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TRENDSOURCE: Let's stick together and boycott their shop bids!!!

March 05, 2012 03:53AM
Flash -- There is something fishy going on with that requirement. Just because you have an EIN doesn't mean that'll absolve TS from calling employees ICs. There are requirements that need to be met to call someone an IC. So, I would imagine that even if all of their shoppers had EINs, if they are telling them the time they have to be at the location (not a window of time), the time they have to leave the location (not how long they have to stay at the location) and exactly how to do the shop, as opposed to guidelines with information you need to gather, they may still be in trouble.
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More Discussions About TrendSource / MSI Mystery Shopping (All Companies)
March 05, 2012 04:05AM
Of course. And I suspect that when Maritz a year or so ago realized that having an EIN would not absolve them of all possible guilt for potentially treating ICs as employees, that was when they backed down on their requirement--not simply because shoppers refused to get EINs to shop for them.
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March 05, 2012 04:29AM
I have an EIN (for my tutoring business) but I ignore all the MSCs requests for them (there haven't been that many).

I don't do TS shops (all they have around here is some daddy's toilet pizza, which I refuse to do). They used to have shops for a competitor of Subway, but I don't see those. If I were bidding on a job (I am not even sure what that means, re: mystery shopping) I would put in the bid with the following information (just off the top of my head!)

My fee.
Payment Terms 50% up front/50% upon completion of the work
Conditions under which I will work
Conditions under which additional payment will be required (one edit taking 30 minutes or less included in the original fee; 15% of original fee for each additional edit.
Time frame in which I will get the job done. Depending on the scope of the job, etc.
An explanation (boiler plate) that as an independent contract I will get the word done as in the manner I determine is the best course of action...and this shall include, if necessary, sub-contracting work.
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