I did three phone shops and they are excluded without pay because I did not sound convincing enough for them. I did three of the same phone shops last month and I received my payments for that, but now they decide that I sound different compared to last month. I can understand if I never did a shop for them before and was excluded without pay. This is B.S and I took time to do these shops and they do not want to pay at least for one phone of $5. Do not waste your time, please. I saw a review about them before I joined them, that they did not pay for shops and that they make you work hard for your $2. Well I would like to say you can take my $5 and take it to you know where. I will not shop or waste any time on this company. Run while you can. Thank you.

I'll keep that in mind.

They are the ones that I recently seemed to have been signed up for without my knowing/remembering. I usually like phone shops, but the amounts were so tiny that I didn't sign up for any of them, especially since I was trying to figure out when/if I had actually given them my info. Perhaps my bad vives there weren't so far off.

Good morning,

My name is Shane and I am the mystery shopping department manager at Shoppers' View. Since I am not sure who the OP is I can't speak to their specific situation. Below I will give a few general reasons why a phone shop would not be accepted and be given a reason of not being realistic.

• Saying you don’t know your mom’s name – that you only called her mom.

• Applying for a Spanish speaking shop, and not being able to fluently speak Spanish.

• Calling a cash advance store and saying that you make $8,000 a month. (not that this doesn’t happen, but our guidelines state the amount of money you should state you make per month)

• Saying you don't know where you live or work.

• Being asked your name and saying ummm, ummmm, ummm with long pauses. You should have your scenarios written down ahead of time so you don’t have to think of generic questions off the top of your head.

• Calling a rent-to-own store asking about a refrigerator and then switching to a laptop when they have no refrigerators in stock.

• Calling an auto service location and saying you have a year old car that has 60,000 miles on it (especially since guidelines state how many miles you should say are on your vehicle)

Whenever possible, we keep shops if we can make them work, as rescheduling with another shopper costs us money (staff and hosting), which eats into our very marginal profit. However, when clients give us strict instructions regarding specific scenarios and we don’t follow, or if we put shops through that the client unrealistic/unbelievable, it not only damages our reputation, but mystery shopping's reputation as a whole.

RiverSong - we do not purchase or share mystery shopper's information, so the only way to get in our shopping database is to sign up. I am happy to look-up what day you signed up for your peace of mind (just provide me your name/email address). We use the Sassie platform so perhaps you were confused with what company you signed up for? [www.shoppersview.com]

I am happy to address any specific questions you have regarding our company either openly on this forum or via private email at shane@shoppersview.com.

Thanks and Happy Shopping!

Olivia, I understand that you didn't get paid for your shops and you're disappointed. Perhaps there was something you said on this batch of shops that made you sound unconvincing. Can you perhaps give us some more information about how this happened, or get some more information about why your shops were turned down for being unconvincing? There are not enough details in this post to justify a recommendation not to shop for the company. The company may have had a very good reason to think your shops were unconvincing.

I was doing these shops at $5 and decided that they just weren't worth it for a measly $5 so when the dropped down to $2 I'm like WTH??? I definitely won't do them. Anyway, that really blows, I can't imagine not paying you because you didn't sound convincing!! How ridiculous. Anyway, I had one rejected because I gave my father's name. I thought that was pretty idiotic because I was supposed to say I did not want to provide his name to prevent them from searching all the hospitals and nursing homes for him. I really don't see how it should have resulted in a reject though, maybe just a slap on the hand. Anyway, like you. I'm not keen to work for Shopper's View anymore either.

Good afternoon,

Just to clarify, the $5 shops were not dropped to $2 pay. They are different clients. The $5 shops require you to give a legitimate call back number or email address (to track follow-up). The $2 shops did not. However, I'm pleased to note at the beginning of May we bumped the $2 funeral calls to $4 since we realize they are a bit more labor intensive than our regular $2 phone shops.

That said - all of our phone shop scoresheets have just these questions:

Date
Time
Associate name
Did they answer the call within 3 rings

We have no narratives or other scored questions (unlike some companies that pay $2 and require a full recap of the call). However, if it isn't your cup of tea, that is the beauty of being an indepedent contractor - you can pick and choose.

Thanks for the questions! Please let me know if you have any others I can address.

To my knowledge, all shopping work is paid predicated upon the finished product being acceptable to the MSC. I had one rejected today at a fee of $158. Of course I wasn't pleased, BUT, that's business. Shane's explanation was concise and well stated:

if it isn't your cup of tea, that is the beauty of being an independent contractor - you can pick and choose.

I had 2 shops dis-allowed by this MSC 5 yrs. ago because I mis-read the guidelines. Neither company nor shopper were angry, as each understood that's business.

Folks, self-employment isn't for all. For those, though, desiring their freedom and whose goal is profit oriented, you MUST not think like an employee with entitlements, a guarantees and media to publicize your lamentations. If you're to be successful, from this reading on, clear your mind and begin taking care of your business, like an astute business person!

Well said, Bob. The sooner we give up employee mentality, the better. We don't get paid for showing up. We are in business to deliver a product according to guidelines. Employers pay for the mistakes of their employees. Independent contractors pay for their own.

Of course the "acceptance" by the client can be a very elusive goal. If the independant contractor fulfills requirements of the assignment as given by the MSC only to be not paid because it wasn't "accepted" by the client then imo is not a valid reason. I didn't make an agreement with the client. Having been involved in home construction and remodeling for many years I can tell you that failing to pay sub contractors is how many home owners end up with liens on their property.

When I get paid, it's been accepted. That's how I can tell.

I like Shoppers View....some of their clients aren't my faves though. Referring to the $2 phone shops...the majority of employees who answer the phone are beyond RUDE. I was so put off by one the other day, I totally forgot to ask for her name...my fault.

I disagree with imagator. As the old adage goes:If you don't like the peaches, don't shake the tree.

As to honor in this business, not counting the single job for which I was stiffed by Franchise Comp, my rate to date is 2738 shops out of 2742 have been accepted. That's a ratio of 1:688; I can live with that number.

Shopperbob, More power to you but imo the MSC is acting as a General Contractor and is hiring us as sub contractors. All the requirements are furnished to us by the MSC. When the MSC states that our payment is subject to their clients acceptance that is tossing a red herring into the mix. I don't take sub contracting jobs from McDonalds, Lowes or any other client. I sub contract from the MSC and if I complete the jobs per the requirements set forth from the MSC they owe me the money. No one probably will question them or take them to court over such a small amount but they could.
I look at it this way. Let's say you hired a general contractor to build you a house, the general contractor hires me to put up a brick wall and gives me a set of plans to guide me, I build the wall and submit a bill but instead of a check I receive a letter from the general contractor stating that you the owner didn't accept the wall I built. Do I just shrug my shoulders and walk away?

shopperbob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I disagree with imagator. As the old adage goes:If
> you don't like the peaches, don't shake the tree.
>
>
> As to honor in this business, not counting the
> single job for which I was stiffed by Franchise
> Comp, my rate to date is 2738 shops out of 2742
> have been accepted. That's a ratio of 1:688; I can
> live with that number.

I recently started doing their phone shops and although the guidelines are lengthy ($5 shop), this is the hardest part. I have yet to be accepted for the $4, not many in my area, but will gladly do them when I am accepted. Payment is prompt.

Imaga,

There's a point you're not considering. If before the GC hires you for the wall, he clearly explains, AND you sign a contract, whereby your pay is directly related to the home owner's acceptance, you are not entitled to any money, unless said acceptance were to be forthcoming.

If I thought what I was being paid to do was idiotic, I'd just not do it and cancel the shop instead of doing it the way I thought was best. I prefer their pay than mine.

jpgilham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was doing these shops at $5 and decided that
> they just weren't worth it for a measly $5 so when
> the dropped down to $2 I'm like WTH??? I
> definitely won't do them. Anyway, that really
> blows, I can't imagine not paying you because you
> didn't sound convincing!! How ridiculous.
> Anyway, I had one rejected because I gave my
> father's name. I thought that was pretty idiotic
> because I was supposed to say I did not want to
> provide his name to prevent them from searching
> all the hospitals and nursing homes for him. I
> really don't see how it should have resulted in a
> reject though, maybe just a slap on the hand.
> Anyway, like you. I'm not keen to work for
> Shopper's View anymore either.

Shopperbob, A lot of things can be put in a contract that won't stand up to legal muster and I believe this could be one of them. Again though, most of time the amounts are so small it would never be challenged in court. If I did run into that situation and felt I had fulfilled all my obligations I wouldn't hesitate to complain directly to the client.


shopperbob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Imaga,
>
> There's a point you're not considering. If before
> the GC hires you for the wall, he clearly
> explains, AND you sign a contract, whereby your
> pay is directly related to the home owner's
> acceptance, you are not entitled to any money,
> unless said acceptance were to be forthcoming.

The problem with contacting a client directly is that it is a violation of the agreements we stipulate to when we sign up with MSCs.

Additionally, in the past, this has been done with mixed results. I have yet to hear of a situation in which the client financially resolved a payment dispute between an MSC and an IC. The client has already paid the MSC for services, and they aren't going to willingly pay again.

Please research situations involving Freeman and Secret Shopping Services for examples.

It really is a rarity for a shop to be completed according to guidelines (and sometimes just close to guidelines) and not be both accepted and paid. Normally if there is an issue with a company it will become known quickly. Many shoppers come to the forum and complain of non-payment for work performed correctly and offer up a variety of excuses, such as a negative report. After all these years and thousands of shops, I have not been stiffed and have turned in my fair share of negative reports. On occasion I have also screwed up on the guidelines. Minor errors have usually been accepted and a couple of glaring errors did result in non-payment, but in those cases the only one to blame was me.

shopgal is right on about contacting the clients. Their contract is with the MSC and if they have paid them, there is absolutely no reason for them to pay a second time. Every small business owner runs the risk of their clients (in our case the MSCs) refusing to pay or going out of business. All we can do it protect ourselves by using our resources to research MSCs and taking care to minimize our risks.

**DO NOT SHOP FOR SHOPPER'S VIEW**

They will make up an excuse to not pay you and still use your shop.

I did 5 phone shops for them and was not paid for one, same shops, same guidelines. I contacted them and got back rude responses. I should have checked this site before I signed up. I will report all non-payments to the state labor board from now on. This is unacceptable, I don't care what others post regarding defense of the shopping companies.

jovonneb, I know it's disappointing to not get paid for shops. The important thing is to find out why you didn't get paid so you don't make the same mistakes over and over. Posting "Do not shop for Shopper's View" after you've had a problem with your reports comes off as juvenile and hot tempered. When you get rude with or about the company you shut down communication and also damage yourself with other MSCs. Don't think for a minute that other MSCs can't communicate with Shopper's View and find out exactly who you are. It may not seem fair, but it's real.

MScs are in business to make money and they do it by giving their clients acceptable reports. That's the same way we make money, we give our MSCs acceptable reports. I know you said you're not shopping for this company any longer, but breaking off every time there is a problem is not a good long term plan. You've seriously dissed this company on an open internet forum and you've failed to give any supporting facts. Not good.

You also said you don't care what others post. All right then, I understand. The point of answering a post like yours is not so you can learn something. It's so someone else can learn something. It's not my purpose to argue with you, and like you with your attitude to what anyone else might post, I don't care what you think of my post.

Hello - unfortunately despite what the above poster stated, we really hate having to exclude a shop. It is twice (sometimes more) the amount of work for us, and we don't get paid for the extra. We get paid for usable shops that follow the guidelines. Our exclude rate on this project is around 3% for veteran shoppers (those who have worked on this project before) but about double that for shoppers who are new to the project. It is so important that the shopping scenario is followed.

I am happy to publically address any payment questions or staff emails - or we can do so privately be emailing me at shane@shoppersview.com.

Have a safe and joyous holiday!

Shane


Update (12/18/14)- I feel I need to add the above poster (jovonneb) is the same shopper who posted a negative yelp review about this situation back in March. We reached out to her at that point (several times both calling and emailing) and she never responded. Please know, she completed 5 shops. Four of her shops were paid. The 5th was excluded without pay. I will not going into the reasons behind it here in the open but it was justified.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2014 07:04PM by ShoppersViewShane.