These folks are a joke and want they are doing should be illegal. I sent them an e-mail stating that their business practices were simply disgusting and offensive. ZERO DOLLARS PAY for a Hotel Shop...but they pay $600 expenses? These people really want people to work for free although I doubt that their schedulers and the owners do so.

I have stated that there are risks implied, reports to be written and observations to be made and that these folks really want slaves instead of Independent Contractors?

If any of you took any of these "jobs" (aka stupidity, slave-labor wages), I am really sorry for you...you fell into the ruse. I have been mystery shopping for more than 6 years and I'm tired of some of these companies taking advantage of us. IF WE STICK TOGETHER...this sort of abuses will stop.

BTW...here is an excerpt from an e-mail response I got from the owner of the "plantation".

"Thanks for your feedback, I understand from your emails that you are not interested in the hotel shops. After reading through your profile I think that the feeling may be mutual and I am going to deactivate your account so you wont have to receive these emails anymore.

Sincerely,

Valerie A. Casares
OWNER
[STATUS=PUBLICLY DEACTIVATED]
[DO NOT EMAIL=OFF]

This citation is worth a shop rating of 1 for 0 shop(s)."


Wow...I thought Lincoln had freed the slaves!!!!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2013 09:01PM by rardon.

I think perhaps an internship would be a better analogy. Slaves would not have the option of saying, "No," to the assignment.

I think you deserved to be deactivated. If you don't want to do the shops, don't. You are an independent contractor. It's hardly slave labor if someone decides for themselves to do the shop for no fee. None of us are obligated in any way to perform any shop we don't want to.

Mercantile was right to deactivate you, imo.

-Edit: Unless of course you were being forced to do a hotel shop. That might be akin to slavery. Were you being forced to shop this hotel? If so, please forgive me.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2013 04:15AM by inskydiamonds.

The OP is an embarrassment.

@MDavisnowell:

I'm an embarrassment? For what? For calling out a company that offers $0? Ok...so, I guess you can work for free.

NO...THE EMBARRASSMENT to the Mystery Shopping community are people like you that are naive enough to fall into the ruse of these "companies"!!

I really, really feel sorry for you and your ilk.

@inskydiamonds:

I'm not sore for being deactivated. For everyone of these jokers that want to abuse people...there are 10 companies that will pay a decent wage.

BTW..don't tell me...you are willing to work for free?

rardon, I appreciate your passion, but shoppers should be able to make up their own minds what shops are worthwhile for them.

I would like to think that many would balk at the lack of fee for the shops and refuse them. If Merc started paying for a fee to get them done, they may be worthwhile. You have just taken yourself out of the running for that possibility, however...

What works for some shoppers may not work for you. What works for you may not work for some shoppers. For some shoppers, being reimbursed for a weekend in a hotel might be entirely worth the report.

Regardless, this is not even close to slavery and actually it's entirely ridiculous that you would attempt to compare the two.

I also think it may be appropriate to define the word slave for you, since you seem to love throwing that word around:

"One bound in servitude as the property of a person or household."

And to help you a little more, servitude means "Lack of personal freedom, as to act as one chooses."

If Mercantile systems owned you as property you might want to call the police instead of posting about it on a forum.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2013 04:52AM by inskydiamonds.

There are many MSC around that offer 'expenses reimbursed only' mystery shops. I used to do a lot of them. I don't do many any more but that is also my choice as an independent contractor. I never felt pressured into taking a shop which offered 'expenses' only. Sometimes it is nice to have a getaway or a nice meal and the report is just another form of payment for the services/food I have received.

I don't consider those shops as 'jobs'. I consider them more like a barter between the food/bed I receive and the report I write. To paraphrase what inskydiamonds said, there are many kinds of mystery shops and many kinds of mystery shoppers. We all find the matches that work for us.

No one forces anyone to take a shop. If the terms are unpalatable to the majority, the terms of the shop will change. If they don't, then it's obvious some shoppers are happy doing them. It's all a case of supply and demand.

Um, those hotels are NICE. And EXPENSIVE. If I had $600 to front it, I would happily tie it into a vacation to Balimore, Orlando, or even use it as an excuse to stay in Chicago (right around the corner) for a few days. Reimbursement for a few days stay in exchange for a short survey/narrative/photos is pretty reasonable. In fact, most hotel shops I see havent offered any pay. Just reimbursement.

You folks take me wrong. I'm trying to raise awareness of some of the practices of these companies. Practices that are simply immoral and wrong. I respect your opinion...you can go and spend all your time working for free....its your right and I don't have a problem with it. . But...you can't blame me for my attempt to throw a wrench into the machine of these "companies" that basically exploit naive independent contractors to suit their business practices.

In this case, you arn't working for free, you're working for a hotel stay.

@inkinkg....yeah right!!!

Rardon, why your beef with this one company? I have shopped with mercantile for years and found them to be a fantastic company to work with. Very flexible, and while the reports may be a little long, all of their other shops pay a fairly decent shopper fee.

In addition, I have performed several types of shops where the experience was the reimbursement: nfl football games, concerts, hotels, etc. I feel that my report is my way of "paying" for the experience.

If you don't want to do them, you don't have to. More opportunities for the rest of us!

But quite honestly, seeing the way you are going around bashing one company just makes it seem like you are upset that the president deactivated you.

It's a barter system. If I paint your house and you fix my car, that's bartering
If I stay at your hotel for free and write you a report, that's bartering.

It's pretty good business practice if you ask me.

And it is not free. The shopper receives services in the value of $600. That's not free.

If I do a restaurant shop and get 75$ in free food but no cash in return for a report, it's the same thing.

This is such a common practice that there must be dozens of slave labour MSC out there.

That's why many of us have a hard time with your OP.

There is another form of payment that the OP just doesn't seem to "get." The last time that I did a $600+ hotel shop, it was for an MSC that has a very reasonable report. I had plenty of time to take a walking tour of the city area, visit a museum and use the hotel facilities. There was no limit on what food and wine I could order at the excellent restaurant.

AND, I walked away with enough hotel rewards points to buy TWO nights at the very nice mid-range hotels in that "family" of hotels. Each year, my MS hotel shops buy me enough points for more than 2 weeks of free hotel stays, and not in low class places! Thats how "dumb" I am. Oh, and I can also convert my hotel rewards into air travel and/or Amtrak travel.

People can beat the origional poster up all they want but it still does not gloss over the fact that we would not be doing mystery shopping unless we were poor. Investing $600 to essentially make nothing might be the same kind of upside down thinking that got us in the poor house in the first place. I am speaking for myself anyways and anyone that might do the unthinkable and be honest with themselves!

Lets get some of the data straight for those non-believers:

- Gas to get to the hotel: ~$10
- Time spent on observations, evaluations and writing the report: 4-5 hours
- Money put "at risk" (because you don't know if your report could be rejected), up to $600
- Wages paid to the shopper: $0.

Yep...it really adds us....right?

Again...does the scheduler also work for free? Does the MSC work for free as well?

SAY NO TO UNDERPAID (or in this case, no payment at all)...so called assignments from unethical companies that want to take advantage of us.

While I would certainly not do the $600 shops because I just cannot risk losing that kind of money, if I am going to VA to visit my son I would certainly pick up a hotel shop to do there so I have somewhere to stay and don't mind at all that it's reimbursement only. It's a way of getting my hotel costs reimbursed and my fee is what I would have paid in hotel costs. If I was going to pay $80 anyway then that ends up being my fee for the stay because that it what I saved on hotels.

Also not all mystery shoppers are poor. Some mystery shop because they really enjoy it.

Gas to get the hotel would be moot if someone is route shopping. The bottom line is if you don't like the shop, don't take the shop. Subject lines all in caps, huge warnings to beware, posting virtually the same thing in multiple places, along with talking to veteran shoppers like they are total idiots is unnecessary. I don't get paid wages, I get paid fees for my services. When I don't like the fees or find value in the barter it is time to negotiate or move on.

Once again, I agree with Mary.

Although I fired Merc several yrs. ago for broken promises, I respect their right to set any conditions they choose with respect to assignments; it's my prerogative to refuse an MSCs offer. After all, I'm surely NOT a slave, am I?

Complaints bashing a company in multiple threads are an embarrassment because they degrade the quality of the forum. A problem reported in one thread in clear detail and logical sequence is always welcomed. Supporting and constructive suggestions will be made.

All mystery shoppers are not poor. Apparently many can front $600 for a job, and do. For those who choose not to front large outlays, there is plenty of other work.

It is not possible to run someone else's business. Run down, yes. Run, no.

Whether I work for free is private and not relevant.

Yeah most of us mystery shoppers are poor. People who have money dont go up to McDonalds and order what they are told to order just so they can make $10! People with money don't go up to the car dealership and chit chat with the car salesman just so they can make $25! People with money order whatever they feel like eating at McDonalds when ever they feel like going there. People with money go to the car dealership and deal with the salesman only when they need a new car. Were poor people deal with it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2013 02:39PM by FREELANCEREPORTER.

From experience: less desirable shops = higher fees; more desirable shops = less or no fee.

Yes, it would be nice if Mercantile offers the token $10, but the business world is not so nice. All I can say is put more quality into your work and get yourself into better, higher caliber MSCs.

FREELANCEREPORTER Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> People with money order
> whatever they feel like eating at McDonalds

I'm really hoping that people with money are choosing to eat better than McD's....

Everyone works then because they don't have money, right?
Most people have to follow rules in their workplaces, from their bosses, etc.

So every employer, by having requirements, is taking advantage of their employees by this logic.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2013 03:09PM by inskydiamonds.

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that the OP really wants to do these shops but can't afford to so he's pissed about it. But I could be wrong.

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rardon, I appreciate your passion, but shoppers
> should be able to make up their own minds what
> shops are worthwhile for them.
>
> I would like to think that many would balk at the
> lack of fee for the shops and refuse them. If
> Merc started paying for a fee to get them done,
> they may be worthwhile. You have just taken
> yourself out of the running for that possibility,
> however...

The opinion of the shopper is valid to alert other shoppers of the compensation that is offered. I appreciate the post.

I can probably get the same information if I pulled up the shop and read the guidelines but the post saves me the step of pulling up that offer if I know the offer contains a issue that I would not be comfortable with.

A negative for one shopper may be a plus for another. If I was on the road and my boss paid me for the hotel and food and I had a lot of time after meeting with the client why not do the shop and be paid for the same hotel and food expenses from the employer and the mystery shop?

Put that money into a bank and do not touch it as it is "found money". It was as if you saw the money on the lobby or restaurant floor and you bent over and picked it up. You could have ignored the double dip and got zip. The report can be done on your lap top during your "down time" at the hotel. The shop gives you somethng to do rather than read the bible in the drawer.

If I go to a beach for example I go to a convenience store. I buy the sandwich for the beach, they also give me a little money for gas. My trip to the beach is free for the exchange of doing a report. Because there is really nothing on TV doing a report instead keeps my mind sharp. The TV program would probably be garbage anyway unless it is a ball game.

There is no redeeming value in doing a Mickey D. The $7.50 fee buys about 2 gallons of gas. The second sandwich you get is fish and is usually edible. You buy it at the drive thru as you drive away. The "burger" can kill you. You only have to taste the burger. I give the burger that was "cooked" and prepared in under two minutes to the guy or gal that solicited me for change on the way into the Mickey D.

If the "unfortunate person" was not hungry and was just looking for change the look on their face is priceless. If they are insulted that you gave them food you are happy you did not give them change they would have just used it for drugs. If they are hungry the "thank you" gives me a feeling I helped someone who needed that burger and fries more than me.

I actually prefer to just lurk on these boards but had to comment in defense of this particular company. My shopping experience with them has been nothing but positive largely because their requirements were clear and their reports were short which made completing shops so much easier. The editors I encountered also gave great feedback and helpful suggestions. In my experience, they will occasionally bonus a shop (that's usually reimb only) if it's been sitting on their job board for awhile if you request it.

I've also done hotel shops similar to what OP is referring, ie reimbursement only. Let's see, 4 or 5-star hotel, room service, restaurant meals, drinks at the bar, a spa visit or two, everything reimbursed just for a few observations and interactions plus hotel points and the reward points I received just for using my hotel credit card - well, I have to say I never once felt like a "slave".

To me, the value of the shop was not just in the completely reimbursed luxurious stay for a couple of days but also in the reward points I received on my cc and frequent traveler account with the hotel. That stuff is also worth money.