I have completed a gas station shop recently and wanted to hear if some of you had experienced silimiar situations before.

The shop was a up to $20 gas reimbursement plus $6 in store purchase and the MSC wanted both charges on the same receipt. I arrived at the gas station and was told they only accept cash because their debit and credit system was down. I only had some coins in my car for a few dollars. I did not know where to find a nearby ATM machine for cash because I was not familiar with that area. The gas station was far away from where I live. I only accepted the shop because I had an appointment booked near the shop. So I figured coming back another day to do the shop would not work for me. I continued the shop using the limited amount of cash I had and evaluated everything according to the shop guidelines. I immediately sent an email to the scheduler explaining the situation but did not receive a reply. I just found out the MSC is only going to reimburse me $2 for my gas. I emailed the scheduler again and was told they would only reimburse what I paid for.

I am upset about the pay and the scheduler's reply. I felt I deserve the full reimbursement because the payment situation at the gas station was not caused by me and was out of my control. I have done hundreds of gas station shops for other MSCs and I have had similar situations happened in the past. However everytime I was paid the full amount by other MSCs, the amount I agreed to perform the shop when I applied. One time I did not have any cash with me therefore I could not even get a receipt to prove the shop, but the MSC accepted my explaination and still paid me.

I would love to get some advise about what actions should I take from here.

Thanks in advance.

I can't agree with you that you should be reimbursed for something you did not pay for. Sorry.
This is only me, but I learned a long time ago not to travel without emergency cash so I always have a $100 bill and a $20 bill tucked away in my wallet. More than once I had to use one or the other.

They covered it right here, "up to $20 gas reimbursement." Anything you leave on the table, regardless of the reason, they do not have to pay.

@Fenicia wrote:

I have completed a gas station shop recently and wanted to hear if some of you had experienced silimiar situations before.

The shop was a up to $20 gas reimbursement plus $6 in store purchase and the MSC wanted both charges on the same receipt. I arrived at the gas station and was told they only accept cash because their debit and credit system was down. I only had some coins in my car for a few dollars. I did not know where to find a nearby ATM machine for cash because I was not familiar with that area. The gas station was far away from where I live. I only accepted the shop because I had an appointment booked near the shop. So I figured coming back another day to do the shop would not work for me. I continued the shop using the limited amount of cash I had and evaluated everything according to the shop guidelines. I immediately sent an email to the scheduler explaining the situation but did not receive a reply. I just found out the MSC is only going to reimburse me $2 for my gas. I emailed the scheduler again and was told they would only reimburse what I paid for.

I am upset about the pay and the scheduler's reply. I felt I deserve the full reimbursement because the payment situation at the gas station was not caused by me and was out of my control. I have done hundreds of gas station shops for other MSCs and I have had similar situations happened in the past. However everytime I was paid the full amount by other MSCs, the amount I agreed to perform the shop when I applied. One time I did not have any cash with me therefore I could not even get a receipt to prove the shop, but the MSC accepted my explaination and still paid me.

I would love to get some advise about what actions should I take from here.

Thanks in advance.

I know you were counting on getting the whole $20, and it is disappointing, but my advice would be to take no action. You were told the shop would reimburse UP TO $20 in gas. You were never promised $20. You were promised a reimbursement of the amount you spent up to a maximum of $20. If you spent $2, it would make sense that you would be reimbursed for $2.

There were alternatives available to you. They just weren't convenient or within your planning. I always take cash with me even when planning to use a credit card, because I have frequently encountered the debit/credit system being down and being unable to use credit cards. Another alternative would have been to postpone the shop a few minutes and find an ATM so you could spend the whole $20 in gas. ATMs are usually not that hard to find. It was an unfamiliar area and you chose not to try.

Just my opinion, but I think the company is being fair with you. If I were in the MSC's shoes, I would reimburse you only what you spent.

I agree with Lisa and Jake, I have never been reimbursed for what I didn't spend when the stipulation was "up to" a certain amount reimbursed (as stated in the guidelines). There are some MSCs who will pay a flat rate for a shop (though I have never seen that with a gas station) and they state it clearly in their guidelines that the shop pays a flat rate regardless of whether you spend more or under the allotted payment. I too always take a little cash with me for emergencies. Recently I was doing a recall project for a non-MSC and was in a rural area covering some Amish-owned general stores where I was supposed to purchase any affected product found. I actually didn't know they were Amish stores before I left home and found out when I drove into town and saw all of the horses and buggies. These stores obviously did not accept credit cards and my stash of cash came in handy.

@Fenicia wrote:

Re: Should I get the full gas reimbursement or not?

No. You should get reimbursed for your actual expenditure.

[q]I am upset about the pay and the scheduler's reply. I felt I deserve the full reimbursement because the payment situation at the gas station was not caused by me and was out of my control[/q]

Shyte happens. We all have had something happen we hadn't planned on. The payment situation at the gas station wasn't the MSC's fault either. Swallow your false pride and move on.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2016 09:26PM by bestofbothworlds.

Why would they pay you for something you didn't buy? They are reimbursing you 100%, right?

Fenicia, I can understand your point of view because you already had the $20.00 reimbursement for gas set in your expectations. I have never experienced any MSC reimbursing for gas not pumped. Reimbursements are for money spent. If you spent $2.00 for gas, then the gas reimbursement should be $2.00.

You have not been mistreated by the MSC, although it may feel that way. So, no, you should not get $20.00 for the gas.

Keep in mind the ongoing stream of income you may generate from this MSC. We can't drop pride or expectations in the night slot at the bank, but ongoing income year after year will make this loss less important as time goes by. It's part of the learning curve.

I wish I got paid on expectations!

While I agree with the other posters---->You can't get what you did not pay for My concern is the MSC offered you "up to $20 in gas" and "up to $6 in store". While you had problems navigating cash over credit, you don't actually say what you did spend. Did you get $1 on gas and $1 in the store:.

You said you had an appointment nearby. So apparently you had been to this town before so you weren't familiar with the banks or stores in the area? Cell phones and GPSs has information to look for ATMs or banks or something in "that" area, while we are still strangers to the location.

You need a hidden cash stash in you purse or car, it could come in handy

Thank you for all the replies above and time spent on writing them. I guess my expectation for the MSC was too high to begin with becuase I had always been paid full amount from other MSCs. As JASFLALMT mentioned, some of the shop fees are plat rate fees not reimbursement. I remember there were at least three times in the past I got full pay from this MSC who pay their gas shops as flat rate fees. I believe that was why I did not pump gas and still got paid the full amount.

I was going to drop this MSC from my work list before posting this thread. Now after reading all the valuable replies, I will keep working with them. I will earn way more than $20 in a long run.

The CStore didn't have an ATM?

@sojo917 wrote:

While I agree with the other posters---->You can't get what you did not pay for My concern is the MSC offered you "up to $20 in gas" and "up to $6 in store". While you had problems navigating cash over credit, you don't actually say what you did spend. Did you get $1 on gas and $1 in the store:.

You said you had an appointment nearby. So apparently you had been to this town before so you weren't familiar with the banks or stores in the area? Cell phones and GPSs has information to look for ATMs or banks or something in "that" area, while we are still strangers to the location.

You need a hidden cash stash in you purse or car, it could come in handy

Hi, sojo917, I did not post how much I spent on gas and in store purchase exactly here because I did not want the scheduler who I just wrote email today to ID me here. I get some of my favorite skin care shops assigned by the same scheduler but for a different MSC and I don't want to lose other opportunities because of this one gas station shop.
Anyway, I did spent every single penny I had in my vehicle that day, more than $1 gas and $1 in store purchase.
And yes, I learned and I will carry some cash every time from now on when I MS.

@Hoju wrote:

The CStore didn't have an ATM?

You are right. It has an ATM from xxx bank. I tried to withdraw some cash but could not because I don't bank with that bank and don't have their debit card. I always pay with credit cards but I have never withdraw cash from credit cards. So when I stood in front of the ATM, I could not remember the PIN for cash withdraw.

@Fenicia wrote:

@Hoju wrote:

The CStore didn't have an ATM?

You are right. It has an ATM from xxx bank. I tried to withdraw some cash but could not because I don't bank with that bank and don't have their debit card. I always pay with credit cards but I have never withdraw cash from credit cards. So when I stood in front of the ATM, I could not remember the PIN for cash withdraw.

This is very suspicious. Unless you're banking with Sealy Posturpedic Savings and Loan, every bank's ATM card works with every ATM everywhere.

@Hoju wrote:

@Fenicia wrote:

@Hoju wrote:

The CStore didn't have an ATM?

You are right. It has an ATM from xxx bank. I tried to withdraw some cash but could not because I don't bank with that bank and don't have their debit card. I always pay with credit cards but I have never withdraw cash from credit cards. So when I stood in front of the ATM, I could not remember the PIN for cash withdraw.

This is very suspicious. Unless you're banking with Sealy Posturpedic Savings and Loan, every bank's ATM card works with every ATM everywhere.

Really? I didn't know. I have only withdrawn cash from my bank's ATM before. I rarely carry cash or need to withdraw from ATM.

Where is the Sealy Posturpedic Savings and Loan? Is this a nation wide bank?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2016 02:03AM by sojo917.

It is not, which is why their ATM cards only work in your mattress.

There might be a small fee, but yes almost any ATM will work. Better to carry cash though than risk a skimmer device.

@Fenicia wrote:

@Hoju wrote:

@Fenicia wrote:

@Hoju wrote:

The CStore didn't have an ATM?

You are right. It has an ATM from xxx bank. I tried to withdraw some cash but could not because I don't bank with that bank and don't have their debit card. I always pay with credit cards but I have never withdraw cash from credit cards. So when I stood in front of the ATM, I could not remember the PIN for cash withdraw.

This is very suspicious. Unless you're banking with Sealy Posturpedic Savings and Loan, every bank's ATM card works with every ATM everywhere.

Really? I didn't know. I have only withdrawn cash from my bank's ATM before. I rarely carry cash or need to withdraw from ATM.

I hate using ATMs because of the fees. I never withdraw cash that way and I too do not use debit cards, only credit cards. If Fenicia couldn't remember the PIN (I don't know any of the PINs for my credit cards, either) then getting cash out of an ATM is impossible, right? Don't you have to have a PIN regardless of what bank owns the ATM? But, cash is king and I thankfully always keep some money with me wherever I go. Mary gave good advice about being able to make more money with the MSC over the long run and glad that Fenicia is sensible enough to take it!

Using a credit card to get cash is expensive. The cheapest way to do that is to have a zero balance on the card and pay your cash advance (withdrawal) the same day. Otherwise, the interest is compounded daily, and the loan is paid after the purchases are. There is no grace period with a cash withdrawal.

@Hoju wrote:

This is very suspicious. Unless you're banking with Sealy Posturpedic Savings and Loan, every bank's ATM card works with every ATM everywhere.

Sounds like someone has performed one too many mattress shops over the Labor Day weekend.

I'm sorry, but you don't get reimbursed for something you didn't buy. You could have asked where the nearest ATM was, you could have looked it up on your phone if you have a smart phone, you could have called a friend and asked them to look up atm's online for you...I was on a shop once (audit) and realized I didn't understand a term on the form for a type of product..i phoned a friend and had her look it up....was probably before I had a smart phone...

i don't believe you COULDN't use the ATM there because it was a different bank...maybe you didn't want to because it would cost a few bucks...but in this case it would be worth it..spend a few bucks to be able to buy and get reimbursed $20 for the gas...you still come out about $17 ahead.

if you only use credit and don't even have a debit, then you need to make sure you have cash on you at all times.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2016 04:45AM by jmitw.

@sojo917 wrote:

You said you had an appointment nearby. So apparently you had been to this town before so you weren't familiar with the banks or stores in the area?

/quote]

Not necessarily, i often go to an area for the 1st time for an appointment

The definition of reimbursement is repayment for money spent. It is non taxable, and a completely different category than shop pay. I have quite frequently gone a little bit under the reimbursement amount of various shops, and that is money left on the table.

To the OP, file it in the lessons learned basket, move on, forget it, and get on with your life. Don't waste time thinking about the $20 that could have been. I habitually carry cash with me yet have forgotten to check before I left the house and been short. Human error will always be a factor some days.

Since the gas station is not named, could someone tell me what MSC reimburses up to $20? I do a lot of gas station shops where I am required to buy "at least" 2 gallons, plus a small cash purchase, and am reimbursed a max of $5. $20 would be awesome!

It's probably a regional thing. I am signed up with nearly every MSC listed on this site and I have never seen those shops in my area.

cease, in this area, ACL does $10 reimbursement for gas and $10 reimbursement for the convenience store. There's no fee, but I always ask for, and get a bonus.