I know, I know. This is an odd heading for a post.

Here's the deal: I have done more than 300 assignments for Market Force. This is the first time I had two MFI shops fall apart. At the first shop, the register wasn't working so I could not get a receipt. I had the cashier write it all out on a piece of paper (no business cards.) I did GeoVerify and snapped a picture of the "cash only" sign. I emailed the help desk offering the additional verification documents. Yay! My report was accepted and I got full pay without having to email photos.

The next day, I did a kiosk wireless shop that was full of traps. I even went back out to the parking lot to go to the website to double-check the address etc. because I couldn't believe I could even shop the place (this was a kiosk inside a store with no staff and no phone number.) I couldn't take a picture because the scenario was that I wasn't supposed to own a cellphone of the targeted type. Again, I had to get someone to write out all the store info as there was no business card to be had. I got home and found a "we cancelled this shop" notice that came in after I had done it. I wrote the help desk with a full explanation, filled the report and again received full pay.

Moral: Document, document, document and get ahead of the problem by notifying the help desk immediately. That's what worked for me. I hope this helps others who may face a similar situation. Happy holidays and Mele Kalikimaka!

Yeah, I totally swore off their FF shops after a rare negative report due to the service time being way, way over the acceptable time and then they could not print a receipt because they had run out of receipt paper. I explained everything in great detail but it was rejected.

@Boutique wrote:

Yeah, I totally swore off their FF shops after a rare negative report due to the service time being way, way over the acceptable time and then they could not print a receipt because they had run out of receipt paper. I explained everything in great detail but it was rejected.

I hear your frustration. Your response to swear off the FF shops was a good step to save your sanity. That's the nice thing about being independent contractors. We can choose our assignments.

Pua, that's pretty awesome! I'm glad they accepted your shops despite the sideways.

I am also glad that everything worked out. Since we can only ask for receipts once, on most FF shops, the lack of a receipt alone is not a cause for rejection. Several times the unitemized receipt on the bag sufficed for me; as long as I honestly asked the cashier once for my receipt. I've reported very long wait times. My few rejected MF reports were ultimately my fault. I disagree that reports are frivolously rejected by MF. I'd have hadseveral recent ones rejected if that was true. I just slammed their newest client for example and was accepted, paid in full.

@Boutique wrote:

Yeah, I totally swore off their FF shops after a rare negative report due to the service time being way, way over the acceptable time and then they could not print a receipt because they had run out of receipt paper. I explained everything in great detail but it was rejected.

I had a store run out of receipt paper once for a somewhat large order and I asked to cancel the order. The manager suddenly produced a receipt from the back office computer. Of course, this was actually for a school function/trip and we needed a receipt for reimbursement but it's some food for thought to ask that maybe next time they can print a computer receipt if it's worth it to you.

Very good idea, that's what I do; no receipt (detailed, not the CC stubby receipt) and you'll give me a refund and we'll start allllll over! I will be getting paid for this, especially if it's a FF shop.

Your scenarios give real solutions that a real shopper would request. There are a lot of reasons why someone would want a receipt. I don't think it is up to the consumer to have to tell the retailer why a receipt should be provided without questions or push back. In compliance audits, no receipt implies the money is not going into the till.

I would add that the OPs reports were accepted because they probally had a history of good reporting with the MSC and they also COMMUNICATED with the MSC. Those two things, along with documentation will help get you paid.