One of the main reasons that I participate in this forum is to find out information about mystery shopping companies, good and bad. Too many of our members seem reluctant to refer to the companies that they are posting about by name! What good is it to reveal information about a company, whether it is a complaint or a compliment, and then only refer to them as "MSC?" Let us know who you are posting about, so that the information will have some meaning!

Donald, I understand you want to know the name of the company but sometimes when the post is negative the poster may be asking for help handling a situation but they don't want to reveal the company for their own reasons. Posters are sometimes deactivated as a result of posts on this forum. It doesn't hurt to be careful.

If you want to know the MSC and the client has not been named, you may be able to request it by PM.

Based on what I have read from the Forum, one possible reason is some MSC have a tendency to air out a lot of the laundry, without factual info, with some exceptions. Then the shopper is hang to dry because some posters are too loyal to that MSC. Then it becomes the OP vs anyone and the MSC, and nobody gets to the real truth. The Forum becomes a battleground of 'he said vs she said.' IMHO,it defeats the purpose of the Forum.

I have the same purpose in coming to the Forum. I don't think I will learn about some pitfalls of the shop by just visiting the MSC website. I'd like to hear actual experiences from shoppers in performing their shops.

I forgot to add that of course, the MSC and the client cannot be named together. But if one is named, the MSC does not have to be named, so at least one thing could be accomplished.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2015 04:19PM by risinghorizon.

I understand that revealing names in PM also breaks the IC rules.

@risinghorizon wrote:

I understand that revealing names in PM also breaks the IC rules.

Only if the client has been named, which Mary was careful to clarify.

My understanding is that the client can never be named, but the company can always be named.

Your understanding is incorrect. As others have said, you can NOT name the MSC and the client in the same thread, post, PM or whatever. It is against the majority, if not all the ICAs we have signed and it is against this forum's rules. We can dedicate a thread to a particular client OR MSC just like we do on a daily basis in this forum. Why do you think Jacob has different categories? One for discussing MS in general (which can include clients) and another one for discussing MSCs (which should be about a particular company.)

The notion is that the client and the MSP should not be paired such that it reveals who shops whom. So I can feel free to mention Joe's without mention the MSP or I can feel free to mention Market Force if their client is also not mentioned in the same thread (and yes, to the best of my knowledge, Market Force does NOT shop Joe's). So I can vent saying that the ABC Company shop was absolutely the worst thing I have ever undertaken. The instructions were garbage and conflicting. Suzy Scheduler sweetly telling me to, 'do what you can with it.' was not at all helpful. The location was no longer a pig sty because the pigs had left in disgust and the report took no less than 6 hours to complete because of the 246 photos that needed to be uploaded to a verrrry slow website.

Now the MSP may take umbrage with my complaints, which would surely discourage any other shopper from getting suckered into the ABC Company shop, but perhaps they should look at their shop requirements and instructions. If you have seen ABC Company shops with photos available in your area, you know who is offering them as well as should know to run, not walk away.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2015 06:21PM by Flash.

Revealing the MSC name in a PM does not break anybody's rule. Linking the MSC and the client is what breaks the rule. Many times shoppers don't want to name an MSC for fear of retribution. I was only trying to help the OP.

@risinghorizon wrote:

I understand that revealing names in PM also breaks the IC rules.

Personally, I'd be unlikely to post a complaint or vent that included the name of the MSC, because this is an open forum and in my opinion it'd be unprofessional of me to publicly denigrate a company that I have (or had) a working relationship with. I have seen lots of posts in the archives that have helpfully named favorite MSCs or given tips on which ones to try for specific types of shops, though,which is really helpful.

So you don't think it would be helpful if you warned members about a company that employed unethical business practices?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2015 11:23PM by Donald Belcher.

Donald, there are statements of fact and there are statements of opinion. "I think XYZ sucks" is very different than "XYZ indicated that they pay in 30-60 days and I performed my shop and outlay of personal cash with that understanding. It is now 65 days since my shop was accepted and I have not received payment."

What is ethical behavior to one person is obviously not necessarily to the next one.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2015 11:28PM by Flash.

@Donald Belcher wrote:

One of the main reasons that I participate in this forum is to find out information about mystery shopping companies, good and bad. Too many of our members seem reluctant to refer to the companies that they are posting about by name! What good is it to reveal information about a company, whether it is a complaint or a compliment, and then only refer to them as "MSC?" Let us know who you are posting about, so that the information will have some meaning!

It has a great deal of meaning to us. You just don't seem to understand it.

Some MSC employees openly post and/or read some of the other posts here. I think a lot of people involved with the MSCs kind of see these forums as a double-edged sword, and some ICAs even restrict shoppers from posting details in them. They MSCs know reviews of companies and personal experiences get posted here, either for better or worse. Our tip-sharing can also help our members improve, save a shop if a scheduler can't get back to a question in time, or find the companies they might work best with. Patterns among competition or from within their own company may also become suspected or identified, and sometimes shoppers are recruited from here. These forums could potentially also help identify shoppers who are too loose-lipped, especially if the make certain details public---all of these things can also benefit the companies. I don't think the schedulers would typically go around looking around for these things specifically, but if they happen to see something, they happen to see it.

Many of the ICAs restrict us from revealing certain details in certain ways, and they do have clauses about these forums. If we violate the ICAs, there can be negative consequences...anything from a citation of some kind to removal from a company we like to work with, or possibly legal action. I have personally never heard of a client or MSC pressing charges against a shopper, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't happen or hasn't happened. When we are given an assignment, we are expected to act in the best interests of the client and the MSC whenever possible. If we accept a contract, part of the pay is expected to be hush money. It is only the shopper who can decide for himself or herself whether or not posting something here or mentioning it anywhere else is worth the risk. There are some situations in which I think it might be justified, like if there's ever a horribly violent crime and it's public knowledge or SHOULD be public knowledge, but in most cases, I prefer to honor my agreements.

.At least some of the people being particularly careful are also looking out for the other members and/or our MSCs. While I don't think it's likely to happen, I personally wouldn't want myself/anybody/too many people to say too much and have an MSC try to shut down these forums. I'm sure that we shoppers would just re-organize and create similar websites, but I like the balance that we strike here, and for the most part, I think it's an excellent system.

Most of us just want someplace to kick back, enjoy our shops, improve when we want to, learn more about the MSC world, possibly get advice about how to deal with certain issues which arise, and just enjoy chatting with each other. There is plenty of 'meaning' here. If it's not useful or meaningful to you, then it's not useful or meaningful to you. That's not our problem. People here do try to help each other, though, so they might be inclined to look the other way if somebody posts something REALLY horrible that somebody from an MSC supposedly did or that supposedly happened while on a shop. It would be up to the site's operators to make a judgment call on how to deal with that kind of issue. It might be true, but it also might not. I would hope and expect that people here would be supportive and concerned, but also encourage the person to be extremely discreet unless it has also already gone through the proper channels.

Suit yourself. Personally, a post that lauds a company for whatever reason, or damns a company for whatever reason, can have no meaning to me to me if I have not the slightest idea of who they are talking about. How can it??

When forum members refer to the Golden Arches and Four Males Plus One or Hedgehog shops, it does not take a genius to figure out what they are talking about. But maybe that is actually a test of the MS'ers cognitive skills.

Donald, I understand exactly what you're saying about wanting to know the name of the MSC, but in many cases shoppers apparently believe they need to protect themselves from consequences of posting here. Even if they never intend to shop for a company again, disparaging the company here whether true or not may be a negative as far as other companies are concerned. Please understand that no one owes anyone else information, so for whatever shoppers share, I am truly grateful.

As long as the client has not been named, you could request the name of the MSC in PM and see how that goes.

Here are five examples of threads that DO name the MSC. They are all different companies and none of them are one of the many MF threads. So I really do not understand what the problem is. There are plenty of threads that do name the MSC. Since we still have freedom of speech, the OP of those threads have the right to name or to not name the MSC. If you do not like that option, you have the right to choose to not read that thread.

[www.mysteryshopforum.com] (Frustrated with Intelli-Shop)

[www.mysteryshopforum.com] (MCP, Not Competitive, Nor Remorseful)

[www.mysteryshopforum.com] (Has ANYBODY been paid from GFK recently?)

[www.mysteryshopforum.com] (Why is Trend Source so cheap?)

[www.mysteryshopforum.com] (Ath Power - Slow to assign shops?)

Well, if we can't name companies for their positive aspects, or name companies for their negative aspects, the purpose of this forum is less than optimum. Let me be clear. No post should include personal opinions, or slurs. All information should be factual, accurate, and unbiased.

@Donald Belcher wrote:

Well, if we can't name companies for their positive aspects, or name companies for their negative aspects, the purpose of this forum is less than optimum. Let me be clear. No post should include personal opinions, or slurs. All information should be factual, accurate, and unbiased.

I agree that naming the MSC when providing feedback about the kinds of jobs they offer, the payment they offer, their tendency to pay shoppers ontime and as agreed, the attitude and ability to reach the schedulers, etc. are all important reasons why I come to this forum. As @Sybil2 posted above, that seems to be happening with regularity. Can you talk about what you meant when you started this thread? Do you want to see more of the discussions like the ones above? or are there specific threads where you wish the MSC had been named since a client for that MSC hadn't been named in the thread?

@Donald Belcher wrote:

Well, if we can't name companies for their positive aspects, or name companies for their negative aspects, the purpose of this forum is less than optimum.

Where does is say that we can't name the companies? I provided several examples listed above. Please show us in the forum rules or the MSC's web site where it says that.

I think we are hitting a brick wall with this poster.

Donald, while I understand your lament, I also see you have been registered on this forum for three years which means you have been shopping for awhile. Surely by now you have developed favorite companies and have established positive relationships with some schedulers. Form your own opinions and don't criticize other shoppers for preferring anonymity.

@Donald Belcher wrote:

Suit yourself. Personally, a post that lauds a company for whatever reason, or damns a company for whatever reason, can have no meaning to me to me if I have not the slightest idea of who they are talking about. How can it??

Sometimes, hearing about other people's experiences on specific shops or their mystery shopping experience in general is still valuable. We all get different things out of this board. I may not link myself directly to specific clients or MSCs, but that doesn't mean that I can't or don't give suggestions to other members or hit 'Like' on something which I have generally found or heard to be true. I may also provide links to where certain types of information can be found, but not say whether or not I've worked for a company, and I may or may not have done so. If somebody asks for tips on how to complete a certain assignment or what MS guidelines about certain types of shops generally tend to be, I'm happy to share what I've learned, but I'm not going to tell them for whom I shop, and I don't owe anyone that information. You don't, either.

Personally, I've found many posts on this forum to be helpful even when they don't name the MSC or the client.

Everyone is free to post or not post an MSC's name (barring violations of ICAs and forum rules), and people have different, valid reasons not to name an MSC. If you don't find any value in a discussion that does not name a specific MSC, that's not the poster's problem.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2015 05:43AM by gotshops.

Sometimes I might say, "That famous fast casual burger place that serves those thick boardwalk fries" and quite a few know what I am talking about

Sunnydays2, I am clueless about the place you are talking about, those boardwalk fries sure sound good! You are making me smile today. :-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2015 01:20PM by incognito.

@incognito wrote:

Sunnydays2, I am clueless about the place you are talking about, those boardwalk fries sure sound good! You are making me smile today. :-)

Thanks! They are the soft fries on the inside that melt in your mouth.

I never said that it was the posters problem. I simply hoped to get more members to name the company, so that the comments that they made would help us to know what company to consider shopping for, or what company to avoid. Without the company name, neither of these options would be possible. I receive emails from Mystery Shopping magazine, that among other things review companies by name, and I have gotten great information from those reviews.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2015 05:07PM by Donald Belcher.

Well, technically, even just saying , "I'm with such-and-such a company" or "I have been with such a company" on a forum like this violates some ICAs. Yes, we have usernames here, but other people sometimes post e-mail addresses or develop relationships with the schedulers who post here, so they might have some people's contact info because of that. (P.S., that's why certain individuals might want to make sure you're using a different e-mail address for this forum than you do with your MSCs, and using your own real name (if that's what you're doing) is not a good idea.)

But some of us have nothing to hide.

We're going round and round but, IMO, it all boils down to this:

Poster A posts about an MSC without naming the MSC outright. There may or may not be other clues in the post(s)/thread that, to other shoppers who shop for that MSC at least, identify the MSC. Some other shoppers will not know which MSC exactly Poster A is writing about because those shoppers don't recognize the clue(s). (Example: If a shopper is not already signed up with that MSC and does not know that MSC shops a particular client, then it naturally makes sense that the shopper misses the clues.)

Would the posts be more helpful if Poster A had named the MSC? Probably. However, Poster A may have specific reasons why he/she did not, and will not, name the company. Your need/wish to know the name of the MSC does not override Poster's A need/wish to not disclose the name. Your problem of not finding a post/thread helpful is not more important than Poster A's problem. Every time you argue for what you want/need while ignoring/dismissing other posters' wants/needs makes your arguments less persuasive.

Examples of how naming an MSC can do more harm than good:

Poster A1 names an MSC and states that one of that MSC's shops pays too little for the amount of work the shop requires. Poster A1 then gets "educated" (attacked) ad nauseum and various other posters, including the owner of the MSC, get into pages of "educating" each other. If Poster A1 had not named the MSC (and I'm not saying the MSC should not have been named), that thread would probably have been much more civil.

Poster A2 names an MSC and talks about how that MSC is late in paying, editing, and communicating. Different shoppers object, saying that MSC is, in fact, not late in paying. Almost everybody who responds in that thread just assumes that Poster A2 is talking about a June shop and conclude, rightly, that payment for June shops is not late. One shopper repeatedly opines that Poster A2 should change the title of the thread because (as she concludes) payment is not late. Everyone also ignores the OP's complaints about late editing and communicating. So, what is Poster A2 supposed to do? Provide details (such as the dates of the shop and payment) that the MSC can read and identify the poster with?