I have been mystery shopping for a month and I am already finding out these companies can be just as dishonest as the next. The slow payment is ridiculous. My guess - the company wants the interest so delays payment as long as they can. As for STN - their unprofessional method of rejecting a shop is wrong. I dont shop because I am bored. I need the income and I do NOT spend $$ because it is burning a hole in my pocket. I shopped and the so called rejection due to the fact I asked if the green veggie was jalapenos? What a criminal I am. STN stated the client wouldnt pay. Oh yeah - we will see about that. For one thing the shop in question is a good one - unlike the others I shopped. What about the face to face? Anyone done those? Not one of my shops had better go unpaid. All of these companies need to know they are not free to roam the school yard and beat up on whomever they chose.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2012 05:37PM by txmedia.

Txmedia -

I get that you are upset.. But, you need to edit your post so that the name of the Client is not showing up.

The rules of the forums specifically state: Do NOT reveal the clients of Mystery Shopping Companies.

Jacob's rules, Jacob's house - so we do our best to abide by his forum rules. (Plus it also is against your ICA that you signed & agreed with)

~~~~~~~

Also - the majority of MSC's are NOT 'dishonest'. If you need the funds as much as it seems by your 2 posts, then a part-time job may be a better fit for you. Part of being a mystery shopper is learning how to project your income.

I estimate that the first 2 months as a mystery shopper are the hardest, because you really don't have income rolling in. Once you get past the first 60 days, you should have a decent nest egg that you can start to expand with different shops, driving further (gas/maintenance, etc for the car), and even start taking some of those reimbursement only shops.

You also are aware of the payment schedules of the MSC's when you sign up. The NORM is 30-45-60-90 days. Like I said, if it is imperative that you get paid in 2 weeks or every other week - then a pt job may just be a better fit.

My first month shopping, I only made around 500 (Oct 2011). I did not see any of that until late November. My November 2011 shops, they started paying near the end of December (books trying to get closed for the end of the year). By this time, most of my October 2011 shops were paid (60 days).

Once those two months started to pass, I now know what my income is going to be.

I NEVER had said "January shops = Feb income". It's has ALWAYS been 60 days. So any shops I've done now in July - that income will be budgeted for September. I made 1,000 in shops this month, I know I have 1,000 additional September income to pay bills.

(Most of my spreadsheets don't even close out until 60 days have passed).

Good luck.. and again, please remove/edit the name of the Client.

Thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2012 05:26PM by r@inyDayZ3.

txmedia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been mystery shopping for a month and I am
> already finding out these companies can be just as
> dishonest as the next. The slow payment is
> ridiculous. My guess - the company wants the
> interest so delays payment as long as they can.
> As for STN - their unprofessional method of
> rejecting a shop is wrong. I dont shop because I
> am bored. I need the income and I do NOT spend $$
> because it is burning a hole in my pocket. I
> shopped and the so called rejection due to the
> fact I asked if the green veggie was jalapenos?
> What a criminal I am. STN stated the client
> wouldnt pay. Oh yeah - we will see about that.
> For one thing the shop in question is a good one -
> unlike the others I shopped. What about the face
> to face? Anyone done those? Not one of my shops
> had better go unpaid. All of these companies need
> to know they are not free to roam the school yard
> and beat up on whomever they chose.


Ive done several shops for STN. They have always paid me as they agreed to so far.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2012 09:53PM by spree.

txmedia, you just joined the forum today and already have 17 posts, most of them unhappy, ranting posts detailing that multiple companies for whom you have performed shops do not want to pay you. The companies you are complaining about are good companies which many of us have worked for. They do not reject shops for no reason and they do pay regularly. IMHO, the problem appears to be that you are either not reading and following the shop instructions OR you are reading the instructions and deciding that the requirements are negotiable. In most cases, they are not. When the company gives you a list of required items that may be ordered, those items must be ordered or you will not be paid. When instructions require either a business card or a photo of the outside of the building, you must provide one of those two items or you will not be paid. You have had more shops rejected in your short career than I have had rejected in four years of shopping. Mystery shopping may not be for you.

I hate to tell you this but we have ALL had shops rejected at one time or another. It's all part of the learning curve.

Seventeen posts - are you counting them? It is a learning curve. I need to pay attention to detail more but other things get in the way at times. Most shops will allow a business card or some proof of shop. This one shop wants a photo. I am trying to get that. What I stated is they do not pay in a timely manner. I have accepted shops which will be paid in the coming weeks. I have had very few refusals. What I need is a viable income - and not alot of prima dona comments. The area I live is rural and there are not alot of opportunities. My former upline as a vendor recommended I try shopping. Easy to point fingers at someone when you are not walking in their shoes. By the way how many companies do I work for? You seem to know all about me so let's hear it.

No one has to count your posts. The number of posts you have made show up under your name. Telling you to read the instructions, be sure you understand them, and do exactly what they say are viable comments. If you did not want advice from other shoppers you should not have posted here. Telling you to read the guidelines is the best advice I can give you. You seem to have registered with companies and you seem not to be having difficulty getting jobs. The difficulty you are having seems to be that several companies have not paid you. The companies you complained about are good companies that do not just deny payment when the assignments are successfully completed. The reason they haven't paid you seems to be that you did not follow the directions. That's pretty much what your posts said: that you had performed the jobs and done mostly what they wanted but not all and did not get paid. Good luck.

Edited to add: the companies do pay in a timely manner. When you sign up with companies, they tell you what their payment schedule is. The companies you have mentioned: STN, MCP, and Market Force all pay like clockwork according to their payment schedule. If payment is made when it is promised, it is timely. I think what you may be saying is that they do not pay as fast as you would like, but these companies do pay timely.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2012 12:57PM by AustinMom.

A timely manner is not 30-60-90 days out. It would not matter if I had other work. Other work is not out there and if it is - a drive required. I have already driven one car in the ground going to and from Houston every week to service grocery stores. Best Mark pays every two weeks and Research Services Group better than that. When I worked as a demo rep there was one company in paticular which took months to pay. They paid but it was like getting blood from a turnip. STN has been fair so far. Once the pay starts to come in - it will make it less hazardous. Oh FYI the First Amendment applies to me - and to everyone. I can post here if I chose - you follow? If I chose to vent or complain or ask questions or make comments - the FIRST AMENDMENT applies to the internet as ruled by the US Supreme Court in a 9-0 decision. And I do appreciate positive comments which are given for assistance not to show an attitude. If I want to hear a Prima Dona I will listen to Aida.

Welcome to the forum. Post all you want. Some people like to learn by listening to the experiences of those who have walked in their mystery shopping shoes longer than they have. Others like to learn through the school of hard knocks. Either way, learning is learning. Good luck with your shopping.

MSPs have defined payment cycles and terms. If the terms aren't acceptable, shoppers don't accept the gig. If terms are acceptable and we accept the gig, but the terms aren't met, shoppers have a decision to make. This business isn't for everyone.

Please read the payment terms for each company and shop that you expect to work with. 30-45-60 or even 90-120 days after the shop has been accepted is ordinary. If you do not like the payment terms, do not accept the shop/

Txmedia -

Question: Why are you so defensive, rude, and arrogant?

You join the forum, and do nothing but whine, complain, and blast MSC's which YOU choose to work for, accepting their terms and conditions (when you signed your ICA, or did you not read it?), and then @#$%& and moan because you decide not to follow instructions/guidelines. BUT! Best of all, you have elected to be rude, arrogant, and have an attitude with some excellent advice - from shoppers who have a heluva lot more experience than you.

Quite frankly - you would be better doing something else. Mystery Shopping takes skills that appear to be much above your attitude. If you cannot take advice, what happens when an Editor sends a report back to you for clarification - or lets you know to check your spelling and/or grammar? (BTW - alot is misspelled. It's a lot - two words) Are you going to turn around and call them a "Prima Dona" because you got pissed your report was sent back?

You said, "The area I live is rural and there are not alot of opportunities. My former upline as a vendor recommended I try shopping. Easy to point fingers at someone when you are not walking in their shoes."

Well - let's see, I LIVE in a rural area, so I AM walking in your shoes, and I would then guess, by your statement, I am permitted to point fingers. It takes me an hour to get into Tucson. Jobs are not "plentiful", and if I find them, I plan a route. As far as driving for a "regular job"? My husband did that every day - drove 75 minutes each way for a measly $10.00/hour job because we needed the money (when he was laid off).

Let me give you a good piece of advice. You are so far making a name for yourself on the forums as someone who does not care to follow advice from long-time shoppers. Instead, you want to toot your own horn, get pissy because you are not getting paid at the terms YOU want, and generally, show an attitude of negativity.

There are plenty of Schedulers, Editors, and Representatives of Mystery Shopping Companies who visit, lurk, and read the forums. Believe me - they DO talk amongst themselves - and at some point, it's going to come back and bite you in the butt.

If you would decide to come in with an attitude of wanting to learn, you will find a wealth of information from experienced shoppers who will bend over backwards to help.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2012 02:24AM by r@inyDayZ3.

One of the things all forums seem to have in common is a pack mentality. I have been here for one day and have been criticized for asking questions, had vicious and surly comments directed at me. This is NOT just your little club. It is everyones. Nobody here owns this site. The internet is a privilege we have not had for that many years and we should be grateful. I have noted others vent and make their own assessments.Do you call the hounds out for them? I dont know alot about the mystery shopping business. I do listen to my editors and respond back in a positive manner which is something some of you dont seem to know much about. To the poster from AZ - if you consider your behavior positive and polite and helpful - God help us all if that is your definition of courtesous behavior. I also do not believe I have had that many posts. Not in one day - I dont have the time to type all day. What it seems you want are a bunch of brown nosers. FYI when you suggested in a much nicer tone to remove the name of the client I did. I did not realize a client's name could not be mentioned as I have seen a thread with the client's name. And HOW have I not followed your advice? It is Sat. and I did not work. How could I in one day's time have the time to follow all your advice? The next jobs I have I will consider all good counsel and utilize as is needed. As for the schedulers checking out the site - I would be concerned about your remarks if I were you. Not exactly the rainbow of positivity you wish to project. You described them as lurkers! Makes them sound rather ominous. I am sorry your husband lost his job. I know you are mad about that and believe me to be at the bottom of the food chain so I get kicked!!! Wrong. Whoever you have the hatcher out for is not me. You just transfer your ire in my direction. You do not know me and you can not make an assessment from a few posts. I suggest you stop pointing fingers at me and look in the mirror. But for all the good advise I apprecate it. Every shopper needs to know the facts before they plow in.

And they also need to realize when they post on a forum if they do - some will have their knives out. The internet is the perfect vehicle for those who wish to live behind veils. They can be as nasty as they want or as nice as they want and who is to know their true ID? Their ID as mirky as the Mississippi River.

I begin to smell troll.

Unfortunately Wales, I think you may be correct in this instance.

BTW.. for anyone who does not know it, this domain is owned by someone, his name is Jacob.




walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I begin to smell troll.

Hello txmedia - Like you, when I started doing this I felt that there was a long dry spell before the money started to roll in. Fortunately for me I wasn't depending on this to get by and meet day to day expenses, but it sounds like it's difficult for you to handle the payment cycles. You've learned by now that independent contractors in mystery shopping are not paid on a prompt or regular basis. However, most of the companies do pay according to when they say they will pay, or pretty close to it. The different companies are set up on different pay schedules, so it can seem chaotic and unmanageable, but it will all work out in the long run if you can hang on.

I'm sure you've already figured out to work as much as possible for the companies with shorter pay cycles, but still book all the work you can get done with the companies that have the longer pay cycles. You will eventually get a stream of income going that will seem pretty steady even though companies are paying on different cycles.

You're not alone in having shops rejected. That's happened to all of us. I still read guidelines every time I do a shop, trying to be certain I don't lose that work to my own carelessness. Even shops you do over and over can have changed guidelines. Sometimes small mistakes will be forgiven (once) by an MSC but most of the time the requirements are set by the client being shopped and the MSC will not have that option. If they can't submit an acceptable report to their client, the shopper will not be paid. It is not enough to do a mostly good shop and write a mostly acceptable report. Don't I wish? Yes, I do.

Most of the companies we shop for have good reputations and will receive supporting comments from their shoppers if criticized on this forum. If someone says something to the effect that "No, I shop for them and they're good guys and they pay", it doesn't mean they're brown nosing. It means they are speaking up for a company that has treated them well over the long term. They're expressing an opinion from the other side of the issue, not necessarily taking exception to your report of what happened to you.

Several posters have suggested this may not be the right line of work for you. I think the line of work may be fine for you but that you’re still in the learning curve and you’re getting frustrated with shop rejection(s) and payment cycles. These two problems are not hard to solve. Careful study of guidelines and complete adherence along with thorough reporting will solve the first problem. Getting the stream of income started will solve the second problem. Getting a grip on when everyone pays will help you, but the main thing you need to grasp is that this will never be dependable, regular income. Jobs will always be scarce to abundant, and pay will always be from “Hey, it’s here already” to “OMG, will these people never pay?”

Certainly you have a right to post. You can write any type post you like as long as it’s in accordance with Jacob’s guidelines (lower right corner of the page). This is a forum in which you are free to express your opinions, even though others may not agree and will let you know they don’t agree with you. I respectfully suggest that you will feel more settled and in control if you write your posts with a positive attitude, with a purpose of getting and providing helpful information. You will also receive more practical and positive feedback from others if you do this.

I hope that you will continue to shop and continue to post about your experiences. It is going to get easier and better. Even though you are off to a rather rocky start, if you go on with this you will discover it is a constantly changing and engaging line of work, and the financial rewards will be reasonable even though probably never spectacular. Thank you for sharing your experiences and I wish you the best.

-- moved topic --

I just have to add that first amendment rights do not pertain to posting on this board. First amendment allows one to speak without fear of government reprisal. It has nothing to do with speech in a private area...such as a privately owned board. Also, it does not protect you from repercussions of what you say.

So, you can post as you see fit. Others respond as they see fit. You can be praised or castigated. What will not happen is that you will not be put in jail for what you've said, or otherwise hassled by the government.

Too many people throw around "It's my first amendment right!" without knowing anything about what it means.

I'd love to get paid quicker but when I sign up with a company I accept their payment policies which in some cases is as long as 90 days.

Why so much animosoity? I realize these are tough times for many people including myself but if you do not like a company than just "fire" the company.

When I began signing up, which was not a long time ago. I was/am very skeptical. I took the ff shops that were close and the money I spent was for food which I could use. I didn't travel 100 mile and spend $50 knowing I might fluke it or for some reason the company was slow to pay.
I am slowly branching out farther and spending a little more. If the company contacts me with a problem..I try to fix it fast and apologize for the inconvenience.
This work is just like the 9-5, either you satisfy the company or get a pink slip.....no questions ask.

Dear MDavisnowell, I appreciate your commemnts. I am in a financial quagmire but hopefully it will soon get better. I try. I do not appreciate someone ranting at me about not listening when their comments made one day before. I have not had the time to implement their sage advice. I believe other shoppers have rebuffed their comments and that put a bur in their saddle. They chose me as the scape goat. Sorry but got the wrong gal. My so called rocky start is due to the financial needs. I have had a few snags but most have been acceptable. I will give any job I do 100% and do that job as honestly as I can and I expect the same consideration. You are right - it is not a career but an extra income. I do not expect to make $$$$ at this especially as I do not live in a major city. There are oddles of shops there.

As for the First Amendment - it does apply to the internet as ruled by the US Supreme Court 9-0. Our forefathers - tho not knowing of the internet were wise enough to know many things would occur in the future which would be effected by their edicts. A Democracy should welcome free thinking and enterprise. It does not wish to see its citizens harmed by corporate greed or abusing the public's trust.

tx,
The First Amendment does not prohibit the owner of an Internet site from blocking anyone who does not abide by the rules. Name calling and disruptive behavior are seldom tolerated here. Anyone, including the forum owner (and yourself) can just click on your name to view every post that you (or I or anyone) has ever posted here. When a new member posts 32 times in 2 days, with everypost full of anger and bile, it is not mean to wonder if this member is going to make any positive contribution to the community. So click on the name of anyone who has responded to you and you will note that everyone of us leap to help any poster who poses a question or asks for advice. You simply ranted over and over about unfair treatment, when there was no unfairness in requiring a proof and putting that into the shop guidelines. Then you ranted at those who pointed out that the MSC had not cheated you or been unfair, and at those who advised you to read the guidelines and the MSC's posted payment policies and schedules before accepting a job. What part of "You really have not been cheated by STN" do you not understand? No one here defends MSCs that cheat and/or refuse to pay for properly completed shops. We are not a herd of lackeys for the MSCs, as you would already know if you had taken the early advice to read, read, and read on this forum.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2012 01:45AM by walesmaven.

I "actively" work for 35 Mystery Shopping Companies (signed up for over 200) and have performed hundreds of shops for multiple companies. Never once did STN not pay me or ask me for clarification.

As a matter of fact, I have never been "stiffed" yet by any company.

Waited awhile for payment? Yeah. Freeman and Goodwin and Associates take 3-4 months to pay at times....

May I offer a bit of advice? Your paragraph is one long block of words.

Do you break your paragraphs up in your content narratives?

Everything matters. You want to start out here on a positive note and people will generate around you... that you are not on the "offensive" here.

Everything matters too... on your reports. From getting them in on time, getting the information the client wants, writing your narrative about the experience. And NOT formulating your own opinion in your reports.....

You are making your own stew here... You are adding the ingredients and you are "stirring the pot"....

Please don't choke anyone here on your "undercooked" meat.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2012 07:50PM by SunnyDays2.

Don't you love it when a poster recommends their own posts?

STN pays exactly when they say they will. I humbly suggest that if you spend more time signing up for MCs and searching job boards rather than ranting online, your right of course, you would be better off. I suggest that we have told said poster all we have to. No more from me. UNproductive. Thanks.

I've conducted about a dozen shops for STN--many of them very nicely bonused. It's been a pleasure working with their schedulers Ryan Pinter and Jessica Carlson, in particular!

As for living in a rural area... Take the first week of the month off unless a shop is in your town and you're going there anyway. Companies like CoRI systematically increase fees as time goes on and others have "release dates" when schedulers can call and make deals. Some shops don't bonus much, but you can add them to routes as padding.

Print out a map of the area 100 miles around your house. Every time you see a shop on a board, mark it on your map. You'll end up with a master list of who shops what and where in your area. Gas shops, convenience stores, fast food, grocery stores, retail outlets... You can find that a given place an hour from your home can be a goldmine if you plan your shops out. If a scheduler calls to offer me a bonus, I will often check what other companies are offering and make a route.

Look for the gas shops that reimburse a gallon or two of gasoline. Per hour, they don't end up paying much, but still more than you'd get at home on the couch. Before kids, I'd take off and shop my way somewhere and home again, picking up a gallon here and a gallon there. I still set off two Saturdays a month. There's usually a bonused FF breakfast, a trip to a Blue Light store to buy a parcel to mail home to the kids, a bonused burger, a couple gas stations, a grocery store, a hardware store and an ice cream trip for the ride home. Each shop won't bonus enough to make the trip worthwhile, but the aggregate is profitable.

I'm amazed and confused at the same time.
First, I thought "troll" from the first post.
Then, I noticed that every post by txmedia is marked "Expert Member" and "Posts: 32." How is that possible?
A waste of time.

I hve not written 32 posts in two days. Dont know where that came from. I appreciate the positive inputs and constructive comments. Good advice. Some I have figured out and others I am learning - as it is a learning curve. To those who continue to insist I rant and rave - there are many who do. My posts which if you had taken the time to read would note is not in that catagory. I thanked the posters for their genuine attempts to guide me and hopefully others in the right direction. For those who I have offended I am sorry. I really do not want to continue to argue back and forth. I dont see anything positive about that and I dont have the time.