it's the more frequent posters who rarely have a problem, you bet I'm steering clear. I was lucky enough to be one of the last people who was paid without issue by Franchise Compliance. It was the complaints here that kept me from taking more shops and losing money.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

I also got paid by Franchise Compliance. After seeing reports here and not getting paid, I ratcheted up the frequency of my emails and threats to go to the news media and Attorney General. Since they were still actively seeking shoppers, I figure that they wanted to "buy" my silence so that they could collect more fees while not paying more shoppers. I explained what I was doing here, but as has been pointed out, everyone on this forum is a small fraction of the total number of shoppers. In the last year, discussions about Grass Roots hopefully encouraged shoppers to file claims with the bankruptcy court.

I place little credence in One Hit Wonders. And there are some habitual complainers who never get paid by any MSC they shop for, but all of the comments permit me to make better-informed business decisions. This is true only about payments, but also about 10-foot pole shops (but it is clear that my 10-foot pole is different than that used by others at times).

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I also agree. I have a MSC that many have said will find any reason not to pay and will get down right mean at times. So far, I have had no problems but now I will only do one job, wait for payment, then do another job. I no longer schedule multiple jobs where I have a lot of money tied up with them. I'm fine with my choice because too many OPs have said the same thing over the years.

Yes, the forum is here for a good reason and although there will always be those that cry wolf. there will also be those that just want to inform us of their experiences, good or bad, right or wrong.

Since I started this, here is an update; I have NOT been paid from Service Scouts. I do not expect to ever get paid. I lodged a complaint with the BBB against Service Scouts. I hope this will help any other shopper to avoid this MSC like the plague.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2016 03:31AM by BYUBoy.

I have done several shops for Tracy and never had an issue getting paid. However.....Tracy's attitude really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There was a requirement, and it had been awhile since my last shop, so I asked if that was still the same, during my refresher call. She said she never said that and made some comment that embarrassed me in front of everyone. I looked it up again in the pages and pages of instructions and confirmed it was as it had been. The previous shop I did said I needed to use more of the predefined names and descriptions for employees that were listed and already used. So on my last shop I couldn't see the entire name tag so, as instructed, I used the perfect description of an employee whose name started with the same letter. I got a call from Tracy that said that employee hadn't worked there for 2 years so my entire report was under suspicion. O...k....a.....y. I wonder why that name was still there, just to see if I was making it up? I should've just put in a new description without a name and taken the heat for that. That was my last shop.

Thank heavens for the Forum. It has been useful in alerting me to 10 foot pole companies, and Service Scouts definitely falls into that category. Tracy sounds like a real piece of jerk...oops, I mean work.

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