Still earning
In response to your post...
About 4 1/2 years ago I was doing route shops for a large MSC for about a year. It was monthly shops for several locations and over that one year period 6 of the 120 shops on the project were rejected due to "not meeting the clients standards".
I asked for clarification and received a standard response " all quidelines must be followed" with out an explanation. After the 6th time I asked for further clarification and proof that the client did not accept the reports and I was promptly deactivated from the MSC due to my request.
A few months after I was at a family function with a brother in law who works as an investigator at a state attorney generals office.
I mentioned what happened and got a standard response that mystery shopping is a scam and I should be careful of email solicitations and checks I receive in the mail.
I explained what I was doing and showed him some of my shop logs.
He told me to email him what happened and copies of my reports and shop instructions.
For 8 months I did not hear back and when I did initially all he said there was an investigation underway and that after contacting department of consumer affairs and state AG in several states there were over 1000 complaints in several states from shoppers complaining of denied payments for shops about several MSC.
For the next two years I heard nothing until about two months ago.
And I was told that MSC that I had complained about over a 5 year period had more than $400,000 in denied payments to shoppers while that MSC HAD IN FACT been paid by clients for the shops submitted.
In addition to that MSC there are two others under investigation for following the same practice standards.
My brother in law sated in general in these circumstances there is NOT likely going go to reimbursement to shoppers that were screwed and when the settlement is publicly announced the company will agree to pay a fine and agree to change their business practices and pay shoppers when the shops are in fact accepted by the client.
The law is clear. If the MSC ( contractor) is paid, the shopper (sub contractor) MUST BE PAID!