@audrialyn30, you are exactly right but they do not want to improve. They want to continue to do shops for as little pay as possible and lose money on each one completed. They should consider contacting the msc's they shop for and ask if they can just volunteer their time for them. They won't mind!

This, in my opinion, is a classic case of everyone being correct until the situation turned personal. It's a recognized axiom of business that when at least one party becomes pissed, logic flees out the door. NOTE-my opinions are in caps.

Frodo-- times are hard and some work is better than none to me. I AGREE

Baker-- it is when anyone takes advantage of workers on the Internet. Your's is a classic example as is any work where one is paid less than the federal minimum wage. I DISAGREE. AS CONTRACTORS, THE MSCs HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTEST RESPONSIBILITY TO TREAT US "FAIRLY."

Lisa--But what kind of option is that? It's a good idea to understand what the true and often hidden cost of doing that job is and then decide accordingly because it could very well be costing you money. Even if you make a couple of bucks, what other productive activities were sacrificed?

There could also be intangible benefits such as building a relationship with a scheduler or company. Then you need to be sure it is a company that will recognize your sacrifice and reward you accordingly. There is certainly no appreciation being shown if the company enforces deductions to a fee which is already pitiful. I COMPLETELY AGREE; GREAT LOGIC LISA.

Frodo--If there aren't any other shops available and you need the money and experience, let the person take the job ! I just can't with you people !

There have been days I badly needed that $10 when there was nothing else for me to do and you guys are going to sit up on the computer and claim someone is ruining it for other shoppers ! Ridiculous !

I shop for me and my family and no one else. You can call it pitiful if you want but if I need the money and nothing else is available, at least I got paid. I AGAIN AGREE WITH FRODO.

Techman--@frodosdojo, i hate to be the one to tell you, but if you drove 45 miles one way to do one job that pays $10, you lost money. I AGREE.

Lisa--You didn't read my post. I said you need to be aware of how much you are really making or if you are making any money. If you need the $10 and can make that, fine. If you find the job cost you $10 in gas, ink and paper, you would have been better off staying home and saving the wear and tear on your car.

I also said it is sometimes good to take the jobs to build relationships. What I said was pitiful are Trendsource's fees and their tendency toward taking financial deductions on top of that. If you already have a low profit margin, that deduction could make the difference between making something and making nothing. The worse someone's financial situation is, the more reason they have for not wanting to lose money. LISA'S LOGIC AGAIN SURFACES; I AGREE.

At this point, it's obvious Frodo's pissed. In my opinion, he/she has completely misunderstood the attempts of other posters to be helpful and there's no point in continuing.

I copied the above to illustrate how a situation can turn ugly when anyone allows their feelings to cloud business thoughts. I, and all who read this or any forum, are at the disadvantage of not having the inflections of a voice to temper our conversation.

frodosdojo You might want to look for those fifty cents phone calls...

Trendsource has been a very reliable company. If you follow their guidelines, you will do well. Some of the jobs don't pay much, but the company is honest and forthright.

I've done hundreds of shops for them over the past two years and have rarely had problems. Any problems that have arisen have been handled quickly and fairly in my opinion.

"I DISAGREE. AS CONTRACTORS, THE MSCs HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTEST RESPONSIBILITY TO TREAT US "FAIRLY.""

You are entitled to your opinion. In re-reading the posting... I really don't think most people who are responding actually drive distances to do shops.


I think Trend Source takes advantage of their shoppers... the reductions are an example of that.

A quote from the FAQ at Trend Source...

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•Why was a payment reduction assessed on a project?

The timeframe for data input is always by midnight (or within 12 hours if that is shorter) for most programs. *Please see the specific project manual for certain program restrictions. This is an automatic payment reduction that is applied if your project is not entered within that timeframe (as explained in the IC Resource Guide). If you are ever unsure if you will be able to enter the data by midnight, please advise us in advance and we can make arrangements accordingly. [Back to top]

___________________________

Please note... the poster's fee was reduced because they had to contact the shopper for clarification... not because it missed a midnight deadline of being filed.

Hello? They took advantage of the situation to penalize the shopper. Someone needs to update the FAQ else pay the shoppers they have penalized.

I could not get my contact on the phone in the required 24 hour frame for a credit eval.... yet they took it out on me. Not my fault the customer would not return my call in the 24 hrs..... They told me it was not negotiable for them not to return my call in the 24 hrs they HAD to ( the company I was checking.... a car dealer).
How can I MAKE a used car company comply... I could not. Their loss in the long run.

Hey, it's not personal, it's business. I take some shops that fit into my routes that I wouldn't consider if they didn't hit my rat track on the map. Others wouldn't think of taking them no matter how close.

If somebody else thinks I shouldn't book a cheapiequickie, there's no reason for me to get in a snit if they express that in a post. We are, after all, trying to help each other (I hope). I learn on this forum every day and I evaluate each post for what I can get from it.

Regarding Trendsource, I don't shop much for them but they've treated me well and I pick up shops from time to time. Most of their shops are not lucrative, but they paid me $50.00 for going to a burned down location. Yoohoo! It's their business how much they'll pay and it's my business how much I'll take. What could be more fair than that?