I just did a cici's shop for them on may 2 2007. I came home and filled out the report. The next morning I got an email for them said I was unnasigned because they had not heard from me. Since I got a confirmation number from them I emailed them back and told them I did do the report on the scheduled day. So then they emailed me back and said that now I was unnasigned because I didn't explain the negative rating for the taco pizza. I gave it a three out of five, That is not a negative rating. They said I did not give a description of the manager. I took well over an hour doing the report. My report was thorough and accurate. I will be very unlikly to shcedule a shop with them again. On the positive side I did a lowes shop for them the same night and was paid already. I don't understand how they went from no report to incomplete report. I went to the website and all was gone. I think they lost the report and were trying to cover. Just beware of this company.

I did a ****'s for them today. It was kind of weird because it was a phone shop and the training is for an in-store shop. Since, I needed to go there anyway, I did a in-store shop for practice. (Of course, I did write everything down, in case there actually was an in-store component that didn't load after the phone call portion). It wasn't too bad, but like it's been said, the employees tend to disappear.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2007 11:55AM by JacobJ.

CRI raises their commission weekly on most shops. The gas station shops start at $4. I've done them for $16 if I wait until they call me. The only downfall of waiting is if another shopper gets it before you do! They just implemented a 60 reshop period for their gas stations around here too. There never used to be one, then was 30 days. There are a couple in my area that I've been only one around to do since they are kind of in the middle of nowhere! I'll be anxious to see if they call me at the end of the month to complete these, even if they're in the reshop period. I've seen those some of the shops in very rural areas go to $40.

I just had a problem with them not giving me the commission I was promised for 2 shops. I contacted them and after a few calls, went right to the supervisor for the shops and got it corrected. They have always been super to deal with for me. And I absolutely love the Direct deposit and it is usually paid within two weeks of completing the shop. The My history page on their site gives excellent information of what jobs you got paid for and when, so Sandra Sue, check that for what jobs and when.

I have been with CRI since I started in March and I do like them. I get paid every week and yes they are small amounts but they do add up. The end of the months are the best because they need the shops done. Last month the gas station shop that were $4 went up to $20. I did 5 of them since I was going to the town for two other shops. It all works out for the best.

Does anyone know how to increase your rating with CRI, I was scheduled to do a lowes on a saturday, I had a heart attack a week before i gave then 4 day notice, they sent me a nasty email and dropped my rating to 2.0 from 5.0, now I can't sign up for any shops because my rating is to low. Maybe I should just forget them.

I had a problem one time saying that my report was late and they unassigned me from a job. However, the problem was on their end. I did the shop but could not access the report online because they didn't have the report ready. I sent numerous emails because it was on the weekend. They didn't get the report online until Monday and by this time I had to go to my regular job. By the time I got home from work, I was unassigned and my shopper rating was lowered. I also received the "nasty emails". You have to understand that the emails are automatic and computer generated. I called live support and they were very nice. They took care of the problem and adjusted my rating. I think under your circumstances they would be very understanding. If a mystery shop is more important than a heart attack, I would forget them too.

Sandy thanks, I think right now, I am just going to forget it, maybe take lower paying jobs to build it up, I can tell you I am not that hard up for money to argue with them.

Bestfr1303,

Have you tried to talk with someone there? The number is 419-424-9967. Ask to speak with the ***'s scheduler and see if they can fix your rating and explain to them the heart attack. I had it happen once that I had 2 shops I couldn't complete due to 26" of snow in February. I called them after I saw the same thing happened with my rating and I also couldn't accept any new shops. They restored my rating since the weather was no fault of mine.

I continually get calls from them for shops. Their shop fees usually start very small, but if they call you towards the end of the month to complete a shop, they pay good. I've gotten calls for shops that are posted on their website at $5 and get asked to do them for $20.

I have done over 110 shops for them since July 2006. Any time I've had a problem, it's always been worked out. The emails are computer generated and are a generic email, unless it comes from a schedulre.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2007 09:13PM by JacobJ.

I¡¦ve done several shops with CRI over the past 2 months and have had no problems with them. They don¡¦t have too many shops in my area and they get self assigned quickly so unfortunately, it¡¦s usually only the basic low fee $5 - $6 that I receive plus $1 - $3 reimbursement. However they are easy simple shops and if you do the same store regularly, you get quick at getting the info for the report.

Once I only noticed the 12 midnight deadline for the report to be submitted after I¡¦d requested the job. I contacted the scheduler and was told that if I had the report submitted by midnight local time that would be fine. Sometimes I get the automatic reminder saying my report is late by their time but my reports have always been accepted.

I like that they review reports quickly and send you an email with your score as well as the fact that they pay directly into my bank account in a timely manner.

Happy Shopping ļ

I have worked with this company for years but with the ever increasing price of fuel I can not afford to take any assignments from them. $3.19 for gal. gas only leaves pocket change for time and effort. Not worth it.

I have not done any Mystery Shopping for CRI but I am registered with them and I do not know if I would take an assignment with them because all of the problems and especially the problems the person had that had the heart attack. Some of them sound like they do not have a heart.

I signed up and did one shop for them for Bass Pro - it took about an hour to cover all of the required departments. The purchase was minimual. I did my report - submitted my receipt. Then I received an e-mail saying my shop was over-due. I replied back, it was submitted, then I received an e-mail the receipt was not received. I again replied back - then I received an e-mail, I was unassigned.
So my expereince was not good. I may check them out later, but right now there are several companies, that give me jobs and pay promptly.

I had a bad experience. They offered me a shop (thru email) and I could log on to their site, but could go no farther. I tried several times. This was on the weekend.) I emailed them about the problem I was having and it took aprox a week for someone to get back to me. When they did, the advise they gave, was no different than what the home page read "click here, etc,... I was registered with all the needed username and password, but something would Not Work! and who ever was replying to my email, for help, didn't care or didn't know what to do?Needless so say, I never got back in to where I needed to be, to accept the job, and what is so funny, I emailed them again about how to cancel receiving offers from their company since I couldn't get it, and they gave the SAME info that gave before. I finally emailed back, and they went in from "their side" to remove my name from their listings/offers. It was BIZARE

I really wanted to work for this company. They have a lot of shops in my area. I finally did one yesterday, but forgot to pick up a brochure or ask for a business card. I didn't remember until I was home and about to do my report. I wonder if they will let me do other shops after this.

Jane, when I read your post it made me wonder if they remove me, too. I will call tomorrow. I saw their number in one of the posts.

I have done lots of shops for other companies. Don't know why I forgot this. I knew it was required.

Brenda

I've been shopping for CRI for about 8 months. No, they don't pay high fees on average but they do pay and on time. They do expect you to have good spelling, grammer and punctuation...DUH! They also expect you to complete assignments on time and as directed.. again DUH! As far as the average low pay goes.. As of Oct.3rd I'll have done 17 shops for them in the last 3 weeks. At $6.00 each and all local, it's worth it for me. The reports only take maybe 10-15 minutes a piece once you're use to them. I've also received some higher paying shops from them, especially their "oh no we need them done now" shops. I recommened CRI to newbies.

Well, I certainly got some great responses about this company...I stayed with them, and they called me today to do two emergency shops by the end of the week, and doubled the pay...I have another shop scheduled for Fri with another company, so I will get all three in in one day of shopping...They do pay on time, and after I found out why I was having trouble getting the report in, then it has not been a problem. I, too, forgot to pick up a brochure/business card on one job, and chalked it up to my stupidity, or, rush to get it done..Thanks to all of you who responded.....Happy shopping.....Gloria

I did have a similar problem. Wher it asks for who to shop, put "anyone" in the box. I bet that will get you through. I do alot of shops for them and the same thing happened to me at first.
Jody in Illinois

***** shops for CRI is the worst

Hi Gloria, yes I could not upload the receipt and I email them for help never got a reply and I was also unassigned. I have shops that I did and did not get paid for because you have to send them the receipt.

Well I haven't had any trouble with CRI. In fact this is the main company that I have been doing assignments with. I started out mystery shopping about a month ago. I decided to work for Corporate Research because they pay weekly, and just to see how mystery shopping really works. One of my first assignment was a **** shop. I did the shop, but at the time I didn't own a digital camera or a scanner. I wasn't aware that you had to have either one of these in order to submit the receipt. So I emailed one of the Schedulers to inform them that I didn't have either one of these devices to submit my receipt.

She emailed me back and told me that I could go ahead and fax over my receipt. I did and got paid for the shop. Ever since then I have been doing shops for this company. If there is a problem with any of my shops, then I just email them and they get right back to me. They have even called me to help me with getting a report complete. Corporate Research is a really great company to work for. They work with you and help you to get your assignments complete.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2008 05:15PM by mieshalou.

mieshalou- You might want to edit the client's name from your posting. You can name the MSC or the client, but do not link both together.

I, too, LOVE, Corporate Research International, (actually CoRI, because Certified Reports, Inc. is CRI). Just showing off my expansive knowledge here, the problem being that it (the knowledge) comes and goes as it pleases. Some days I have lots of it and other days I have none! Does that ring a bell with anyone.
They were the company I started MSing with and they had two clients that were my bread and butter staples. I got paid quickly and on time. Because I did jobs for them in areas where nobody else wanted to go, (my husband drove me there), I was given some nice bonuses for those shops. I found the best way to deal with them is to get to know your scheduler. If you sign up for a *** job, make up an excuse such as "I need to change the date to ?, can you help me please?". Then call the company - I don't know of any 800 # - and ask to speak to the *** scheduler for your state. Then give her your real or made up excuse. I used to schedule a lot of jobs on the phone, rather than sign up for them, because I usually didn't want to do them on the dates that were open on the calender. It's fine to email them, but it's better to get to know the schedulers in person. The ones I've dealt with have all been wonderful with one exception. Oh boy, I've had some quibbles with them, including a rather long one with the head of the editing department, but everything always got resolved, and always in my favor. Yeah!
As some other people suggested, wait, wait, wait until the end of the month when they are desperate. I once made $90 for doing three jobs, that took me about two hours, reports and all. That was on the last day of the month.
If EVERYBODY would hang on and wait until the bitter end, all the companies would have to raise prices or tack on bonuses. Remember, they MUST get those jobs done, or THEY don't get paid.
Sadly, CRI has lowered their payments to the point where I can rarely do anymore jobs for them. I started with them in CT and then moved down here to NC. At first I thought the job payments were lower here, because everything is cheaper here. However, my daughter shops for them in CT and she told me they had just plain lowered their payments, period!
Like I said, I think CRI is a great company, but they've priced themselves out of my range.

sandilynn -

True that! Unfortunately, there are STILL shoppers out there who'll do these jobs for the crummy pay!

JoanG -

I agree...WHAT is with shoppers continuing to name BOTH the MSC and their
client(s) in the same thread despite repeated reminders not to do so? Does anybody actually READ these posts?

Maybe a new TOPIC is in order:

NAMING BOTH THE MSP AND THE CLIENT IN THE SAME THREAD IS IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE ICAs THAT WE, AS MYSTERY SHOPPERS, HAVE ALL SIGNED.

I'm very new to all of this, so please bear with me. I have been looking for shoping jobs and other things I can do from home to earn money. Do to a heart condition that prevents me from going back to work at my former occupation. I received a letter from Corporate Reasearch International today. It sounds a little to good to be true. They list their address as P.O.Box 4442 Milford Ct, 06460 and phone numbers as 819-580-0638 Fax 1-888-873-7029. The letter is dated April 8th, 2008. They offer a fully paid training program and offer a first assingment pay of $300.00 which increases to $500.00 per week for the first three months and theen increases to $800 per week after six months of working for CRI. Sounds a little to good dosen't it. Here's the kicker they inclosed a check drawn on an Orlando,Fla. Bank, Sun Trust for $3,950. It is broken down this way.

!. Probation and Training pay $300.00 2. Required funds to be transferred $3,360.00
3. Service charges $190.00
4. Funds needed for shopping $100.00

Total $3,950.00

It is actually two shops one at Kmart and of course the other Western Union Money Transfer.

This sure has all the ear marks of a scam to me. Needless to say I was very surprised to come to this site and see that the Company appears to be very on the up and up. Except for the red flag that their pay is very low doesn't jive with what I have here. Any way what do you think scam or no scam.

I say if it quacks like a duck, waddles like a duck and has feathers it's got to be a duck. But it feels like a pig in the poke.

Charlie Foxx

You are right it is a scam and please stay clear of who ever sent you that. I work with CRI and they have no such offer for MS.

SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM

From CoRI's homepage:

CORPORATE RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL WARNS
CONSUMERS OF MYSTERY SHOPPING SCAM
Firm Urges: Beware of Quick Cash Offers

Findlay, OH - January 7, 2008 - A sophisticated mystery shopping scam continues to spread across the country, conning consumers out of millions of dollars, according to Corporate Research International (CRI), an Ohio-based mystery-shopping and consumer satisfaction firm.

The scam involves letters to consumers offering a mystery shopping job to evaluate one or more leading money wire services. The letter is accompanied by a cashier's check for several thousand dollars with instructions to cash the check at a local bank and then wire the cash to a designated location in Canada. The consumer is directed to keep several hundred dollars as payment for evaluations the service received from the money wire service.

The cashier's check ultimately bounces and the consumer is left liable for the funds.

Here's the full info:
[www.mysteryshops.com]

******Notice that they are located in Ohio*******

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2008 12:02AM by JoanG.

I am going to be doing an assignment soon for them so I guess I'll find out what I think. thanks for the phone number! I think if you have a problem, calling is best too. Takes way too long to get a response through e-mail from most companies. For those of you who don't have the equipment to scan or upload, Lexmark has an all-in-one at Walmart that is only $30-$40, and is money well spent. You get ink cartridges with it and that is cheaper than buying just the ink cartridges themselves. I buy a whole new printer sometimes, just to get the ink cartridges and then save the printer in case the one I'm using breaks. This printer will scan, print, and allow you to fax. It is super easy to use and install, trust me, I am not good with these things and I had no problem setting it up.