Secretshopper.com Wants to Charge Me for Lost Check!

I have shopped for them for years and never had any issues. I moved many years ago and have shopped for them since I moved. They still send paper checks and for some reason they sent the last payment to my old address. Since moving, I've received checks at the current address so there must be a glitch in their system. Yet they want to charge me $35 stop payment for the check to get it reissued.

They basically gave me the run around to put a trace at the Post Office who ended up saying there's no proof it was ever even sent. I went back to the company and although they have no proof the check was ever mailed b/c it's 1st Class & I've received checks at the current address prior to this check, they still want ME to pay the fee. I am out of pocket for more than $35 for the item plus my pay.

Is there anything legally that I can say to them to get them to reissue payment w/o me paying the price? It seems very unfair that I'm paying the fee, but they won't budge no matter what I say. I even said I would contact the client and they didn't seem to care (as I think they no longer have them as clients).

Any help resolving this would so much appreciated. I've never had something like this happen & seems I don't have a leg to stand-on with rights for the company. Thank you.

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More Discussions About Secret Shopper -- SecretShopper.com (All Companies)

I've never shopped for this company. Is this the one where they charge you a fee?

In either case, their handling of your check has made me decide I would never want to work for a MSC that wants me to pay for the stop-check fee. It seems it was their error on the address fluke.

They need to own up to it and pay the fee.

The first thing I would do is wait a while. I know when I have done mailings for work, it can take up to three weeks for a non deliverable item to be returned. Every once in a while we get an item that was returned, for no valid reason and just re-mail it out in a new envelope. Maybe you will still get the check or it will be returned to the sender.

Also, ask them to check if the check has cleared there account. If it has, it will be pretty easy for them to get a copy and if it was fraud (someone else cashing or depositing it), the bank will normally waive all the fees involved.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2016 03:24PM by spaztck.

Might not be your first choice, but eventually checks become stale-dated, typically 60/90/120/180 days after issuance. Six months is standard, but it can be shorter, as well. Banks are less likely to accept checks that are dated this old because they pose a risk as to their validity. At that point, a stop payment is largely unnecessary (although there still is a slight risk of the check being deposited), so they may be willing to reissue without the fee. Depending on the value of the check, it may be worth waiting if you can verify they'll reissue it in the future.

Shopping central Arizona.

I had that happen once with another MSC, and called them. They said they'd send out another, and if I get first one, send it back. This sounds a bit fishy, shouldn't be your problem, it happens, and they need to take care of it.
I'd demand they send out another check ASAP.

Live consciously....

@spaztck wrote:

The first thing I would do is wait a while. I know when I have done mailings for work, it can take up to three weeks for a non deliverable item to be returned. Every once in a while we get an item that was returned, for no valid reason and just re-mail it out in a new envelope. Maybe you will still get the check or it will be returned to the sender.

Also, ask them to check if the check has cleared there account. If it has, it will be pretty easy for them to get a copy and if it was fraud (someone else cashing or depositing it), the bank will normally waive all the fees involved.

Very good advice from spaztck. It is exactly what I would do. Although none of my SecretShopper checks have been lost, there have been a few threads over the last couple years about exactly this issue. There does not appear to be a way to force them to reissue the check without charging you a stop payment fee if they have not received the check back. This is their standard payment procedure and they note it in several places on their website and in their shop guidelines re payment. Very upsetting to have to wait and worry after not receiving a check. I read this payment procedure every time I accept a shop from them and feel like I am taking a risk.

SecretShopper: "Payment Procedure:

If we have received the check back from the Post Office, we will verify your address and information and send the check back to you. If we have not received it back from the Post Office, we can issue you a new check, minus a $35.00 stop payment fee."

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

I've never shopped for this company. Is this the one where they charge you a fee?

In either case, their handling of your check has made me decide I would never want to work for a MSC that wants me to pay for the stop-check fee. It seems it was their error on the address fluke.

They need to own up to it and pay the fee.

No they don't charge a fee to work for them. The $35 stop payment fee was a surprise. They won't own up to anything is their fault so they want me to pay the fee.

@spaztck wrote:

The first thing I would do is wait a while. I know when I have done mailings for work, it can take up to three weeks for a non deliverable item to be returned. Every once in a while we get an item that was returned, for no valid reason and just re-mail it out in a new envelope. Maybe you will still get the check or it will be returned to the sender.

Also, ask them to check if the check has cleared there account. If it has, it will be pretty easy for them to get a copy and if it was fraud (someone else cashing or depositing it), the bank will normally waive all the fees involved.

Thanks for the response. The check was mailed in February. I even checked with the current tenant and they said they haven't had mail for me in a long time. The shopping company does not show that the check has cleared. I've made it clear that it's five months and obviously it's not being returned or cashed. Their response is that I have to pay the fee if I want my money. I'm not sure who regulates these companies and if there's a central complaint place besides BBB.

It has almost been 6 months and the lady did not give me any options about if we wait 6 months then I don't have to pay it. It was either pay it or you don't get paid as the option to me. They are very inflexible in helping to resolve this.

February?! You have been more than patient. Their so called policy is horse crap and more than likely illegal. Contact your Attorney General's office. Maybe they can give you some direction.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I had that happen once with another MSC, and called them. They said they'd send out another, and if I get first one, send it back. This sounds a bit fishy, shouldn't be your problem, it happens, and they need to take care of it.
I'd demand they send out another check ASAP.

Yes it does. The fact there is no proof it was sent doesn't seem right they can make me pay the fee. I spoke to a friend who had it happen before with another company and did as yours did. I've demanded the check due to the fact that they don't have proof it was sent, the current tenant never got it, and it's been almost six months.

So it looks like if a check gets lost in the mail with this company, then you have to pay the fee to get another one. It's a joke. Any advise where to go from here is much appreciated. I've tried everything I can think of. I left a message with the client but it's a huge chain and I never got a call back. I could contact the product manufacturer too, but I think b/c my check is under $100 no one will care about helping me in the corporate world.

Thanks for everyone's help!

They just put a stop payment on it, where would a fee come in?

Live consciously....

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

They just put a stop payment on it, where would a fee come in?

Putting a stop payment on a check is not free. Most, if not all, banks charge a fee for the stop payment. The policy of the company is to pass that fee on to the shopper. For example, if I put a stop payment on a check drawn on my Wells Fargo account, Wells Fargo will charge me $31. The stop payment charge is $30 at Chase, Bank of America, and Citibank.

Doesn't your bank charge a stop payment fee? Most do and apparently the MSC is passing that along to the shopper. Policies about waiting a specified amount of time before reissuing are common. I've never run a business where we passed along costs like that to our vendors. Never, ever.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2016 02:37AM by LisaSTL.

I called the Attorney General and they want me to email them all the details. I told them I had worked for this company in the past and gotten my money, so representative thinks the company is a scam to rope you in or maybe a new owner took over and they are not treating shoppers like they used to. He also did say that even if it's not a scam, it's not right that they would make me pay for a lost check when they have no proof they sent it.

Thank you for the suggestion to call the Attorney General LisaSTL. Hopefully this problem will help someone with this company, should they have similar problems. The fact they don't use Paypal is odd to me. If anyone has any more suggestions or similar dealings with this company, please let me know. Thanks again!!!

@shoppingbeauty wrote:

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I had that happen once with another MSC, and called them. They said they'd send out another, and if I get first one, send it back. This sounds a bit fishy, shouldn't be your problem, it happens, and they need to take care of it.
I'd demand they send out another check ASAP.

Yes it does. The fact there is no proof it was sent doesn't seem right they can make me pay the fee. I spoke to a friend who had it happen before with another company and did as yours did. I've demanded the check due to the fact that they don't have proof it was sent, the current tenant never got it, and it's been almost six months.

So it looks like if a check gets lost in the mail with this company, then you have to pay the fee to get another one. It's a joke. Any advise where to go from here is much appreciated. I've tried everything I can think of. I left a message with the client but it's a huge chain and I never got a call back. I could contact the product manufacturer too, but I think b/c my check is under $100 no one will care about helping me in the corporate world.

Thanks for everyone's help!

You called their client?!

If the period past which the check can be cashed by someone (whether it's 60/120/180 days), SS does not have to issue a stop payment on the check. If a bank should accidentally cash it, I believe the problem becomes theirs, not the MSC's. They can indeed re-issue the check to you without passing along a non-existent stop-payment fee. And I agree that it's unethical, if not illegal.

Good luck, and kudos to you for pursuing this with the AG's office.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2016 03:11PM by BirdyC.

@shoppingbeauty wrote:

@spaztck wrote:

The first thing I would do is wait a while. I know when I have done mailings for work, it can take up to three weeks for a non deliverable item to be returned. Every once in a while we get an item that was returned, for no valid reason and just re-mail it out in a new envelope. Maybe you will still get the check or it will be returned to the sender.

Also, ask them to check if the check has cleared there account. If it has, it will be pretty easy for them to get a copy and if it was fraud (someone else cashing or depositing it), the bank will normally waive all the fees involved.

Thanks for the response. The check was mailed in February. I even checked with the current tenant and they said they haven't had mail for me in a long time. The shopping company does not show that the check has cleared. I've made it clear that it's five months and obviously it's not being returned or cashed. Their response is that I have to pay the fee if I want my money. I'm not sure who regulates these companies and if there's a central complaint place besides BBB.

I would be furious!

It's bad enough you worked all those months ago, did the job, had it accepted and now you just want to be paid.... they just want to suck $35 from you first....

Doesn't the check void out after 3 months, so, they can check with payroll, and see if it was cashed, (which it wasn't), and send out another. The amount for one job isn't that much. Deal with their payroll department.
The Atty. General seems over the top. keep us posted.

Live consciously....

It seems like the Atty General was a good start. However if they are not violating any laws then it seems that it is a private disagreement. One poster cited the Stop Payment Fee. You may want to look over the ICA. Unfortunately it states a local where legal action has to occur. Usually in the state where the MSC is located.

Have you gone up the food chain?

Also, I cannot think of any situation where I would contact the MSC client Check with filing something with the BBB. At the very least you might get a decent opinion about your civil legal obligations.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

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