Oh lawd. I've done 1000+ shops over the last few years, and never have I been treated so poorly and had to wait so long for payment... Still waiting to get paid for shops from last year... I will never do another shop for this company. They mindlessly accused me of fraud, apologized, and still won't pay me on any of my shops. Absurd. I've sent almost ten emails to their questions email, invoice email, and Monnie. No response at all. Anyone have any other suggestions for me? Thanks.

1. Certified letter with an invoice.
2. Small claims court.

Just make sure that everything on your end is on the up-and-up.

Cirrus is one of the poorest managed MSCs. They still haven't figured out the truth of business: of three groups - customers, employees, and suppliers - a business ought not alienate any of them for they are all needed to profit.

Cirrus is awful.

I have an email from a shop I did for them in April 2018. I did the shop, knowing full well they take FOREVER to pay. Maybe if you've been wondering where your reimbursement is, this will help. Hope this is allowed:

"THANK YOU for submitting your invoice!

This is an "invoice submission address"...ANY questions please contact questions@cirrusmktg.com -- (DO NOT contact scheduling). You will be contacted ASAP regarding your question!

PROCESSING is last day of month end and generally hits PayPal no later than 5-7 days):

January shop - end of April
February shop - end of May
March shop - end of June
April shop - end of July
May shop - end of August
June shop - end of September
July shop - end of October
August shop - end of November
September shop - end of December
October shop - end of January
November shop - end of February
December shop - end of March "

I have never done a job for them thanks to the heads up on this forum.

And even though it may say "End of July" expect to email them the first week of August looking for payment

@Monk-N-Nut wrote:

I have an email from a shop I did for them in April 2018. I did the shop, knowing full well they take FOREVER to pay. Maybe if you've been wondering where your reimbursement is, this will help. Hope this is allowed:

Yeah, I get that email each time I submit an invoice. But I'm talking about shops from last year. Once they wrongfully accused me of fraud and apologized to me for their abusive behavior, I never did another shop for them again. All of my emails are just ignored so far.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2018 02:42AM by thefoxbox.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Cirrus is awful.

You can say that again. I've complained about only one other company since I started doing shops, and tried keeping this to myself, but it's gone on for too long.

Yea, I made a stink over some shops I completed for them year-and-a-half or so ago, and they dragged ass in paying me, took a break from the company and recently tried to get back on. My account is active and the only citations on my profile are from self-deactivations and re-activations, but every shop I apply for now gets denied and just put back on the Job Board.

By email I was told they exercise discretion in who they assign shops and that I deactivated my account, but after telling the individual I had re-activated it, and wanted a real explanation for why I was denied the shop? Crickets ever since.

Yea, Cirrus is a no-go for me. Glad I made noise when I did and decided to move on.

Why did they accuse you of fraud?

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Why did they accuse you of fraud?

One of my old friends wanted to do some shops while he was in between jobs. Long story very short, he didn't have a car or a printer, so I printed out his recorded call info and accidentally used his info instead of mine when I made the required recorded call. This was for an apartment shop, so it would have been impossible for one person to go twice (since each visit is unique, plus it was recorded). That didn't stop them from sending me these emails:

When I asked why they wouldn't be paying me (my message was "Why? lol" ) :
(1) "I’m not sure why you think it’s funny. Maybe you should ask your make-believe friend why. "

(Without me sending anything else, this was next sent to me):
(2) Oh, and [my name], here’s something else you can laugh about. You won’t be paid for any shops you were assigned in the last 3 months. Please let [friend's name] know he won’t be getting paid either. Thank you!

After that, they tried to CYA and it failed miserably. After a few messages back and forth, their scheduler halfway apologized.

So they paid me for maybe October but that was it. That email exchange was in January. Unbelievably unprofessional. Yes, I made a mistake. I was fine with them nullifying both of our shops. But to accuse us both of fraud without even attempting to verify anything, and threaten me with non-payment for months of shops was disgusting.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2018 06:28AM by thefoxbox.

Good for you. They didn't get a second chance with me.

@sirblase27 wrote:

Yea, I made a stink over some shops I completed for them year-and-a-half or so ago, and they dragged ass in paying me, took a break from the company and recently tried to get back on. My account is active and the only citations on my profile are from self-deactivations and re-activations, but every shop I apply for now gets denied and just put back on the Job Board.

By email I was told they exercise discretion in who they assign shops and that I deactivated my account, but after telling the individual I had re-activated it, and wanted a real explanation for why I was denied the shop? Crickets ever since.

Yea, Cirrus is a no-go for me. Glad I made noise when I did and decided to move on.

How was that fraud? Sounds like a simple mixup.

@thefoxbox wrote:

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Why did they accuse you of fraud?

One of my old friends wanted to do some shops while he was in between jobs. Long story very short, he didn't have a car or a printer, so I printed out his recorded call info and accidentally used his info instead of mine when I made the required recorded call. This was for an apartment shop, so it would have been impossible for one person to go twice (since each visit is unique, plus it was recorded). That didn't stop them from sending me these emails:

When I asked why they wouldn't be paying me (my message was "Why? lol" ) :
(1) "I’m not sure why you think it’s funny. Maybe you should ask your make-believe friend Jorge Mendoza why. "

(Without me sending anything else, this was next sent to me):
(2) Oh, and [my name], here’s something else you can laugh about. You won’t be paid for any shops you were assigned in the last 3 months. Please let [friend's name] know he won’t be getting paid either. Thank you!

After that, they tried to CYA and it failed miserably. After a few messages back and forth, their scheduler halfway apologized.

So they paid me for maybe October but that was it. That email exchange was in January. Unbelievably unprofessional. Yes, I made a mistake. I was fine with them nullifying both of our shops. But to accuse us both of fraud without even attempting to verify anything, and threaten me with non-payment for months of shops was disgusting.

Yeah--going to keep trying to get payment from them for apartment shops. SHADY as can be! :/

Oh snap. Just did my first apt shop with cirrus! Absolutely effing great...smh

@indianyooper wrote:

Oh snap. Just did my first apt shop with cirrus! Absolutely effing great...smh

good luck!...

@indianyooper wrote:

Oh snap. Just did my first apt shop with cirrus! Absolutely effing great...smh

Well, just mark your calendar 3 months and 1 week from now to start emailing about your payment. And don't forget to send an invoice. I did a lot of shops for them when i first started and always got paid...just had to remember to send that reminder email about payment before they actually paid :/

This reminds me of that Geico commercial where the fisherman was doing battle with a fish for over 7 hours, proclaiming "YOU WILL NOT BEAT MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

Keep up the good fight with Cirrus, OP. Don't ever let them beat you.

I have often thought of taking a Cirrus shop, especially when it gets up to $100 bonus....but the many warnings on this forum about payment issues have always stopped me.

@Lauraphx wrote:

@indianyooper wrote:

Oh snap. Just did my first apt shop with cirrus! Absolutely effing great...smh

Well, just mark your calendar 3 months and 1 week from now to start emailing about your payment. And don't forget to send an invoice. I did a lot of shops for them when i first started and always got paid...just had to remember to send that reminder email about payment before they actually paid :/

Lol that just made my day lol

It's true! They process payments after 3 months. You have to stalk them like a crazy person to get them to send it to you, which takes another month.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

It's true! They process payments after 3 months. You have to stalk them like a crazy person to get them to send it to you, which takes another month.

Seems like a terrible way to run a business. I emailed MSPA this morning about it and no reply.

I'm curious, what do you think the MSPA will do? They are not shopper advocates. I know they sponsor some training, but they are actually a trade organization created by and for the MSCs. As such, their primary function is to advocate in the best interests of their member companies. Training shoppers benefits the MSCs as does lobbying on their behalf about issues such as shoppers continuing to be classified as ICs.

I received payment july 1 for a shop I did on March 16.

@LisaSTL wrote:

I'm curious, what do you think the MSPA will do? They are not shopper advocates. I know they sponsor some training, but they are actually a trade organization created by and for the MSCs. As such, their primary function is to advocate in the best interests of their member companies. Training shoppers benefits the MSCs as does lobbying on their behalf about issues such as shoppers continuing to be classified as ICs.

I just wonder if they get enough complaints about an organization if they'll be removed. I was on a page regarding "scams" and they had a link to the company listing right there from that page. I find it ironic how that link is there with a company that's essentially scamming me.

If history is any indication, they will do nothing. There were a couple of instances of companies who were not paying shoppers at all. For months those companies were still listed as members in good standing. It took a lot of pressure before they were removed, which was shortly before they went out of business. If the MSPA would not get involved then, late pay or even stiffing the occasional shopper isn't going to matter.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2018 02:36AM by LisaSTL.

@LisaSTL wrote:

If history is any indication, they will do nothing. There were a couple of instances of companies who were not paying shoppers at all. For months those companies were still listed as members in good standing. It took a lot of pressure before they were removed, which was shortly before they went out of business. If the MSPA would not get involved then, late pay or even stiffing the occasional shopper isn't going to matter.

Sad. Oh well. I hope I stop at least one person considering working for free, then... Thanks for the info.

It's sad shoppers have nowhere to turn, but as a trade organization the MSPA is just doing what they are supposed to do, watching out for their members. I have no animosity on that front. My bigger concern is shoppers understand who and what they are to keep expectations realistic.

UPDATE! OK, my email to MSPA actually got a response from Cirrus. They forwarded my concerns to Monnie (the owner), and I got this reply this morning:

Hi [my name] –

I had IT try to understand why we are not receiving e-mails, it looks like you were blocked by our system. Not sure why, but I will research and get things reconciled :-)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2018 08:17PM by thefoxbox.