Beware of Monterey Mystery Shopping, BestMark and Marketforce

[rasamalaysia.com]

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe

Ingredients:

1lb pork belly
1 tsp Spiced Ginger Powder
1 tsp Five Spice Powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp msg (optional)

Method:

Wash the meat under cold water.

Submerge the pork belly meat in a pot of water and boil for about 15 minutes on medium heat.

Remove the pork and place it in a colander to let it dry for about 15 minutes. You may take the extra step of patting the pork belly skin dry with a paper towel for extra crispy skin.

Stab the pork with a knife a few times and rub the spices and salt on the flesh only (not the skin). We recommend layering the spices in the following order: spiced ginger powder, 5 spice powder, white pepper, salt and optional msg.

Let it marinate for 1 hour, though over night is better for a deeper flavor.

In a dutch oven or a large cast iron pan, fill it with oil enough to cover the skin of the pork belly. Avoid using olive oil since it has a low smoking point. You can place the pork belly in pan while the oil is still cold to prevent splatter. CAUTION!!! the pork will splatter a lot, so it is better to use a dutch oven with a heavy lid or use a splatter screen to place over your frying pan.

Fry the skin side first for roughly 5 mins or until golden brown and crispy, turn it on the side and fry it only for a min or two, repeat on all sides (it is best not to fry it on the flesh side for too long as it will toughen the meat) Frying is a skill learned over time, so if the skin is burnt, you can scrape it off with a knife. No worries!

Let it rest until cool to the touch and cut into slices.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2012 12:39AM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

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[savorysweetlife.com]

Steamed Clams in White Wine, Garlic, and Butter Recipe
Serves 2-4 people as an appetizer

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry Vermouth
2 pounds of clams (Littlenecks or Manilla), rinsed and cleaned
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
*optional 1 small lemon cut into wedges

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant but not burned. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high until wine is brought to a simmering boil. Add clams and cooked covered for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until clams have opened. Discard any clams still closed. Add parsley and give the pot a quick stir. Transfer clams and broth to a large serving bowl, serving with lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Guys I dont think posting recipes to derail a thread is the right way to go.

If he/she has complaints about those companies let him/her make them. If these companies have been good to you and you feel the complaints are off base than please just say so withought the nonsense please.
Wow, and I thought this forum was for ADULTS who need to warn people about scams and frauds. I see that these trolls are the worst of the worst in town.

Are you in Kindergarten Lisa, Austin, Busy Bee!!!!

What a great way to alert other potential innocent people who are about to get ripped off! The rip off artists are on here all day and night trying to shut me down....

Its not working
spree Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guys I dont think posting recipes to derail a
> thread is the right way to go.
>
> If he/she has complaints about those companies let
> him/her make them. If these companies have been
> good to you and you feel the complaints are off
> base than please just say so withought the
> nonsense please.

OK. I respect that and will stop. I also apologize to you because my behavior affected you negatively.

I don't have problems with complaints about companies. I am not even registered with one of the ones blanka keeps complaining about. The issues I have with most of the posts are the repeated shouting and accusing without facts to back them up, and then the attacks on posters who disagreed.
Hey spree,

I think if you look back through this and several other threads you can see that it's not a matter of this being a simple complaint or several complaints. It's not a situation where someone has an issue and other people are running roughshod over that person, without letting them air their grievances or express their issues.

We've done that and more so.

While you may not feel posting recipes to this board in the forum is appropriate, I think it was a great way to get away from the overwhelming vitriol (and unabated, unabashed verbal abuse) offered up by blanka, et. al.

There are several threads where hot-headed issues have been defused by lightening the mood. I think that's precisely what happened here. Not a one of us told anyone they couldn't continue to express their opinions, but not a one of us was ready or willing to condone or continue to bait it.

I respectfully disagree with your assessment.

spree Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guys I dont think posting recipes to derail a
> thread is the right way to go.
>
> If he/she has complaints about those companies let
> him/her make them. If these companies have been
> good to you and you feel the complaints are off
> base than please just say so withought the
> nonsense please.
Hi BBBBB thanks for the nice reply. I do not agree with the original posters sentiments. I just figured we could let him or her know it in a more routine manner. smiling smiley
As we did. Several times. In several places.

spree Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi BBBBB thanks for the nice reply. I do not agree
> with the original posters sentiments. I just
> figured we could let him or her know it in a more
> routine manner. smiling smiley
blanka, this forum is for mystery shoppers to discuss companies and help each other. I was glad to see you posted the list of problems with Monterey on another thread because it gave us the discussion points we needed. We often post about real scams. The problem is the companies mentioned don't fall into that category. In my opinion, Market Force and Bestmark can be a total pain. I also vehemently disagree with some of their policies and a bit of reading will prove that I not only do not work for them, I don't necessarily care to work with them. I will be more than happy to give you a list of things I do not like about either company. I just cannot refer to them as scams.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
Jen I come here to read the positive and negative about mystery shopping among other shopping issues. What you see as calming I see as detailing a thread with off topic nonsense ruining the thread for me. I don't agree with the original poster but I learn a lot in both positive and negative threads. I don't always agree with all threads but I do not try to derail them.
Wow, poor Blanka. I am a laid of electrical engineer who is really struggling to make ends meet. I tried this to maybe scratch together enough money to pay for my wife's prescription meds. But all I found were terrible scams all in a row. I'm glad to see its not just me. I have a sense of relief to know that the exact same things have happenned to others. Very dissapointed, (not exactly relieved) but nonetheless, relieved to know that I am not just purely stupid, and cant figure out a simple shop.

This is terrible, honestly terrible and degrading. How sad.
spree Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi BBBBB thanks for the nice reply. I do not agree
> with the original posters sentiments. I just
> figured we could let him or her know it in a more
> routine manner. smiling smiley

Hey spree. Thank YOU for your nice posts. Your first post especially got your point across clearly but you did so calmly and nicely.

After reading your first post on the subject, I did some soul searching and decided that, yes, there were better ways of doing this. Just because I did not appreciate the way blanca posted did not give me the right to flood this thread with recipes, especially if people other than the ones involved in the disagreement object. So, again, I apologize and I have stopped.

Thank you for the correction. I needed it. =D

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2012 02:11AM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.
Warning: This User Has Been Banned or Is No Longer Active
That burger shop is actually one of the best secret shops you can do. The burgers are fantastic and the fries are too. Usually it only pays $7 which if your lucky might cover your gas but they reimburse you up to $11 for food. That report takes about 15 minutes to knock out once you get it down. I will now toss out a couple of hints pertaining to this shop. Hint one is only order the hamburger with one patty. That makes it 1.50 cheaper and 3 times less greasy. That leaves you with $9 dollars tied up in the food until you get reimbursed the middle of the next month. So you are tying up $9 dollars for a month or so and spending 30-40 minutes at the burger joint and 15 minutes doing the computer report. By the time you pay for your gas that $7 they pay is gone too. Theres only one reason to do this shop and thats if you really enjoy eating there in the first place. Which I do. I will eat there long after I have quit mystery shopping. And actually commenting on the bun is optional. You have to comment on the hamburger and the fries but not the bun. And so what if you did have to type out a 100 space essay on the bun. Its so easy a second grader could do it.

example: The hamburger bun I had today at Six Girls and Guys tasted great. The bun was hot and fluffy and toasted just right.
I have done TONS of shops for MF and Bestmark, never had a problem with accepting reports, and always got paid right on time.

Ever stop to think youre just not cut out for this? Im sure those companies are happy youre boycotting them!

also you say youve posted here under several different names. that right there tells us you are untrustworthy and possibly even banned in the past. why else would you change identities?
BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In a usenet group I used to frequent, there was a
> tradition of posting yummy recipes instead of
> feeding the trolls. There was no need for even a
> troll warning. One of the group veterans would
> simply change the subject header and feed the
> group instead of the troll.
>
> [www.cooks.com],
> 00.html
>
> 1 salmon steak for each person
>
> MUSTARD SAUCE:
>
> 4 tbsp. Dijon mustard
> 1 tsp. dry mustard
> 3 tbsp. sugar
> 2 tbsp. white vinegar
> 1/3 c. vegetable oil
> 1 sm. bunch fresh dill, chopped
>
> Grill the salmon steaks on an outdoor grill. This
> improves the flavor, although a broiler works
> almost as well. To make the sauce, combine the
> mustards, sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Add the oil
> in a thin stream until the mixture is thick (I use
> a wire whisk). Stir in the dill. Refrigerate until
> ready to use. This sauce is also good with other
> mild tasting fish fillets and with cold chicken.

By chance, was that a soaping group?
BBBBB There is no need to apologize but thank you thank you thank you. I appreciate your posts. smiling smiley

BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> spree Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hi BBBBB thanks for the nice reply. I do not
> agree
> > with the original posters sentiments. I just
> > figured we could let him or her know it in a
> more
> > routine manner. smiling smiley
>
> Hey spree. Thank YOU for your nice posts. Your
> first post especially got your point across
> clearly but you did so calmly and nicely.
>
> After reading your first post on the subject, I
> did some soul searching and decided that, yes,
> there were better ways of doing this. Just
> because I did not appreciate the way blanca posted
> did not give me the right to flood this thread
> with recipes, especially if people other than the
> ones involved in the disagreement object. So,
> again, I apologize and I have stopped.
>
> Thank you for the correction. I needed it. =D
spree, you are absolutely right. Attempts had been made to get this into a real discussion and the poster was still too angry. While I'm not sure of her feelings now, she has explained the issue with one company and has allowed some of us to offer some constructive advice. Hopefully, she will realize that disagreements don't mean we don't hope everything can be worked out to everyone's benefit.

We have all been there and had shops invalidated, incessant request for clarifications, threats to have revisions submitted within a couple of hours, deductions because a report was submitted a minute or two late, the list goes on and on. I would never wish anything I went through in the beginning on anyone else.

While fun and camaraderie is high on my list of reasons to be here, paying it forward is just as important.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
Blanka,
This forum is meant to help, not hurt. I have received feedback from several of the people that have posted, and trust me, they have years of experience and dealings with the companies you speak of, as have I. I think everyone was trying to up help you figure out a solution and not be combative.
We would like to help you. Could you start with something like....I had a shop with Bestmark and they did not pay me because of "X". That may help us help you. No need to be aggressive, we would like to help you figure out a solution, or at minimum, figure out what went wrong. I, and many others, have never had a problem with these companies, so to use such harsh words starts everything off on a bad note.
If you are still willing, break down the issue and we will be glad to help you work through it. There could still be a resolution if we can help you figure out the problem.
Lisa I'm glad you understand. I was not agreeing with the original poster. Actually I disagree about 2 of the 3 companies he/she mentioned. The 3rd company has had many people complain so he/she is not alone with that company. I also saw many people tried to explain that the companies are not scams. The bottom line for me is I read the positive opinions and the negative opinions and take it all in before forming my own opinion on companies I'm not familiar with. If I'm still not sure I will ask a person whose opinion I trust. I was just trying to keep the subject on mystery shopping.......besides I dont cook. smiling smiley

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> spree, you are absolutely right. Attempts had been
> made to get this into a real discussion and the
> poster was still too angry. While I'm not sure of
> her feelings now, she has explained the issue with
> one company and has allowed some of us to offer
> some constructive advice. Hopefully, she will
> realize that disagreements don't mean we don't
> hope everything can be worked out to everyone's
> benefit.
>
> We have all been there and had shops invalidated,
> incessant request for clarifications, threats to
> have revisions submitted within a couple of hours,
> deductions because a report was submitted a minute
> or two late, the list goes on and on. I would
> never wish anything I went through in the
> beginning on anyone else.
>
> While fun and camaraderie is high on my list of
> reasons to be here, paying it forward is just as
> important.
I have worked for MF and BestMark, and my hubby has done jobs for Monterrey. Never have had any problems with them! There was a week I was out taking care of sick family and missed 3 assignments, and MF didn't even hold that against me!
I hate to hear others are having problems, but we only know one side. Did they give you a chance to correct an error on a report? Did they ignore you altogether? What happened?
There's an app for thatgrinning smiley

spree Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .......besides I dont cook. smiling smiley

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
To Blanka and Dave:

I do shops for Marketforce regularly, and have had nothig but great experiences with them. I myself have done over 200 shops for them. If you feel that your report has been needlessly rejected you should contact the help desk for further explanation, or figure out what they are looking for and give them EXACTLY what they want. I've questioned their decisions a couple of times, and both times the outcomes have been fair (both in my favor and not).

There are companies out there that are not reasonable with these kinds of things, but Marketforce is definitely not one of them.

Dave I recommend that you at least try a few of the smaller shops they offer to see what they are like. Just remember, like always, you need to follow the instructions as they have them. Any deviation may cause a rejection by the client.
I just checked my stats..265 shops completed for BestMark and I have been paid for all of them. And, probably just as many for Marketforce.

Neither company is a scam in my book.
LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There's an app for thatgrinning smiley
>
> spree Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > .......besides I dont cook. smiling smiley


Is there an app for cleaning? I would gladly pay for that.
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz Southern Comfort® peach liqueur
1/2 oz Rose's® lime juice
1/2 oz grenadine syrup

Pour ingredients into a stainless steel shaker over ice, and shake until completely cold. Strain into an old-fashioned glass, and serve.

Drink recipes count....right?

whomever the troll is, I suggest trying the above recipe and relaxing for a moment. There are plenty of actually scams to worry about. Some MSCs can be sticklers and sometimes a correctly executed shop gets denied for one reason or another, but it's more of an exception than a rule.

Bestmark is the only MSC that has ever stiffed me on a correctly executed shop, but the reality is that they were covering their behinds and I see that in retrospect. The time on the receipt was not accurate, and showed the shop being outside the required time frame. Thats how the MSC assures that it will stay in business...by not submitting questionable reports! They can afford to loose shoppers, but not clients.
SunnyDays2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have done over 300 shops with Market Force and
> never had a receipt rejected.
>
> Invest in a new scanner and practice with it...smiling smiley


Personally, I have never had to discuss my burger bun with MarketForce, either.

Robin

Silver certified, I shop in Cities in NM and TX that no one has ever heard of.
LOL gotta love that investigative reporting! Thx Jenn!

jentodd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let me ... see...
>
> blanka's account information:
> Member Since: 08/20/2012 03:36PM
> Last Activity: 08/20/2012 05:06PM
>
> davemlkk's account information:
> Member Since: 08/20/2012 04:33PM
> Last Activity: 08/20/2012 05:06PM
>
> Hmm. =D

Robin

Silver certified, I shop in Cities in NM and TX that no one has ever heard of.
That sounds AMAZING!! Do we have a recipes section?? We should!


BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In a usenet group I used to frequent, there was a
> tradition of posting yummy recipes instead of
> feeding the trolls. There was no need for even a
> troll warning. One of the group veterans would
> simply change the subject header and feed the
> group instead of the troll.
>
> [www.cooks.com],
> 00.html
>
> 1 salmon steak for each person
>
> MUSTARD SAUCE:
>
> 4 tbsp. Dijon mustard
> 1 tsp. dry mustard
> 3 tbsp. sugar
> 2 tbsp. white vinegar
> 1/3 c. vegetable oil
> 1 sm. bunch fresh dill, chopped
>
> Grill the salmon steaks on an outdoor grill. This
> improves the flavor, although a broiler works
> almost as well. To make the sauce, combine the
> mustards, sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Add the oil
> in a thin stream until the mixture is thick (I use
> a wire whisk). Stir in the dill. Refrigerate until
> ready to use. This sauce is also good with other
> mild tasting fish fillets and with cold chicken.

Robin

Silver certified, I shop in Cities in NM and TX that no one has ever heard of.
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