I saw some questions about Helion last month on the forum. At that time I'd completed three shops for them and had been paid without issue, so I went ahead and started doing a boatload of shops on their new project for eyeglasses and sunglasses. I requested and was given 39 assignments. The first difficulty was that many of the assignments lacked enough information to be able to locate the business. Many of them were located in malls or large office buildings and did not identify the name of the business or an adequate suite or store number. It took several emails and several days to get the necessary information to find the correct location. Timeframes for completion of shops were short, and because I couldn't get the information I needed in a timely fashion, my schedule for shopping was very difficult to complete. I shop full time. I book shops as far in advance as possible and in geographic areas so I can organize my time and can earn the amount of fees I need on a specific day and in a specific area. By the time I got the info I needed to complete the shop, I had already completed the day of shops in that area and had to reschedule additional time in an area I normally would not have visited again that quickly. To do this, I had to double up geographical locations. This made my shopping days extra long--to double upon geographical areas meant I would leave home as early as 6:00AM and arrive home around Midnight the next day, with reporting to do once I got home.
Then, without warning, Helion changed the information needed in the reports. I could understand that the client could have changed directions mid-stream, but Helion's instructions to shoppers was to recontact the stores to ask for this additional information about whether the frames could be ordered, whether they were already in stock, or if they were not stocked by the location. I did the extra work--with no extra compensation--and reported what I'd found to Helion. The extra contact, the way Helion insisted it needed done, jeopardized my anonymity because it did not fit the original scenario they had me use. I completed the changes they asked for, though, and resubmitted the material.
The original assignment was advertised to pay about $24 USD. Assignments were to visit an optometrist or a store to find if a certain manufacturers specific models of frames could be purchased. If the location could provide prescription lenses, a cost of the glasses or sunglasses including lenses was needed. I was able to get this information from optometrist offices, but I found high end stores that sold the product could not provide prescription lenses. Many locations required me to do separate surveys for eyeglasses and sunglasses. They were advertised as separate assignments that would pay the $24 for each type of assignment.
I visited the locations and found them in one of five categories: 1) They sold some or all the frames in the store, could order them, and could provide prescription lenses at an additional price; 2) They sold part or all of the frames in the store, could order frames they stocked, and could not provide prescription lenses; 3) They only sold some frames, could not order them, could do prescription lenses at an additional price; and 4) They did not sell any of the frames in the store, could order them on request, and could do prescription lenses; 5) They did not sell any of the frames in the store, and could not order special requests. In addition to locating frames and glasses, I also was required to survey whether or not the location offered a discount on the frames, and whether it was a percentage discount or a set amount taken off the price.
Helion did not require a specific amount of time be spent on a visit. They just specified the information be provided and required a photograph of the location as or a business card to prove the location was visited. My visits ranged in time lengths from 6 minutes to well over 30 minutes, depending on the quality of the customer service I received. Prior to the visit, to organize my time, I developed a survey form that I wrote down in a notebook to provide a cover for my anonymity and yet gather all the required information. This took about 2 hours before I started my visits. After the first visit, it took about 20 minutes per report to report what I'd found. Going back or phoning for the additional information Helion started requiring mid-project added a total of another 3.5 hours. Even though the project was beginning to be an irritant, I still felt that being paid $24 for each separate assignment was fair.
Some of the locations I visited did not carry frames from the specified manufacturer. I still had to visit the location, in some cases look through every frame they had on display, ask questions, and prepare a separate report on my findings. Helion did not ever specify that a different amount would be paid for shops that resulted in no frames for the manufacturer being sold. These assignments still took about the same time to complete. However, when I'd reported them, I received notification that since the frames were not stocked, I would receive a reduction in pay, and would only be paid $12 for those locations. I sent an email protesting my case--I had completed the assignments as requested, it took as much time to do the assignments as it did to do assignments where frames were available, and Helion had said nothing about a reduction in pay if the frames were not available. I received an email back stating that for that time only I would receive full pay. I continued completing and reporting projects honestly, stating the actual findings, and received additional notifications of cuts in pay. I disputed each one.
I received word earlier this week that my pay statement for June was available. I looked at it and discovered that the assignments about which I'd received notifications for a cut in pay were not even listed on the summary. I am evidently not being paid for them--at all (not half pay), even though Helion received accurate information about those locations. Also, many of the locations I accepted assignments for stocked both sunglass and eyeglass frame models. These locations were assigned as two separate assignments and took the time of two assignments to complete. According to my pay statement, however, I am being paid $24 for the first shop in each of these locations and $12 for the second.
Additionally, my experience reporting to this company has been dismal as well. I repeatedly ran into one editor who kept emailing me back for information I'd already provided. I have emailed their CEO about this matter because the editor got very nasty in his emails to me. I don't know if the CEO was the right person to contact because I've heard nothing back, but the fact that Helion is in Belgium and therefore next to impossible to contact, the difficulty I've had doing this last series of assignments, the pay that was arbitrarily reduced from $936 to $465, and Helion's lack of concern about meeting agreements THEY set up concerning payment, has made me decide to carefully rethink whether I want to work for them again.
Then, without warning, Helion changed the information needed in the reports. I could understand that the client could have changed directions mid-stream, but Helion's instructions to shoppers was to recontact the stores to ask for this additional information about whether the frames could be ordered, whether they were already in stock, or if they were not stocked by the location. I did the extra work--with no extra compensation--and reported what I'd found to Helion. The extra contact, the way Helion insisted it needed done, jeopardized my anonymity because it did not fit the original scenario they had me use. I completed the changes they asked for, though, and resubmitted the material.
The original assignment was advertised to pay about $24 USD. Assignments were to visit an optometrist or a store to find if a certain manufacturers specific models of frames could be purchased. If the location could provide prescription lenses, a cost of the glasses or sunglasses including lenses was needed. I was able to get this information from optometrist offices, but I found high end stores that sold the product could not provide prescription lenses. Many locations required me to do separate surveys for eyeglasses and sunglasses. They were advertised as separate assignments that would pay the $24 for each type of assignment.
I visited the locations and found them in one of five categories: 1) They sold some or all the frames in the store, could order them, and could provide prescription lenses at an additional price; 2) They sold part or all of the frames in the store, could order frames they stocked, and could not provide prescription lenses; 3) They only sold some frames, could not order them, could do prescription lenses at an additional price; and 4) They did not sell any of the frames in the store, could order them on request, and could do prescription lenses; 5) They did not sell any of the frames in the store, and could not order special requests. In addition to locating frames and glasses, I also was required to survey whether or not the location offered a discount on the frames, and whether it was a percentage discount or a set amount taken off the price.
Helion did not require a specific amount of time be spent on a visit. They just specified the information be provided and required a photograph of the location as or a business card to prove the location was visited. My visits ranged in time lengths from 6 minutes to well over 30 minutes, depending on the quality of the customer service I received. Prior to the visit, to organize my time, I developed a survey form that I wrote down in a notebook to provide a cover for my anonymity and yet gather all the required information. This took about 2 hours before I started my visits. After the first visit, it took about 20 minutes per report to report what I'd found. Going back or phoning for the additional information Helion started requiring mid-project added a total of another 3.5 hours. Even though the project was beginning to be an irritant, I still felt that being paid $24 for each separate assignment was fair.
Some of the locations I visited did not carry frames from the specified manufacturer. I still had to visit the location, in some cases look through every frame they had on display, ask questions, and prepare a separate report on my findings. Helion did not ever specify that a different amount would be paid for shops that resulted in no frames for the manufacturer being sold. These assignments still took about the same time to complete. However, when I'd reported them, I received notification that since the frames were not stocked, I would receive a reduction in pay, and would only be paid $12 for those locations. I sent an email protesting my case--I had completed the assignments as requested, it took as much time to do the assignments as it did to do assignments where frames were available, and Helion had said nothing about a reduction in pay if the frames were not available. I received an email back stating that for that time only I would receive full pay. I continued completing and reporting projects honestly, stating the actual findings, and received additional notifications of cuts in pay. I disputed each one.
I received word earlier this week that my pay statement for June was available. I looked at it and discovered that the assignments about which I'd received notifications for a cut in pay were not even listed on the summary. I am evidently not being paid for them--at all (not half pay), even though Helion received accurate information about those locations. Also, many of the locations I accepted assignments for stocked both sunglass and eyeglass frame models. These locations were assigned as two separate assignments and took the time of two assignments to complete. According to my pay statement, however, I am being paid $24 for the first shop in each of these locations and $12 for the second.
Additionally, my experience reporting to this company has been dismal as well. I repeatedly ran into one editor who kept emailing me back for information I'd already provided. I have emailed their CEO about this matter because the editor got very nasty in his emails to me. I don't know if the CEO was the right person to contact because I've heard nothing back, but the fact that Helion is in Belgium and therefore next to impossible to contact, the difficulty I've had doing this last series of assignments, the pay that was arbitrarily reduced from $936 to $465, and Helion's lack of concern about meeting agreements THEY set up concerning payment, has made me decide to carefully rethink whether I want to work for them again.