exxon mobils…

Heck yeah. You are right. Wearing the vest does break the non-disclosure agreement. I am going to pour over the agreement I have with that company and then bring up the issue, if applicable.

@johnb974 wrote:

If the vest has the name of the MSC on it....so much for the NDA. LOL

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Ever looked at their Facebook page that is open to the public (not a closed group)? It lists practically every client that they shop. They can break their end of the NDA six ways from Sunday and get away with it because they're the Wal-Mart / Amazon of the mystery shopping world. Big businesses can pretty much do whatever they want to do with no repercussions.

@thunderdeacon wrote:

Heck yeah. You are right. Wearing the vest does break the non-disclosure agreement. I am going to pour over the agreement I have with that company and then bring up the issue, if applicable.

@johnb974 wrote:

If the vest has the name of the MSC on it....so much for the NDA. LOL

The NDA is about sharing information you get for a client or the form you use. Every MSC list the companies they've done work for. It's part of their advertising.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/2022 03:44AM by johnb974.

@thunderdeacon wrote:

Heck yeah. You are right. Wearing the vest does break the non-disclosure agreement. I am going to pour over the agreement I have with that company and then bring up the issue, if applicable.

@johnb974 wrote:

If the vest has the name of the MSC on it....so much for the NDA. LOL

I wouldn't make a big deal of it. They may drop you if you annoy them.

Vests are never worn until after the mystery shop portion is over and the letter has been presented.

Yes, the location knows who the MSC is obviously; the point is that we’re not supposed to share generally with other parties which MSC has which client (it’s why it’s a rule here on the forum not to mention the two together),yet they want us to advertise to the world when we’re at ExxonMobil who the MSC is.

@Kathy1296 wrote:

Vests are never worn until after the mystery shop portion is over and the letter has been presented.

I am well aware of the rules and I understand your point but no one has a clue what that means on the vest. I see company names on vests all the time. Could be like a Shipt or Instacart shopper. The NDC and the rules are for a reason. I personally don't try to find loopholes or ways around rules.

I’m not sure you do understand the point. People ask me what I’m doing taking pictures at a gas station every day. If I say I’m doing an inspection and I’m wearing the swag vest, then they’ll see the MSC name and guess or even ask me who I work for. (normally I would say on behalf of ExxonMobil). Instacart wants people to know who is shopping at Publix, it’s always been public knowledge and I never had a problem wearing an Instacart lanyard the few times I did that work, even tho like all gig work the fees are based on supply and demand.
No one is trying to find loopholes around the rules. We don’t want to tell the public who the company is. We are commenting that the rules seem to be less important if it means recruiting new shoppers who will work for too little money because they don’t know any better.That’s the only issue at hand, not how to break confidentiality.

@Kathy1296 wrote:

I am well aware of the rules and I understand your point but no one has a clue what that means on the vest. I see company names on vests all the time. Could be like a Shipt or Instacart shopper. The NDC and the rules are for a reason. I personally don't try to find loopholes or ways around rules.

Who is trying to find loopholes or ways around rules? I am not attempting to be funny or sarcastic - I do not understand what you are implying. If you wear a vest, shirt, hat, or any other type of advertisement with a MSC's name plastered on it while you are completing an audit for said MSC - whether the company supplied the vest or not - you are emphatically breaking your end of an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Shoppers are told never to reveal who the MSC's clients are when we sign an IC agreement to contract for the company. Period. The employees of the facility do know from the LOA which MSC is hired to perform these audits, but that is quite different from advertising the MSC to customers who frequent the facility.
As far as no one having a clue about what something refers to these days, and this applies to most anything - all anyone needs to do is pull out their phone and open Google. They even have a nifty camera in their iPhone browser for people who don't want to take the time to type a search in the box.

@Kathy1296 wrote:

I am well aware of the rules and I understand your point but no one has a clue what that means on the vest. I see company names on vests all the time. Could be like a Shipt or Instacart shopper. The NDC and the rules are for a reason. I personally don't try to find loopholes or ways around rules.

It is not breaking the NDA. The MSC's have lawyers. Don't you think they go over this. Some people hold to their own very strict interpretation of what the NDA means.

Quote 1 (6/4/2022 - 2013)

@johnb974 wrote:

If the vest has the name of the MSC on it....so much for the NDA. LOL

Quote 2 (6/5/2022 - 2214)

@johnb974 wrote:

It is not breaking the NDA. The MSC's have lawyers. Don't you think they go over this. Some people hold to their own very strict interpretation of what the NDA means.

What I would not do, is wear that vest while doing the same shop for another MSC.

I'm sure they have legal counsel in regards to building their business and helping maintain the status of contractors that work for them. However, we are private contractors, and we choose to take jobs or not. I don't think there's any legal recourse for them breaking the non-disclosure agreement. It just shows that they think we're idiots. I think if you put us on the list of how intelligent they think shoppers are, we would be sandwiched somewhere in between a zucchini and a hammer.

I did one last week for double pay. The editor sent a note that I shopped the wrong day part and warned me to be more careful. It was an anytime shop????? I'm not even going to question it. Somebody was mixed up and I don't think it was me. Anyway I got a "9" and was paid for it today.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

@MsJudi wrote:

I did one last week for double pay. The editor sent a note that I shopped the wrong day part and warned me to be more careful. It was an anytime shop????? I'm not even going to question it. Somebody was mixed up and I don't think it was me. Anyway I got a "9" and was paid for it today.

some shops they only want done at night. After 4pm.

Guidelines said "Anytime"

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

After 4p is a different brand.

Editors can be frustrating! I had one that replied to an inquiry when I asked why my score was lowered - I was told "You answered the oil question wrong". I wrote back and thanked the editor for replying. I listed every brand of oil in the picture and asked the editor to tell me which one was a branded oil so that I would not make the same mistake in the future. Don't you know that I never received a reply?! I do like the fact that we can save PDFs of the evaluations now and I choose to do so every time I submit a report (FYI - the completed form lists the shop times on the top of the report - "any day location open" ).

@MsJudi wrote:

Guidelines said "Anytime"

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2022 03:10AM by patman9760.

I don't mind these at base if I am in the area. Generally I can complete the report onsite in under 30 minutes, making for a good hourly. Many of the locations I pick up are only 4 pumps, and can be done in 15-20 minutes. I can't get the other brands in that fast though. Shell and the new BP are usually 30-45 minutes.

The new first bonus is $1.50 instead of the $2.50 it was before, and no increase in gas reimbursement.

Duct tape will cover the MSC name on the vest but it takes two layers. Will it stay on? I will probably never find out because these things were given to shoppers who have done gas stations. Shops that require or strongly recommend a vest. If the vest is required and I have done the shops, obviously I ALREADY HAVE a vest! Stop wasting my money, MSC!

Yes - and it's now 6/16 and the new first bonus of $1.50 is now the old first bonus of $1.50 (at least where I am). I have this nagging feeling that I won't be doing these shops very much in the future, if at all. I did a fast-food shop today - in my car - that paid $2 less than 3 of these shops would have paid. I'll sit in my car with the a/c on thanks very much

**Edited for grammar

@pieslapper wrote:

The new first bonus is $1.50 instead of the $2.50 it was before, and no increase in gas reimbursement.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2022 07:15AM by patman9760.

Disappointing they would lower the bonus when gas prices are so high. I have noticed, none of the shops have been taken in my area. I won't touch them when they lower the bonus like this.

I think everyone is waiting for someone to blink. Or call their bluff. There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of monthly shops sitting on the board right now. Very few of them are being taken at the insulting $1.50 bonus. I sincerely hope that people will stay strong and not pick them up for these less than minimum wage fees. They're going to have to aggressively bonus them at the end of the month to get any reasonable percentage of them done. It will be interesting to see when the bonuses start and how much. I'm so happy to see that so many of them are not being picked up. I can make so much more money on other projects right now anyway.

The bonuses have finally gone up to 7.50 for one scheduler (all her states I believe?). Usually that means the other schedulers will update them too within a day, usually less. The date is still pretty far out to even be at this bonus. I’m assuming though their strategy is to get some suckers at the low bonus and have everyone else so happy they finally went up that we take more at that rate than we normally would. I guess we’ll find out how it goes this month, and what their strategy is for next month. They also seem like they’re no longer concerned at all with the end of the month deadline. I wonder how that’s going with the client.
I need to branch out to other projects and to other companies at this point. I have a lot of dietary restrictions and I’m often traveling alone, so food shops are out. I’m registered with too few companies so registering with more will be step one. This company will hopefully become a backup instead of my main one soon, at least these Exxon’s and the yellow.

@thunderdeacon wrote:

I think everyone is waiting for someone to blink. Or call their bluff. There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of monthly shops sitting on the board right now. Very few of them are being taken at the insulting $1.50 bonus. I sincerely hope that people will stay strong and not pick them up for these less than minimum wage fees. They're going to have to aggressively bonus them at the end of the month to get any reasonable percentage of them done. It will be interesting to see when the bonuses start and how much. I'm so happy to see that so many of them are not being picked up. I can make so much more money on other projects right now anyway.

Correct me if I'm wrong - is it not usually later in the month (25th-ish) before rotations are dropped? They were dropped when the HUGE $7.50 bonus was added. I'm sure this will help get things rolling in the MSC's direction. The 'delete' key places the email in the correct direction (as far as I am concerned).

@Notme2021 wrote:

The bonuses have finally gone up to 7.50 for one scheduler (all her states I believe?). Usually that means the other schedulers will update them too within a day, usually less. The date is still pretty far out to even be at this bonus. I’m assuming though their strategy is to get some suckers at the low bonus and have everyone else so happy they finally went up that we take more at that rate than we normally would. I guess we’ll find out how it goes this month, and what their strategy is for next month. They also seem like they’re no longer concerned at all with the end of the month deadline. I wonder how that’s going with the client.
I need to branch out to other projects and to other companies at this point. I have a lot of dietary restrictions and I’m often traveling alone, so food shops are out. I’m registered with too few companies so registering with more will be step one. This company will hopefully become a backup instead of my main one soon, at least these Exxon’s and the yellow.

I hate to be the one to drop the bomb - their strategy is working. There is 1 location left within 30 miles of my residence. I did 6 last month for $30 that were all closer, but someone grabbed them this time for $20. Big business always wins - that's why they're big!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2022 01:54AM by patman9760.

@patman9760 wrote:

I hate to be the one to drop the bomb - their strategy is working. There is 1 location left within 30 miles of my residence. I did 6 last month for $30 that were all closer, but someone grabbed them this time for $20. Big business always wins - that's why they're big!

Well the good news, at least for you, is it's not me stealing the Exxon/mobile shops. Tony J. Made sure of that.

I'm thinking I'm out of this part of the gig for a while anyway - everything is too expensive to drive around losing money!

@Morledzep wrote:

Well the good news, at least for you, is it's not me stealing the Exxon/mobile shops. Tony J. Made sure of that.

Yeah, same general outcome here ????. The hardest to cover areas are still available, but there are a lot I did for $25-$30 over past few months that are gone.

@patman9760 wrote:

I hate to be the one to drop the bomb - their strategy is working. There is 1 location left within 30 miles of my residence. I did 6 last month for $30 that were all closer, but someone grabbed them this time for $20. Big business always wins - that's why they're big!

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