Asinine Editors at ACL

ACL, Does anyone have problem or issues with their editors? I got one that rejected my shop because I neglected to purchase a baked good in addition to the smoothie and fruit bowl. I stated in my report that the baked goods case was empty and the cashier said they were all out of everything, not even flatbreads or sandwiches. She sent me emails and before I could respond, a phone call. Once again, I explained that there were no baked goods available. How am I supposed to purchase one? Simply asinine. This shop was reimbursement only, it did not even pay a fee. Most of ACL's do not pay fees.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More About Mystery Shopping Editors

Wow, did you email anyone else at the company about it or try to call them?

Had I been in your shoes I would have taken a picture of the empty baked goods case. It is just like needing to take a picture to document that a location was closed, or demolished when it was supposed to be open.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I've only done one or two shops with ACL, so i can't speak about them directly. However, every other company for which I've worked has been pretty reasonable about this sort of thing. By fully documenting what happened in my report and taking a picture of the issue preventing you from completing a shop (such as an empty bakery case, a "closed" sign on the door, etc.), you should be able to get paid. They key is to be clear, truthful, and able to back up your word. If you have done all of this, I completely agree with @JASFLALMT: Contact the project manager. After all, the MSC will not get paid if your shop is rejected and they will work to get it accepted if the issue at hand is that the client/target prevented a shop from being completed.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

I'm done with ACL. They screwed me out of $50. I misunderstood the reimbursement/tip on the page and asked my scheduler. She told me that it reads as meal PLUS tip. I did tons of shops for them with that information. They refuse to pay me even with proof that she gave me the wrong information.
I understand that it is posted there but I kept reading it and it just wasn't registering. Don't they say in every email that if we have a question we should ask? I did. They gave me the wrong information.
Harrumph.

@ShopperSavvy wrote:

I'm done with ACL. They screwed me out of $50. I misunderstood the reimbursement/tip on the page and asked my scheduler. She told me that it reads as meal PLUS tip. I did tons of shops for them with that information. They refuse to pay me even with proof that she gave me the wrong information.
I understand that it is posted there but I kept reading it and it just wasn't registering. Don't they say in every email that if we have a question we should ask? I did. They gave me the wrong information.
Harrumph.

I’m having a hard time understanding your post and how you lost $50. Was a tip required and you failed to give one? What exactly was the bad information she gave you that led to the shop being rejected or your losing $50?

@ShopperSavvy wrote:

I'm done with ACL. They screwed me out of $50.

MSPA Gold Certified 2003

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2018 06:50PM by eyespy.

Did you leave a $50.00 tip?

MSPA Gold Certified 2003

Always ask for a bonus with ACL, especially when doing multiple shops.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

@ShopperSavvy wrote:

I'm done with ACL. They screwed me out of $50. I misunderstood the reimbursement/tip on the page and asked my scheduler. She told me that it reads as meal PLUS tip. I did tons of shops for them with that information. They refuse to pay me even with proof that she gave me the wrong information.
I understand that it is posted there but I kept reading it and it just wasn't registering. Don't they say in every email that if we have a question we should ask? I did. They gave me the wrong information.
Harrumph.

If I am reading between the lines correctly you thought your meal up to the max would be reimbursed and a tip reimbursement as well. And you did a ton of shops and did not get reimbursed for the tip on any of them which added up to $50 in tips because you thought you would get a meal reimbursement and a separate above the line tip reimbursement. You can see how anything can be misinterpreted, such as your post where none of us know exactly what you are saying. I have done meal shops for many msc and if they do reimburse a tip it is only when your meal is under the reimbursement limit and you still have some reimbursement bucks to cover the tip. In future it is a good thing to be cautious when you first start with a company and not over do shops until your first paycheck arrives and you can see how things work with them. If you did not do this than you should have noticed your interpretation of the answer you got was not correct and asked for clarification again before doing more shops. We all learn from mistakes like this and get burned sometimes because we make assumptions.
Or maybe I am misinterpreting your interpretation? A good thing to do is give an example when you are not sure what the rule means and then ask if your example is correct or not.

@ShopperSavvy wrote:

I'm done with ACL. They screwed me out of $50. I misunderstood the reimbursement/tip on the page and asked my scheduler. She told me that it reads as meal PLUS tip.
.

If your reports read like your post, I'm surprised you didn't get a lot of questions, because your post is very unclear. I don't think you were told wrong, I think you misunderstood what you were told. The reimbursements ACL makes is meal PLUS tip UP TO the maximum reimbursement amount. What that means is that if the maximum reimbursement is $50, and you spend $44 and tip $6, you receive the entire meal cost plus tip because it does not exceed $50. If, however, the maximum reimbursement is $50, and you spend $49 on the meal and then tip $7, you will still be reimbursed only $50, meaning you will spend $6 of your own money. Meal plus tip is covered on all their assignments that I know of, however, if you exceed the maximum reimbursement amount, you will not be reimbursed for any amount over the maximum reimbursement.

They should consider you a saint just for picking up that shop. For reimbursement for a snack only, you have to travel to and from the smoothie place, take tricky photos, and write a report. If they pick up more of the client's stores and don't add a fee and/or increase the reimbursement, this could become their new pizza shop.

@ShopperFun99 wrote:

ACL, Does anyone have problem or issues with their editors? I got one that rejected my shop because I neglected to purchase a baked good in addition to the smoothie and fruit bowl. I stated in my report that the baked goods case was empty and the cashier said they were all out of everything, not even flatbreads or sandwiches. She sent me emails and before I could respond, a phone call. Once again, I explained that there were no baked goods available. How am I supposed to purchase one? Simply asinine. This shop was reimbursement only, it did not even pay a fee. Most of ACL's do not pay fees.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2018 12:23AM by MSF.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Always ask for a bonus with ACL, especially when doing multiple shops.

Please advise the best way to do this...email or phone? Can you give an example of a reasonable bonus and how you request it? Thanks!

Email!!!!! And I get turned down a lot. And I won't do many of them if they don't bonus them, though there are a few I will do for reimbursement only because I love the food, the reimbursement is generous enough to feed me and my husband for a few days, and the shops are easy (like most of the carryout shops).

Yes, ask for a bonus, not fee. I asked for a fee once and the scheduler responded, "What do you mean?" Apparently there is no such thing as "fee" at ACL.

After that, since I did a lot of shops last month, I got a call to do a dental shop. It was tempting, with a pay of $75 plus 5 bonus. After I read the guidelines, there was a outlay of $90 for the exam/xrays. No way am I risking $90 and have the shop rejected and be out of $90. I cancelled the shop immediately. I have done $150 to $200 fine dining with other MSC's where I paid that much in advance but always got reimbursed plus a fee. But I will not risk it with ACL now.

I love that smoothie place and eat there often. I did the shop and was disturbed by the required photos and depth of details. I'll just continue to pay for them myself.

@MSF wrote:

They should consider you a saint just for picking up that shop. For reimbursement for a snack only, you have to travel to and from the smoothie place, take tricky photos, and write a report. If they pick up more of the client's stores and don't add a fee and/or increase the reimbursement, this could become their new pizza shop.

@ShopperFun99 wrote:

ACL, Does anyone have problem or issues with their editors? I got one that rejected my shop because I neglected to purchase a baked good in addition to the smoothie and fruit bowl. I stated in my report that the baked goods case was empty and the cashier said they were all out of everything, not even flatbreads or sandwiches. She sent me emails and before I could respond, a phone call. Once again, I explained that there were no baked goods available. How am I supposed to purchase one? Simply asinine. This shop was reimbursement only, it did not even pay a fee. Most of ACL's do not pay fees.

Easy Francis - retract claws

@MSF wrote:

They should consider you a saint just for picking up that shop. For reimbursement for a snack only, you have to travel to and from the smoothie place, take tricky photos, and write a report. If they pick up more of the client's stores and don't add a fee and/or increase the reimbursement, this could become their new pizza shop.

I'm one of those saints. These shops take no more than 10-15 minutes of report writing, plus you can utilize gift cards, which can be purchased at a discount, to help add to a small profit.

Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!

I've done those same smoothie shops, but for a different MSC. The report and photos were easy. The compensation was too light for me, so I have not repeated it - but even more so because in reality the smoothies are just packed with sugar and I can't take that big of a dose.

ACL is unreasonable to the nth degree.

I was paid very nicely from ACL for a quick video shop recently.........

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2018 02:30PM by MFJohnston.

@ShopperSavvy wrote:

I'm done with ACL. They screwed me out of $50. I misunderstood the reimbursement/tip on the page and asked my scheduler. She told me that it reads as meal PLUS tip.

They gave me the wrong information.
Harrumph.

roflwofl's example was perfect, and the scheduler didn't necessarily give you the wrong information. "Reimbursement plus tip" is still correct, as long as your entire outlay is within the reimbursement amount. That is, if I understand what you're saying. It seems you assumed that phrase meant that you'd be paid for the meal itself up to the reimbursement amount, and the tip on top of that. "Reimbursement up to $XX" means you'll never receive an amount higher than that (unless there's a separate fee attached to the shop).

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

I like their frozen yogurt shop, too. And it's not difficult. I can't wait until summer! Most reently they are shopping a local grocer in my area (small regional chain) and I wait until those are bonused to do them...it's really nice because it pays a flatrate of $28 per location but you don't have to spend the entire amount to get the $28. Add the $10-$20 bonus and it makes for a profitable shop. Though sometimes the store is having such great bargains in the sales flyer I spend the whole amount and more...

Well, of course, they will not say reimbursement up to $20 that also includes tip. ie $16.22 plus $3 tip is covered. But $18.55 plus $4 tip will be $20.00 Simple english is not a requirement but sometimes it should be.

I've done many shops for ACL. I had to look back at the OP post to make sure that is who we were talking about. I have not once had a problem with payment and I understand the requirments and reimbursements. Frequently, I have gone over the reimbursement max because I am treating my guest and want them to have a great experience. So yes, I pick up the $10 to sometimes $30 overage. Still say that I could not get the two meals for $30 with leftovers for another meal at home! So no problems with ACL. Sorry folks, I'll take all those shops for those that will never shop for them again. But isn't that the way mystery shopping works?

When you learn, teach, when you get, give. Maya Angelou

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Asinine Editors at ACL

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine