Market Force Notice of Invalid Shop
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From what I've read here, this is common with MF. I think errors could call into question the accuracy of the report. It sucks, but I think they stand pretty firm with the no corrections.
It could have been saved, if they were informed before it was invalidated:
Source: Market Force FAQ@ wrote:
Inaccurate Reporting
LAST UPDATED: OCT 11, 2015 09:23AM EDT
Reviewing the Summary page before you submit each report makes it easy to see your report entries and allow you to correct any errors before you submit your report.
If you do submit a report with any incorrect data, please e-mail helpdesk@marketforce.com right away with details of the error, including the Assignment ID, report question, and the correction to be made.
Keep in mind that if a shop has already been invalidated, we are not always able to correct the report to approve the shop. This is the case even if a shop receipt shows the shop was done correctly. Reports MUST contain accurate information (including the reporting of any receipt errors).
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
@Tarantado wrote:
It could have been saved, if they were informed before it was invalidated:
@ wrote:
Inaccurate Reporting
LAST UPDATED: OCT 11, 2015 09:23AM EDT
Reviewing the Summary page before you submit each report makes it easy to see your report entries and allow you to correct any errors before you submit your report.
Source: Market Force FAQ
I don't think the pictures show up in the review.
That's the same answer they gave me when I uploaded the wrong picture.
OP don't complain to mention that you came to the boards to ask the question, that's how I got suspended by them. I mentioned the forums.
I always review. Regardless, I did not realize I'd made a mistake until they informed me, and it was just an honest, simple mistake. The receipts were similar and very difficult to read, I might add. It looks like both stores need to change ribbon on their cash registers. It just seems like a ridiculous policy to me; especially since the error was such an easy fix. The shops were bonused, so clearly they were having trouble getting people to do them. And, I am a long-time shopper who rarely makes mistakes. Anyway, thanks for the responses. I appreciate your input. I'll definitely be super-careful in the future.
Perhaps with the shops being so close maybe you could have used different camera friendly device. While MF frowns on writing on a receipt sent in, one could photographically make changes in receipt. Maybe taking the pictures on different types of background or using a scanner for one of the receipts
OP posted---------> The receipts were similar and very difficult to read, I might add. It looks like both stores need to change ribbon on their cash registers." Then, change your background, in the receipt scenery. Maybe MF thought they were the same receipt.
AND
"I am a long-time shopper who rarely makes mistakes.".......... I have made some mistakes while doing my reports over the years, but I've made very few. I hope you don't fracture your arm patting yourself on the back
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2017 02:48AM by sojo917.
OP posted---------> The receipts were similar and very difficult to read, I might add. It looks like both stores need to change ribbon on their cash registers." Then, change your background, in the receipt scenery. Maybe MF thought they were the same receipt.
AND
"I am a long-time shopper who rarely makes mistakes.".......... I have made some mistakes while doing my reports over the years, but I've made very few. I hope you don't fracture your arm patting yourself on the back
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2017 02:48AM by sojo917.
They were the same receipt; the error was mine. I use a scanner for my receipts. I was not trying to pat myself on the back, I was merely trying to explain the situation: that I am a reliable shopper and not one usually prone to mistakes. I just think it's odd that they would rather invalidate a shop than let me fix an error. Especially since it would be such simple fix. They clearly would, though, so like I said, I will be more careful in the future.
I feel for you, mom. I have had very similar problems due to my own mistake... such as uploading same photo of store front for two shops that I did back to back. I also made a doosey when I reported swapped data for two shops back to back. Like you said. bonuses and all. They seem to be firm with thir decisions. Once I emailed the help desk immediatley after a reported a shop incorrectly, hoping it would help, but alas no I was invalid. But, really its just one of those "live and learn" thangs. Happy shopping!
TinaMarie
Man I feel for you! I haven’t had this issue with MF atleast not yet. I’ve never had a shop invalidated by them but I do find that strange they wouldn’t just let you fix something simple like the receipt. That is good to know!
I just recently had a shop invalidated by MF as well -- not for photo problems but because I stopped one shop at 2:31 PM, walked a few dozen yards down the mall and started my next shop in the same minute.
I argued with them about how it was physically possible to do this and quoted some data, but I got a hard and fast "NOPE" back.
They absolutely require time IN BETWEEN shops. I asked how much, and the editor replied that there needed to be a minimum of 1 minute, but they prefer 5 or more. Of course, this is not in the guidelines anywhere.
You better believe that I saved that email.
I argued with them about how it was physically possible to do this and quoted some data, but I got a hard and fast "NOPE" back.
They absolutely require time IN BETWEEN shops. I asked how much, and the editor replied that there needed to be a minimum of 1 minute, but they prefer 5 or more. Of course, this is not in the guidelines anywhere.
You better believe that I saved that email.
I recently completed a route of shops. Like you, I accidentally uploaded the wrong receipt for one of the reports. Not only did they reject that report, they rejected the report that the actual receipt belonged to. That made no sense to me as there was no error on that report. MF response to me was, "That's why we ask you to review your report." REJECTED
Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.
@giannarama wrote:
I just recently had a shop invalidated by MF as well -- not for photo problems but because I stopped one shop at 2:31 PM, walked a few dozen yards down the mall and started my next shop in the same minute.
They absolutely require time IN BETWEEN shops. I asked how much, and the editor replied that there needed to be a minimum of 1 minute, but they prefer 5 or more. Of course, this is not in the guidelines anywhere..
I hate the overlapping times infraction. I once did a grocery shop, and there was a cell phone shop with a provider who had a booth inside the grocery store. It seemed very efficient to me until I realized I had to kill a few minutes and wait between shops.
Although they don't suggest the time between shops, they do actually suggest: "Quick Tip: If you are doing 2 assignments that are near each other please take a moment between the shops to make notes from the first one. This will prevent confusion between the shops and the possibility of overlapping times."
If I do multiple shops on the same day, I always write the job number on the receipt (s). I have never been told not to and it helps to keep my POV's organized and to avoid this issue.
With the marketforce app, I have found that it's easier to just stop and do my report on the app between shops. That way, I'm taking the picture of the receipt and other necessary pictures right before I do the report. The time it takes to enter the report is plenty of time to give me a cushion between shops. And then when I get home, I'm done. It might not save much time overall, but it still feels like I'm accomplishing more and it feels great to be done when I get home.
It is obvious. You should be glad that QC/editors rejected or invalidated your shop. If your shop had made it to the Client, the MF would have deactivated you. The MSC is hired to submit reports that are consistent to the client's requirement. If one "should have been" rejected shop get pass, MF stands a good chance of losing the contract.
MF have more to lose than you. While it's only $5 or bonus to you, it can be a whole contract for them. Get it right the first time and you will be paid.
MF is running a business not a day care.
Common sense does not need to be wrote in requirements. It should be common sense. Take the time to look over the report you submit. It is the difference between getting paid and not. When we don't, it become a warning from the MSC and a reason for them to lower our fees, while theirs (MSC) go higher.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2017 03:10AM by sojo917.
MF have more to lose than you. While it's only $5 or bonus to you, it can be a whole contract for them. Get it right the first time and you will be paid.
MF is running a business not a day care.
Common sense does not need to be wrote in requirements. It should be common sense. Take the time to look over the report you submit. It is the difference between getting paid and not. When we don't, it become a warning from the MSC and a reason for them to lower our fees, while theirs (MSC) go higher.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2017 03:10AM by sojo917.
I took an electronic shop for $28 and I was surprised since they paid only 12 last time. Yesterday, I recd an email from MF that it was an error and the shop pays $10 only.
Same thing happened to me; uploaded from my phone wrong receipt. After many emails, their decision remained, already sent to the client.
I had made the same type of mistake- did 2 shops the same day for the same chain in two dif. towns. Got one of the names wrong (because I was going by memory and NOT looking at my notes.) I informed them right away and although the person who got back to me wasn't happy, they surprised me and accepted both shops and I got paid for them.
@mom2fussbudgets wrote:
They were the same receipt; the error was mine. I use a scanner for my receipts. I was not trying to pat myself on the back, I was merely trying to explain the situation: that I am a reliable shopper and not one usually prone to mistakes. I just think it's odd that they would rather invalidate a shop than let me fix an error. Especially since it would be such simple fix. They clearly would, though, so like I said, I will be more careful in the future.
We don't know what their system's like though. Imagine placing an order on Amazon. Once an order's been placed and is being processed and packaged at the factory, there's a reason why I can't just call Amazon customer service and demand them to change or cancel my order after a certain time, right? Same thing might be the case for a huge MSC in operations like Market Force. Once, the reports being processed, it becomes a major hassle and even difficult to change things on the report once it's been processed.
I get it; for many other MSC's, there's a lot more leniency to this. But not all MSC's are equal and I've always seen Market Force as a mystery shopping 'factory' rather than a personable company to its shoppers.
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
@Tarantado wrote:
We don't know what their system's like though. Imagine placing an order on Amazon. Once an order's been placed and is being processed and packaged at the factory, there's a reason why I can't just call Amazon customer service and demand them to change or cancel my order after a certain time, right? Same thing might be the case for a huge MSC in operations like Market Force. Once, the reports being processed, it becomes a major hassle and even difficult to change things on the report once it's been processed.
I get it; for many other MSC's, there's a lot more leniency to this. But not all MSC's are equal and I've always seen Market Force as a mystery shopping 'factory' rather than a personable company to its shoppers.
Exactly. Even more, the mystery shopper is not the customer. We mystery shoppers are independent contractors in business for ourselves. In this instance, Market Force is the customer.
Let's say you went to a store and bought a new sweater and they accidentally scanned the wrong thing and charged you $10 less. You paid it without noticing, they bagged the item, and you drove home. The next day, the store telephones you and says "We scanned the wrong item and you owe us money. You need to bring the item back and let us re-scan it and collect an additional $10 plus tax." How would you feel? How much time would it take for you to drive back to the store, wait for service, and help the store correct its error? Would you feel, as the customer, that it was your problem that the business made a mistake and you did not notice until the transaction had been processed? Would you feel that the store should take responsibility for its error? Why should it cost the customer more time and money and aggravation because the store made a mistake and didn't realize it until the transaction was complete?
I think they will try to work with you, when they can and/or if you get the right person on the help desk. Because this shop was bonused, maybe they were already too close to the deadline and just got another shopper to complete it, rather than trying to get it sorted out.
@roflwofl wrote:
Exactly. Even more, the mystery shopper is not the customer. We mystery shoppers are independent contractors in business for ourselves. In this instance, Market Force is the customer.
Let's say you went to a store and bought a new sweater and they accidentally scanned the wrong thing and charged you $10 less. You paid it without noticing, they bagged the item, and you drove home. The next day, the store telephones you and says "We scanned the wrong item and you owe us money. You need to bring the item back and let us re-scan it and collect an additional $10 plus tax." How would you feel? How much time would it take for you to drive back to the store, wait for service, and help the store correct its error? Would you feel, as the customer, that it was your problem that the business made a mistake and you did not notice until the transaction had been processed? Would you feel that the store should take responsibility for its error? Why should it cost the customer more time and money and aggravation because the store made a mistake and didn't realize it until the transaction was complete?
The only exception will be banks if they mistakenly deposited money that was not yours, but that's a whole different argument lol.
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
@Tarantado wrote:
The only exception will be banks if they mistakenly deposited money that was not yours, but that's a whole different argument lol.
Exactly. But that would be totally different because it would require minimal time and effort on the part of the customer. The bank could correct their error and notify the customer of the correction.
With their new website came an email that said with their new system, they cannot mess with the receipts any longer, that part of their system is locked to edits. If you accidentally hit the "No receipt" button on the upload you need to upliad a photo of the receipt on the phitos upload part.
eta: Sojo, nevermind the rant....the word ....wrote..... is past-tense
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2017 07:10PM by spicy1.
eta: Sojo, nevermind the rant....the word ....wrote..... is past-tense
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2017 07:10PM by spicy1.
I've had an occasion where they have invalided a shop that I had not yet completed. I started the report and realized it was the wrong location; I immediately stopped and left it as incomplete. The next day when the shop was scheduled, I went in to correct the "incomplete" shop. They said I had two on the same location. I said I never completed and submitted the one report. I then learned that even if you just start a report (complete or not!), it's submitted. They did straighten this out, but I had assumed if it was not submitted, I could still change the information. Most other companies warn you that your information has not been submitted.
What Tarantado says is true. You must contact them prior to the report being rejected. I did this twice last week and the shops were later approved. Once I "thought" I may have sent the wrong pictures, but advised them that if the receipt matched the location - the pictures were accurate. They quickly wrote back and stated that I had included the correct receipt so there was no issue. Another time I contacted them prior to submitting two reports that I had done back to back. One of the receipts had an invalid timestamp. Therefore it appeared that I was in two locations within one minute of each other. Again, they made a note and when the editor got to the report they knew the issue had been addressed.
Bottom line - we have to be proactive in contacting them because they will and do reject not just one report, but also the report the the info applied to that was submitted with the wrong report.
They play hardball in that respect I feel. Just because you send the wrong receipt for one shop, I don't see how that invalidates another shop that was submitted 100% accurately. But, this is what they do and we have to work around it if we can.
Bottom line - we have to be proactive in contacting them because they will and do reject not just one report, but also the report the the info applied to that was submitted with the wrong report.
They play hardball in that respect I feel. Just because you send the wrong receipt for one shop, I don't see how that invalidates another shop that was submitted 100% accurately. But, this is what they do and we have to work around it if we can.
Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.
I have worked for them for years. I’ve made mistakes just like yours and I too was able to correct them until recently. They are cracking down on everything!
When reporting multiple shops at night after a long day, its easier to make mistakes due to fatigue. It is one reason that I am extremely happy to have the mobile app. I enjoy being able to report each shop right after I complete it, before moving on to the next shop. It makes it much less likely to have a mistake that could cause a harsh invalidation. It is also nice to be completely finished when I walk into my home after a route.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2018 02:04AM by thunderdeacon.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2018 02:04AM by thunderdeacon.
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