I know, but they accepted and are glad I charged it, a little unorthodox, but it worked, when in doubt or short of cash, improvise. No one said anything about not doing cash (this was Priority envelope).

I sent some bowls that my brother left me to an in-law in another city. They came back unclaimed and broken into little pieces. Three of four bowls (two per box) were broken (all wrapped and in bubble wrap and snugged with paper).
What a bummer. I hope I still get paid for the shop and reimbursed.
Hint: Don't send breakable items. This shipper seems like a destroyer.

Glabow, I am pretty sure you will still be paid as long as you follow the guidelines while shipping. The shop is just for the process of you mailing the package, not how the company handles it in transit.

Glabow, I'm sure you'll get paid, and I would file a claim for the dishes, did you take out Ins.?

Another strange thing about these jobs for BARE is that they never appear in my specific city, which has six offices. The closest ones I see are usually beyond 15 miles away. Oddly they are locations I do see are ones I have shopped for Maritz, although done in a route of many shops per day.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2010 09:34PM by ShopUntilYouDrop.

What are the ones where you "buy the item" like? Tempted to do one of those, as one just showed up that's very convenient for me, and it's bonused. I guess you go to the side of the counter to finish labeling, etc., and then go back? And time that entire process?

nicelytwicely Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What are the ones where you "buy the item" like?
> Tempted to do one of those, as one just showed up
> that's very convenient for me, and it's bonused.
> I guess you go to the side of the counter to
> finish labeling, etc., and then go back? And time
> that entire process?


Yes, that's pretty much it. Some clerks would let you take the mailer and finish packing, then pay for the whole thing as one transaction. Others require that you pay first then come back and do the rest. You wind up with two different receipts. I just did one like that yesterday. Uploaded both receipts as one scan. Hope it passes. I doubt they will have an issue with this, but you never know.

/thanks for the info Shopaholic....I also was curious about it and wanted to do one of their shops. I just couldn't picture in my mind how to go to the counter, get a box, go pack it and get back in line etc. Especially during this busy season!

I know this location well enough so that there will only be one receipt. They'll either weigh the whole thing and ring it up immediately, or give me the item and ring it up when I package it. It's a really small "neighborhood" location. They know me, which is one of the reasons I've refrained from shopping them, but this is tempting... Going to have to think about it!

Of the many shops like this I did for Maritz, only once I went to an office were they had a sign saying please buy the item and pay for it first, and write the address on it later. I had to wait in line twice and got two receipts.

I know that I must sound like a grinch, but these BARE shops have so many more variables and unknowns than the Maritz shops. The latter were completely clear and easy to do with no chance of mistakes.

Are you listening, Maritz. Bid them back and drop the silly EIN stuff.

Well, assuming Maritz is going through with their EIN number requirement, I am actually very glad they lost this client. Aside from this, and another one, who they appear to be losing as well, I won't miss Maritz at all.

Actually, I really like these shops better now that BARE has them. I can ship real packages so I'm sending out my holiday gifts. Of course my family is wondering why I've moved 2 towns away...LOL. But as far as the "variables", that is the only difference I see from before. I like BARE so far, very professional company and responsive.

I recently signed with BARE and was not asked for an EIN number nor made aware that I needed one. They accepted a social security number. But time will tell!

BARE is not the company asking for an EIN. It is Maritz.

Where did all the regular box shop go?

sojo917 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Where did all the regular box shop go?

They've probably all been completed.

Well then, I hope their pay doesn't disappear. I'm still waiting to be paid for 10 shops.

I'm lost. Do you mean completed shops on your log are no longer visible or just their job board no longer shows available assignments?

Bare was the 1st company (one other mentioned elsewhere) that I tossed to the wind. I did 2 assignments for them, got a snotty evaluator, and excuses for not paying me. They wanted more detail than existed in the transaction and I'm darned detailed and have no difficulty with any other company on this point - and that's at least 20 with some pretty high end clients. Bare got two free detailed evaluations out of me. No doubt they used them.

Fool me once, shame on you etc etc.

Again, this is only my experience and others may have had more positive experiences.

However, my experience has shown that if start feeling a dirty taste in your mouth, it's best to go brush your teeth.

cello700 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bare was the 1st company (one other mentioned
> elsewhere) that I tossed to the wind. I did 2
> assignments for them, got a snotty evaluator, and
> excuses for not paying me. They wanted more
> detail than existed in the transaction and I'm
> darned detailed and have no difficulty with any
> other company on this point - and that's at least
> 20 with some pretty high end clients. Bare got two
> free detailed evaluations out of me. No doubt they
> used them.
>
> Fool me once, shame on you etc etc.
>
> Again, this is only my experience and others may
> have had more positive experiences.
>
> However, my experience has shown that if start
> feeling a dirty taste in your mouth, it's best to
> go brush your teeth.


Probably more than ANY company, my experience with Bare has been very spotty.

I've found that some forms are concise and instructions clear, while others are far from it. There's only one scheduler with whom I've communicated that I can say is great. The majority of schedulers I've had reason to contact have been slow to respond, not particularly friendly and in several cases, answered in a way that makes me wonder if they really read my message! Same for the editors. There's one I LOVE, but a few of the others have really made me scratch my head. One time, I DID get in touch about a score -- I was deducted for not answering a question that was NOT on the form! My score was upgraded, but seriously!!!!!

Last Bare gripe of the day, I hate that they don't notify you when you've applied for a shop and it's been closed. Oh, I just thought of a few other things, but I'll leave those for another vent. Definitely not one of my favorite companies.

lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm lost. Do you mean completed shops on your log
> are no longer visible or just their job board no
> longer shows available assignments?


I meam the PO shops are gone, gone gone. They are gone from my state and neighboring states. There were there earlier in the day and by nightfall they were gone. I had been assigned 2 more shops. I was getting my packages ready. Now,they were gone. No "thank you but no thanks; no "I'sorry." Just GONE.

I found more things I could have shipped out. B4 I was always looking for something to mail.

Go figure.

My first check was my mail. I just hope the others come soon or is DD. The PO is the client.I hope they were happy with OUR work., cause I need my pay.

I don't know why they would have been removed from your shop log, but my job board shows none for my state either.

Not from my shop log, just from my job board.

No, my shop log are done deals. I just want to get paid that's all.

They only did two of the three scenarios.

Ahh, confused again here.

I thought when you said this, you meant they took them from your log.

" I had been assigned 2 more shops. I was getting my packages ready. Now,they were gone. No "thank you but no thanks; no "I'sorry." Just GONE"

You will be paid for your work already completed though, if the shops were accepted. I am waiting to be paid for six shops for them. Many of the companies I am waiting for payment from don't have anything on their board right now. It doesn't mean you aren't being paid for past work, just they don't have any assignments that need to be completed right now.

sojo917 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not from my shop log, just from my job board.
>


It is the busiest time of the year for that client. My guess is that the client said that any shops not completed by X date would roll to the new year, or get pulled. Perhaps to avoid that, if it was the case, the schedulers called around and got their quote scheduled.

Athens, that is a reasonable theory but surprisingly I did many of these shop last December, up to Christmas week, for the previous MSC. I remember them well because the Christmas rush made them somewhat time consuming.

I got an email cancelling the remaining shipping shop I had for 12/11 explaining that the client wants the rest to be done after the first of the year. That is why they are gone gone gone off the board.

I didn't have anymore of those shops scheduled, but I did notice that all of them were taken off the job board the other day. Then yesterday I received an email saying they had a few left and they were bonused. I checked the board and sure enough six were back.

I just check the board also. There are a few posted but they can't be shop untill 2011. So much for looking for the bonused ones. Looks like from the instructions there are a few new guidelines also.

Don't they know the guidelines is 13 to 16 pages long already? The GL for October changed for November; those changed for December. So, January will definitely have changes.

The changes are always the "a shopper can't do that" change. (like "we bought our own stamps; we put stamps on the package b4 getting to the shop; we mailed to a Box within the system.) So be prepared for another set of changes.

I think I will spend the rest of the holiday season getting my packages ready. So I can concenctrate on the shops "obvious, but in the wrong spot' naravtives.