Let me start my first post on the forum by thanking all of you for the knowledge you've shared over the years. I'm a rookie shopper in eastern Nebraska. I started in early November after retiring in May. I've spent many hours reading posts on the forum and you've all saved me a great deal of misery. Thank you!. Over the past six weeks I've completed thirteen shops in a variety of industries (credit unions, casual restaurants, gas station convenience stores & cell phone shop). I've got a lot to learn and I know it. The money I earn shopping will be spent on hobbies and travel.

I did a search on the forum and didn't see this topic discussed. If I missed it by searching for the wrong term(s) please accept my apology.

I'm getting ready to take off on a three week trip to visit family across the country. I expect to put 3,500+ miles on my 2015 truck in the process. During the trip (probably someplace between Pensacola and Orlando, Florida) I'll need to have the oil changed and the tires rotated. I'd like to leverage one of Bestmark's oil & tire rotation shops at the dealership to help pay for the trip. Since it's a new vehicle and the manufacturer will pay for the first few oil changes Bestmark will pay an extra $20 for the shop since they don't have to pay a reimbursement.

Most of the shops are listed as "Oil OR Tire", maybe a third are "Oil AND Tire". I'll need both services performed. From what I've seen or read of shop guidelines I'm assuming that having both services performed when the shop is listed as one OR the other would invalidate the shop. I also assume that the listed "Venue" (one of more of the manufacturer's brands) is not optional. That is, if the shop calls for "red-green-orange" I can't show up with "blue" even if that dealership would be able to service my truck.

I'd be grateful if someone could help me with a few questions.

What sort of information will I need to capture and how long is it likely to take to do the report my first time? Am I crazy to do my first such shop while traveling?

If I called Bestmark would they change an "Oil OR Tire" to an "Oil AND Tire" shop? I'm guessing not, but I can't learn if I'm not willing to ask questions.

What other questions should I be asking that I don't have a clue about?

Thank you all.

Dennis

Welcome to the forum! I have worked for Bestmark for years, but only recently did an oil change/tire rotation shop (had the wrong brand of car in the past). It went well and I had both services completed. Please feel free to PM me if you want dealer recommendations. I live in the panhandle east of Pensacola.

You want to double-check the guidelines before taking my word for it, but I do these all the time. It is no big deal to have other services done at the same time as the mystery shop service. I often have my tires rotated or my state inspection done at the same time as the oil change. It should be noted that the MSC will only reimburse for the stated service, however, so you will be out of pocket on the tire rotation if you choose to have it done on a 'Oil OR Tire' shop.

As I said before, however, double-check your guidelines before taking my word for it. Guidelines for shops can and do change often and the rules may be different since my last shop about a month ago.

Dennis: I did the shop several years ago until my car had too many miles on it. I bought a new car in June and I have already had two oil/tire rotation services as part of the maintenance package AND mystery shopped through BestMark. The last one was on Black Friday. I would be glad to answer any questions you may have regarding this shop. FYI: the payment is FAST!

This may not be an issue for you but it was for me doing a shop while traveling. First--a good internet connection to report the shop. Second--access to a scanner. I have had receipts that I could not take a photo of and read well enough. I once had to beg the hotel to scan the receipt for me since they did not have one available for the hotel guests.

@DennisNE, I just completed one of these for my car two weeks ago. My brand dealership performed the tire rotation for free when I scheduled the oil change. Bestmark approved my report and submitted payment even though I had both done.

As far as the report goes, it is actually quite simple. While you need to write narrative for each section, it does not have to be "War And Peace" like some other MSC's require. A several sentence paragraph for each section is all they ask. You may also find it helpful that they supply a sample narrative as part of the guidelines so you know exactly what they are looking for. I usually pre-write as much of narrative as I can while my car is being worked on, which helps cut down on time spent filling out the report later.

I say go for it! It's a great company and a good shop to do. Safe travels to you.

Well, for good or bad, it's done. As with the other shops I've done since starting two months ago it was a learning experience.

My grand trip ended sooner than planned so I was back home before I needed to have the oil changed in my truck. I was able to schedule a shop at the dealer where I bought it and previously had it serviced. I thought the familiar environment would make it easier. I don't think it mattered in that sense, but I'm glad I was at home and had plenty of time to do the report for the first time.

Unfortunately, the dealership didn't manage to put their best foot forward today. Whomever has the dubious pleasure of reading my report probably won't be pleased. I took pains to be objective, but if they take the course of "shoot the messenger" I'd better keep my head down.

However, I didn't manage to put my best foot forward either. I missed getting the names of the staff members I interacted with. They didn't introduce themselves and didn't have nametags. I need to change my manner of dealing with people and make it a point to _always_ get names..... and descriptions. It's a skill/habit I need to concentrate on until I get it right. If anyone can suggest ways to improve I'm open to suggestions.

Fortunately, even if I can't go back to that dealership in the future there are others in town. Based on my experience today I'm planning to check out the other dealerships for future oil changes anyway.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my earlier call for help. I appreciate it.

Dennis