Me personally really thought I was enjoying working with EPMS until I seen that they communication e-mail style was not the way to go with them. They have you to travel and do shops but at the end find a reason not to pay you. Then....if you're not able to complete all your VIDEO shops then they wont even pay you on the shops you have completed.

Really??? Thanks for the heads up. I have done many shops for them just not video and have always been paid and faster than most.

I had done one before and it wasnt a problem at first then I did 3 Vidoes (didnt complete one because I never could reach my target) but couldn't get paid for them because I didn't complete the last one. Not to mention I went to log-in and they deactivated my account (had to because I've been logging-in with the same password for months now) but keep sending e-mails saying update me on the last shop. The shop I did that wasnt a video shop the lady would send emails back and forward saying why she thought she should take $10 away from my pay of $25 only at the end two days before pay-time to say she was taking the entire $25. I also picked the equipment up so I was told I would receive $10 for that since they didnt have to ship. That was a lie also!!! They are so fake...I even call directly to gain a better understanding instead of email-ing and they still find silly reasons not to pay you and gas is $3.50 and willing be going up 40cents in 13 days. Dont waste your time.

How much more do you make if you have your own equipment?

After reading through this thread I was reluctanct to do a targeted shop for this company, but I got an e-mail about a targeted shop with a bonus so I decided to give it a try. I call first thing this morning and get an answering machine, so I tried again an hour later and my target actually answered the phone. I was caught off guard as I was assuming I would have issues reaching them and was planning what I would say when somebody else answered the phone. Completed the onsite visit a couple hours later, I guess it's beginners luck, but I am really dreading all the narrative I am going to have to write.

I have never had a problem reaching my target person but how I hate the reports long and redundant. You will see what I mean.

I have been shopping for them since 2005. I have completed over 100 shops and now have graduated to video. My video ratio is climbing as I like the pay and have made the mistake of picking those shops with short forms. I have never had an issue with payment. In January I was deactivated by accident. Apparently on one of my shops I put in 2010 instead of 2011 and the system took it as if I hadn't left feedback for a 365 day old shop. The reports can be long and drawn out but now that I do the video side, I love it. Hope you luck changes.

I agree they are one of my fastest paying shops.

Last time they assigned me two and never posted to my account. I asked after they called me. Oh ooopppsss sorry they are gone.

I am having a horrible time with them this week. Against my better judgement, I took four end of the month-need-to-be-done shops that were all in the same city. They advertise them as being able to use them to build a route, but since the targets are never there on the same days, it does not work that way.

I was able to complete one, but only after they gave me a different phone number to call. For this shop, the call did not go through their automated system to record the call. The number they gave me said it was out of service. I email with that info and am told to try again another day. I try again, still out of service. This time they got a different number from the client so I was able to complete the shop.

For my second shop, the contact was not in the office. I was finally told to ask for her by name. The woman that answered said she was not in that office now. The scheduler checked with the client and the target is in a different office all week, but will be back in that office on Saturday, so meet with her Saturday. Okay, EXCEPT when I took the shop, I was told the meeting would be between Mon-Thur.

Third shop, I actually took this one a few weeks ago. Instructions say the best time to reach him is on Saturday. Okay, so I plan to call him that Sat. Wrong. I get an email, he is on vacation until the end of March, so I will meet with him on April 2. (One of my biggests beefs is that they never seem to ask if the date changes will be okay with you when they are done last minute). So for the last two weeks, I arrange my schedule to be in that city on the 2nd to meet with this target. WRONG AGAIN. I get an email Weds. to call him on Fri. at 8 am (7 am in my time zone) and meet with him at 9am (8 am for me). I arranged it with the scheduler to be able to meet him later if I called at 8am. Well I call and am all sorts of happy when the target answers, EXCEPT he informs me that if I want to see a unit, I have to talk to someone else, but not him. So now I am waiting to hear from the scheduler as how to proceed with this shop that I now apparently will no longer be doing tomorrow. (In all fairness the scheduler for this assignment is VERY friendly and good with communication)

Okay shop four (sorry I know this is long), I call Tuesday and am confused when the call is answered by one of the other properties I am assigned. I figure I made a mistake and check my code number. Sure enough I had the right place, so I try again and figure it was a system mistake. The call is answered again by the other property. I tell them I am confused that I thought it was "Property D". She says that I called the right place, but they are owned by the same company so they are answering today for the other property. So I make up some question and get off the phone. Not sure what to do as the office with my target does not even answer the phone. I email the scheduler and ask what to do. I hear nothing back so I email a second time. Still nothing until this morning when I receive a nasty toned email saying I have 24 hours to contact EPMS or the shop will be reassigned and I will be removed as a shopper.

So I since then have sent many emails to any address I can find trying to explain the situation, but no answer. My biggest problem with them though is that they have absolutely no consideration for the fact that shoppers do not just shop for them and some days they will not be in the area of certain shops. I ALWAYS make sure I am available for shops I schedule, but when the shop is rescheduled without my knowledge, I can not guarantee I will not have shops scheduled in other cities.

Even for the bonus I think I am done with them. Too much hassle. Shop no shop does not work for me. And then pay or maybe get paid. Time is money.

I have done several of these shops for EPMS and have had no problem reaching my target. I have also done the recorded audio shops for them where they send you the recorder. So far I have found this company to be reliable. The paperwork is on the long side but once you get used to it the shop pay makes it worth it. I did 8 shops for them in March and waiting to see have fast they pay.

shalmic- reaching the target was not my issue....
them telling me I was assigned and then they never bothering to add them to my list is what is annoying...

As far as recording it is illegal in my state.

And also remember the apt complex now has a possible copy of your drivers license....