I'm sharing my story, so that hopefully something good can come from my mistake. Being a newbie golfer, I was excited when I found shops for 18-hole golf courses that require us to play and then evaluate their course. Obviously, the time commitment to play 18-holes is at least a 1/2 day, plus writing the report is at least another 2-3 hours; so I really have plan my day accordingly. I'm still working, so my time is limited and it's easier to go golfing on the weekends. Additionally, this MSC requires us to have at least 1 partner, so I have to ask someone else to give up their time, and to play a course that is definitely not their first choice. (Being in SoCal, we are spoiled and have top-tier public courses that are closer, cheaper, and better, then the ones we have to shop, but I need to practice my golf skills as well as doing the MS reports, so I was willing to put in the time, for both.) During the past year, I've done about about 1/2 dozen of these golfing shops, and I'm very detailed, I've always turned my reports in early, I've never missed any guidelines, and I've never had any of my golf shops questioned, nor returned, for any reason. I'm the type of person who really cares, and I know I spend way too much time on my reports, because I tend to write long, detailed narratives. However, when something good or bad happens during my shop, (and in this case it was much more positive then not), I try and give as much info as possible, so the MSC and their client can only benefit.

Therefore, you can imagine my utter shock, when earlier this week, my golf experience shop report was completely rejected, because I completed the shop 1 day earlier then my "official" scheduled date. To clarify, we are give a date RANGE, when we sign-up, and I typically choose the last date of that specified time-frame. I do this, because months ago I contacted the MSC, to ask if there was flexibility in the posted dates? I was told "as long as the shop was done within that date range" they really didn't care what day we went. Also, the shop instructions clearly state that the shop can be performed at "anytime." After I got the rejection email, I contacted the MSC individual (via email) who originally assigned me this shop, and I respectfully asked them to reconsider, due to the facts that I mentioned above. I heard back this AM, that the rejection still stands.

Obviously, I am upset, disappointed, and deflated, but I'm still hoping for something good to come out of this. Therefore, I am writing about my experience, so that others know, that if they choose to complete these golf experience shops, even though there is a date RANGE, the dates are really NOT flexible. You must ONLY complete the shop, on that specific date that you originally choose. Thanks for letting me share, and I sincerely hope this helps someone else in the future.

Something good came of this. I, the scariest golfer on the planet, am encouraged. There is another person out there who is imperfect regarding golf. I feel better. I hope that you will feel better and keep doing those shops. Have fun, if nothing else, with your golf game!

It's shameful for the msc to reject the shop. It sounds like u followed the shop instructions so u should be paid. If a msc did that to me i wouldn't shop for them again as i can't trust them. With that said, have u tried escalating?

Thank you very much for sharing, and I am sorry your shop was rejected.

However, in my opinion, your post was unnecessarily long and there were so many irrelevant details that they obscured the most important points, which were buried in the middle of your post:

"Therefore, you can imagine my utter shock, when earlier this week, my golf experience shop report was completely rejected, because I completed the shop 1 day earlier then my "official" scheduled date. To clarify, we are give a date RANGE, when we sign-up, and I typically choose the last date of that specified time-frame. I do this, because months ago I contacted the MSC, to ask if there was flexibility in the posted dates? I was told "as long as the shop was done within that date range" they really didn't care what day we went. Also, the shop instructions clearly state that the shop can be performed at "anytime." After I got the rejection email, I contacted the MSC individual (via email) who originally assigned me this shop, and I respectfully asked them to reconsider, due to the facts that I mentioned above. I heard back this AM, that the rejection still stands."

What this all boiled down to, if I understood you correctly, was that (1) you were free to choose any date within a certain date range, (2) you were required to choose a specific date within that range, (3) you chose a date and notified the MSC, (3) you changed your mind and decided to shop on a different date within the range, (4) you did not ask the MSC if it was OK for you to shop on a different date, (5) your shop got rejected because you did not shop on the date you had originally chosen.

I don't know whether the MSC would have agreed to let you reschedule your visit if you had asked BEFORE you did the shop. but I would have asked if I were in your shoes. For one thing, I would want to make sure the changed date would not interfere with any other shop at that location. Often, a client does not want two shops to happen on the same day at any given location. Also, the MSC may be required to have a certain number of days between shops at a location.

Another way to look at this is:

If I invited a friend to play golf with me and she told me she was available any day next week, and I told her I would meet her at a certain time next Tuesday, I should not be shocked if she was upset when I decided to show up on Monday instead without telling her I had changed my mind.

>> I was told "as long as the shop was done within that date range" they really didn't care what day we went. Also, the shop instructions clearly state that the shop can be performed at "anytime."<<

Seems to me that there was no meeting of the minds here. The MSC should have been clearer about their date expectations. Unless they had another shopper go the same date that you did, or they were required to space them [x] days apart, I don't see why they wouldn't just use the report. This is one instance where I would request in writing a statement that they will not be using it. Also, can you tell us the MSC?

I have taken shops from many msc that have a date range where I am supposed to shop the exact date I chose ahead of time. Sometimes I can change it if I ask ahead of time to do a different day in the original range and sometimes I am told I cannot because they have since scheduled another shop too close to some of the earlier dates. Without reading the exact instructions I would guess the date range info (you can shop any date in the following range) only applies until you choose a specific day and the anytime may refer to you can go anytime they are open on the date you have chosen. So you do not need to go at 10 AM or 3 PM etc.
Yes, this is a learning experience and unfortunately sometimes what seems perfectly clear to the author of an instruction sheet...mostly because not only did they write it but they knew the intent before hand...can be interpreted various ways by the shopper...hence most instructions keep getting longer and longer with time as shoppers interpret differently so they have to add more details to explain their instruction.

Gotta love pot calling the kettle black

Aw, yes, the date range dilemma. I've been caught in this trap before. Finding myself right in front of the business I scheduled for a couple of days from now. I always think that I know which companies that I can 'actually' shop within that date range but always get an email response saying that I can otherwise I don't.
Since most mystery shopping companies are way too busy for a little Opihi like me, I usually end up sighing and driving away to my next destination.

Fool me once.........

That's a heft loss there, I feel for you.

Thanks everyone, for your thoughts, and for taking the time to write. When I applied for this shop, there was only one posting for this location available. In the past, I was told by the MSC that each golf course is only shopped once per calendar quarter, so it is doubtful that someone else was scheduled the same day (or close to the day/time) that I was scheduled. I have it in an email, that they will not use my report, but how would I ever be able to verify that? The MSC was 360intel.

Is that the same as Intellishop? If so, you might want to do a search here in the forum. You're not the only one they've stiffed.

Thanks iShop123, here is what I found online regarding 360intel = “GOODWIN HOSPITALITY BECOMES 360 INTEL. April 11, 2018 Blog - ...Goodwin Hospitality (and our brands Customer Prophet and Campus Feedback) to center our focus solely on services for companies to measure and monitor the customer experience and re-energize our mystery shopper programs.”

spicy1>>>> Imagining Intelli having golf shops.

@HuggyBear wrote:

... I heard back this AM, that the rejection still stands.

Did they provide a reason besides going a day early?

Hi elcarev68,
In both emails that I received from them, they did not provide any additional reasons for the shop being rejected, other then I did not complete it on the “official” scheduled date, rather I completed it a day early.

It all sounds pretty ridiculous that they rejected it because of that. Now they have to find another shopper to do it. The MSC, scheduler, and editor don't get paid for a shop that they don't send to the client.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

It all sounds pretty ridiculous that they rejected it because of that. Now they have to find another shopper to do it. The MSC, scheduler, and editor don't get paid for a shop that they don't send to the client.

They probably had another shop scheduled based on the original date that OP chose. There’s no other reason to decline it.

I was going by the post from the OP below:

@HuggyBear wrote:

I was told by the MSC that each golf course is only shopped once per calendar quarter, so it is doubtful that someone else was scheduled the same day (or close to the day/time) that I was scheduled.

@HuggyBear wrote:

Thanks everyone, for your thoughts, and for taking the time to write. When I applied for this shop, there was only one posting for this location available. In the past, I was told by the MSC that each golf course is only shopped once per calendar quarter, so it is doubtful that someone else was scheduled the same day (or close to the day/time) that I was scheduled. I have it in an email, that they will not use my report, but how would I ever be able to verify that? The MSC was 360intel.

If one shop per calendar quarter is still the current schedule, then 360intel/Goodwin should have paid you this time, with the understanding that it is a one-time thing. IMO, that's a company that does not operate in good faith. When I got an email from them earlier this week, I elected to tell them I would not be an active shopper for them.

Sorry this happened to you.

I sure would hate to think they would be so shady as to use the report and then just not pay the shopper.

If someone could just go and check to see if it's back on the job board.

Because I'm avoiding vacuuming, I went through the entire long list of shops posted for CA and found nothing that I would relate to a golf shop. Of course, it could have been reassigned already or I don't know what the shop itself is called.

I'm sorry this happened to you. It seems ludicrous that they would reject this shop, if indeed the courses are shopped only once each quarter. Sounds unnecessarily nit-picky to me. That being said, I only shop for one company that really gives you a range of dates on which to do a job once you've scheduled it. Usually once you pick a date, that's the date, and you do need scheduler permission to change it. But it also sounds as if the date parameters, as worded by the MSC, aren't crystal clear.

Have you tried going up the food chain? I think I would, pointing out the ambiguity of their date instructions. They should say something to the effect that once your date is scheduled, you must request a re-schedule.

I'm going to try a golfing shop this year, but, thankfully, the MSC that has them isn't this one! The one who does them here is easy to deal with.

The MSC seems pretty nit picky. Considering your stellar record with them, you would think they wouldn't hassle you since it was completed within the date range and they didn't mention any problems with your report.

But if it's not back up on the job board and they didn't offer the OP a chance to do a reshop, does that mean they used the shop and are just not paying the shopper? It's questionable. I think that most MSCs have more integrity than that, but I don't have much experience with this MSC.

@MsJudi wrote:

Because I'm avoiding vacuuming, I went through the entire long list of shops posted for CA and found nothing that I would relate to a golf shop. Of course, it could have been reassigned already or I don't know what the shop itself is called.

@iShop123 wrote:

>> I was told "as long as the shop was done within that date range" they really didn't care what day we went. Also, the shop instructions clearly state that the shop can be performed at "anytime."<<

Seems to me that there was no meeting of the minds here. The MSC should have been clearer about their date expectations. Unless they had another shopper go the same date that you did, or they were required to space them [x] days apart, I don't see why they wouldn't just use the report. This is one instance where I would request in writing a statement that they will not be using it. Also, can you tell us the MSC?

It wasn't for the same client though since OP said it was their first golf shop. Different clients have different requirements. The one they asked about in the past could be fine with the shop being done any day within the range. The gold client obviously wasn't. Best to ask every time for a change rather than assume based on history.

Just to clarify this was not my first golf shop, I have done about 1/2 dozen or so of these golf shops, for the MSC’s client, in the past. (This was my first REJECTED shop). The written shop instructions this time, were no different from what they were in the past. Just like before, there was a range of dates we could choose from and I selected the last date of that range, but I completed the shop the day BEFORE the last day. I did make a mistake by not getting pre-authorization to complete the shop 1 day earlier, from the MSC. I assumed because there was a date range, and I was told that these course are shopped once per quarter, that I could go one day earlier without any issues.

@HuggyBear wrote:

Just to clarify this was not my first golf shop, I have done about 1/2 dozen or so of these golf shops, for the MSC’s client, in the past. (This was my first REJECTED shop). The written shop instructions this time, were no different from what they were in the past. Just like before, there was a range of dates we could choose from and I selected the last date of that range, but I completed the shop the day BEFORE the last day. I did make a mistake by not getting pre-authorization to complete the shop 1 day earlier, from the MSC. I assumed because there was a date range, and I was told that these course are shopped once per quarter, that I could go one day earlier without any issues.

Knowing this, I think that you got screwed.

Sorry to hear of your rejection. I also do golf shops (different MSC) and consider that to be a big outlay of cash between greens fees/cart, beverage cart, food, driving range, and pro shop purchases to lose out on. Not to mention the prep time for the shop, 5 hours on location, drive-time to and from, and the long reports that golf courses inevitably have.

I personally would escalate this up the food chain...