Patience. With luck, you will soon see 7.21 and 7.60

Mert Wrote:
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> Patience. With luck, you will soon see 7.21 and
> 7.60


Oh, yes, please! Hahahaha. :-)

I know most here find CoRI to pay the lowest paying, but I would sure rather do a blue light for $7-something over a $5 restaurant for Intellishop that requires long narrative.

I handpick a favorite few from Cori, myself.

I reiterate. Anyone who works for CpRI has a screw loose. They do pay on time but they find the most unique ways to not pay. If a receipt is faint. Forget it. It it is submitted late for any reason. Forget it. And if they find out that you can really think. Fuggetaboutit.

I take exception to your "screw loose" comment. I shop for Cori and my screws are tight.

Mert Wrote:
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> I take exception to your "screw loose" comment. I
> shop for Cori and my screws are tight.


I took it offensively at first, but really after reading all his comments on the company, he just comes across as petty.

I have to say that last week I made a post about having a bad week with MSPs. There were four companies I had problems with, one of those four being CoRI. My problem with CoRI was solved within a couple hours. I am still waiting for two of those issues with other MSPs to be resolved. I have always found CoRI to be a good company to shop for.

I did a pizza shop for them on Nov 18, 2009. I will be paid on Friday. Not bad by my standard. OBTW, I was paid $31.25 fee + $14.74 reimbursement. Same day, I did a gas shop for $12.50. Place was closed when I got there at 5:40PM, documentation says that the stayed open until 6:30PM was paid for that also.
I have no problems with this company. Sure the prices are low, but I wait until the prices get at least to double digits. If they don't make that, then it was not for me to do anyway. I value my time too much than to do a shop for $4.00, but there are thousands of shoppers who would jump on it. God Bless 'em.
The key is patience with this company. Wait and you will be rewarded.

Emdisco Wrote:
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> I did a pizza shop for them on Nov 18, 2009. I
> will be paid on Friday. Not bad by my standard.
> OBTW, I was paid $31.25 fee + $14.74
> reimbursement. Same day, I did a gas shop for
> $12.50. Place was closed when I got there at
> 5:40PM, documentation says that the stayed open
> until 6:30PM was paid for that also.
> I have no problems with this company. Sure the
> prices are low, but I wait until the prices get at
> least to double digits. If they don't make that,
> then it was not for me to do anyway. I value my
> time too much than to do a shop for $4.00, but
> there are thousands of shoppers who would jump on
> it. God Bless 'em.
> The key is patience with this company. Wait and
> you will be rewarded.


That is certainly true in some areas of the country, but they have only three shops here, and they rarely go to fair rates. The newbs can do for what they pay. :-) I am happy or those of you who live where that is not the case, as the one shop I did for them I got a glowing personl email from my editor basically kissing my feet. But I would never do the job again for what I was paid.

Their pay is low, but they do have some of the easiest reports I've seen. The gas station report is easy, as well as the store where you have to buy a shirt. They are quite impersonal though and don't seem to give a crap about shopper loyalty. I've done over 150 shops for them, yet I cannot self-assign because of a personal issue that happened months ago. However, since that time, they have called me to do urgent bonused shops and I have also done several shops for them at non-bonused rates. My rating has still not budged though. They are very unforgiving there. They do pay quickly though and I have never had issues getting payment from them.

Okay, I guess I’m a little late finding this site. I had shopped for CRI for years and had gotten paid every time, even if it was a low rate of pay. It was only this year that I started having problems with them.

They are always looking for someone to shop for them where I live, especially
the dreaded pizza shop. I got my first one turned down about a month ago.
They sent me copies of pictures that they said were mine, but were not. These
pictures showed part of a hand in the picture. I sent them copies of my pictures. They sent me a return email that said, “We are sorry you cannot keep your pictures straight. But we know what you sent to us and you sent us the wrong ones.”

Then, I did a gas station shop. (Not one that has been mentioned.) It actually paid $60! It was to attempt to purchase cigarettes without an ID. The instructions stated that if you did not qualify for this shop it was okay to take someone with you and have them do it and then send a copy of their ID in with the shop. I did this and used my niece. She purchased the cigarettes without ID.

I got the following email. “You are being terminated from our company for showing your ID while conducting ****** **** *******, located at *** ******* ****. in *********. Please see comments from client below: The auditor is seen on video showing her identification to the employee and holding the ID up to the window. The auditor is to never show ID. You must not provide your ID to the gas station attendant at any point. If you have any questions please contact me.” Only problems are: 1) There is no window. You go inside. 2) She did not show an ID. The gentleman sold to her without it.

I have asked to see the video, but so far have gotten no results.

Can anyone advise me on the next step??

I would DEFINITELY dispute the shop for which you got terminated. I would make a point of going by the location and taking a photograph (or photographs) to show that there is no outside window. I would DEMAND they review that video themselves based on the facts of the shop. If they do not do so I would complain to the MSPA, of which they are a member. I would complain to the BBB. Then I would walk away from these folks and do just as you are doing, talk about it on forums or any place where shoppers may read. If you live in a state where Small Claims Court does not require more than a nominal fee to file, I would do that as well. There is way too much of this type of cr_ppy behavior happening with the MSPs these days. Perhaps shoppers ARE ripping them off, but they should know better with folks who have worked with them for extended periods of time.

Edited to add: Don't expect the MSPA to raise a finger on your behalf. The point is that if CORI does not thoroughly investigate and provide you with proof of the client's claim rejecting the shop, then they are acting in an unethical manner towards you.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2009 04:16AM by Flash.

Flash Wrote:
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> I would DEFINITELY dispute the shop for which you
> got terminated. I would make a point of going by
> the location and taking a photograph (or
> photographs) to show that there is no outside
> window. I would DEMAND they review that video
> themselves based on the facts of the shop. If
> they do not do so I would complain to the MSPA, of
> which they are a member. I would complain to the
> BBB. Then I would walk away from these folks and
> do just as you are doing, talk about it on forums
> or any place where shoppers may read. If you live
> in a state where Small Claims Court does not
> require more than a nominal fee to file, I would
> do that as well. There is way too much of this
> type of cr_ppy behavior happening with the MSPs
> these days. Perhaps shoppers ARE ripping them
> off, but they should know better with folks who
> have worked with them for extended periods of
> time.
>
> Edited to add: Don't expect the MSPA to raise a
> finger on your behalf. The point is that if CORI
> does not thoroughly investigate and provide you
> with proof of the client's claim rejecting the
> shop, then they are acting in an unethical manner
> towards you.


What Flash said. You should pursue this. Clear your record, then walk away from shopping for them on YOUR terms.

I must clear up something I stated in my previous text. Since that post I have been recruited for a pizza shop. It was from a DIFFERENT company!! I am very sorry, but I was W_R_O_N_G!! It was NOT CRI that rejected my pizza shop.

But it WAS CRI that did the other!!!


Thanks for the advice.

GFK apparently did a whole lot of rejecting of pizza shops based on the photos. I've heard several complaints that 'the pictures weren't mine'. And I find that amazing because in the past GFK has been very comfortable to work with (notice WITH, not FOR which is what you do with way too many companies).

I've been doing some shops for them, with only a few that are actually worth my time. For the most part, they've paid promptly, rated me well, and not given me any trouble. I took low pay for a couple where the reimbursement was fair and I could something I wanted practically for free. Unfortunately, when the reimbursement is something like $1 for gas, its completely unreasonable. I refuse to take those shops until they jump to a higher commission.

Recently, I faced a problem where, even after following the instructions they rejected my report. The instructions gave alternatives for employee names--either you get them, or you give one of their valid reasons for not getting them, and then provide a description. I did not provide names for some employees. Apparently, there was a limit on the number of no name employees, but it wasn't in the instructions. My shop was rejected. I responded to the person who rejected it and said, I did exactly what I was supposed to do according to the instructions and she told me all the scenarios I could have presented to get a name, but none of this was in the instructions or their training.

Fortunately, I have finally got this corrected. I had to ask to be referred to a supervisor, paste portions of our contractor agreement, and explain exactly how they were in violation of our agreement. After stating it in those terms, I got a response that my account would be credited and I do not need to respond.

While I got the commission I was due, I am hesitant to deal with them again. I worry that, even following instructions perfectly, I will expend unnecessary time and effort only to get rejected. Has anyone else been rejected for something that wasn't in the instructions?

I am a newbie and have done 8 shops with CRI. Pay is low but for a beginner it's at least allowing you to get your feet wet. Now I am branching out a bit more and doing other companies as well. I do think that CRI treated me o.k. though, but once again I don't have much to compare it with.

It sounds to me like you are doing it just right CORI is a good place to 'get your feet wet', practice your timings and observations, start working the kinks out, etc. They do have their usefulness. Branching out, starting with the other mass shopping companies such as MFI, Maritz, Bestmark and Bare gives you an opportunity to get a little more variety in both experiences and complexity. Pay will still not be stellar, but generally not as cheap as CORI. Along the line you will find jobs with each company that are 'no brainers' for you that you will want to add to your repertoire whenever they are available to begin building routes.

CORI has been the laughing stock of the MS field for awhile.

BigGeorge Wrote:
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> CORI has been the laughing stock of the MS field
> for awhile.


That may very well be, BUT CoRI also pays faster than 99% of the other MSPs I've encountered. I posted this before, but I will add it here again. A few weeks ago I was having issues with four MSPs. CoRI was the first to reply and the first to resolve my issue. I am still waiting to hear back from two of them and it's been at least three weeks.

lisams901 Wrote:
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A few weeks ago I was having issues with four
> MSPs. CoRI was the first to reply and the first to
> resolve my issue. I am still waiting to hear back
> from two of them and it's been at least three
> weeks.

Wow. I wouldn't wait that long, Lisa. I usually put a week time limit, sometimes less (depending on the issue) and then contact again.

dee shops Wrote:
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> lisams901 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> A few weeks ago I was having issues with four
> > MSPs. CoRI was the first to reply and the first
> to
> > resolve my issue. I am still waiting to hear
> back
> > from two of them and it's been at least three
> > weeks.
>
> Wow. I wouldn't wait that long, Lisa. I usually
> put a week time limit, sometimes less (depending
> on the issue) and then contact again.


I know I probably should contact them again, but I keep putting it off for some reason.

confrontation is always stressful... but its not going to get any better if thats what you are waiting for... the longer you wait the more time they have to forget about this...

I totally agree I don't wasted my time. I have tried to take those test and I can't pass the exxon

It was Nov 18 when I received my “termination” from CRI. Since then I have phoned the contact person 3 times and sent her 3 emails. My last contact with her was yesterday. I asked if she had received that video yet and she said no. She said she had asked her in house contact about it the day before and they said it had not arrived. I asked her if she had contacted them to see if they were going to send it and she said no. They would send it when they got around to it. I advised her that I had taken pictures of the building showing that it has no window in which to show an ID. In other words it is not a kiosk. She said that does not matter. It is what the client says.

I told her I did not want to do that shop in the first place. I only took it because my niece had just had a baby and needed the money from this shop, with the bonus it was $60, to buy a crib. I told her she, my niece, was ADHD and unable to work and really needed the money. I told her I was sure someone as high up as she was probably didn’t understand how someone could be that desperate, but she was. She was just trying to do something herself to help support her newborn boy. I told her I would be checking back with her.

I am checking Monday into filing in small claims court. Now that I look back, there is another recent shop that I was not paid for that they said the receipt was too light. I could not make it any darker. It was so light from the service station that it could barely be read.

good idea... I hope this all works out for you and is worth it all... be sure and inform CORI that you are making a claim in court about this... they may just pay you then...

dee shops Wrote:
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> You guys should edit your posts to remove the
> names of the clients in threads headed with the
> name of the MSC.


Dee, you obviously have more experience than me in this field and are very active here, but I must disagree with the ideal that we should not reveal client and companies. While it might technically be a violation of on ICA, isn't not paying a shopper or disrespecting the shopper also a violation, and in my opinion, a company that does this should be exposed in every way possible.

BigGeorge, shoppers need to be very aware that we won't tell them who shops XYZ because we would be in violation of OUR ICAs. Suggesting that they clean up posts is for two purposes. First, we do not want to encourage anyone violating THEIR ICA and second, this forum is only very lightly moderated and there is no reason for getting the owner of this forum into difficulties. In the past we have had schedulers state in open forum that they will not post to the job board here because the shoppers on this board do not maintain their confidentiality agreements about companies/clients. The owner of the forum does us a favor by having the forum here and maintained. I don't know that he shops himself. There is no reason why we can't self moderate our posts to keep them compliant.

It IS ia violation. Name both at your own risk-be most aware, they DO read here.

BigGeorge, I know it is cliche, but two wrongs don't make a right.