I'm hoping someone out there can help me understand something that happened to me on one of those dimensional post office shops....

I thought I was doing it correctly, but when the post office clerk checked the weight, she said due to the size of the box the postage would be much more. The price to ship the box jumped to $40 when it was originally $13...Well, I paid it and shipped the box (because I thought that was what I was supposed to do) and then this morning I get an email from the scheduler telling me they could not accept the shop. I just emailed back and asked why but I haven't heard anything back yet.

I am upset about this, this is only the second shop I've ever had disqualified since I've been doing this and I am very put out about being out $40, which I don't really have.

I did 2 shops on this date, as far as I know the other was accepted, I haven't heard yet.

My question is this...has this happened to anyone else with these post office shops and if so, what was the reason it was not accepted? As always, any input would be appreciated....

The normal standard for these shops was that after measuring the box, the post office staff is supposed to charge you an oversize fee. Since it looks like they did what they were supposed to do the Ms company should honor their side of the agreement and pay you. No where in the directions does it say that you're supposed to object and leave with your package.

Thanks Cettie, I appreciate your input.

hi myshop2011

I thought the Dimensional shops were always in the $40 range. WAS it a dimensional shop? If so, fight for your money.

This MSC has lots of shops and 99% of the time they are fair. I have had two oddball situations with them. One was a Reg. A shop. The clerk put something hinky on the receipt and it looked like I was conducting personal business. The shop was 75 miles from home and the personal business was something like rent a PO box. I had to argue my case but I did get paid. Another concerned a receipt, which the editor said was unclear. I did my best to lighten and enhance it and she kept rejecting it. I finally called the scheduler to tell her the shop wasn't going to go through because I could not change the receipt. She asked me to email it to her, which I did. I got a call back saying she (the scheduler) didn't know what the hell the editor was talking about (her words)--that the receipt was fine. Stuff like that happens with this MSC. Not saying this applies in your case...but you never know.

Good luck.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2012 04:47AM by jersey07032.

Jersey, that is what I thought with the dimensional shops too. I've never completed one, but the guidelines say they reimburse up to $40.

I don't do the dimensional shops because they seem like more hassle than it's worth. I stick with the other scenarios.

Those are horrible. I've done 4 and all had issues, so I was never paid. No issues with other ones for that company.

Myshop 2011 I suggest the following, for what it is worth

Double check and triple check the guidelines. Honestly review what you did. If you made a mistake, consider the experience a $40 downpayment in the school of life sucks sometimes. If not, call the scheduler and tell her you need to know exactly what you did wrong. If she says you did or did not do BLANK, ask her to show you in the guidelines where it says to do or don't do BLANK...Or point out the relevant guideline to her. If you did make a mistake, apologize...thank her for explaining. And don't take any more flippin' DIM shops. Too much money at risk for a lousy fee.

Hope this helps.

I did have a problem with one of the PO shops, I emailed and explained and I got to do it over again and got paid for both. My beef is that they take too long to schedule a shop. I have one appli. pending for 5 days and then I don't get the shop, and that's common.

I could just CRY!

I have never done one of these yet, but by the outstanding reviews I see on the forum I thought I would try one. My first is a competitor shop for the red/white/blue mail. I had to go to the brown box truck company and do an "A" shop. Directions say: Bring my own box, ship 3 day no matter what is offered, must weigh a minimum of 1 lb 2 oz.and you must take insurance/delivery conf if offered. Ok. Got it. Reimbursement up to $10.30.

Bought my little box from Walmart 12x9x6. Put my 24 oz package of Twizzlers in it. Closed it up, addressed it to my mom in different state. The lady didn't ask how much insurance I wanted she asked what I was shipping, I replied books. She valued it at $100 (but there does not seem to be an extra charge for such, so ok) then she total's my shipment...$19.50. Are you kidding ME??? I double checked with her everything and I just now checked on UPS website...$19.50!!!! Even after I get paid (if I do, I should, not worried about that) I will only make $0.50!

Has anyone else had this problem? Does the MSC know that the brown truck store charges this much? I don't want this to deter me from future shops with this MSC as I have heard they are a great company. HELP!!!!

I have never had this problem...but my heart goes out to you. I would suggest calling the scheduler. Ask her what was expected. At the very least--and this might not seem like much of a consolation right now--you will be helping your fellow shoppers out. I am not likely to do a shop if I am going to be out of pocket!

Again, sorry this happened.

Thanks jersey07032. I am completing the shop online now, I will take your advice and call tomorrow. I don't understand why this would have been so expensive. No more competitor for me, for sure.

guess that is all you can do. make sure you get the shop debriefed in time. Then call first thing tomorrow. Then let us know what happened. If you are forced to spend more money than you can make on this particular shop, we should all take heed. I am not planning on picking up any of these--should they become available in my area--til I know what's what. Now...there is the off chance you did something wrong. Doesn't sound like you did, but ...It happens. I have been lucky that I have not screwed up on shops that have involved a large outlay of money. I have screwed up on shops but have only been stiffed by two MSCs. And in both cases, they were for shops I did NOT screw up. I just got stiffed. The MSC involved in this case has been fair. A few PITA issues with them (see some of my previous posts, especially about their editors!) but nothing egregious. Let us know what happens.

I have no desire to do these shops since they always sound like more trouble than they are worth. That said, rather than lose sleep over it now keep in mind that they may have listed those reimbursements based on the clients fees and will still reimburse the actual costs if all of the requirements are met. It wouldn't be the first time I had seen that happen.

I hope it works out ok, even sending the package ground was $13 something. The lady thought I was nuts sending 3 day when ground was cheaper and the package would get there 1 day sooner by ground. I was like, "ummm I don't know, it's for my mom, that is what she told me she wanted. I don't know if she will be around to get the package sooner." LOL.

She would think I was even nuttier if she knew I just spent almost $20 to send some walmart bags and a package of twizzlers. LOL!

I would tell this to the scheduler...even put it in writing. If you had to send it 3 day and it cost 19.50, you should be paid fairly.

Like I posted eariler, call them they will work with you. I'm glad that I read your cost before I tried it. I still am having a hard time getting scheduled.

They seem to be getting disorganized. I have no shops offered here as I used to except Dim Weight which no one wants to do. I have to think that is has a lot to do with the PO severe financle problems.

I had a feeling that was going to happen with the competitor shops. I've shipped things with UPS for another company that pays in full for a Ground shipment and I knew it was quite a bit more money than what BAI listed for reimbursement without even seeing the guidelines. I can't help but believe that BAI will reimburse the entire amount since it was their requirements. These shops are new so they probably don't have the whole thing ironed out yet. They are a good company and if the guidelines were followed, as you said they were, you should be paid in full.

Don't you all find it strange that good ole red, white and blue is cheaper to ship and fast (usually) yet is in so much financial trouble? I hope they don't plan to raise their rates to the competitor's rates...they are ridiculous, but hey insurance is included.LOL

Well guys here is the response from the MSC.

You will be reimbursed for all expenses (upon receipt verification) for the
Competitor Shop that you completed. Since this is a new shop type for us as
well, we're still working out some of the finer points of the assignments,
like determining maximum reimbursements for the targeted shipping methods.
Management has been advised of the unexpected expense issue faced by some of
our shoppers so far. It has been addressed and will be considered when
scheduling any Competitor Shops in the future.

My faith has been restored, got another shop with them today for the red/white/blue. Thanks for your support and wisdom.

S A M This IS good news! Thanks for letting us know.

The only rejection I had was with a USPS shop. I had applied and not heard back and then about 12:30 on the date of the shop they told me I was approved. I thought that I was not going to get the shop, so I had not prepared. I rushed around to get a package ready to ship, drove 1/2 hour on a Friday afternoon to the PO. I had to wait for a parking space, so by the time I got into line, it was under the 30 minute - stepped into line at 4:31.

This has made me rethink shops where I have to pay up front, unless it is something that I can use or return or consume. I was out $10 for the shipping. I have to wonder if I had misrepresented the time by a minute or two, if it would have been accepted. I was being honest and I understand that I was ever so slightly out of the guidelines, but under the circumstances, It would be nice if they at least reimbursed the expense,

Naked is notorious for issuing shops at the last minute, as are some other companies. Now, when I apply I put in a commment such as "If I am assigned, I must received notification nlt....The first time I got an assignment that did not fit into the time line I set, I sent a nice email saying "As I had mentined in my email, I needed notification by X. It is now Y. Since I shop for dozens of companies, I have a tight schedule. I would love to shop for you in the future, but I need sufficient notification." Every assignment since has been issued in a timely fashion.

Well, my part of this has a happy ending. I called the scheduler and she said she didn't know how I got the email saying my shop couldn't be accepted. She said the information had been forwarded to the client already and the email must have been sent in error....

just a slight error..made me flip my wig!!

Do the Naked shops ever give you the option to self schedule? I just about don't take a shop anymore unless I can schedule it myself!

Naked has done similar things to me...one of the things I posted about was when an editor kept telling me a receipt was blurry and unusable. I kept trying to adjust and she kept telling me it was no good. The scheduler looked at it and said, much as in your case "I don't know what she is talking about." Another instance involved a snafu at a PO 75 miles away from home. The clerk put something on the receipt that didn't make sense. I never could figure it out, but it was something like I inquired about a PO Box. Bottom line, it looked like I was doing personal business. The correspondence was along the lines of you screwed up and you are not getting paid (although not that harsh). I protested a few times and got an email saying, the report has been submitted, no problem. I asked why I wasn't getting paid and got an "of coure you are getting paid" respone. I sometimes think they (NAKED) don't have it together half the time.

I just had an issue today with an editor about the competitor shop. Since my guidelines clearly stated I would only be reimbursed a total of $10.30, when the clerk tried to charge me $19 to ship my package, I politely told her I was not happy with the cost. Shop or not, I just can't afford to not be reimbursed. As I was about to leave, the owner asked if he could assist me. I told him I did not want to pay that amount to ship my package. He then looked it up on the computer and charged me $10.45 to ship Priority Mail. So, I submitted my report and relayed exactly what happened on the shop. This is what I got from the editor:
Please note, if you review the shop guidelines, you would have noted that these "competitor" shops reimburse the full amount of the costs for shipping the package. Therefor, cost of shipping would NOT be a reason to walk out of an evaluation. Please review these guidelines in detail before you complete another competitor shop so you are fully aware of the specifics.

The editor gave my report a 8. I emailed the editor back explaining that the current posted guidelines must have changed because my guidelines stated a $10.30 reimbursement. I scanned the page that stated this and sent it to the editor. I explained to this editor that I read my guidelines thoroughly before every shop. So the editor replies:

I'm glad they changed the reimbursements... $10.30 wouldn't have gotten
anyone too far with some of these... the prices are all over the board,
which is really amazing - especially for the weights being shipped.

Oh well -

Have a great day!

So, I am thinking the editor sees that he/she was mistaken and my shop grade will be changed and the comment will be gone from my shop log so schedulers will not think I do not follow the guidelines. Nope, the comment is still there and the grade is still an 8. Now, I did type the weight of my package into the form wrong, which is my mistake and I take responsibility for it, so I can see a report grade of 9. It is just hard to swallow because all my other shops for this company are 10's. I do feel like the comment on my log will be misleading to schedulers when I apply for shops, though.

Just venting....I don't think it would help matters to pursue the issue.

why do you care about the rating? You got paid (or it sounds like it). I am telling you NAKED has the most erratic grading. I have gotten responses from editors there telling me I am a delight to work with...and then an 8 because of syntax problem (which they have never been able to explain). I have come to learn just how UNimportant these grades really are. I have been told by many, many editors and schedulers that the grades rarely matter. They are surprised by how seriously we take them...I questioned a rating and the scheduler said, well if it matters to you, I'll change it, but believe me, no one here cares. The fact that she was so willing to change it indicates to me that it was really no big deal.

Oh Sassyshopper, you must have missed my post about the competitor costing a bunch more than they said as reimbursable or went before I posted. LOL. You sound like how I felt on Monday; dumbfounded and angry. Don't worry about that rating, it sounds like from other's on here they don't care much about a number. However, I know we as shoppers value those 10s!!!!

Good luck to ya!

OMG! I go through the SAME THING with those *bleeping* Editors!

"Your report ... syntax errors"

Okay - so TELL ME WHERE YOU MADE CHANGES so I KNOW in the FUTURE!! I could scream; it's annoying to no end! AND, the Editors are too wussy to send you those "Your grade is" emails so you can respond back and ask where the changes were made!

I finally told the Scheduler I was not happy with a particular editor with certain initials (and gave the reason - in addition to those "syntax/no-explanation errors - this Editor was blatantly changing some of my narratives to reflect what *their* opinion was). Since then, I haven't seen that editor on my reports. Now, I don't care if I get a lower score if I have errors - but I DO care that the Editor does or does not TELL me where those errors are so I know for future reference!



jersey07032 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> why do you care about the rating? You got paid
> (or it sounds like it). I am telling you NAKED has
> the most erratic grading. I have gotten responses
> from editors there telling me I am a delight to
> work with...and then an 8 because of syntax
> problem (which they have never been able to
> explain).

The thing is....they don't have a clue. Butt Syntax my!

r@inyDayZ3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OMG! I go through the SAME THING with those
> *bleeping* Editors!
>
> "Your report ... syntax errors"
>
> Okay - so TELL ME WHERE YOU MADE CHANGES so I KNOW
> in the FUTURE!! I could scream; it's annoying to
> no end! AND, the Editors are too wussy to send
> you those "Your grade is" emails so you can
> respond back and ask where the changes were made!
>
> I finally told the Scheduler I was not happy with
> a particular editor with certain initials (and
> gave the reason - in addition to those
> "syntax/no-explanation errors - this Editor was
> blatantly changing some of my narratives to
> reflect what *their* opinion was). Since then, I
> haven't seen that editor on my reports. Now, I
> don't care if I get a lower score if I have errors
> - but I DO care that the Editor does or does not
> TELL me where those errors are so I know for
> future reference!
>
>
>
> jersey07032 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > why do you care about the rating? You got paid
> > (or it sounds like it). I am telling you NAKED
> has
> > the most erratic grading. I have gotten
> responses
> > from editors there telling me I am a delight to
> > work with...and then an 8 because of syntax
> > problem (which they have never been able to
> > explain).