WOW. Thanks for all the friendly responses! lol

ok. first of all everyone can take a deep breath because my original post has been deleted. i know the earth stopped spinning today, but i think we're all gonna live.

i have heard from two separate schedulers from two separate companies that i can ask the question of what 'store' goes with what 'mystery company'. this is called a 'referral'. or one may even consider it 'advice'. if the advice is exchanged in an email, then it is private and not violating anything. again, two separate schedulers have told me this. what violates the ica agreement is specifics on the reports being publisized, and yes the store and company match ups should not be publisized either (in SOME ica agreements). that's why i said to private message me. if you think this violates your ica agreement, then don't private message me. it's as simple as that. somehow you think it's perfectly acceptable to belittle me and insult me though, as long as it's not violating your precious ica agreement, anything goes i guess...

schedulers WANT the info out there. they want more shoppers. i had asked my original question to a scheduler who referred me to this forum! this is what happens when you interpret a document too strictly. again, i have been told by two separate companies that these questions are ok as long as they are person-to-person emails, and generalized questions can be asked in forums. on the other hand, i see alot of other questions on here that legitimately are violating ica agreements, advice on narratives, etc? that's called plagiarism. so professional.

you say, why dont you google search like the rest of us? you say, why are you so lazy? searching for mystery companies, whether questioning you good people on forums, or otherwise, is anything but lazy. i have googled. and i still can't find what i'm looking for. and here's the kicker, what i did find helpful while googling, is links to blogs etc, of other people who (wait for it) 'violated' their ica agreement and blogged about mystery shopping companies and stores!! (check your pulse). so, is this how you sticklers found your info, by googling? then i guess you found your info 'illegally' (in your terms). not to mention, all the links to spam that come up from google. and that other website, volition? or should i play your silly word games and refer to them as g00g(el)E dot com and v0l!t!0n dot com. every time i look into that website i get spyware. and i don't want to put my personal info into every mystery shopping company. my info, including my ssn, is already on about 10 that i never use, which makes me uneasy. i don't want it to be in 100 websites that i don't use. which i why i asked the advice of you fine people.

again, we can agree to disagree about the ica agreement. whatever. don't message me then if it bothers you. if you really are this anal and meticulous about what i or anyone else writes on here, you are in the wrong profession. the cia wants you, and they will pay you a heck of alot more than these crappy jobs! lol

anyway, i'm located in southeastern virginia, just in case anyone is scared of me stealing their jobs. i have restaurants, retail, hotels etc that i'm looking for so if you want to exchange info of store and company match-ups then private message me, which is legal, thank you.

Please do not violate ICAs or encourage others to violate their ICAs.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2012 06:27PM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

Hey apple!

Wow, I have to admit that sometimes I wish it was this simple. I wish we could just sort of list things out like this and pass along and share. Mix and match, as it were. The sad fact is, we cannot. =( Our independent contractor agreements prevent us from doing so. =((

I didn't really realize their true value, meaning or worth until I came here and learned from the good people on this board how much it really means to be true to that contract. The one thing we have in this industry, the one thing that means more than anything, is our word. We guarantee these companies that we'll respect their anonymity, in most cases, and it makes something like this impossible. Ya know? =(

If you're anything like me, I'm sure it was just a mistake. =) We can only list one or the other-- the name of the company or the name of the client-- in the post. And even if we knew and wanted to share, if someone asks what companies ABC shops for, we cannot say.

Sorry!

Sending the best,

Jen

apples, the posting guidelines of the forum specifically say we are not to reveal the clients of mystery shopping companies either on open forum or in a private message. It is often a violation of the Independent Contractor's Agreement we have all signed as well.

In order to stay with the guidelines, you can edit both your post and the subject line of the thread. In order to do that, find the blue "edit post" link at the bottom right hand section of your post. Either client or company can be mentioned, but not both in the same subject line or thread.

Buzz, I'm also editing the subject line on my post. When apples edits theirs, our responses may not update.

Thank you, Lisa.

I can answer part of your question here. I dont think, at least in the case of MF, that more stuff opens up to you. I have hundreds of shops with them and dont see anything I havent always seen even when I first started.

As for that particular client, I dont think its a violation of ICA to tell you what I have NOT seen. And I have NOT seen that client on MF for a while now.

Apples, if you were a true professional and honored your ICA agreement, you would NEVER have posted the client and the shopped location in your title, or in the body of your post.

I sound harsh, but is there a way to remove it from view?

Apples - Well, I hadn't been on this thread until just now and I'm feeling kicked in the head again. Will it never end? Probably not.

Anyway, Apples, welcome to the forum. I am delighted to learn from you that I am wanted for the CIA as opposed to by the CIA. Please post how much they are willing to pay me, and by the way, how do you know it is more than I earn doing this? You have my tax return, I guess. Isn't it amazing? Should I post it here?

Can you tell me how to scan and attach to these posts? Or I should say, attach, because I am a qualified and experienced scanner and I also take clear photos due to my upscale convenience store audit background. There must be a way to attach my tax return so all can share in the amazement. Please advise immediately. Let us apply your expertise to make me a better shopper and poster.

I understand from your post that we do not understand the concept of the ICA, and that we have all been ignorant of what it really means. We probably also do not understand the posting instructions on the bottom of every page of this forum specifying that we not reveal the clients of the MSPs. Thank you for straightening me out on these issues. I love to be insulted on a regular basis as it keeps my disposition properly adjusted.

Thank you again for your instructions on the ICA. I have paid particularly close attention to what those schedulers told you, and I would like to know what companies they are representing that are throwing the ICA down the sparkling bowl. I can't wait to find out and certainly hope you will share.

I would not want you to think I am put out in the least. No, quite the contrary, I am thrilled to learn that the ICA is meaningless as that will be one less thing I have to concern myself about. You can't imagine what a relief this is.

Every day is a new gift, in that all I have to do is get on this board and someone will tell me how ignorant, confused, and inept I am. You might say, well, why do you get on this board then, to which I would have to reply, who knows, it must be because I'm ignorant, confused, and inept as no person who is knowledgeable, organized and skilled would put up with this blather.

Again, I want to welcome you. Don't think for a minute that I don't treasure our interaction here or that I'm not glad to have you. What I'm looking forward to is the day that you're trying to help someone and they tell you how ignorant you are and that you don't know squat about something in which you have rather deep experience. I want you to get back with me when that day comes because I'll be needing to share it with you.

My very best / Mary (No applesandbananas here, that's my name and I'm running for office in the Judgmental @#$%& Club, vote for me. Thank you.)

WOW. I share Mary's sentiments (by the way, Mary, I'm voting for you! can I get a cabinet appointment? I'm probably not ready to be a Queen B but I'll campaign hard and I think I could be a Princess B.)

applesnbananas, thanks so MUCH for sharing with us what TWO SCHEDULERS at TWO SEPARATE COMPANIES, who you've declined to name, have told you. If they told you they really, really want it out there, please print their names and companies so we'll know which companies don't feel the ICAs are important.

And - my compliments - it takes real brass to come back and edit a post that a moderator has removed for violations (violations not only of ICAs but of our forum rules) and argue that you're gonna do it anyway and nameless schedulers agree with you.

WOW.

Do you not see that by telling us that the rules that we live by on this forum are meaningless that you are more than implying that we are stupid for doing so? You start out by totally disrespecting all of us. Is this your attempt at gaining valuable information? How is it working for you?

All organization have rules and regs. If you do not wish to abide by them, it is quite simple: don't participate.

The answer to the OP's question is Yes. I know which MSPs shop fine dining restaurants, and low, mid, and upscale retail shops. How do I know this? No one told me, but years ago, I took the advice of experienced shoppers and registered with the list of Official Mystery Shopping Companies.

Really, in my experience, more than one errant scheduler has told me a thing or two. But, after years of shopping, I am able to discern fact from fiction.

I know this is cliche, but we are only as good as our word.

Mary, you promised me second in charge of the "Judgemental @#$%& Club".....
this means AustinMom and I will have to run against each other, may the better woman win.

I personally would love to tell you who does what and what does who, and who does what to who, however, living in CA (California), I don't search out VA, so, beside betraying my ICA agreement, I just plain don't know. I signed up with many companies when starting, and wasn't on a forum, how easy life would have been, had I only asked! Sorry Apples&Banana's, life is rough.

Same crap, different day. Time for a new username.

The table is round in the @#$%& Club and we are all QueenBs.

You are SUCH a good mentor, Mary, clearly the sign of a good leader of the round table.

Whether or not it is a violation of the ICA to name clients or not is irrelevant. The host of the board has asked us not to do it. I am grateful for him setting up this wonderful room for us to sit around and chat in and don't wish to burn out my welcome.

In actuality, in some instances the ICA doesn't mention whether or not we can mention specific clients, but in others it is very clearly mentioned. I personally rather think that it is my best interest not to link them because I am not going to bother to go back and read every ICA before every post I make because I am just that lazy. Don't want to make any extra work for myself.

On the other hand, I am not too lazy to actually fill out the applications for the 142 companies that I am currently registered with. Since filling out the applications greatly improves the likelihood of ever getting a shop, I am willing to put the extra work in there and risk wasting my time.

I don't google. looking for a specific mystery shop that does a particular client. I have googled looking for companies that do mystery shopping, so sorry to disappoint you but I haven't bothered to get "illegal" information. Given how frequently clients change hands, I am not going to run around chasing them. I am looking for some extra money and willing to take both the high end shops and those that cater to the masses.

apples,
BTW, many schedulers couldn't find their bottoms with both hands, so why should we rely on them to interpret the ICA? Especially when we do not know which schedulers you heard this profoundly doubtful statement from? Recently, we had a member state that she had gotten certain tax-related information from six different "expert" accountants It took a while, but in the end she realized that those accountants not only were not tax experts, but also that their advice was totally contrary to specific IRS instructions on the exact matter in question.

There's an app for that.



MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You have my tax return, I guess. Isn't it
> amazing? Should I post it here?
>
> Can you tell me how to scan and attach to these
> posts? Or I should say, attach, because I am a
> qualified and experienced scanner and I also take
> clear photos due to my upscale convenience store
> audit background. There must be a way to attach my
> tax return so all can share in the amazement.
> Please advise immediately. Let us apply your
> expertise to make me a better shopper and poster.

We really are not as stupid as some of the new members seem to think. For one thing, we can all read the posting guidelines on every single page of the forum. For another, I know who shops all of those clients.

I'm with Shelly, looking for good mystery shopping companies that pay fairly and on time. I could not care less who their clients happen to be at any given time. Wasting time looking for a particular chain restaurant or retail store is time I could be doing something more productive, like weeding my garden.

I just got a PM from the name of a poster I have never seen on this forum.
I gave out no info., if your playing, please listen to us, do your research, this is a job you need to do on your own. I personally am annoyed
at the gall of continuing to ask when we all told you how to find and register
Put your big boy pants on and do the work.

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just got a PM from the name of a poster I have
> never seen on this forum.
> I gave out no info., if your playing, please
> listen to us, do your research, this is a job you
> need to do on your own. I personally am annoyed
> at the gall of continuing to ask when we all told
> you how to find and register
> Put your big boy pants on and do the work.


I've gotten PMs like that too. I just ignore 'em.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> looking for good mystery shopping
> companies that pay fairly and on time. I could not
> care less who their clients happen to be at any
> given time.

I could not agree more with Lisa on this point!

I see two requests all of the time; 'Who shops Who' and 'Which MSCs are good to work for?'

The best companies may not have the most exiting clients....or at least the ones you are interested in. If you just want a path to the 'free' Big Mac (I actually don't know if one is ever allowed to even order those since I don't do those shops), then you have to accept the working conditions that go along with that shop.

If you focus on MSCs that are good to work with, you may just discover restaurants and cuisines that you did not know about....or learn about mobile providers you hadn't considered....or a neighborhood you had never previously been to, etc.

I have had many new experiences from MSing that I never would have done on my own. I had never eaten kale until I was forced to buy bunches of it on a grocery store shops years ago. Now I love it! Go find your kale....

Same here with the Kale, now I make an amazing kale soup...explore and thee shall find.

Irene, I have never tried kale. I'm intrigued. I think you should post your kale recipe on our new recipe thread. I'd like to try it.

So even though last night I said I was too lazy to check before posting to see if it was an ICA violation, someone just asked for a company that did a specific client--- I did this time and it was clearly in the agreement.

I don't think it gets more clear that when it say as the evaluator I promise to NEVER disclose the lists of clients. One other time I checked two companies and one of them listed it was a violation. So in the past 2 months, I have reread three ICA agreements and 2 of them prohibited naming clients. Based on my observations, it is in our best interest to avoid doing that.

Applying for companies is nearly always easier than actually completing the report. If you can't handle that part of the job, you won't be successful with the reports and then will end up here complaining that the company didn't pay you and is a scam.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2012 06:09PM by Shelly.

You should really try it. I put it in soups all the time. It is really good for you. I add it whenever I make a chicken or turkey vegetable type soup. It holds up really well and adds a lot of substance.


AustinMom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Irene, I have never tried kale. I'm intrigued. I
> think you should post your kale recipe on our new
> recipe thread. I'd like to try it.

"One other time I checked two companies and one of them listed it was a violation. So in the past 2 months, I have reread three ICA agreements and 2 or them prohibited naming clients."

Two out of three is two too many for me. How many ICA violations would it take before ruining a mystery shopping career?

The OP has chosen to remain totally anonymous and only provided a vague section of a state for his/her location. A lot of us use our real names and/or provide more than enough information in our many posts that an MSC wouldn't have too much trouble identifying us.

It's not only ICAs, though they are my primary concern when it comes to revealing the clients of MSCs. I have three other concerns.

First, one of this forum's rules is: "Do not reveal the clients of mystery shopping companies." If I choose to post here, I need to respect the forum rules.

Second, I believe that many shoppers truly do not realize that many MSCs frown upon their shoppers revealing client names. If those shoppers see an MSC and its client identified in the same thread/post, they may get the mistaken belief that it is always OK to do it.

Finally, when schedulers and MSC employees who visit this forum see shoppers identify different MSCs and their clients (or encourage others to disclose such information publicly or privately), what kinds of impression do those schedulers and company reps. form of the shoppers and of this forum?

There has been a flood of such posts lately. Who knows? Some of the ICAs at issue may, in fact, NOT prohibit shoppers from sharing the identities of the MSCs and their clients. However, schedulers and reps. for other MSCs may not know that and just assume that some shoppers are violating their ICAs.

Schedulers are free to post, "We have XXXX shops in these locations," but they do not often name the clients. Why do you think that is?

When you name the client and MSC publicly, you make it easier for the marketing agents of other MSCs to undercut their competition and for employees of the client to access shop instructions. Neither of those are things that MSCs want.

Besides the ICA, we choose to not do this out of respect for the MSCs we work with. I would ask that all posters consider that. Be respectful to your business partners and perhaps you will start to see some respect back. When we take the 'us vs. them' attitude, we further the existing rift between shoppers and MSCs.

You down with JBC?

Yeah! You know me!