MarketStat has posted several shops that require a couple days' stay, room service, and such. Allegedly, at the end of the visit, you see management and get the charges reversed. I am reading that MarketStat is having trouble with pay, so if I saw the fee it would be a bonus. I really, really need a couple days away.

Anyone ever do one of these shops? Does the hotel really reverse the charges without a major hassle?

I have had charges reversed for another MSC...first time clerk didn't do it, I lived in same town, and had to go back and speak to Manager, who did it immediately, so it was a matter of one day....short answer, yes, they do reverse charges when called for. I have not worked for MarketStat, no jobs in my area.

Be warned that a 2-night hotel report may not seem like much of a vacation if you are not well-versed in them. You will most likely be working the entire time you are at the hotel.

I have done many hotel shops that included a reversal of charges. I have had to follow up on about 5% of them when something went wrong. It was always corrected in the end.

Trust me. I sometimes consider mowing the yard to be a mini-vacation.

I have also done many hotel shops where the manager reversed - sometimes on my reveal at the end of the shop and sometimes when the MSC deals with getting it done on my behalf after checkout... it does always happen in the end. Sometimes day of - sometimes a couple of days later (your CC may have a 3-5 business day lag as well), sometimes I have to follow up (dealing with one right now from about 3 weeks ago). I have had a few that took weeks to straighten out - but it all happened in the end.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2011 10:11PM by MickeyB.

heartlandcanuck Wrote:
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> Trust me. I sometimes consider mowing the yard to
> be a mini-vacation.

oooo ... wanna come vacation in my yard?

I too have had them reversed, but ones where I actually stayed were always backed out by sending the folio to the MSP. Usually it happened in 10 days to 2 weeks, but one nightmare was pretty close to 2 months and the MSP reimbursed the credit card interest. I have not worked with MarketStat so could not say whether or not they were a reasonable company to do these for/with.

Crap. well... I hope they reverse the charges like they are supposed to. I'll contact the MSP to see if there is a letter or something I can take with me.

I'd be sure and speak only to the Manager (not desk clerks), and yes, a letter will do it.

heartlandcanuck Wrote:
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> Crap. well... I hope they reverse the charges like
> they are supposed to. I'll contact the MSP to see
> if there is a letter or something I can take with
> me.

You will have a letter in the paperwork that you can take with you. I have done this shop for Marketstat and no problems reversing the charges. I did speak with a manager after the checkout process was done. You might have to send a reminder to Marketstat to get your money but they are quick to get it to you once you send out the email.

I do hotel shops with reversed charges for another MSC and have had no problems. I do not have to see the manager. The MSC handles getting the charges reversed.

The manager gives you a copy of the reversed charges before you leave, so you have a copy of the orig receipt and one with the the reversed charges when you leave. Walesmaven did you have to reveal you were a shopper when you did the hotel shop?

hgagnon,
NOT! I would not do revealed hotel shops.

Heartland, you can come stay at my RESORT and mow the lawn. I'll even give you lemonade as a bonus!

Every other time I have done a hotel, it was non-revealed. What appealed to me about this one was the reversal of charges before leaving the property. I have read threads where this MSP can be slow to pay. This isn't a cheap shop like I do for Freeman, but two nights, room service, meals, valet parking, and so forth. I don't want to be waiting on that kind of jack.

(Wow! All these offers to mow resorts! At this time, I have a two-yard route that has eliminated rotation requirements. If the kids can see me and start banging on the windows I cannot hear them over the mower.)

I did a 2 night hotel shop for Marketstat twice. The manager reversed the charges with no problem. The shoppers pay was $100 and dropped to $75 the second time. Now they are only paying $50 fee. It was fun and the hotel was beautiful.

I have done many, many for Buckalew and all have been promptly reversed.

I took a hotel shop for Buckalew in a city 250 miles from my home. Two days before I was to go my mother-in-law went to the hospital and they did not think she would make it so I sent an e-mail to cancel the shop with my apology. The owner canceled my shop and dropped me from their database. I did not feel that was right because I sent him an explanation. My mother-in-law was more important and I felt my excuse was valid.

crh3037 Wrote:
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> I took a hotel shop for Buckalew in a city 250
> miles from my home. Two days before I was to go my
> mother-in-law went to the hospital and they did
> not think she would make it so I sent an e-mail to
> cancel the shop with my apology. The owner
> canceled my shop and dropped me from their
> database. I did not feel that was right because I
> sent him an explanation. My mother-in-law was more
> important and I felt my excuse was valid.

crh3037, did you offer to reschedule the shop or just cancel it?

Although having a sick relative is a valid excuse, how you handle a problem of that magnitude can make a difference between saving a losing a relationship with an MSC.

Consider that the MSC in question is a small business and relies on 100% fulfillment to stay keep its clients happy. Dave was left with a last-minute cancellation and and had to find another shopper before the window for that shop expired. This is not a mega-MSC with thousands of shops, so each shop is important as a significant percentage of the business volume.

While it may seem unfair to remove you from the database, his interest is in maintaining shoppers that consistently perform shops as scheduled. Perhaps a phone call to him or email, asking what could be done to extend the assignment date, would have been more appropriate.

I know exactly how that feels. When we were young and married a few years, I was working two jobs to make ends meet. My second job was originally a seasonal hire for Christmas, but they told me two weeks earlier I could have a permanent position. We got the call on Dec 22 and my mother-in-law died on Christmas Eve. I went with hubby, of course. I ended up missing only 2 scheduled shifts

Was terminated from that position and my other job had already been filled. I was told it would have been fine had it been any other time, but that can't deal with people who do stuff like that around Christmas because that is their busy time. I was actually told that it was just too inconvenient for them. Like it is convenient to have some die on Christmas?????

Here I am at the hotel. I have written narratives about the reservation, valet, bell service, check-in, room condition, trip to a sports bar, pool & fitness room, gift shop, calls to front desk, wake-up call.....

But it still feels like a vacation. I whipped out my Ameda pump last night while watching Y&R online and this morning while watching Law & Order. No Barney or Sesame Street. Today I am going to wander my old "stomping grounds," the Old Market area in Omaha. It looks a bit like Ottawa ON, subbing Spanish for French.

(Housekeeping was just at the door. Sure I'll take service... and can she leave some extra water glasses? Thanks. There's my "special request" to write about later.)

I am so glad you are enjoying yourself. As a mom to a little one whom is the absolute joy of my life, I still appreciate the times I have away from him. And yes, most of those times are on hotel shops.

Have a great time!

Good for you, and come back refreshed...just getting away (personal time), is uplifting. Glad you did it....

heartlandcanuck Wrote:
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> Trust me. I sometimes consider mowing the yard to
> be a mini-vacation.


LOL

I did a couple of jobs for Freeman. It took them 3 months to pay me. I had to call them and sent emails and I got a response that said in the future we hope to have our people paid in 8 weeks. 8 weeks? My credit card bill is paid monthly if I have charges. I doubt the credit card people will 'wait' 8 weeks for payment.

This was not Freeman. There is no freakin' way I would stay two nights in a casino, charging five meals to the room, and wait for Freeman to pay me. On my way out, the charges were reversed. I might have taken a risk of a slow-paying MSP for the fee, but not for the reimbursement.

(I have a June shop for Freeman I am awaiting payment on. It was a cheap hotel, a stay we would have made anyway so reimbursement is a "bonus" to our travel budget.)

Does anyone have any web sites

jayjay - gonna do you a favor. I was a new member just a couple weeks ago. Got my hand slapped several times cuz I didn't yet understand the posting rules. Since the MSC has already been named, no one can name the specific hotels. Here's what I did: Watch the posts for the MSC names, then just go to that site and register as a shopper. They may or may not have shops in your area (most of them have none near me), but that's the easiest way to find out. And if they do start posting shops in your area, you're ahead of the game.

A Closer Look does not reverse their one and two night hotel charges. You pay for them and they reimburse during their regular pay schedule.

Walesmaven - would you give us newbies some input on why you don't like revealed hotel shops? We'd really appreciate your comments.