I conducted my first shop with Service Scouts in September. My payment has been listed as "on hold" and I finally got an answer about why it was placed on hold. My shop was for a golf course that required numerous photos and also required me to purchase food at the "cafeteria". This was a very small shop and all they had available to purchase was sodas, beer and chips. I asked for sandwiches or other food and was told that they had discontinued selling food. I purchased a soda, but did not purchase a bag of chips, as I didn't think there was a need to rate a pre-packaged bag of chips. This was clearly explained in my report.

Although I received a 9.6 rating for this shop, they are refusing to pay, saying that I did not follow instructions and purchase "food"!!! Nowhere in the instructions did it say that if there was no food, I should purchase a bag of potato chips and rate their freshness and flavor!!

Sounds like a way for the company to avoid paying me for my report!! Avoid this company or demand more detailed instructions if you choose to shop with them!!

I've removed them from my list of companies I choose to work with.

That is a common requirement. I do one that is called a cafeteria but only sells pop, apples and chips. Rules say buy entrée, drink, side. Yup. Buy that apple, pop, chips. Rules are rules. Its their buck so I buy it.

I agree with CANADAMOMMY. You were required to buy food and food was available to purchase. You decided not to buy the chips. So, you won't get paid.

I don't think the MSC should have given you a high rating or kept the shop on hold, though, instead of communicating with you quickly that you would not be paid.

It would be different if literally no food was available for purchase.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2012 05:13AM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

ginnylee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>My shop was for a golf course
> that required numerous photos and also required me
> to purchase food at the "cafeteria". This was a
> very small shop and all they had available to
> purchase was sodas, beer and chips. I asked for
> sandwiches or other food and was told that they
> had discontinued selling food. I purchased a
> soda, but did not purchase a bag of chips, as I
> didn't think there was a need to rate a
> pre-packaged bag of chips. This was clearly
> explained in my report.
>
> Although I received a 9.6 rating for this shop,
> they are refusing to pay, saying that I did not
> follow instructions and purchase "food"!!!
> Nowhere in the instructions did it say that if
> there was no food, I should purchase a bag of
> potato chips and rate their freshness and flavor!!
>

Hi, ginny, welcome to the forum. You don't mention if you are a new shopper, but you sound as if you may be. I'm sorry you lost payment on the shop - that hurts ..... not only the pocketbook but also your pride because you did the assignment and you worked hard on the report. The good news is that your report itself was graded 9.6 so you obviously did write a good report. The bad news is that you did not follow the directions and now won't be paid. Many of the types of "cafeterias" that you find at some of the smaller golf courses have little more than packaged junk food, beer, soda, and bottled water. I agree that packaged potato chips are junk food, but they do qualify as food. If instructed to order food, and packaged junk food is the only food available, that's what I order: candy bars, potato chips, cheese crackers, beer-nuts. You said "Nowhere in the instructions did it say that if there was no food, I should purchase a bag of potato chips" doesn't apply because food was available. Potato chips are food. If no food at all was available, you would have been justified in purchasing only a soda and expecting to be paid.

I agree it is odd that they would put your shop on hold for so long. I'm guessing - although I have no way of knowing - that you wrote a good report, and, although they knew immediately that you had not followed directions, they chose to see if the client would accept the shop even though the directions had not been followed rather than immediately disallowing your report. Given how long your shop was on hold after being graded, it sounds as though the client refused to accept it.

Thank you for the input. I have been shopping for a year, but had never run into something like that before. A hard lesson learned...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/2012 03:18PM by ginnylee.

I did a number of shops for them over a year ago. They still owe me $42!!!! I have emailed Tracy (8 times) and she has forwarded the request to Jim. Tracy is very nice and I understand her hands are tied. Jim seems to be the problem. Beware, if you want to geet paid for a shop/s go to a different organization. I am fed up!

I would not recommend shopping for this company. I am owed money as well ($20 reimbursement, $25 bonus). I've emailed twice.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2012 10:11AM by phms199.

Finally received my payment after 4 months.

I have shopped for them for over 4 years and have never had a problem. I do big money shops such as the [football teams], and golf course shops. The key to doing business with any company is to do it right the first time; less hoops to jump through!




[Moderated for ICA violation - MSC and client named in same thread]

danoh Wrote:
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>


It looks like you have mentioned specific clients for SS. Be careful.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2013 10:57AM by SunnyDays2.

Sunny, please edit. When you quoted danoh's post, it repeated the names of clients. I'm sure the moderator will edit danoh's post to remove them.

ginnylee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I conducted my first shop with Service Scouts in
> September. My payment has been listed as "on
> hold" and I finally got an answer about why it was
> placed on hold. My shop was for a golf course
> that required numerous photos and also required me
> to purchase food at the "cafeteria". This was a
> very small shop and all they had available to
> purchase was sodas, beer and chips. I asked for
> sandwiches or other food and was told that they
> had discontinued selling food. I purchased a
> soda, but did not purchase a bag of chips, as I
> didn't think there was a need to rate a
> pre-packaged bag of chips. This was clearly
> explained in my report.
>
> Although I received a 9.6 rating for this shop,
> they are refusing to pay, saying that I did not
> follow instructions and purchase "food"!!!
> Nowhere in the instructions did it say that if
> there was no food, I should purchase a bag of
> potato chips and rate their freshness and flavor!!
>
>
> Sounds like a way for the company to avoid paying
> me for my report!! Avoid this company or demand
> more detailed instructions if you choose to shop
> with them!!
>
> I've removed them from my list of companies I
> choose to work with.

Instead you should of contacted the Better Business Bureau on them and the they would of paid you. I had to do this before with a company and I received my money.

AustinMom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sunny, please edit. When you quoted danoh's post,
> it repeated the names of clients. I'm sure the
> moderator will edit danoh's post to remove them.


I fixed it

I hope the golf course was nice!