I did a favor for them (the first mistake) by going totally out of my way to do a credit compliance check at a Toy Store. The shop was a long distance from me and they bonused me $5 so I took it. The shop was very vague as far as where I was shopping,but to try and explain, they also have a Baby version of this store, and both "versions" of this store were mentioned in the shop information/guidelines/shop form. I plugged the address into my GPS and off I went. I performed the shop, made the purchase (which I had to return today closer to home, not part of the shop), and completed the form promptly.

Today I was emailed that my shop will not be accepted and must be re-shopped because I was supposed to go to the baby version of the store, which was in the same plaza. It was a HUGE plaza and at the other end, and my GPS brought me right to the front door of the other store.

Nowhere does the shop state which "version" of this store I was to be at, there is just an address and both version names of the store. The only give-away would have been the telephone number. Since I had my GPS, and I knew that store was there, I didn't feel the need to call ahead. That was where I made the mistake.

So now my totally out of the way shop will not be accepted. If I re-shop it will cost me more in gas than the shop made me. Do I re-do it? I have not had the best relationship with Ath, nor do I love this company, and their shops are so low paying... What to do?

Coin flip. Call it in the air . . . came up heads, how do you feel about that option?

I just did the $22 version of this shop and found it to be the best money I have ever made from Ath. I will likely stay with the company for these shops, which are right down my BS alley. And I do still like their drive through shops, although I have yet to see one in 2009. But certainly life is too short for their platform and/or teller shops at they last pay I saw.

In a perfect world, you'd be able to re-shop it, and schedule another one or two in that vicinity to make it worthwh$le.

Personally, I don't want to be labelled a flake. I would re-do it.

It really was the best money I ever made from Ath, but I just can't get back to that location tomorrow, which is when it would have to be done. It was 40 minutes away.

I guess I am a flake!

No way, Susan. You'll have to update us regarding whether your status takes a hit or not.

Absolutely. I am so mad at myself for not calling. The shop form said I could visit the "Electronics Dept" as an option, so I automatically thought of the Toy Store and not the Baby Store.

Ah, Ath.

I let the scheduler know very politely that the shop form or details should at least say which version of the store to go to in case a similar problem happens again, but the shop is back out there with no details of which to go to. Hopefully she will tell whoever takes it.

What a waste of gas money and time that was.

I did both these and love them...........well, I was lucky as I had one at each.
I input the Baby store one in the Toy store one.......plus I spent over the $100 although the Baby was 50-100........so I entered the Baby in the right place although it was over the $$$ amount.(they still accepted it)
I let them know so they could reset the Toy one and I could go do it......didn't get back to me till after the deadline.........but they were nice enough to put it back up w/new due date so they assigned it to me and I did the Toy one yesterday.

These two stores are within 1/2 mile of each other........one is inside mall parking lot area and other across street from mall........their addresses are different(which I should have checked before doing the shop) although one is 3800 XXX Mall Blvd and the other is XXX 38th st. They are both located basically at the intersection of XXX Mall Blvd and 38th st.

I also suggested they actually put name of store on the shop.......TOY OR BABY so shoppers would not be confused.

I have to agree w/Flash.......that this was a great shop........good pay and easy shop. They paid $18 and $22 PLUS I kept all the stuff for the grandbabies....when I go up this weekend.........it will be like Christmas.........(course, my son did get an XBOX 360 game out of it too!!)

I was lucky since I had signed for one of each..........

Didn't the email stupidly say Baby Shop/Toy Shop?

It actually is a cc offer shop..........it utilizes the initials of both stores..
not even the actual names...and not Baby shop/Toy Shop...just initials...and no the shop details do not even name which store it is when you get the shop. You have to rely on the address and phone # to identify location. Many are located within the same mall area.
That is why I suggested to the editor/scheduler that future shops should state the actual store name along w/address and phone #. Since there isn't any call ahead.......and addresses can be misleading even w/GPS..........if they are both at malls.........GPS will simply lead you to the mall.
Guess, you can call the phone number to verify what store but seems like it would be easy enough for the MS to name the store.

I found them very easy to work with though. They were all nice and in the end it was my fault for not verifying the address w/ the store. I just assumed it was the baby store. I would have lost out if I hadn't been fortunate enough to have a shop scheduled at both stores and that they accepted my purchases for over $100 even though the limit was $50-$100.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2009 07:32AM by bugspost.

For me the address was the same within the same huge strip mall. So when my GPS put me practically at the front door... I didn't even see the Baby Store way at the other end. Bugspot you are lucky that you had both. Since this was so so far away from me, I just couldn't get back TODAY, which was the only option they gave me. I have Valentine parties at my children's schools and that is waaaaay more important than a shop. I had to return the item since I didn't want anything, and even with the $5 bonus they gave me, it was a long ride for me, so I am disappointed. I guess I was hoping they would realize THEIR mistake (and I really think they are making a mistake by NOT stating the name of the store we are supposed to go to) and at least give me the $5 bonus for gas, but I guess not. The whole scenario is typical for Ath though, which is why I am mad at myself for helping them out.

Not that it is any help, but the receipt I got does not even show the address of the store where I made the purchase. It does have the store number, which is the one shown on the job form and it does have the same phone number as the job form. I lucked out because the two stores are not in the same shopping plaza. Typical laziness that Ath has one sheet of instructions for all the shops in the sequence, whether they are offer or compliance. It is the same kind of laziness on their part that leads to having you fill out two surveys for one platform shop so you can discuss the teller and the CSR separately.

I looked already becase I couldn't believe I was at the wrong place, and there is no store number or address (just town) on the receipt-just a phone number.

My Baby store one had an address on it but the TOY one only had phone # and store # on it. I agree that it is just crazy that they have this long list of instructions for both types of shops attached to each one........they should have the BABY shop instructions on the BABY shop and TOY shop instructions on TOY shop.
In addition to that......there are pages of the apply for credit shop which these were NOT........only the OFFER shop. No wonder shoppers get confused.......

Originally, I only signed up for one...........which I thought was BABY and then the following day......another one popped up. I actually thought it was for the BABY too and even emailed the scheduler asking if it was alright to do the same store within two days of each shop. She even emailed me back and said I could do the same location twice.........lo and behold...........they were not FOR the same location.

I know they ended up getting the second shop 3 days after they wanted it but hope they learned a lesson and will be clearer the next time they post these. I imagine many shoppers had problems with this issue.

You did, and I did, and that is just from our little corner of the Internet! I can't imagine how many shoppers did who we don't know about.

I also noticed the instructions were for both types of shops too. It sounds like a way to save money. Just attach it all on one so they don't have to think about it, and if the shopper gets confused too bad us, they will still get paid.

Susan,

You state it is your fault because the instructions weren't as clear as they might have been. Well, I've been in similar situations and it is frustrating. I just try to make the best of it.

By all means let your scheduler know how the instructions could be clearer.

Then, consider just biting the mileage and time bullet and get the shop done in the allotted time. You can improve your reputation with your scheduler by doing this. (Don't forget to remind them in the future as needed) Sometimes you can add on additional shops or something else of interest to make it a more worthwhile for the second trip.

Another option is to ask for an extension. It doesn't hurt to ask and shows you want to do the right thing.

The one thing I'm certain about is the last thing I want is to see one of my shops reposted fpr another shopper to take. This is my job and reputation. I don't want to screw it up for myself. Although you may not have the best reputation with this MSC, they do talk to each other. I would recommend you do your best to get the shop done and then stop working for this company if you so choose.

Furthermore, please continue to share, so these forums can give us heads up on MSCs.

I did this one and I had to ask directions so I said baby or toy store is was confusing.

I was told do the the shop the next day or it was back out there, and there was no way I could do it the next day-my kids were off from school. They wouldn't give me any extra time.

It was confusing, it wasn't listed properly, I made a mistake by not calling (In my defense, I didn't even see the baby store when I pulled into the plaza) and then they were not helpful.

What's done is done at this point. Bummer, but that's it.

Be still my heart! Ath has now posted self assign drive throughs with short shopping window and low and behold they are now worth even 75 cents LESS than last year! Aargh!

I do those. As much as I dislike the pay, I do them becuase they are so easy. I've actually cut and pasted my narratives into word and just modify as necessary so it doesn't even take me 20 minutes total.

Still a better deal than their 2-for-1 teller/platform $17 shops!

I find it amusing that the list around here was depleted by the 3 I took--limit was 3. There have been encouraging emails that once you complete your 3 you can take 3 more. No takers. Now the due dates have been kicked out from the 'mandatory two day' window of before and all the ones I didn't take the first time around are still sitting there. And these are all the drive throughs with the fee reduction.

I think that many shoppers are just avoiding the entire Ath banking "scene" with their last round of cheap shops.

I see they are having a hard time finding shoppers in my area after they put out the first round of cheap drive-thrus. They gave them a 2 day window, which was much shorter than usual, which took me aback. I was certain that it said they had a 3 day window, but I was wrong and they cited me as a flake for a couple of shops that I didn't complete (I did complete some of them). Now I have a citation on my account, which I fought, apologized for, and even made it up to them by doing a bunch of "way-out-in-the-sticks" shops as well as a bunch of other shops. Of course I had to have a scheduler schedule all of them. Anyway, now there is a long list of shops that I have done on my account and none of them have actually been graded, so my shopper rating is still at 1. BTW, my shopper rating had been a 9 or 10 before that crap happened. I think a LOT of people are fed up with that company now. And yes, I have noticed they keep extending due dates after they warn you when the first time the shop comes out that it only has a window of like 3 days. Grrr.

I'm with you Susan!

My very first shop was with them and I did the EXACT SAME THING, but in reverse. I only signed up for the darned shop because I needed to go the Baby store anyway (Im prego...I thought I was the PERFECT secret squirrel and would fit right on) and the stores are blocks away from each other on the same street. Not only did I receive the WORST service I have had from them (I was shocked) and put my heart and soul into the narrative, but I got no more of a response from them except "you shopped the wrong store, it must be re-shopped..."

Honestly, if I hadnt signed up for several when I first signed up, I may have never kept going with Mshopping...not if all the companies were so vague and lacked support. Luckily, it hasnt been the case since then...just aTH

Alas, at least I made purchases I could use anyway!

SusanMB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Absolutely. I am so mad at myself for not
> calling. The shop form said I could visit the
> "Electronics Dept" as an option, so I
> automatically thought of the Toy Store and not the
> Baby Store.
>
> Ah, Ath.
>
> SAME HERE AGAIN! Mine specified a visit and review of the furniture department....last time I checked, I dont remember furniture in the Toy Store...but half of the baby store is certainly furniture filled.....
Seriously ATH?? SERIOUSLY?

Sorry all...hormonal today...thanks for the opp to vent! Sorry to hear it happened to someone else, but I feel a little better about "my mistake".

LOL Bugpost: Thanks for picking up my leftovers...sounds like you had to do my reshop at the baby place...and you made more than I was offered too!

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2009 03:01AM by jjage.

Now I don't feel so bad. I think you are the third person (and that is just on this forum) who has had this problem. I wonder if Ath is somehow submitting these and getting paid for them, so they make them confusing on purpose. Is that possible? Sadly, I can see them pulling a maneuver like that.

I got paid the other day so glad about that.........they really need to be more specific on the locations..........it has confused a lot of shoppers........