ICCDS

I'm relatively new to MS and am enjoying it very much.
Recently I signed up for a shop for ICCDS I've done a couple of shops with them already and no problems. This time when I went to send in my report the email was returned because the inbox was full. I've now sent this 3 times, each time noting the time and dates of the previous email attempts. Has anyone ever had this problem? I'm really hoping I haven't jeopardized my chances of getting paid for this one because their inbox was full!

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More Discussions About ICCDS: ICC Decision Services (All Companies)

I assume you are referring to emailing in your invoice. I just whipped off an email to my scheduler and sent her the invoice and attachments explaining that the inbox was bouncing back emails complaining it was full. This was a little more than a month ago and I got paid today.

I am very happy to say all of my issues have been resolved by a very attentive scheduler. Life is good..

I had that problem over the weekend, also. Today, I did shops of a different type, which required mailing invoices and receipts. I planned on including the bounce backs in the mail. However, my scheduler requested I email those to her. Evidently, the receipts inbox overfloweth.

I'm experiencing really low pay from them. P/R shops for 12.00 with two visits.....anyone else bothered by this. The handbag shop they have seems to have come way down in price.

Live consciously....

I usually have found them to pay well, but they might have different jobs in my area.

I think they have the same jobs, all are retail chains. What do you consider paying well, $12.00 for their upscale P/R handbag store, this is so low, I'm amazed they get away with it. Two trips + gas brings it down to 6.00 per shop. I get $15 to $25 for the Chanel and upscale Beverly Hills stores with no purchase or return.

Live consciously....

IDK, then don't do them I guess.

I live pretty far from most places I shop so I never take P/Rs that require two trips.

I'm not doing them.

Live consciously....

Then I guess I'm not seeing the problem.

The problem is I have been getting daily emails (up to 6) and having worked alot for them in the past and getting paid a resonable fee for the handbag shop, then not working for them for a couple years...I started up again with their Ins. job, and am now innovated with jobs paying so little, I am surprised and disappointed and wanted to know if anyone else felt this way. The forum is to express opinions, so, I am doing that, hoping someone out there in cyberspace can clue me into their changes.

Live consciously....

I guess it depends on the type of shops that you take. I did two gym membership shops at $15.00 each which were fairly easy. I also did four supermarket shops where all I had to do was buy two items and send in the coupons that the supermarket gave me. These were $10.00 each.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2010 04:33AM by computer_man.

We don't have those jobs here, mostly retail purchase and return. Guess it's a location thing.

Live consciously....

computer_man Wrote:
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I also did four
> supermarket shops where all I had to do was buy
> two items and send in the coupons that the
> supermarket gave me. These were $10.00 each.

These can be quite good. A list of products and UPCs are provided from which to choose your two items. The purchase of the item at checkout should generate a coupon to print, and then they're mailed in with receipts. Two trips in to the store, checking out once with a cashier, and the second time at a self-checkout is required. Purchase is reimbursed, regardless of amount, if it's on the qualified list. Large sizes of pet food, cereals, tea, cookies, tubs of margarine . . .

These aren't regularly shopped, though may be they should be. The coupon has rarely printed on the ones I've done.

I love ICCDS, but agree that some of the shops pay low, two P/R shops in particular, one being the upscale client to which Irene referred. It's too bad, too -- I love that shop because the customer service in those stores is usually top notch. I've done a couple in the past, but only when it's been very geographically convenient. The good thing is, unlike the famous P/R Beyond Hello shop, you don't have to return to the same location, and there's a store just a couple of blocks from where I live. That said, I agree the pay is low. Never done the less high-end client, and don't plan to for that fee.

On the other hand, other shops are worth it. I do the gym shops (not membership) as well, and love them. There are a few others that are on the low-paying side, but the visits and reports are quick.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2010 07:49PM by nicelytwicely.

Your right about the reports, and of course they pay (never have to wait it out). I did two upscale Boutiques for BH without a P/R and they paid $25.00, piece of cake, only wish they had more.

Live consciously....

Irene_L.A. - I used to LOVE ICCDS in college, then I realized that most shops I was doing were not worth the pay. Usually I would get a $10 reimbursement plus $10 pay. My problem was that most stores I shopped had expensive items (like $16 for a pair of socks). Meaning I was only making $4.00. I now ONLY shop for them in retail stores that I would be going to on my own anyway. I think of it like getting $20 off of my purchase. So, what I'm saying is that I will no longer shop for them if I am trying to make money, rather, just as kind of a coupon for a store I normally shop.

Lauriellen Wrote:
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> Usually I would get a $10
> reimbursement plus $10 pay. My problem was that
> most stores I shopped had expensive items (like
> $16 for a pair of socks). Meaning I was only
> making $4.00. I now ONLY shop for them in retail
> stores that I would be going to on my own anyway.
> I think of it like getting $20 off of my purchase.
> So, what I'm saying is that I will no longer shop
> for them if I am trying to make money, rather,
> just as kind of a coupon for a store I normally
> shop.

You must have very different shops in your area. I've never even SEEN an ICCDS shop with a $10 fee + $10 reimbursement.

This was years ago. Like 7-8 years ago. I would get that for Eddie Bauer shops around the Twin Cities. Maybe they've changed their pay since then?

ICCDS is a nice company and I like them a lot, but I do not take many of their shops. They simply don't pay very much. I take the jobs I want and leave the others for someone else.

I've done some fairly easy grocery store pharmacy shops for them that paid $12 and reimbursed $2. Since I have to be in the store at least 20 minutes, I pick up a sale flyer and run around and pick up the deals after I've been to the pharmacy. I figure I'm offsetting grocery costs just like if I'd done a "real" grocery shop and it's alot easier.

Most of the shops I do pay $15. I also do a $10 shop that literally takes a few minutes, and two others that are usually bonused between $20-$25.

I find their system unpredictable. One week, shops are visible and can be self-assigned, the next week, they are scheduler emailed and assigned. Additionally, Assignment History is slow to update from "In Process" or "Need Paperwork". If I get past that, they have a few shops of interest to me, and pay has been timely.

And amusingly at this point my 'Offered Assignments' list includes events as far back as November 10 that have already taken place so could not even theoretically still be performed.

Flash, I agree, the Ins. one we all did on Nov. 16th is still on the board.

Live consciously....

It sounds like postings are handled differently, depending on the area or scheduler. Here, emails go out simultaneously with a new shop appearing in the "available shops" area on your page. I won't ever see a job listed that I haven't been notified about via email. And, there are some jobs that are ONLY offered via email, which never appear on the page.

I actually posted about this awhile ago. Although I like the company (even though I think my scheduler is not too swift!), I can't figure out how they rotate, or choose to offer certain shoppers different jobs.

nicelytwicely Wrote:
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> I actually posted about this awhile ago. Although
> I like the company (even though I think my
> scheduler is not too swift!), I can't figure out
> how they rotate, or choose to offer certain
> shoppers different jobs.

Same here. I get offered some shops, but not a lot. Then at the end of the month, I would get e-mail with a bunch of the same type of shops that are now urgent. Why were they never offered to me via their self-scheduling system in the first place? It's very strange. If I am good enough to do these shops at some locations, am I not good enough to do them at others? I wish they allowed to search like the other companies.

I've been a big supporter of this company, and while I still like working for them, they've definitely slipped from the top of my list. My scheduler seems to be getting increasingly less competent.

Anyone else in the NE experiencing issues, or is it just me?

At least four times I've responded within minutes of getting the e-mail and once seconds, only to get the "shop's been assigned to another" reply and usually within minutes . So, I sit in the NE very confused !
I've learned through experience not to hope and certainly never to build a route around them. Even the after 10 pm sandwich shops are gone quickly.
I've also noticed that the rotation doesn't allow for the repeat/ loyal/ bored/ impulsive customer/ shopper visit.

marijaldm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At least four times I've responded within minutes
> of getting the e-mail and once seconds, only to
> get the "shop's been assigned to another" reply
> and usually within minutes . So, I sit in the NE
> very confused !
> I've learned through experience not to hope and
> certainly never to build a route around them. Even
> the after 10 pm sandwich shops are gone quickly.
> I've also noticed that the rotation doesn't allow
> for the repeat/ loyal/ bored/ impulsive customer/
> shopper visit.

That can also be a server thing -- when I'm on two versions of mail at the same time, there can be as much as a five minute delay in-between both receipts. That said, they definitely look at who's making the request. Both things are understandable, but in general, the NE scheduler appears to be INCREDIBLY disorganized.

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