Understood, shoppingalong. I felt it was a bit much. Apparently the OP did as well since they changed it. I support your right to disagree.

If Dave stiffs the OP on the the $82 within the posted payment guidelines, I will also support any blasting of his MSC tossed out there.

Though he can be argumentative at times, Dave strikes me as a fair business person. He's doesn't seem like he's trying to rob anyone of what is due them, and he's been candid about being late at payments from time to time, and admitting to fault.

It sucks to loose a fee you were expecting. Agreed on that as well, but it also sucks to be an editor and get a report that has not been passed through a spell checker and has obvious errors. I have had both happen to me.

The payment for this assignment is not overdue and is scheduled to be processed tomorrow.


shoppinalong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Shpper1964
>
> Dave posted his email up above somewhere for Amy I
> think.
> You could always use that email to ask when you
> will receive the $82 payment.
>
> I won't work for a particular MSC anymore because
> they didn't keep their word about when I would be
> re-imbursed and paid the fee. That was the first
> and last time I laid out money for an MSC; now I
> won't at all.
>
> If its a long long time past when you should have
> been paid the $82, you'll see again and again
> where people advise shoppers to contact the Better
> Business Bureau, complaint forums,and some send
> certified legal letters before they take the MSC
> to small claims court. One person who wasn't paid
> a small amount won a judgment of $400 for a small
> unpaid fee because the MSC never showed up in
> court.
>
> I understand it's not the $7.50 but the principal
> of having spent your time, gas, and expertise in
> good faith expecting good faith back.
>
> Shoppinalong

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2012 02:44AM by Sentry Marketing.

Snuffycuts99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i do not discount what the op had to say. while
> they may be a newbie and may only be venting, i
> have had similar experiences with Sentry
> Marketing.

I discounted what the newbie had to day because there were several inaccurate points. The massage shop does not cost $100 (about half) and it is not true that you cannot copy/paste from Word to Prophet, as we all know. As mystery shoppers, we know how important it is to stick to the truth, instead of slanting to their point of view.

@cubbiecat, the competitor shop I did cost $85 with tip ($82 reimbursable) plus the shop fee, so closer to $100 than the $50 you quoted. And I implied that it's a pain to use a Word Processor to type paragraphs, spellcheck, then cut and paste into the numerous boxes in the survey. Obviously it CAN be done but Sassie has one-click spell-check, the ability to upload receipts and pics directly into the one page survey and numerous other user-friendly features, namely the nationwide job search with no "You do not qualify..." messages. Very frustrating for those of us that travel frequently and just want to grab shops quickly while on the road. I also find that on Prophet when you log in, if you just hit your enter key after entering your password, instead of scrolling down and clicking on the box, you get a password error message and have to go BACK and enter it all again. I consider that a bug. And God forbid you should reset your password on there... you have to wait 10 minutes to log in again. By then I'm off to another job board. Just sayin... Sassie is just MY personal favorite shopper platform of the many available and many of the companies I shop for have migrated over in recent years... no big deal.

@MDavisnowell

I also think that they were referring to that person from a particular MSC who has been using a fake shopper screen name all along...shame on this company who's the one claiming ad nauseam about identifying fraudulent SHOPPERS!!!...well, serves this person right to be caught....I had a gut feeling re her in the first place.

In all fairness, I agree with you MDavis. Represantatives of MSC's should chime in only using their real first and last names and identifying the company they are speaking for.




@MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello again Shopper 1964 - I think you
> misunderstood that reference to hiding behind a
> fake name, and I don't think it was aimed at you
> at all. Recently on the forum, someone from one
> of the companies posted some information under a
> fake shopper name and one of our resident gurus
> figured it out. It's always appreciated when the
> MSC's and their reps post under a business byline
> so we can tell who they are. We consider that type
> of posting by an MSC to be courteous and
> professional. When they don't do that and get
> outed, it's not pretty. My shopper name is almost
> the same as my real name - Mary Davis Nowell. I
> know that's not smart, but I must be too dumb to
> control myself.
>
> So, you see, sometimes we read a post and we think
> it's all about us, and it's not about us at all.
> This has happened more than once, and I've seen
> some delightful and entertaining tiffs result. So
> much fun!
>
>
> OOPS! I reread the thread and yep, one poster did
> say you were hiding behind a screen name. I know
> what that's about. It's because you used a screen
> name, and you jumped an MSP and named the company
> by name, with that original "Beware of Sentry"
> lead in. I can see that's somewhat different from
> generally posting with an assumed name. I still
> don't think the other poster was necessarily
> referring to you. Anyway, getting responses that
> weren't what you hoped for is just part of the
> deal. I've had a bunch of them. You'll get over
> it, and it'll be OK.

I have revamped ny initial "heated rant" to clarify my grievances with Sentry. Had I known how many people read these forums and what a "firestorm" my post would ignite, I would have taken the time, as a "newbie" to familiarize myself with the forum before posting. I would also have made my post more concise and not so unprofessional. Lesson learned...;-) Feel free to chime in.

@SteveSoCal

Very well said !!

Just one note about "before blasting a company for things that
dozens of other companies also do"

Just because a dozen companies are doing the same, it does not mean whatever the action is could be justified! No mumber of wrongs ever did one right. We have to start addressing those wrongs from somewhere if we seriously desire things to change for our better.



Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have no issue with any post about about an MSC
> that does not perform up to spec, but I think it's
> well understood that there are certain
> 'politenesses' that members expect from newbies on
> ALL public forums...not just this one.
>
> Shopper1964; Welcome to the forum, but take a
> moment to introduce yourself, look over the
> existing feedback and perhaps establish some
> rapport before blasting a company for things that
> dozens of other companies also do.
>
> Alternate reporting platforms, buggy websites and
> sole-owner/operators are common in the MS
> industry. If you have an issue with Prophet and
> how it functions, that can be up for discussion.
> If you have an issue with MSCs that take over 30
> days to pay, there's a thread for that as well.
> IF you feel you were unfairly deactivated, you
> will find others here to commiserate with.
>
> One thing I always take issue with is the
> entitlement concept of, "MSC A gave me a 10 on my
> sassie report, so how can MSC B have an issue with
> my reporting?" Not all MSCs are created equal,
> and not all have the same policies or grading
> scale. As I stated before, the qualifications for
> the shops are well presented on Sentry's site,
> IMHO, as is the pay schedule, so if you don't like
> the rules, you did not have to take the
> assignment.
>
> Now the OP has been edited and toned down, it may
> be a bit easier to stand by. My comment about
> hiding behind your screen name was based on the
> fact that you showed up and blasted this MSC with
> items that did not seem appropriate or entirely
> factual. I'm not asking you to divulge your
> identity, but realize that another persons
> livelihood rest on the success of this company, so
> perhaps an open discussion about the issues would
> have been more appropriate than a title that
> claimed, "Beware..."
>
> I have said before that I have to give props to
> Dave for showing up here, taking the heat and
> engaging each shopper that has a problem with him.
> What other company will do that?

I agree, sportofficial. We should not accept circumstances just because all companies do something. Just no sense berating a particular company for utilizing prophet or paying in 60 days, I think.

Myself, I travel and am utilize companies using prophet by using the "Search for visits outside of my area" function. It may not show you the entire country on one page like Sassie does, but it's plenty capable of telling you if the MSC has shops where you are traveling to.

shopper1964,

There are many ways to convey suggestions and constructive criticism. Many shoppers responded to our survey with praise, suggestions, and constructive criticism but you were the only one who used phrases like "Sorry, but your new website looks like a 3rd grader designed it". You made this same comment in your original post but it has since been removed.

You pointed out one misspelled word ("ammount".

We have had thousands of shopper login and use the new site without a single report of a computer freezing and needing to be rebooted. I have no idea of the cause for this on your computer and there is no reason to believe it is our website. Not one other shopper is reporting issues with the new website.

It is true that there are two places to submit inquiries. The form under the Help tab is for inquiries not related to a specific assignment. For inquiries about a specific assignment, there is a button labelled INQUIRE ABOUT THIS SHOP which allows a shopper to submit a question about a specific assignment directly from the shop history page. Why did we do this? We wanted to make is easier for our shoppers to ask questions about specific assignments. When inquires are submitted from the assignment page, all of the details about the assignment are automatically sent to us with the support ticket. This allows our team to research the issue and respond to the shopper more quickly.

In the daily course of business, I speak to many shoppers. When a shopper calls in on our prospective or current clients extension, they are asked to follow our stated process for getting questions answered. As I wrote previously, this is done to allow our team the chance to fully research the issue and provide an accurate answer. The statement that I dismissed you because you were "just a shopper" is simply not true.

You were paid in accordance with the assignment and company guidelines for the seven previous assignments that you completed for our company. Payment for the May assignment you mentioned in your post is scheduled to be processed today. You are still able to login to the site and check the status of payment for your assignments. This part of your account was never deactivated.

You stated that you had a report returned to you prior to your last assignment and a fee deduction was not assessed. This is consistent with our company policy not to assess fee deductions for minor issues and to provide feedback to our shoppers to help avoid issues with future shop reports. A fee deduction would be assessed if we've given feedback about the same issue, such as spell checking a shop prior to submission, multiple times.


Yes, I deactivated your account. I did so because I found your comments to be unprofessional. If the situation were reversed and we provided feedback about one of your shops written in the same tone, I would guess that you would no longer want to conduct assignments for our company. It's not what was said, but rather how it was said.

I'M NOT A SENTRY SHOPPER, but my post is more reflective of what "1964" is asserting.

1964---Sentry also takes a long time to pay (over 2 months in my experience since 2010 when I started shopping with them.

BOB---WHILE THIS MAY BE CORRECT, THE COMMENT LOSES ALL VALIDITY WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE SHOPPER HAS BEEN ACCEPTING WORK FOR 2 YRS.

1964---More than once, I have stepped up and accepted a last-minute shop for them when they pleaded with shoppers to help out, even promising quick payment to get the shops filled.

BOB---THE FACT THE SHOPPER LACKS THE ABILITY TO DECLINE WORK ISN'T THE PROBLEM OF THE MSC; THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO FILL SHOPS.

1964---Why can't they pay in a timely fashion ALL the time

BOB---IGNORING THAT CAN'T DENOTES ABILITY AND THAT TIMELY, BEING A MODIFIER AND IS RELATIVE TO THE MIND OF THE SPEAKER/TYPER, WHEN THEY PAY IS THEIR BUSINESS. IF THE TIME FRAME IS UNACCEPTABLE, PASS ON THE JOB.

Folks, this is business. There's no requirement that either an MSC or a shopper provide a reason for discontinuing a relationship. My sole interest in this thread is that if shoppers approach this profession with the correct attitude, their work is guaranteed to be much more successful, less stressful and easier to perform.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2012 09:40PM by shopperbob.

I don't have an opinion either way on this because I dont know all the specfics. But one thing i can say about the Sentry Marketing group is they will not tolerate unprofessionalism. W

They made that clear from jump street, so there should not be any surprises there.

Awesome post Bob. I know it's frustrating to not get paid for 60+ days, but if those are the MSC's terms, it's on you to take it or leave it.

Well, it's nice that 1964 is going to be paid immediately, so not all is lost.

All's well that ends well.

There is a program, I don't remmber which one, but I think it might be prophet,
whose spell checker doesn't work - it's a good thing that I write good reports otherwise I'd be being docked -- I type fast and more than occasionally I don't hit a letter hard enough as I go, I guess, and the spell checker isn't picking it up. The editors so far have written notes about it and I've lost points recently, instead of getting an "Excellent and 10" I got an "8 and watch your spacing and spell checking" . So stuff happens.

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have no issue with any post about about an MSC
> that does not perform up to spec, but I think it's
> well understood that there are certain
> 'politenesses' that members expect from newbies on
> ALL public forums...not just this one.
>


Surely you are not suggesting that only newbies need to be concerned with being polite?

Yup

BTW, just kidding.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2012 07:10PM by LisaSTL.

Oh, I am so late to the party! Not mentioning any names, but why would anyone want to work for a micromanaging control freak? Run! Run fast and don't look back!

Speaking of control freaks, can someone point me to the thread about busting the MSC using a fake name?

ISpy - Don't be vague, now. Please explain exactly what happened so your issues can be addressed. I'm no good at running, so I'll sit.

I am always leery of a company that cannot pay in a timely manner. I did a few shops for them and waited over 60 days to be paid. It's not that I need the money but how inefficient can your business model be that you cannot do a 30-45 day turn around?

It's reminiscent of a certain MSC that touts large bonuses for doing a Furniture Chain Shop but takes an eternity to pay.

We pay our shoppers and take shopper payment seriously. Our payment policy is that checks are processed 30 - 60 days from the date a shop is accepted. We are working on improving the payment process to drive the time down to 30 days.

A small number of checks are returned to us each month for various issues (incorrect address, etc) and we do make mistakes. When these issues arise, they are promptly handled.

I have to say...I have been shopping 12+ years and I have noticed over the past few years that even with the higher end shops reimbursements out 6 weeks is not over the top. I have had schedulers and owners get the checks out quicker when they need a favor but I am fine with waiting a few weeks as long as I know that check is truly coming (carpet cleaning shop anyone?? LOL)

I have done a few shops for Sentry without a problem. They were not the fastest paying company but they paid in a fairly timely manner. The instructions were straightforward though the massage shops did take a while to write up but that was expected.

shopper1964 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks shopinalong. I'm a little surprised myself
> at the hostility from fellow shoppers. I've never
> posted on here before because I've never had cause
> to complain about a MSC. My "docked $7.50" was as
> aside to my deactivation rant. No worries, I'll be
> back on the forum. This experience gave me cause
> to peruse the site and actually see some
> interesting and helpful threads and feedback. I
> have plenty of positive feedback to leave
> regarding the MSCs that I love.(Trendsource and
> Albatross pay VERY quickly, sometimes within a
> week or two.) Perhaps my initial rant was not the
> best ice-breaker... I'm still befuddled by the
> reference to my "hiding" behind my screen name.
> Plenty of posters on here use generic screen
> names, no? Next time I'll sign up with my SSN and
> a photo I guess ;-)

I don't think that expecting our shoppers to abide by nondisclosure section of our ICA makes me a "control freak". In fact, having to spend time addressing this type of breach negatively impacts all shoppers as it is a drain on resources that could be used in much more positive ways.

I am more than happy to answer questions about this situation or any other. Please contact me at dave@sentrymarketing.com.


ISpyForYou Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, I am so late to the party! Not mentioning any
> names, but why would anyone want to work for a
> micromanaging control freak? Run! Run fast and
> don't look back!
>
> Speaking of control freaks, can someone point me
> to the thread about busting the MSC using a fake
> name?

The song is getting old kids.

I have not done any shops for Sentry Marketing because they do not have anything in my area, but it is possible to see jobs in other states using their prophet system. They do still have jobs listed on the prophet website.

Just click on "Search for visits outside my area." Then select "Choose the State or Province you wish to search." I just did this, and I began going through all of the states. I was quickly able to see jobs in Arizona although I live nowhere near there. These jobs were featured in green meaning that I could apply for them

OMG
The company is located in Arri zona ?

Land of the finger pointing in Prez's face ?

And Sheriff who is law unto himself ?

Yikes. Good golly Miss Molly.

The feds must be tracking every email out of that place and by now they know to whom every "nom de plume" on the forum belongs.

By the way, does anyone know where "nom de plume" comes from ?

factoid: it means literally: "name of the feather" because 150 years ago and more people who wrote, authors who used aliases. as well as all others, wrote with a "quill - a feather plucked from some unsuspecting bird and it's root point sharpened to be stuck in an ink well.

Just saying. That's almost the full extent of my knowledge of "parlez vous Francais ? "

Thanks for the PMs! I cannot believe the nerve!

ISpy - That's cryptic. If you look back over your post, you might see how you brought forth the reply. Attacks and name calling solve nothing. It's always a good time for professionalism if we want to be treated professionally.

We're not accomplishing anything here.