Mystique - payment issues?

Has anyone shopped for Mystique? I did a shop back in July and have not been paid yet. This is the first shop I have done for them. Their website says that they make "super fast" payouts. I e-mailed them about my overdue payment, but have not had the courtesy of a reply.

Any comments? Thanks!

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nslowry, if you use the search function on the board you'll find several discussions about the company, one very recent. Since you've already posted, just take a look under the post -- if you click on "More Discussions About Mystique Shopper" that should bring up the other discussions. You'll quickly see you're not alone in hunting down payment.

Thank you!

My Shopper Log shows that I have been paid for a shop I did in the Spring but the funds are not in my PP account. No one at Mystique responds to my queries.

Don't accept any shops with this company ever!!

I am very unhappy with Mystique. I still have not been paid for 2 shops I did in early April and early June. I have sent many emails over the last few months inquiring about payment status. I received an email reply from John Saccheri late in June saying that I would be paid for the April shop in the next paypal payment, but I still have not received payment for either shop, and my other emails have gone unanswered. When I log into my account, my shop log shows the April shop as as PAID ON: 08/10/13, but I have not received payment in my paypal account or as a check or anywhere. I had previously done two shops for Mystique late in 2009 and was paid by paypal in 67 days, so I hadn't thought I'd have this much trouble getting paid this time. We all need to stop shopping for them and keep demanding outstanding payments.

I just sent Mystique another e-mail requesting payment. Don't really expect to hear from them, but thought I would give it another go. Since they are a member of MSPA, the guidelines are clear when it comes to late payments. MSPA also says "While MSPA cannot intercede on behalf of individual shoppers in disputes with a company, the Association can take and has taken action in cases when it learns a company makes a regular practice of failing to pay shoppers or paying late. So, shoppers can be confident that companies that belong to MSPA are monitored to ensure that the reputations of MSPA member companies are maintained."

Logged in to see if they had shops available in my area which, of course, they didn't. Not that I would accept a job from them again, but to see what, if anything was showing up. I did a seach with a 900 mile radius and ....nothing. Wondering now if they are no longer in business. Their phone number is still working though.

If any of you have accounts with Mystique, log in to see if there are jobs available in your areas. Just curious.

No jobs in my area (New York) at the moment. But there were a number of shops about a week or 2 ago, and I had received an email with open shops. I generally remember to email them each time I get an email with open shops, telling them that I will not do any more shops for them until I get paid for the two I did in April and June. But no luck. I wonder who keeps taking these shops.

I've done one shop and it took them 3 months to pay me...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2013 11:33PM by SunnyDays2.

Since I gave Mystique a deadline to reply to my e-mail and it went unanswered, I reported them to MSPA. Anyone who is a member of MSPA and/or has their certifications can go on their website and see that:

"While MSPA cannot intercede on behalf of individual shoppers in disputes with a company, the Association can take and has taken action in cases when it learns a company makes a regular practice of failing to pay shoppers or paying late. So, shoppers can be confident that companies that belong to MSPA are monitored to ensure that the reputations of MSPA member companies are maintained." [www.mysteryshop.org]

This is really ironic. On one of the webpages for Mystique, it says " Our Founder and CEO is also a member of the MSPA Ethics Committee." Really???

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2013 02:18AM by nslowry.

WOW! Just got a reply from MSPA about Mystique...their membership in MSPA expired in December 2012, yet they still list it on their website as being a member.

I agree it is not a bad idea to contact MSPA in cases where a company makes a regular practice to not pay shoppers on time. But keep in mind that MSPA is a MSC organization and offers no protection to shoppers. The companies are not really monitored by MSPA - and in fact a company's membership can be expired a full year without being removed from the list of member companies on the website. And there is only limited action the MSPA can take.

Shoppers should not be confident of any shopper protection because of MSPA monitoring of their members ....... or the monitoring of their former members.

I am looking for this company to close. There is no way they are going to survive doing business like this.

AustinMom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree it is not a bad idea to contact MSPA in
> cases where a company makes a regular practice to
> not pay shoppers on time. But keep in mind that
> MSPA is a MSC organization and offers no
> protection to shoppers. The companies are not
> really monitored by MSPA - and in fact a company's
> membership can be expired a full year without
> being removed from the list of member companies on
> the website. And there is only limited action
> the MSPA can take.
>
> Shoppers should not be confident of any shopper
> protection because of MSPA monitoring of their
> members ....... or the monitoring of their former
> members.

I realize that and that is why I quoted from their website about not interceding in disputes.

I also sent MSPA a partial copy of an e-mail from Mystique that I got today advertising a shop. On the bottom of the e-mail it still says that they are a member of MSPA. Ten and a half months is plenty of time to remove that line from their message.
While MSPA does not help individual shoppers, they do take a dim view of companies falsely advertising their affilliation with MSPA. I imagine that there will be some sort of follow-up.

i just wanted to go to a place to vent. I cant believe this company is still in business. They also said they paid me but never sent the money. What is wrong with them? In my opinion I think that someone should tell the clients who keep giving them jobs what is going on. If I was a company I would like to know that i was not partnered with a creep.

Maybe an annonoymous e-mail or phone call to the client??? Yeah, I know..the agreement we signed.

If they owe you enough to mske paying the filing fee, you couid file a small claims court action against them. But collecting would be another problem. It's a shame they're such a ripoff. Ripoff Report is free, as is complaining to the BBB.

Great idea nycrocks. Thanks.

I would also file a complaint with BBB the State Attorney General Consumer Division. That would get some attention.

Maybe a call to the US Department of Labor would shake them up.

[www.dol.gov]

After receiving yet another job posting from Mystique, I wrote back and said there was no way I would do anymore shops for them. I said that I was reporting them to multiple agencies today and, guess what? Yep, payment immediately. John took care of it for me and I do appreciate his help.

For those of you who are having problems with this MSC, get in touch with John Saccheri and maybe he can help you too.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2013 02:16AM by nslowry.

I just visited the boards to put out a warning that I have emailed three times and am way past due for payment and have not heard back yet. Saw this first and thought Id post here!

***~~Dont worry...My misspellings and backwards letters are exempt from my mystery shop reports so please rest easy tonight ;P ~~***

yes I am still seeing them asking for jobs in my area so they are def active.

***~~Dont worry...My misspellings and backwards letters are exempt from my mystery shop reports so please rest easy tonight ;P ~~***

BBB rating is B, with 11 complaints in the last 3 years. I would be weary of doing business with them. I have never shopped for them.

Silver Certified
Upstate, SC

I got paid today finally that was for my shop in June or July? I had to send multiple emails and was paid immediately (within seconds) with my last plea for them to pay me immediately before I sent out certified letters/ contact BBB and other things I had planned which I wont disclose here. Deactivating myself as a shopper for them.

***~~Dont worry...My misspellings and backwards letters are exempt from my mystery shop reports so please rest easy tonight ;P ~~***

Thanks all of you for your advice. I will email them one more time for two shops I have not been paid for that date back a year. If I don't hear from them, I'm getting in contact with BBB. If this does not work I guess I'll have to write off that $100. The fact that I am resigning goes unsaid.

I got tired of waiting for a paycheck for 3 months,...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2013 06:44PM by SunnyDays2.

Its Ok to email them but IMHO if they have not paid you in a year I would not hold my breath.

patianne84539 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks all of you for your advice. I will email
> them one more time for two shops I have not been
> paid for that date back a year. If I don't hear
> from them, I'm getting in contact with BBB. If
> this does not work I guess I'll have to write off
> that $100. The fact that I am resigning goes
> unsaid.

Update: I finally got paid this past Thursday via paypal for a shop I did early in June! At least I think that's the shop the payment was for. When I log into the Mystique site, that June shop shows as PAID ON: 11/14/13. But I still have not received payment for the April shop that shows as PAID ON: 08/10/13. I also did get a reply from John (after many other messages went answered) over 3 weeks ago asking if I had paypal, to which I immediately responded that yes, my paypal address is what has always been in my profile, and then I haven't heard anything else since then. Now if I can get paid for that April shop. I will email them again and threaten to report them to the BBB if they don't pay me for that April shop.

I have done two shops for them. I love the restaurant. Unfortunately they only way I got paid was when John e-mailed me twice to do another shop and I refused until I had been paid for the previous shop. We did this twice....hence I decided not to do the third shop. My husband still has not been paid for his shop in August.

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