Can anybody explain what is involved??? I read the shop description but am still slightly unclear as to what is exactly required.


Thank You

Basically these are jobs that the client wants to make sure are legitimate businesses, in order that the business will be able to keep client records confidential. These are businesses that want to be able to run credit checks on potential customers.
Your job is to secure an appointment by phone to the contact who is on the job order. You have to verify the address and location of the business is correct.At the appointment you need to take pictures of the business sign, file cabinet, shredder,and work station. basically you are determining whether or not the business is legit. Most assignments of this type have different variables so be sure to read each assignments guidelines.

The biggest gripe I have is the lack of direction and information provided from Trendsource concerning these jobs. I have had apartment complex owners question me where it is stated that they have to do this to which all I can say is that they should contact the client. However, when I asked Trendsource what law this falls under that they are required to be inspected, even they didn't seem certain as the response was "I believe it is the Fair Credit Reporting Act ....".

If you simply ask some of the questions the way they are stated on the form, you will look like a complete fool.

They tell you to take a picture of the exterior of the file cabinet, but do not say whether or not you should look at any of the contents of the file, or provide any other direction for the inspection.

You also aren't provided any information on whether this is a new customer to the client or whether they have been with the client for a couple years, making you look that much more uninformed when you arrive. So you don't know whether to say "Can I see the area where you have your files?" or "Can I see the area where you PLAN to keep your files?".

You are supposed to be verifying the authenticity of the business, however you are not asked to see a business license or any other proof other than take a pic of the exterior of a file cabinet, a shredder, and a business card if one is available ... making the process seem that much more of a waste of time to the person being inspected.

Then, it's awkward because they want a record of you being there, but you aren't provided with any business card with affiliation to Trendsource stating you are affiliated with them, and many of the contacts get suspicious and think you are someone who is dishonest and up to no good. I eventually had business cards made on my own, despite Trendsource saying otherwise in their Authorization letter, because I was tired of the people questioning why I don't have a business card and calling me out on lack of professionalism because of it.

So those are just some of my gripes with the current process in place. I think there are definite opportunities on Trendsource's end to improve the professionalism of the inspection process and make them look a lot more professional as a company, to be frank.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2010 04:12PM by mystikwizard.

Perhaps they could start with offering a professional level of pay for the assignments....

I feel differently than you do, mystik. I find these shops fast and easy. I have had clients both old and new to the process; except for one realty, where the person just wanted me out of there so she could go sell houses, all have been helpful and pleasant. Most knew the drill, but even those who did not did not ask any questions about why/who/what...I also have had to take more pictures-the office environment, the building, the office signs, the shredder, the file cab. with lock or the server, the file cabinet or server in context.

I only do those located at commercial locations such as office or medical buildings, and will not do businesses located in private homes. I had audit to my own credit union's HQ, which was odd for me....but still easy. I am always in and out in 15 minutes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2010 04:32PM by dee shops.

dee shops Wrote:
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> I feel differently than you do, mystik. I find
> these shops fast and easy. I have had clients
> both old and new to the process; except for one
> realty, where the person just wanted me out of
> there so she could go sell houses, all have been
> helpful and pleasant. Most knew the drill, but
> even those who did not did not ask any questions
> about why/who/what...I also have had to take more
> pictures-the office environment, the building, the
> office signs, the shredder, the file cab. with
> lock or the server, the file cabinet or server in
> context.
>
> I only do those located at commercial locations
> such as office or medical buildings, and will not
> do businesses located in private homes. I had
> audit to my own credit union's HQ, which was odd
> for me....but still easy. I am always in and out
> in 15 minutes.


But that's the thing. I am not denying that the shops are fast and easy. I do agree that they could pay a little more though, since it involves making a couple call attempts and actually making an appointment to meet with the contact.

However, my gripe is that the whole "inspection" process in the way it is currently structured is a complete joke and you look like a moron standing in front of the contact, with them scratching their head why they are paying $90 or more for something as silly as this.

Think about it. You are supposed to be there to verify the authenticity of the business, and all you are really doing is getting a quick 1 sentence explanation from the contact in what they do, take a picture of the outside of a file cabinet, take a pic of a shredder, and get a business card IF one is available ... and this is suppose to verify the authenticity of a business how?

And on top of that, actually costs over $90 for something like this? It's no wonder why many of the contacts have actually accused the client and Trendsource of doing this just to rob them of $90+.

While I agree they can and should pay more, I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I just do not have issues with the MSC's process. I have no idea what they pay for this service, but if it is like everything else here, it probably costs more than it does most places on the mainland.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2010 09:16PM by dee shops.

I have done only one of them and it was quite easy. The biggest problem I have is getting them. they are always taken before I get there,

And I have been in enough locations that did NOT strike me as legitimate businesses that I had some real concerns about them ever having access to MY credit info! The vast majority are indeed legitimate and you know that even before you step in the door. But the law does require the visits after all the faux pas the credit reporting services were doing after selling your info and mine to anybody willing to pay for it.

I might have missed something here but is anyone getting paid $90 to do a BV??

I think that what the poster meant was that the client pays the company $90 for them. That's how I read it.

Ahh, ok, that makes sense.

There are some out there with slightly different kinds of requirements that pay a lot more.

A lot more than $90? Or more than TS pays?

More than TS pays for their normal verifications.

Okay, thank you. I knew that part but wasn't sure if I was missing out on an EASY high paying assignment. :-)

dee shops Wrote:
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> Okay, thank you. I knew that part but wasn't sure
> if I was missing out on an EASY high paying
> assignment. :-)


That's why I was wondering too. I knew she was talking about Trendsource BVs so I was wondering how much of a PAD they were requesting to get them for $90.

lisams901 Wrote:
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> I might have missed something here but is anyone
> getting paid $90 to do a BV??


$90 is what the customer/applicant pays the major client who I conducted business verifications for. I know that from interacting with enough people who told me the same story and the same amount. As a shopper, you can expect to only receive about $17-$21 of that fee while Trendsource and the client divides the rest.

Like I said, I would be fully behind this program if it was more professional because you simply walking into a place, taking a picture of the outside of a file cabinet without seeing it's contents, taking a picture of a shredder and bin, taking a pic of a business card does not verify the authenticity of a business and is a sham of an inspection process as far as I'm concerned.

I actually would like to see it more involved, because the way it is currently structured, it's no wonder the contact thinks of people like us and thinks of this process as a joke.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2010 02:26AM by mystikwizard.

But of course the point is that the client can have locking file cabinets and never lock them, a shredder that breaks and just throw stuff out in the regular trash, etc. etc. So much of this is YOU getting a sense of the client. I am not impressed with a guy in an 'executive suite' that can be rented by the week with a freshly printed 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper taped to the door announcing a company name and only the rental furnishings of the executive suite inside. I am even less impressed when he has no business cards (or ones like I can print on my home computer) and is just trying to overwhelm me with his 'expertise'. At the same time it is a bit of a joke to be trying to figure out if a county government office is a "legitimate business". I have also noted a number of posted business licenses that are for different names and/or addresses than the location I am visiting. I adjust my questions accordingly in conversation to see what the responses are to the variations. You may see this as a bad joke, but my reaction is that you know pretty quickly who is real and who is playing games. And it is the game players you are out there to wave caution flags about. I take my responsibility seriously--if I would not want the person having access to my credit information, you probably would not want yours in their hands either.

mystikwizard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> $90 is what the customer/applicant pays the major
> client who I conducted business verifications for.
> I know that from interacting with enough people
> who told me the same story and the same amount.

It might just be the businesses/contacts that I've verified, but so far I have yet to find one that is even aware of why the verification is being done. They sure would have had no idea what their company was paying for the service.

I would have no issues with any of the companies I have done having my information, except perhaps the selling happy realtor. All the rest I have done were very professional places of business. But, we are talking about me doing companies in a major city, and I wouldn't go to addresses where the posers most likely would be here.

lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mystikwizard Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > $90 is what the customer/applicant pays the
> major
> > client who I conducted business verifications
> for.
> > I know that from interacting with enough
> people
> > who told me the same story and the same amount.
>
>
> It might just be the businesses/contacts that I've
> verified, but so far I have yet to find one that
> is even aware of why the verification is being
> done. They sure would have had no idea what their
> company was paying for the service.



Well, often times I would have a customer know how much the inspection was (since they had to pay for it) and STILL did not understand why this process was done. It would be very helpful if Trendsource did a better job explaining to their shoppers this very question by stating specifically what law and where in the law that states this process must be done, so we at least sound intelligent when talking to the contacts about what law (if it is the Fair Credit and Reporting Act) and where specifically it mandates this.

Trendsource also gives no guidance to their shoppers in telling them what they can and can not do to make determinations if the client is authentic or not, and does not say what follow up questions you can ask and what you can't ask. They do not say whether you can ask for a business license or not.

Trendsource, in my view, simply does not do their part to make this process as effective on the end of the shopper and contact as it really should be. Even by asking each of the questions on their form and taking the photos you are instructed to take does it mean that the business is legitimate. Certainly having a file cabinet, which you aren't even told if you can look into or not, or a shredder doesn't equate to having a legit business.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2010 04:16AM by mystikwizard.

mystikwizard Wrote:


>
> I actually would like to see it more involved,
> because the way it is currently structured, it's
> no wonder the contact thinks of people like us and
> thinks of this process as a joke.


I don't want it more involved. Let me make my (usually) one call to schedule, show up, get in and out in 15, and report in 5 and I am ok (not thrilled, but ok) with the $21 mine usually are.

If I recall correctly, they indicate you are not to specifically let the customer know exactly what you are looking for. Thus when I am doing a visit I feel free to pursue anything that has raised questions in my mind. I often, with a grin, will state something along the lines of, "Since it is the rules that an independent third party needs to come visit you to verify you are really a business, I'm your third party." That puts us on a comfortable same side of the table when the business is obviously legitimate, and allows me to chat informally about how they are using credit reports, etc. I am almost always offered an opportunity to look in the locking file and always decline because my concern is that they have the capability of storing sensitive material relatively safely and in any event have not started receiving sensitive materials from the client because they are not yet authorized. I get a good sense of the person and whether they are likely to exercise due care with sensitive materials once they have access to them. A number of the businesses I talk with never even plan to print the credit report. They simply will link it into a loan file going on to a loan processor within the parent firm or take a look at it and save it to their server as backup for a potential tenant. So much of this comes down to your sense of the PERSON you are dealing with and giving you a y/n check list for that is not feasible. Thus I perceive many of the questions in the report are not things for me to ask directly but rather to think about myself and respond to.

I had a tough one a month or so ago. When I walked in the guy announced that I was, "The third verifier who has been here this year." He indicated he, "Knew the drill." He was so cagey about what he was willing to say that it would have been easy to give him a negative report and move on, but what was more important was to get his guard down so it wasn't such a "You stupid jerk" from both sides of the desk. That one was a long visit because it took a while to get him to open up and chat about what he was doing. But from the get go I knew from the licenses posted and the type of materials on his desk (and piled on the floor and falling out of the bookshelves and filling the only chair besides his desk chair) that he was a legitimate business and a legitimate jackass. So actually if I needed services such as his, I would want him working with me rather than similar brokers with one slim volume about their business from their training class on the shelf.

They have few of these here, and I will only do about half of them, due to location. I feel lucky not to have experienced anything like that.

I get more than twice what Trendsouce pay for BVs with a different company.

That is why I said that I knew there was another that paid better.

I have done several of these BV's with this company. Pay is 21.00. Who is the other company that pays twice that:-)

Danabnnc Wrote:
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> I have done several of these BV's with this
> company. Pay is 21.00. Who is the other company
> that pays twice that:-)


I would definitely be interested in knowing that, as well. Can anyone send me a PM if they don't want to post it, please?

It is my understanding that the big three credit reporting agencies instituted mandatory on-site BV for people seeking credit reports specifically to avoid having a new law that would seek to protect consumers from fraudulent requests for their credit reports. In other words, what we are seeing is "self-regulation" by the credit reporting industry.

It is also my understanding that in many legal cases there is a set of questions that is used to determine whether or not a business entity actually exists. They include they very questions that the BV addreesses, concerning location, signage, specific office equipment, presence or absence of personal items in office. So, at least those questions have some basis in legal practice. The BV forms then add a bunch of questions that might flag outfits that may be skimming credit reports for evil intent.