How are everyone's tru fru recall visits going? I was happy to see a $20/store fee.
I did 10 stores today that were all local in my city, and it took 5 hours for the total trip of 54 miles. The only stores that had any affected product were 2 CVS pharmacy stores, and they did not have the product pulled. The affected items were locked out of their system, however, so nobody (including me) was able to purchase any. At the other 8 stores they either carried some non-affected tru fru items or no tru fru items at all.
After I submitted my expenses I saw that additional available stores had been added, but I didn't grab any more due to my schedule for the next few days being quite full. I checked back this evening and saw that most of the available stores had been taken by someone else, but I will probably sign up for the few that are left. All-in-all it was a good day for me with these visits.

I looked at it, but I've got the trip to CO to worry about so I closed the page. As it is I just scheduled myself a bunch of last minute gas station shops to do the last few days before I leave.

MSC hint?

I only did two locations....small gas stations. Neither location even carried the product. Easy-peasy!

Gonna go do my stores today. I have 3.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2025 03:07PM by joanna81.

I have a few scheduled for tomorrow. However, I can’t get into the app. It keeps saying my password is incorrect but I know it’s right. I can log into the web, but that doesn’t help. I put in a help request earlier today so hopefully they get back to me soon.

The website password is not the same as the app password. I hsve no idea why. Call them. They are responsive.

Ok. I did the request through the app, but I am going to call them to. Thank you

I had a stressful and challenging location. I politely introduced myself and gave the information about the visit. The manager told me I could get her name 'off the wall'. (I'm guessing it was posted somewhere.) She told me that the bar codes did not match the product I was pulling, even though they literally did. She told me they don't count the '0' at the end of the barcode. (The bar code still matched.) She told me I could not go in the back, and she would not give a signature. I told her that was ok, remained polite and professional. She then proceeded to tell me that the lot numbers did not match, even though they did, because the dates were off. As she is reading the LOA and telling me how wrong I am, I am looking at her name badge, and writing her name into the report. (I didn't have to refer to a wall after all.) I have done enough at the HT locations to know that when I go to purchase the items on the shelf per the instructions, that they will not scan. This is because the system won't sell them to the public as they have already been recalled on the system side. She told me I could try to buy them if I wanted, but I was buying the wrong ones. (Bar code and lot number still match.) I said, "Ok. Well, I will go ahead and buy them. If they scan, then we know I pulled the wrong product. If they won't scan, we know it's because they have been recalled in your computer system." She agrees. She follows me to the register, and she stands behind me to watch. I scan the three different lot numbered items, for a total of nine products. None of them will scan. I turn around, look at her, and she just nods and takes the product. I exit, document my findings, try to decompress mentally wtf just happened, and move on to the next location.

Today, I went to 2 locations of a 3-letter pharmacy chain. Both managers had pulled the product personally last week. Very pleasant and helpful.

I went to a very small convenience store where the lone employee is the cashier as well as the gas attendant (full service only in NJ). He initially refused to tell me his name. At the very end of the visit, he told me his first name. He was very confused. He said that he had never heard of the product.

2 more on Saturday. I would do more.

I had to do one location completely in Spanish, including Facetiming the manager at home, in Spanish.

Last location of the night was a gas station in a crappy neighborhood. One would think that I was a ray of sunshine compared to the rest of the riff raff coming in, but oh no, this clerk was not having it. "I don't give nobody my name." My response, "No problem. I will put Julia for your first name (it was on her name tag) and "Refused to cooperate for your last name." She must have had a bad visit with her parole officer that day. I had to contain my laughter. Yep, the world is against you lady. Sheesh.

These are easy, but I don't need the money. I need a ton of credit card points here at the end of the year.

BTW, Target will not allow you to buy the product if they have it. They system will literally not allow it to be sold. A message pops up on the screen and the manager has to come clear it. (I did a 4 year term at Target.)

I also had a convenience store clerk (no manager was around) refuse to give me her name and refused to sign off. While explaining the purpose of the visit, she turned her back on me mid-sentence and walked away. Geez!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2025 01:47PM by mitchk.

@mbrookes39 wrote:

I had a stressful and challenging location. I politely introduced myself and gave the information about the visit. The manager told me I could get her name 'off the wall'. (I'm guessing it was posted somewhere.) She told me that the bar codes did not match the product I was pulling, even though they literally did. She told me they don't count the '0' at the end of the barcode. (The bar code still matched.) She told me I could not go in the back, and she would not give a signature. I told her that was ok, remained polite and professional. She then proceeded to tell me that the lot numbers did not match, even though they did, because the dates were off. As she is reading the LOA and telling me how wrong I am, I am looking at her name badge, and writing her name into the report. (I didn't have to refer to a wall after all.) I have done enough at the HT locations to know that when I go to purchase the items on the shelf per the instructions, that they will not scan. This is because the system won't sell them to the public as they have already been recalled on the system side. She told me I could try to buy them if I wanted, but I was buying the wrong ones. (Bar code and lot number still match.) I said, "Ok. Well, I will go ahead and buy them. If they scan, then we know I pulled the wrong product. If they won't scan, we know it's because they have been recalled in your computer system." She agrees. She follows me to the register, and she stands behind me to watch. I scan the three different lot numbered items, for a total of nine products. None of them will scan. I turn around, look at her, and she just nods and takes the product. I exit, document my findings, try to decompress mentally wtf just happened, and move on to the next location.

Based on the oppositional attitude and gaslighting, it sounds like that manager may have made an “unofficial side gig” of manufacturers recalls for themselves.

I’ve done seven 7 of my 12 assignments. All my assignments are at convenience stores 7-11 and Circle K. I’ve been very fortunate that none of the stores that I have visited carried the product.

I can’t figure out how to enter my expenses. Can someone help me?

@Purplepugs wrote:

I can’t figure out how to enter my expenses. Can someone help me?

Go into the portal and click "submit expenses".

its not a MSC per say, its a company that requires a background check and we got a badge with our faces on it sent out for us. it takes a couple weeks to get into it. they also pay mileage as well. check out the non mystery shop forum pages for the company.

ive only done 1 job for this company and did not get on the tru-fru i was in another area and they wanted 72 hours. the ones avilable were in really bad areas and i wasnt interested.

I did my first 3 stores (no product), then grabbed an additional 2 stores (also no product). I had no issues with the employees at any location so they all went smoothly.

I have done 9 so far, most have no product at all, do not even carry it. The drug store chain seems to be the only one that does and they have already pulled the item. I am doing some TYs today and see there are 2 more recal jobs within 1 mile so I grabbed a couple of more. The rest seem to be further out, can possibly do them on the weekend. These went really fast and super easy for $20 per visit. They are taking less than 5 minutes in store.

@mbrookes39 wrote:

I had a stressful and challenging location. I politely introduced myself and gave the information about the visit. The manager told me I could get her name 'off the wall'. (I'm guessing it was posted somewhere.) She told me that the bar codes did not match the product I was pulling, even though they literally did. She told me they don't count the '0' at the end of the barcode. (The bar code still matched.) She told me I could not go in the back, and she would not give a signature. I told her that was ok, remained polite and professional. She then proceeded to tell me that the lot numbers did not match, even though they did, because the dates were off. As she is reading the LOA and telling me how wrong I am, I am looking at her name badge, and writing her name into the report. (I didn't have to refer to a wall after all.) I have done enough at the HT locations to know that when I go to purchase the items on the shelf per the instructions, that they will not scan. This is because the system won't sell them to the public as they have already been recalled on the system side. She told me I could try to buy them if I wanted, but I was buying the wrong ones. (Bar code and lot number still match.) I said, "Ok. Well, I will go ahead and buy them. If they scan, then we know I pulled the wrong product. If they won't scan, we know it's because they have been recalled in your computer system." She agrees. She follows me to the register, and she stands behind me to watch. I scan the three different lot numbered items, for a total of nine products. None of them will scan. I turn around, look at her, and she just nods and takes the product. I exit, document my findings, try to decompress mentally wtf just happened, and move on to the next location.

I had a major drug store chain location that had pulled an item not on the recall, and when I told them it wasn't on my list, they insisted it was on their list. Then they showed me their list and it wasn't there. It was a moot point as I didn't enter it into the app (as it wasn't on the list) and they had marked all items, "Do Not Sell" in their system so I couldn't buy anything.

I had three convenience stores that wouldn't sign, one that wouldn't give me his last name, and one that wouldn't let me in the back room. (There are always a few of these with convenience store recalls.)

This project went really smoothly for me. Nobody screamed at me or ordered me out of their store. Most of the people were fairly cooperative and I only had one store that had product and it was "Do Not Sell" in their system.

How can I cancel one of these assignments? I didn't realize what was involved and thought it was more of a mystery shop.

I think you will need to call or email them. The contact information should be listed in the app.

You can just email the contact for the project, and they will drop you.

Although...if you chose $20/location, this is the easiest $20 you will earn this week. I did 20 locations and all were less than 7 minutes in and out as the stores didn't carry the product. You check in, ask if they carry the item. If they say no, you take a picture of similar products in the store to show its not there. Then you check the backroom to make sure its not back there (if they don't carry it, it will not be there). You get a signature and leave.

IMO way easier than a mystery shop as there is no report to write later.

@xbirdnerdx wrote:

How can I cancel one of these assignments? I didn't realize what was involved and thought it was more of a mystery shop.

I did one that was kind of far away but I was going out there anyway so yes, I will take that milage pay! That location was very curious about who I worked for. They kept asking me what company i work for. I just told them I worked for Tru Fru but that led to more questions. I have never been interrogated this hard by anyone at a gas station before. He asked that if I worked for them, wouldn't I know already if they carried the product? I responded, sir, I am just an employee, they don't give me access to that kind of information. They tell me where to go and I go.

Anyhow, I think all of the locations have been done by me now. I did get asked to return to one because I didn't get a signature. But I did. I think the app must have glitched or something or maybe it didn't save. Not sure. It sucks because when they put it back in for you to make a correction, it completely wipes out any data you had in there.

@Datagirl wrote:

I did one that was kind of far away but I was going out there anyway so yes, I will take that milage pay! That location was very curious about who I worked for. They kept asking me what company i work for. I just told them I worked for Tru Fru but that led to more questions. I have never been interrogated this hard by anyone at a gas station before. He asked that if I worked for them, wouldn't I know already if they carried the product? I responded, sir, I am just an employee, they don't give me access to that kind of information. They tell me where to go and I go.

Anyhow, I think all of the locations have been done by me now. I did get asked to return to one because I didn't get a signature. But I did. I think the app must have glitched or something or maybe it didn't save. Not sure. It sucks because when they put it back in for you to make a correction, it completely wipes out any data you had in there.

I have a badge from RQA so I just say we're a 3rd party and don't usually get additional details on the recall.

@MW wrote:

I had three convenience stores that wouldn't sign, one that wouldn't give me his last name, and one that wouldn't let me in the back room. (There are always a few of these with convenience store recalls.)

I put "refused" or "refused to cooperate" for the name, and I announce it out loud as I type it.

I have only had a pharmacy chain previously carry the product, but they have already sent it back. When I present the LOA, I point to the company logo at the bottom. I forgot to print the LOA beforehand, so I had to print one nearby.

The mobile app also submitted one location without the signature at the end. I called the phone number provided with the project. Someone answered quickly on the weekend. The person was nice and surprised that I called about the issue. Told me not to worry about it. Since I had previously completed the reports for multiple locations, I was informed that the project manager would be notified and that I wouldn't need to revisit the location for now. I didn't have to revisit.

I delayed submitting the expense report. A couple more locations became available. No issues so far.

Same, I have done a few rounds now and very happy they are back to the original payment schedule. It is nice being able to pick the scenario that is most beneficial (per location if they aren't too far apart or by the hour to be paid for travel time too).
So far no gas station location even knows what I am talking about because they have never even carried this brand, only CVS had it previously or had 1 or 2 units of the non-afffected product.

How were you able to get a few more locations without first submitting expenses? That is actually one of the tricky things I tend to forget after long periods of no assignments. I kept getting emails that new locations were availiable but they were not showing up. Duh, had forgotten to enter my mileage (no product purchases) and close out the route.
Soon as I did a big list showed up.

I am curious how you went through the actual hiring process and still thought it was a mystery shop company?
There are some pretty detailed instructions, kind of hard to mistake for MS jobs.