I noticed that somebody had complained about not getting paid - I have done a lot of work for these guys and never had any trouble getting paid.

I actually came here looking for info about them. I had done one reset for them prior to this--was pleased with them, as they pay slightly more than the Purple People, and the job was pretty straightforward.

BUT I just signed up for four resets (same project) and am sooooooo frustrated. They were supposed to take an hour and forty five minutes...well, I've done two of the four and both took me three full hours. I thought maybe I was just a little slow with the first one, but by the second time, I had done all of the time-saving stuff that I could, and it *still* took that long.

It's an $18 job that I was calculating at around $9 an hour...but now it's going to be about $6 an hour...

I don't have a long history with them, but it's very tempting to want to bow out of the last two jobs...I am not sure yet what I'll do, but am I in any way within my rights to ask for additional pay? I know that I'm an independent contractor, being paid by the job, not by the hour, blah blah blah...but I just truly feel like I was misled...

I feel like the right thing to do would be to finish all four jobs...but I also feel like I need to not undervalue myself.

thoughts?

LateRain, the easy starting point is to contact Castforce and tell them that you need twice as much pay, because the jobs take twice as long as what they had estimated. If they say yes, the problem is solved.

If they say no, my question is - How will this affect you emotionally? Completing the last 2 jobs would make me seethe with resentment, because as you said, I would feel that I had been misled. I won't do that to myself. From what I've gathered here and in other forums, most shoppers roll over and do the jobs, no matter how egregious those jobs turn out to be. They cite commitment and professionalism, with the caveat that they'll never do the jobs again.

But I'm not made that way. I maintain that we deserve to be treated fairly and paid fairly for our work. It isn't fair for you to be working for $6/hour (unless the problem lies with you), and I would cancel the jobs with an explanation. Even if Castforce gives you the boot, what will you really lose? The opportunity to do more poorly described and poorly paid assignments?

Very good advice, Mantis--and I think you expressed how I feel perfectly. I do believe I went as quickly as I could, while still being accurate, i.e., not doing a shoddy job. At the first store, there was serious dust build-up on a fixture that I was told to dust--"inside and out"--so I thought maybe i took too much time with that. At the second location, I skipped dusting additional parts of the display (despite my desire to do so!) and it still took that much time.

I don't think I'm slower than the average person--I was in retail for thirteen years and if there's one thing that the Gap drilled into me, it was how to "batch tasks" for efficiency. I just think it's misleading.

Thank you so much for your feedback. Again, I think you expressed what I was feeling perfectly. I will contact them and see what happens.

communication is very important as a first step... and these guys are great at it... i would talk to them about it... express your feelings and go from there...

like all relationships... nothing can be resolved if there is no talking...

if i were you i would do them... and not take anymore of the same in the future... as most of mine were completed in a little less than thirty minutes... im sure they will have things that are more palatable...

remember if you kick them to the curb you usually take yourself off their list for any better jobs in the future...

I too am having problems with Cast force they paid me for the first month,a month later after I called to see why I hadn't gotten paid they said I didn’t submit my paper work. I asked why know called me to tell me there was a problem,cause they didn’t have a problem calling when they wanted me to do a job.It has been two months now, I have done several jobs for Cast force and they are coming up with every excuses in world not to pay me. I’m also cutting my losses.

Just a follow-up to my problem back in May...I contacted CastForce and said (nicely) that I needed to either cancel the last two jobs, or that I needed to be paid extra for each of the two remaining jobs. The scheduler agreed to the latter. Of course, when I was paid, the extra money was nowhere to be seen. I have emailed, but have not heard back yet. Sigh...we live and learn, I guess.

The thing to do would be to request the confirmation of additional funds in writing. Too late for this, but good to remember for the future.

Agreed.

Always get it in writing, in this case with MSC's in emails.

If the email doesn't show up confirming the bonus,raise, whatever - don't do the job, and let them know you will not be able to do the assignment until they email you the agreement of the new fee or bonus amount.



BTW, Castforce is beginning to sound like a loser. - and all shoppers should be warned.

I actually *do* have it in writing, or at least, I have it via email. I just haven't pursued it...not sure if/when i will. It feels like water under the bridge right now...

LateRain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I actually *do* have it in writing, or at least, I
> have it via email. I just haven't pursued it...not
> sure if/when i will. It feels like water under the
> bridge right now...


Late RAin

you have it in writing !! c'mon. don;t give up then.

send a copy to the scheduler and bookkeeping, explaining "this bonus was the agreement. In error I have only been sent the base fee without the additional $__
Kindly send me the additional __ per the written agreement by such and such date .

hmm... i beg to differ... my experience has been nothing but pleasent with them... they are very helpful and have been willing to extend deadlines sometimes twice for the same project...

they are much better pay than the purple portal... and much quicker on the response...

average project is about $11 for a 45 min tops job...

i picked up a slew of $22.50 ones 7 to be exact...

each to there own...

Have done two sets of projects for them. They were very helpful when issues arose at the site and they paid on time. No problems...good communicators.

cooldude581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hmm... i beg to differ... my experience has been
> nothing but pleasent with them... they are very
> helpful and have been willing to extend deadlines
> sometimes twice for the same project...
>
> they are much better pay than the purple portal...
> and much quicker on the response...
>
> average project is about $11 for a 45 min tops
> job...
>
> i picked up a slew of $22.50 ones 7 to be exact...
>
>
> each to there own...

Did you do the 2 1/2 hour gift card assignments?

Regarding the other poster: I also did not turn in my invoice on my very first assignment and no-one told me otherwise... until I wrote them. NOW I remember to turn in the invoices

yes... but they took far less onsite...

loading it took about two hours... due to their system booting me several times.. my computer losing connection... the horrendously long survey ... lack of ability to save... and the like... oh my what a pain...

but it says i have a $155 payment coming soon... so... im fine with that...

cooldude581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yes... but they took far less onsite...
>
> loading it took about two hours... due to their
> system booting me several times.. my computer
> losing connection... the horrendously long survey
> ... lack of ability to save... and the like... oh
> my what a pain...
>
> but it says i have a $155 payment coming soon...
> so... im fine with that...

I did not enjoy the entering of data part...the endless pages of every kind of gift card known to man.

And it was not worth the pay because they pay you 21.50 to work almost 3 hours and that works out to a little over 7 bucks an hour..

Nope...not going to do that one again...

yeah unless i have a better internet connection i wont either... that was the main issue...

if it hadnt been for the connection problem i could have gotten them under the 2 hours...

for the bubbles you can breeze through them by clicking on the first and using the tab key to move down the list... havent found out how to move back up...

with the store the steps were badly done... after the first i realised it cut the time down like crazy to just 1. note out of stock, 2. note low, 3. check planogram

7 an hour for computer work isnt bad in my book i spend a lot of time online anyway... i usually gross about 6 for survey work...

Double time to work the jobs and it takes 2-3 months to pay. Run folks!

... uh no dude... they pay every month...

Does Castforce function in Canada? When I search on the net it says yes but when I

fill out the application it only says US.

Unless it is under another name????

i dunno... you would have to contact them on that

I just had email saying there were jobs in my area.
Literally 5 minutes after email, I logged in, Nothing!!
Hey, what gives?
I was leery before
Should have read these comments
FIRST.
I feel bad that I gave them personal info, if that's how they are

shop in the south east, NC>

pinecone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just had email saying there were jobs in my
> area.
> Literally 5 minutes after email, I logged in,
> Nothing!!
> Hey, what gives?
> I was leery before
> Should have read these comments
> FIRST.
> I feel bad that I gave them personal info, if
> that's how they are
>
> shop in the south east, NC>

Funny, recently, that has been happening when I log in immediately, no jobs.

Prior to that, a job could sit on the board for hours and nobody wanted them.

Maybe an eroneous computer glitch?

I work a fair amount for CastForce. For the most part I like them. Some jobs are worth the pay, others, less so.

The pay is a little slow for merch work, but not horrible.

What I don't like is that my contractor score is low because I have lost points for late and cancelled assignments that were not my fault. If materials arrive after the deadline, I cannot be expected to do an assignment on time. (and don't get me started on the automated phone calls when an assignment is past deadline) Likewise, if there is a glitch and two people are assigned the same assignments, when they cancel mine, they should not deduct points.

I think that some assignments go VERY fast. I will sometimes log on to see just one out in the boonies of a project I know had many more locations.

I wonder if they send emails in waves based on the contractors' points.

no... i dont know about computer glitches... but its possibly someone faster on the click... they pay well by the month... for the most part the projects are very very easy...

i get emails several times a month about new projects being posted... they seem to be having a hard time filling them in my area

also they are very quick to respond to problems... and yes my contracter score is low too... but it never effects the pay... its just an annoyance... nor does it change my ability to get the jobs i want

cooldude581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> with the store the steps were badly done... after
> the first i realised it cut the time down like
> crazy to just 1. note out of stock, 2. note low,
> 3. check planogram

But if your planogram is really messed up to begin with, how do you know what's low/out-of-stock until you have fixed everything?

I took two more of the "doomed" shops this weekend, after having been able to do the last two of the original four in about two hours. This one *should* have been less work, as the other one required some semi-complicated physical removal of part of the display. AND I was excited to see that the inventory sheet for both locations was the "quick" one, not the "inventory every single card". But got to my first location and somehow it ended up being OVER three hours. It was a pretty substantial reset. I had planned to spend two hours (or maybe slightly over two hours) on each location, but I ended up cancelling the second one. I don't like feeling like a flake, but I simply cannot work for $4 an hour. Also, they changed the hours for this particular assignment so that you can only do these resets during daytime hours. The location I was at yesterday was incredibly busy and it makes more sense to me that they would want them done on the "off" hours--but maybe it's an issue of which supervisor is working.

Here are my thoughts:
a) I wonder if these are taking so long because either the staff members or the last contractor either did a sloppy job or completely did it wrong? Again, I question myself--am I too slow? But I was working so quickly and so intently this time that a staff member was talking to me and I didn't realize it because I was so intent on what I was doing.

b) I can see why some unethical contractors might take shortcuts and not bother to do a thorough job--which again, I am wondering if this is why these jobs are taking me so much longer.

c) I have not had a problem with any of my jobs for Castforce except the ones for this particular company. So is the problem more to do with the location than with Castforce generally?

Sorry to vent again, but I am second-guessing myself and trying to figure out if I am the one at fault here.

the planograms were never that messed up... if a card was out it had the bar code and it listed what was supposed to be in that place

i would just fill out the ones that were either low or out of stock... i didnt check the ones that were obviously in stock... then attempt to fill with back stock (which i never had any) all you have to do is quickly look over the empty ones and find the ones that have fewer than 4 ... the ones that you dont notice are obviously in stock...

I think it's "previous person didn't care" that eats more time than the work.

LateRain---I had my first project yesterday with those prepaid cards and I feel just like you. A nightmare!! I didn't finish and I told them I would be back. I had to go home and pull some hair out. haha I was there for 3 hours. I intend on emailing Castforce to get a fair solution to this problem. I signed up for 5 assignments that are due Sunday. Uh, I don't think I will make it and I will cancel. There is no way.

Has anyone had problems trying to submit information to Castforce?


Yesterday I did 3 jobs for Castforce and had the most horrible experience trying to enter the information and submit the invoice. I worked for hours. I would get to the end and submit and it would take me back to the beginning to start all over.
Finally today, I e-mailed the invoices. Yes, I was in contact with a person via 'chat'.
If it is like this all the time, it is not for me. I hope it is not however. Thanks

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2013 11:22PM by ontheroad.