Has anyone had issues with this scheduling company promising a certain amount, but the job pays less when the check comes? I completed one last month in a time crunch. They were right on the ball when it came to getting it scheduled, but have consistently ignored e-mails about the money discrepancy. I completed the shop, because I knew the time crunch. The payment hit paypal yesterday, and the discrepancy was not addressed. They have not responded to an e-mail since they assigned the shop. I would post the e-mail of the offender if I thought it was not a violation to the spirit of this forum. The money is not a huge amount, but it bothers me in principle. Has anyone else faced this issue with them?

I don't like working for 3rd party schedulers.....you may have to go to the company the shop was actually through....GOOD LUCK....kern takes too long to pay for my liking.

You all of course know that KSS (Kern) does not pay at all nor do they invoice (well they may send over a spreadsheet with who did what). It all goes through whatever MSC they were scheduling for but that said if there is a payment discrepancy the place to start is the scheduler. It's possible that scheduler doesn't even work for them anymore so try another one. Get on the KSS website...there are a bunch of contacts listed there.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2013 03:59PM by Traveliz.

It is not a violation to post the names and e-mail as long as you do not disclose the client name or proprietary company information.

I have not had difficulty with the amount of the shop being different from the payment amount on shops scheduled by Kern for a MSC. HOWEVER, after being scheduled, I always log in and look at what they have scheduled. If there was a discrepancy, I would immediately e-mail the scheduler. Without a response and a correction, I would not perform the assignment. If they truly have a time crunch, they will respond pretty quickly to a discrepancy before the shop is performed.

Which does not help after the shop is performed, and worse, after payment has been made. What company did you perform the shop for? Your report was probably actually submitted on that company's website and they probably actually paid you rather than Kern. It's even more difficult to correct a discrepancy in pay when the independent scheduler scheduled you incorrectly for another company.

Traveliz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You all of course know that KSS (Kern) does not
> pay at all nor do they invoice (well they may send
> over a spreadsheet with who did what). It all
> goes through whatever MSC they were scheduling for
> but that said if there is a payment discrepancy
> the place to start is the scheduler. It's
> possible that scheduler doesn't even work for them
> anymore so try another one. Get on the KSS
> website...there are a bunch of contacts listed
> there.


actually I did not know that.....I knew they were a 3rd party scheduler.....learn something every day.

Do you have written proof of the bonus offer in e-mail or text message? A verbal "contract" doesn't always cut it. If a scheduler offers me a bonus over the phone, I always ask for them to send me an e-mail with the bonus offer just so we are on the same page. If they don't, I send a written e-mail and wait for the reply. If they don'y reply, I don't do the shop. So far, it has never happened to me.

I did a shop for them in June 2013, still not pay. I just find out from a different scheduler that I am suppose to invoice the MSC for payment. They can go F>>> themselves. I am not registered with that MSC and no plans to do so.

cherisepearl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I did a shop for them in June 2013, still not pay.
> I just find out from a different scheduler that I
> am suppose to invoice the MSC for payment. They
> can go F>>> themselves. I am not registered with
> that MSC and no plans to do so.

I am not exactly sure how you can do a shop for the MSC if you are not registered with them. From my experience Kern says to register with the MSC that they are scheduling for. Also, you usually have to report the shop on the MSC's website.

cherisepearl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I did a shop for them in June 2013, still not pay.
> I just find out from a different scheduler that I
> am suppose to invoice the MSC for payment. They
> can go F>>> themselves. I am not registered with
> that MSC and no plans to do so.

I was given a user name with the password abc123 from the scheduler to log into the MSC and enter the report.

I can't figure out why my post from earlier didn't post - it cut off after quoting cherisepearl's post.

What MSC was it? If you entered the shop on that MSC's website with a temporary login, they are the ones who owe you the money. I would go back and register with that company and ask them for payment. Did you keep a pdf of your report? Surely, having gotten and used your report, they want to pay you. If you haven't registered, they probably can't because they don't have your payment info, SS#, etc. Are you still able to access their website using the temporary password info?

I actually saw the discrepancy immediately, and e-mailed right away. I understood that the payment would come from the actual company as well. The biggest reason I did not refuse the shop is that made the assumption that the scheduler made the promise and would make the amount right with the company. I have emailed several times to the same address that got me the response initially. I even tried to call them today with no luck. The really awful thing is that the only Lorri on the site is the CEO. I truly hope I am mistaken about that. I hate burning bridges, because everyone has a bad day, but this is no way to run a business.

Does anyone know, if I disassociate myself from kern, will I still be able to sign up for the shops through the individual companies? For example, if I go to company xxx job board and make a request, does Kern have to approve it because they are the scheduling company?

You should already be individually registered for each company that KSS schedules for. You should not have any problem excepting an assignment from the company. Go to their website and see what is available on there job board.

Although I am registered with KSS, I have yet to accept any of their "scheduled" shops, but I have work/shopped for the companies that uses them.

KSS has been known to not play fair and they do hold grudges.

It depends but typically if KSS is the scheduler they will have access to the MSC job board and will be doing the scheduling. In some cases KSS may schedule for one project (lets say ABCD grocery store for the MSC) and not schedule other projects (like EFGH liquor stores) for the same MSC.

Liz

AustinMom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can't figure out why my post from earlier didn't
> post - it cut off after quoting cherisepearl's
> post.
>
> What MSC was it? If you entered the shop on that
> MSC's website with a temporary login, they are the
> ones who owe you the money. I would go back and
> register with that company and ask them for
> payment. Did you keep a pdf of your report?
> Surely, having gotten and used your report, they
> want to pay you. If you haven't registered, they
> probably can't because they don't have your
> payment info, SS#, etc. Are you still able to
> access their website using the temporary password
> info?


Over a week ago I deleted a lot of emails including all the one about this gas station shop. I am using it as a tax write off. $26.00 was the payment. I needed the fuel anyway on my way to visit family. I spent just over $35.00 at this gas station. I still have my report with the assignment number.
The scheduler had all my info and I was under the impression that they pay through paypal. No where it was stated that I had to subscribe to this MSC.
I look at it at a lesson learned. Not to take jobs from schedulers unless they guarantie direct payment from them, not from another party. I am not worry about it, just a tax write off for fuel needed while travelling.

I am confused. You did the shop, you submitted the report and now you have an issue with the company and won't take five minutes to register and get paid? If you didn't have a problem knowing the actual shop was for them why now? What company is that terrible?

cherisepearl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> AustinMom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I can't figure out why my post from earlier
> didn't
> > post - it cut off after quoting cherisepearl's
> > post.
> >
> > What MSC was it? If you entered the shop on
> that
> > MSC's website with a temporary login, they are
> the
> > ones who owe you the money. I would go back
> and
> > register with that company and ask them for
> > payment. Did you keep a pdf of your report?
> > Surely, having gotten and used your report,
> they
> > want to pay you. If you haven't registered,
> they
> > probably can't because they don't have your
> > payment info, SS#, etc. Are you still able to
> > access their website using the temporary
> password
> > info?
>
>
> Over a week ago I deleted a lot of emails
> including all the one about this gas station shop.
> I am using it as a tax write off. $26.00 was the
> payment. I needed the fuel anyway on my way to
> visit family. I spent just over $35.00 at this gas
> station. I still have my report with the
> assignment number.
> The scheduler had all my info and I was under the
> impression that they pay through paypal. No where
> it was stated that I had to subscribe to this MSC.
>
> I look at it at a lesson learned. Not to take jobs
> from schedulers unless they guarantie direct
> payment from them, not from another party. I am
> not worry about it, just a tax write off for fuel
> needed while travelling.

I don't understand not taking jobs from schedulers...A LOT of companies use independent or separate scheduling companies and I mean A LOT! There are a whole lot of companies that you will be excluding by refusing to work with schedulers.

Even in house a scheduler can not guarantee you will be paid. Once she schedules; it is generally out of her hands. She may be able to step in and assist but there will not be any guarantees.

Liz

You will never get a scheduling company to guarantee payment directly from them. They work for the MSC just like the shoppers do. The MSC contracts with the client and gets paid from the client. The MSC pays the for the other functions that are used to produce the end product for the client: the schedulers, the shoppers, and the editors. In some cases the schedulers are in house employees, however in many cases they are third party companies such as KSS. In many cases you might be dealing with an independent schedulers and not even know it.

cherisepearl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > >> >>........ I spent just over $35.00 at this gas
> station. I still have my report with the
> assignment number.
> The scheduler had all my info and I was under the
> impression that they pay through paypal. No where
> it was stated that I had to subscribe to this MSC.
>
> I look at it at a lesson learned. Not to take jobs
> from schedulers unless they guarantie direct
> payment from them, not from another party. I am
> not worry about it, just a tax write off for fuel
> needed while travelling.

I am not understanding your course of reasoning. The fact that you have not been paid for a June 2013shop. NOW, you are writing it off as lesson learned.

$35 is $35.

You replied on another post "SO NERVOUS"----->"I have been doing Mystery Shopping for over 7 years. I trust paypal. I do not provide my banking information to any MSC until I actually do a shop for them. I am registered with well over 100 MSC. I have worked probably for only 10 or so because of where I lived and the type of assignments I select to do."

As a seasoned shopper, it seems like you would want to do the application to get paid for your work. KERN usually states as its "disclaimer" to shops, that SHOPPERS must be a registered shopper of XYZ or register @ XYZ. Now for you to throw up your hands and say, "NO way Hoe-say". $35 is still $35. Scheduler can't guarantee payment. They can only informed you about "what the shop pays". Did the scheduler get paid? Did the client get paid? Was the original shop RESHOPPED?

I am in agreement with AustinMom, LisaSTL and Traveliz, but if $35 only was a "tax write off", then "OH WELL!".

BTW, are you still shopping for KERN or did you throw in the towels for them also? AND..........in 7 years, this is the first time?

Some people just do not have good business sense. It makes it easier for the rest of us though. :-)

I only did one shop for Kern.
I am selective of the shops I do. I do gas station, restaurants and hotels mainly and sometimes fast food if at the right price.

I also forgot to say I do the odd oil change and eye exam. Now I am looking for a dentist.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2013 12:41AM by cherisepearl.