Hi! I'm trying to get assigned to a compare/contrast fast food shop with this company. It says I can self assign but when I try and pick a date within the range posted, the numbers aren't highlighted so when I click save it tells me to pick a date from the ones available. Anyone else having this issue? Thanks so much!

Has anyone done any Chanel shops lately? I did one with (MSC) and have two scheduled. But I ran into a problem with Papa John's through (MSC) so am getting some bad vibes.



Mod note: Please don't include the name of the MSC when it can be linked to a client. This usually violates your ICA and is also against Forum rules

Shopographer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has anyone done any Chanel shops lately? I did
> one with {MSC DELETED}and have two scheduled. But I ran
> into a problem with Papa John's through {MSC deleted} so am
> getting some bad vibes.


Please edit your posts, Shopographer, and remove the company names. It violates the ICA you signed when you registered with the company to reveal their clients and it is prohibitted by our forum's guidelines.

Intelli-Shop is simply an unethical company, in several ways.
First....They often have issues with their instructions, and this always occurs with new clients or new programs. Rather than vet the instructions and do the hard work to completely scrutinize their instructions, they send them out, and make changes "on the fly" with both their clients and their shoppers. It is not surprising that it is us, the shoppers, that get screwed by having fees and reimbursements withheld. Their instructions are sometimes contradictory, and emails to clarify remain either unanswered or answered by 'passing-the-buck'. However, your deadlines still are enforced.
Second....they (like many MSC's) issue all their shops at a very underpaid fee level. I get that. They then add bonuses in order to attract shoppers to the assignments as the month progresses and their deadlines loom. Where Intelli-Shop gets ugly is their insistence on paying minimally for the same shop, to the same shopper, done even just days apart. I have even had my fees changed in the shop log once the shop is assigned, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is pure BS.
Third...I have had emails requesting new photo uploads for insanely idiotic reasons (like having the border of a parking ticket not visible in the photo - all the printing was there, just not the border), and if one doesn't upload the new photo in time (which is impossible, because one turned in the valet ticket, one doesn't get paid. I know for a FACT that Intelli-Shop uses that report, and gets paid by the client for that report. What makes this practice so insidious is that one can receive the dreaded request for a new photo or upload while one is on the road and time doesn't permit getting the new photo/upload in. So....zap! you are not compensated or paid.
Fourth...they pay late sometimes, very late...and early sometimes (that's a good thing)...but often late...and still don't answer emails regarding why.
Why their clients accept a vendor with such horrible ethical standards is beyond me....and why anyone would work for these cretins is a very good question. They will, given enough time, put the wood to you, their shopper. Beware!

How do you know for a FACT that they are using the reports?

Did they tell you they used your report(s)?

I don't do the car dealer shops anymore and only did one for this MSC. I liked the salesman so much that I went back a few weeks later and bought a car from him.

I have not had a problem with shops other than one brake shop. They broke a pin on the rear brake, had to order the part, wait for the part to arrive, and then replace the broken part. The manager said it would take an additional 3 or 4 hours to finish. No way was I going to stick around any longer than I already had which was 2 1/2 hours for $12. The manager said he would phone me when the car was ready and then they drove me back to work. After submitting the report, I got a message that I would not be paid because I did not stay the entire time. I wrote a detailed explanation and said that the inspection had been completed and all questions relating to the inspection had been answered.

In the end, I was paid for the shop. Update: Looking back, I was NOT paid for this shop because they said I had "additional services" performed. If the machanic had not fixed the part that he broke, then the wheel could not be replaced on the car. I don't consider this an additional service.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2015 01:41AM by nslowry.

I love Intellishop.

I consider Intellishop a challenge. I got a 7 on my first report, an 8 on the 2nd one, and now I am getting 9s. I figure some day somebody will slip up I'll get a 10. :-) In the meantime, I don't care what the score is as long as they pay me what we agreed on.

Years ago, my car was overfilled at an expensive oil shop.

I always wonder if they use rejected shops. There is no sign-off or other authorization except their word that the shop is trashed.

After 4 phone call shops failed, I was thinking that maybe the company fails some of the reports to allow the market to cool off. If someone calls and asks about a particular product, and no report follows, then the shopped company stays in the dark.

Mystery Shopping Companies have to stay competitive in their contracting with corporations and businesses. I've heard other complaints about the same company repeatedly rejecting phone shops, but it wasn't Intellishop.

@MelanieOR wrote:

Years ago, my car was overfilled at an expensive oil shop.

I walked into one place and they asked me how I like Mystery Shopping. It turns out the manager gets a file from his boss of the shoppers names. I now do the other oil change place.

In my opinion, any shopp-ee who lets the shopp-er know that they (the shopp-ee) know they're the shopp-er, is just a stupid dumbo.

I have worked with them for years and I like the company a lot. Towards the end of the month I am offered car dealerships for thirty five dollars and I decline because I hate car dealerships. It is not worth the treatment I get, from the clients, not the company.

I did two shops for them the other day and got 10s I don't see what the big deal is? Maybe the editor was in a generous mood (according to what shoppers post here)?

You know, with everything I've read here about this MSC, I am still not accepting any work from them. I have been registered with them for over two years and get emails all the time, but I am nervous.

Is this MSC a good company or not? Do they pay on time or not? I am confused.

I have never had a problem with them either for payment or shop rating. My problems all center around them being a big company and like most big companies they are unresponsive and hard to get along with about things.

I have worked with them since last summer, and I have always been paid on time, and been graded fairly.

I did a few shops for them before the ones I did recently. They pay when they say they will pay. Other than vague explanations from editors, I can only attest that I have had a good experience with them. There are definitely other companies I would rather do shops for but when I am bored and want to be challenged, Intellishop is there :-)

Thanks.

Canuck, even though I have not gotten paid for that one shop, I still do take assignments from them. They usually pay on time and are a good company. Go for it!

I think I will. Merci.

I've been with them about five years and I've had no guideline or payment problems. Everyone needs to know going in that the narrative reports are really detailed and grading is sometimes puzzling.

Thank you, Mary.

Canuck...Intellishop is a good company with regard to payment. However, that said, they are one of the TOUGHEST companies with which to work on mystery shops. You will earn every dollar they pay. They require the MOST DETAIL, the MOST NARRATIVES, the MOST WORK, and are the MOST PICKY (re-do/re-edit requests from editors) of all the MSCs you will find. My lowest shopper rating (among over 100 companies) is with Intellishop and it is barely a "9." I have received more shop ratings of "8" (a total of four) from this company alone than from any other MSC.

They pride and position themselves as a high quality level company...and believe me, in many cases they toe that line by going "over the top" on shopper detail, follow-ups, etc. I work with them less frequently than other MSCs due to the additional "hassle" in some cases (31 shops in 5 years). However, if you heed my advice, "Caveat Shopper," proceed at your own risk...and cost of time, doing revisions, which I GUARANTEE YOU, will DEFINITELY come your way at some point. Re-dos don't pay and not doing the re-do pays even less. I would rather move on to the next PAYING shop by avoiding situations where I know my risk of being asked to provide additional detail is higher than most. Sure, I've done shops they rated at "10." I am a really detailed shopper, who provides well-written reports. But I've also had multiple shops where they ended up giving me "8," after repeated requests for more details (which I provided in a timely manner) for seemingly incidental issues. Just be aware that you will work more than you normally work on a typical shop, on shops that you perform for this company.

I have completed 25 shops for them and have an average rating of "10". I received one "8" because they had to contact me, 4 "9s" and the rest are "10". I don't find them that picky or unreasonable in their editing and scoring. Each of us is different and we all have varying styles of writing reports.

If you pay attention to detail and go by the guidelines and instructions, you should do fine. If you have a question about any of the questions you are required to ask, ask them before you do the shop...not after.

As a mystery shopper, you are doing the shop in an objective manner. I am not shopping for myself, but for the company who contracts with me. It's not personal. If someone is rude, then my duty is to report it as objectively as I can. If I took it personally, I have to admit that it may color my reporting.

Thank you all.

Actually this is azFlagman, flaglady is my wife. We both mystery shoppers. Intelli-shop is not our favorite MSC. And the first 3 shops we did where from hell. But as the time went on they got better, a little:-). The worst company we found to be is Service Check. They want you to write the report identical to the example. When asking why the 3rd submission was not accepted I asked why. They told me to do it like the example, so I told them they needed to send out fill in the blank forms. They then deactivated my account. Do I say more? &*(^%$#@! . What about you?

Service Check is one I appreciate because of the sample narrative. My only shop to come back to me and get marked down was when the sample had been inadvertently deleted from the guidelines. The scheduler even apologized for it later. With the sample to use as a template it has been all 10s. Since they are on the slow pay side I don't shop for them too much. The schedulers and editors have always been friendly and professional. These days I tend to only take a shop when they call me because of trouble filling one shop which is actually in my neighborhood. Sometimes I negotiate a bonus, other times I do it at base pay.

I actually liked working with Intellishop, I did about 25 shops for them all auto related and my average score was 9 out of ten with lots of tens. I just discovered I have been deactivated, and after so many glowing reports I just don't understand, however I will not loose any sleep over it.