Reimbursements that don't cover shop costs... thoughts?

Today I had a shop at Pinkberry. I ordered what was required of me(small yogurt with a topping), but my cost came to a dollar over what the site's reimbursement was. I feel like i've been had here. I know, a dollar is just a dollar, but still, I wouldn't have done this shop for any less than $10, and now i'm only getting 9. Why would they only give 5 knowing it costs 6? That's shady in my opinion. First time i've experienced this.

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When these kind of shops come around for me, I look at the 'net' fee I get in the end (or no fee at all!). If it's worth my time and if I like the product, sign me up!

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

I did the same shop and had the same reaction. I ordered the minimum, but the reimbursement was short of covering it. I wonder if other locations, in less metropolitan areas or with lower taxes, would fall under the $5 reimbursement.

Ah, someone else who feels my pain, nice. I emailed the site just a few minutes ago, and politely asked if they could give me full reimbursement. We'll see what happens. you could try doing the same thing if it means enough to you. With enough people giving them grief about it, that could cause them to up the reimbursement on the shop.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2015 10:43PM by jay225.

There is another thread floating around covering the same topic. If you politely bring this to the MSC's attention, they have been known to increase the fee reimbursement for the next round of shops. It is usually the client and not the MSC that sets the amount.

This is what I was going to say. I recently inquired about a reimbursement and was told just to call them after I submitted my receipt. What I was told by that MSC was that they could not change the actual reimbursement as it came from the client, but they could alter the fee and they were most willing to do that. They'd done it before as they realize some parts of the country are more expensive than others. I was pleased to hear that.

This really depends on the location. I do enough Pinkberry jobs to know which locations will charge $4.95 for the required purchase and which go toward $6. But honestly, I don't sweat the extra dollar. I only do jobs like this when they're convenient to something bigger, or coincide with a thing I'm doing anyway (there's one right across from the Writer's Guild, for instance). Either way, these are usually just a background detail for my day.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2015 05:15PM by Fastjack.

I use the Pinkberry shops as an excuse to go get Pinkberry that day. This is a surprisingly important aspect of the jobs I take.

Shopper in California's Bay Area

I get notices for Pinkberry constantly as there is one very close to my house. Unfortunately, I don't drink; hence, no Pinkberry for me!

@Orrymain wrote:

I get notices for Pinkberry constantly as there is one very close to my house. Unfortunately, I don't drink; hence, no Pinkberry for me!

Pinkberry is a frozen yogurt in my neck of the woods. No booze in sight.
(Thank god! That would be even more dangerous!)

Shopper in California's Bay Area

...but how awesome would it be if the Strawberry Margarita flavor actually contained tequila!

LOL - I've never been there but in reading the instructions and such, at least for the shops offered here, there's a reference to the alcohol. In fact, because in my preferences I said I don't want to do alcohol shops, these shops don't even show up in the list of available shops if I check online (I still get the email notifications of them though).

I had this issue with one of the Villa Pizza/South Philly Steak shops. There was no way to order the minimum required for the shop under the limit, it was only for reimbursement (no fee), and I knew the report was going to be a pain to fill out. I wrote in the comments section (for the MSC) telling them that it was impossible to come in under the cap, and I heard nothing. I will never do another of those shops.

I used to do these when there was one right across the street from my office. It is gone now and I have no interest in traveling to a different one. I find the questionnaire quite annoying for a 25 second interaction and have felt like I am going to get hit by a car standing in the street to get a pic of the front of the store. But as others have said, the msc probably has no idea prices went up. Contact them and if they get enough push back they might contact the Pinkberry people that hired them and ask for an increase.

OMG I love Pinkberry. It's probably good I don't live near one. If I'm not mistaken don't the requirements change monthly for this shop? I know the few I've done have been under reimbursement but if I recall at one point there was a shake requirement that did not fit.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Okay, I checked it out, so I guess it has changed. I know I repeatedly checked it when I first signed up and it was not the way it is based on the guidelines I just saw. I may have to check it out. :}

I've only done one Pinkberry shop and accidentally ordered a medium (I pointed to the small cup, but when she held up the Medium and asked me to confirm, I said yes... guess my brain didn't want to trade down once I saw the yogurt-y goodness that would fill that cup up). The cost was $0.95 over the max reimbursement in my fairly high cost area. I'm surprised to hear that others can't get a small (or heck even a child's size) within the allowable reimbursement.

I had to order one topping per the guidelines, and ask for a taste (really had to twist my arm on those requirements) as I recall.

Mmmm, it's a hot day here today, some fro yo would really hit the spot! I need to check to see if there are any shops available near me.

Shopper in California's Bay Area

@Orrymain wrote:

Okay, I checked it out, so I guess it has changed. I know I repeatedly checked it when I first signed up and it was not the way it is based on the guidelines I just saw. I may have to check it out. :}

Do it! You won't regret it. It's pretty tasty stuff.

Shopper in California's Bay Area

The city I'm going to this weekend has shops for next weekend and the city I'm going to next weekend has shops for this weekend. UGGGGGGGG

Guess I'll just have to go get some Jeni's instead.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I might pick it up the next round. The current round ends in a couple of days and I don't have time to know for sure I can get them done. Next time though! :} ... Did I mention it's suppose to be 108 today?

@bgriffin wrote:

The city I'm going to this weekend has shops for next weekend and the city I'm going to next weekend has shops for this weekend. UGGGGGGGG

Guess I'll just have to go get some Jeni's instead.

I've had the same problem with a few airport locations.

The airport locations I've done have had reimbursement of $7.00 and I've gone just slightly over each time ordering a small. But I'm just fine with that.

I am starting to feel this way about gas station shops. I know we all need gas ect.... but really they demand that we buy 2 gallons? Why 2 gallons? Gas is almost up to $5 a gallon where I live now. This month I was thinking about doing an experiment where I work only for fees, with no money upfront, just to see if it makes a difference in my bottom line. If there is a certain requirement we should be reimbursed for the full amount.

it's not the dollar as much as it is the principle. anyway, if you do this shop enough, the dollars add up.

Yes, it's the principal of the thing. They know what stuff costs, but they nickle and dime us out of reimbursement? I refuse to do these shops more than once. It's gotten to where I will go online and check out the menu to see if I can even make it under the guidelines. If not, they can find themselves another sucker

And the Pinkberry report--- the question, "Was it served with perfection in mind?" always cracked me up. Who writes this s*1t?

Kona Kathie

No Pink Berry here, but we do have Menchies.

Jay I agree 100% with you. If I am doing a shop with a required purchase, I am not giving back part of my fee to the company in the form of a purchase. That's why I refuse to do the Denxx's shops - fee with no reimbursement, but you have to order a meal (I don't think so!). 5G is tight, but at least they cover a small meal. If no one takes the jobs, they will have to come up in price.

No Pinkberry here, but we have Orange Leaf. I haven't seen any Orange Leaf shops in over a year. Anyone know if Orange Leaf is still shopped?

@Phoebe70 wrote:

No Pinkberry here, but we have Orange Leaf. I haven't seen any Orange Leaf shops in over a year. Anyone know if Orange Leaf is still shopped?

The Orange Leaf's in my area hasn't been shopped since early 2014. I'm pretty sure I would've seen it if more shops came up, unless they switched MSC's.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

Eh, what turns me off with the Pinkberry MSC is how far away I have to schedule the shop. While I typically don't mind scheduling that far ahead, I personally wouldn't prefer to build any kind of route around this Pinkberry shop, since I have to drive in a different part of the city for this.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

I end up going almost $1 over reimbursement and shop fee at Penara Bread Company dinner shops. I take the shop at base pay because I really like the BBQ Chicken Wrap and the soups. Then they have some of the best iced tea and that leads up the the most important part of the shop. That is hearing the question, "Would you like a pastry for only $1 more." I tell myself I'll save it to have with my coffee the next day, but that big cinnamon roll can be eaten while writing the report and sipping on my third or forth cup of iced tea. They can get away with paying low shop fees simply because the food is healthy, quick and good. After eating all this fattening fast food, fast casual, and even more fattening fine dining, it's a nice change to eat some healthy food for a MS.

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Reimbursements that don't cover shop costs... thoughts?

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