So I posted on here before about a late payment from Intellishop but now it looks like they won't pay me. I am wondering if I should just let it go or keep pursuing it. It is only $19 but it's the principle of the matter.
In October I went to do an oil change shop for them that was located 45 minutes away but was part of a route. The location had closed/moved. I GeoVerified my location and took multiple photos to prove. I tried to contact the scheduler while I was there but got no response. Later that day I was told to do the report and included the photos which I did.
Intellishop contacted me the next day with the new address where the oil change company was now located. I said I was only interested if a nice bonus was attached as I had no route planned and it's not close. I did not hear back.
In December I had not received payment for this shop although on their website it didn't show it was denied. I contacted the scheduler and initially got no response. When I contacted a person responsible for payments, she said it was marked as nonpayment and the scheduler would have to change that. When the scheduler finally responded she said that they didn't have any extra money to pay me a bonus. I said I just wanted to be paid for the work I completed. She said because it had been 2 months she wasn't sure if anything could be done about it now but would talk to her supervisor about it. That was the last I heard from her even after I emailed again asking what the supervisor had decided. What would you do?

If it happened in October, I may let it go-- the whole biting the hand that feeds ordeal. Some schedulers will see your applications and start to ignore you on purpose if they feel like you have been too troublesome to work with. I'm not saying you have been by any means, but over things that are perhaps $25 or less, I'd typically let them have one free pass. I had an issue with NSS similar that cost me about $24. I let it go and have since received quite a few bonused shops from them. Of course, I had a company stiff me twice for similar store closings/out of business and I let them go off of my radar. I read and re-read the guidelines. No where did it mention calling the location but the scheduler replied that I was unable to be paid since I did not call ahead. What the guidelines actually read were that if I went to the location and it was closed or out of business, I would be paid a flat "go-look" fee. No one replied back to me and I just ignore anything I get from them, even the tempting offers. *sigh*

I would pursue it on principal...wish I did, I figured it was only 17.00, easier to let it go, but, why should they get away with it.

We are held accountable, they should be as well.

That depends. If it were a company that I had a great relationship with I would probably ignore it. At the same time none of the companies I have a great relationship with would do that. So maybe the answer is do whatever and find better companies.

It sounds like you deserve to get paid but at this point I would let it go. I would also let the MSC go unless I had a good relationship with them other than this instance and made a reasonable income with them.

Same thing happened to me. And even if the guidelines say you have to call, they won't pay because it is closed. But what about the time you wasted on reading the guidelines etc??

I would totally pursue. They admitted they gave you a bad address by attempting to send you to the correct location. They owe you for the attempt, but not for the completed shop.

Pursue it follow a complaint with the department of labor against intelli shop. If enough people do this then the department of labor can go after intellishop

You should not go to the department of labor. You are not an employee, you are self-employed. Basically if you don't like the MSC, select one that you do. No one doesn't like to be not paid, been there, done that. Usually ends up my fault. I just have to take a deep breath and move on. I would check out why you didn't get paid.

Intelllishop bites....

I have replied in instances like this. Unless you had to call first to verify the business was still there?

I had an issue with Intellishop yesterday that I have never experienced before. I applied and accepted a specific scenario shop. When I read the instructions, I discovered that the scenario listed did not match the instructions below in the form. It appeared that the scheduler had just forgotten to change that section. The shop was due the same day. I emailed the scheduler, Hannah, twice that morning for clarification, but she did not respond. I completed the scenario that I had applied for an accepted, and Hannah finally responded 12 hours later (after the store had closed) that it was supposed to be a different scenario (other than the one that was listed on the shop form, that I had accepted). She gave me a score of 1 and deleted the pay, and did not even apologize for her error. On top of that, the scenario that I completed is still available, so all she had to do was change it and accept my report. I live in an area where they are desperately short of shoppers to complete this shop, which gets done several times a month. The last thing they should want to do is upset their long-time reliable shoppers.

Update: Hannah did change the score and accept the shop for the scenario that I was assigned.

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2017 11:54PM by mjt9598.

I have never had a problem with intel until the shop report was a negative one. I guess intel doesn't want you to tell the truth on their reports or they don't want to tell the client when you had a bad experience.

I cannot tell you the number of negative reports written in my career, including with Intellishop. They were never rejected. The important thing, and what makes them more difficult, is the way they are written. There should be no emotional statements unless asked specifically how something made you feel. (I hate those questions, BTW).

Shop Addict says.....stand your ground!! Keep on calling request their department head. Call corporate!!!
I've been sent to do a major shop at a restaurant , the scheduler called me to helo out! it had been closed for 3 months for renovations! I also paid $20 for parking too.
That was a wild goose chase! I stayed on the scheduler and called their corporate,until I got paid!!!!

Shop Addict agrees....... Because you are an Independent Contractor, doesn't mean you have to be treated badly and not get paid. Thats wrong!
A lot of MSC are breaking labor laws, according to my friends who are attorneys!!! Stay tuned.....Stand up for yourself and what's Right!
DON'T LOSE YOUR VOICE!

I just recently had 2 phone shops that the scheduler emailed me the wrong information, I did the shop and filled out the report THEN saw a follow-up email saying to use another specific number to do the shop. I had been asking for that OTHER number for a week with NO response except on due date she said there was a problem getting the numbers from the client. I followed the instructions and she told me I would NOT get paid. I responded with an email explaining exactly why I should still get paid and NEVER got a response...I noticed today that it was graded and appears that they ARE going to pay it. It's only $14 but I do ALOT of shops for Intellishop and carry a score of 10 for an average. That proves that I'm doing good work. I am happy that she decided to pay me considering the whole shops were a mess from the time they were assigned. I shop with them every month but I would have thought twice had I not gotten paid! Even for that little amount of money. And from all the stories I'm reading today, it sounds like this is a pattern with them. I really do NOT like to spend time emailing someone and they ignore me either. --But I would still press forward to get paid for those shops even though they are months ago. If you did the work then they need to pay you.

I just completed my first shop with them after a four year break. I wanted to see if they had changed their methodology of downgrading the rating because they "had to" contact me for clarification caused by unclear instructions, or as LisaSTL says, the way it is written.
Nope, still the same. But, regardless of rating, I have never had one rejected, and have always been paid.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2017 04:02PM by lgo1957.

Complete a different shop for them with a $17 bonus attached, problem solved for everyone!

You are correct that they are breaking department of labor laws. If people do no contact department of labor then they will not be able to go after them for there unlawful practices. It does not matter if you are an independent contractor or not. independent contractor has nothing to do with not being paid. Make threats to them as sometimes they will come through. The question that I have is why does intelli shop never come on here and ever give en explanation to there unlawful practices

I only do a few Intellishop assignments a year and I've never had a problem yet. But, what do the guidelines say about a closed location or what is Intellishop's agreement with you is the pay for a closed/moved location? Isn't it Industry Standard that you do not get paid for a closed/moved location unless your guidelines/agreement specifically call out a payment amount for a closed/moved location?

For example, with MF their website and each guideline/cpi clearly states that you need to call and see if the location is still open, has moved, whatever. Then, if you decide to go anyway to a closed location you get paid a big fat $3 smackaroos and that's it. I'm pretty sure it's the same for The Source. Unless the location is one I know is open I always call, especially if it's a long drive. Then, if it's closed or moved I cancel the shop because $3 won't buy much will it?

@spicy1 wrote:

I only do a few Intellishop assignments a year and I've never had a problem yet. But, what do the guidelines say about a closed location or what is Intellishop's agreement with you is the pay for a closed/moved location? Isn't it Industry Standard that you do not get paid for a closed/moved location unless your guidelines/agreement specifically call out a payment amount for a closed/moved location?

For example, with MF their website and each guideline/cpi clearly states that you need to call and see if the location is still open, has moved, whatever. Then, if you decide to go anyway to a closed location you get paid a big fat $3 smackaroos and that's it. I'm pretty sure it's the same for The Source. Unless the location is one I know is open I always call, especially if it's a long drive. Then, if it's closed or moved I cancel the shop because $3 won't buy much will it?

I think it is wrong for them to have me fill out the report including the pictures I took if they aren't going to pay me a dime!

@spicy1 wrote:

... I'm pretty sure it's the same for The Source.

Not true. For TS it might depend on the shop. I know for sure for some TS shops they pay 50% if the location isn't there or the person being shopped doesn't show up. So a $34 shop gets $17, a $21 shop pays $11.50, etc.

As long as a pre-visit phone call was not required, it is NOT an industry standard to pay a reduced fee. GFK and MF both like to claim it is so. Just because they repeat the lie does not make it the truth. Most other companies will pay the full fee. For those who do reduce the fee, GFK is the only one who will also reduce the bonus. Since the bonus is for things like distance or a rush shop, it should not be reduced under any circumstances.