I've been a shopper with MF for decades. Had an event happen yesterday for the first time that was new to me, and unfortunate. "Samantha" offered me a bonus lunch shop. I replied that I would take it. Shortly after, I got an email with the assignment. Went to do the shop, came home to report ... and it eventually told me I'd done the wrong day period. I looked, and my CPI stated this was a dinner shop. I emailed support, and they told me that since I'd done the wrong meal period, I would not be paid.
I told them that I had requested a lunch shop, and it had never occurred to me that they would assign me a dinner one without making that change clear (or asking if it was acceptable!).
No dice. Email support said that "While this may not occur often, it does happen."
Just warning others -- check your CPI's carefully. Even if you've accepted a specific shop, apparently MF retains the right to assign you one that is a bit different.

Actually they don't have the right to assign you one in a different time period. On the other hand, you have the right to refuse it when they try.

I had the same thing happen with a scheduler who called me on the phone to do a shop. I agreed to a lunch shop but was assigned a dinner shop. Thankfully I noticed it before I did the shop. MF claimed it was a miscommunication but if the schedulers would take 2 seconds to slow down and actually listen instead of trying to talk down the shop fee and talk over people things like this wouldn't happen.

I have had this sort of thing happen based on an invitation to a shop but never when I selected the shop myself and applied on the job board. Has this only happened to people when they have had someone reach out to them to take a shop vs directly applying via the job board? Always check any assigned shop carefully for fees, bonuses, locations, dates etc.

sbj, what did the email assigning you the shop say?

The scheduler called me for the shop this month. She told me it was a dine in shop. When I did the report, a flag came up asking why I did not call the order in as it was a phone shop.

I guess the shop was accepted since I haven't heard anything back. Next month, I'll actually read the guidelines.

My "obsession" is checking the CPI multiple times. On my calendar I clearly identify the shop type and time period. Once assigned, I have never seen MF change the time period. I remember a few times where a client changed things like the a required purchase or tweeked the hours. I pretty much pull up my CPI just before starting my shops now, for my peace of mind. For shops we perform on a regular basis, it is easy to make a mistake because of personal habits.

Paying in cash requirements can be me Achilles heel. By habit I use my Samsung Pay. I have forgotten to visit a bathroom, so now take a bathroom picture for every shop I do, just to develop the habit. It feels bad to have a shop rejected over a missing bathroom pic.

I had a scheduler call me one afternoon who offered a bonus on a shop and scheduled it for the same day. I looked at the CPI after the call and saw it was supposed to be completed before noon. Thankfully I was able to reschedule it for the following day.

I always print out the first page of the CPI and highlight the essential detail such as the date; time; dine-in, drive-thru, etc.; address; etc... and take it with me to the location. I also use the back of this page to jot down observational details immediately after the shop. After reporting, I staple the receipt to this page and file it. This way there are fewer mistakes to be made.

I always, always, always check my CPI. Your CPI said "dinner" and at that point, you should have contacted the helpdesk and told them the error so you could either reschedule or get the proper meal period. If you absolutely could not do dinner, then you would cancel the shop.

This seems a little sneaky to me since the email clearly stated it was a lunch shop. Thanks for the heads up though I get these a ton "last minute lunch shop" needed in your area and I too would have not ever thought to check and see if they assigned me a dinner shop.

There was nothing “sneaky” about it. It was a mistake. The scheduler gains nothing by scheduling the wrong shop. Unfortunately, it happens from time to time and highlights why it is so crucial to review the CPI before doing the shop.

@TroyHawkins wrote:

There was nothing “sneaky” about it. It was a mistake. The scheduler gains nothing by scheduling the wrong shop. Unfortunately, it happens from time to time and highlights why it is so crucial to review the CPI before doing the shop.

Exactly. Mistakes happen. It's unfortunate that shoppers immediately assume that a mistake is a deliberate plot to harm them. Of course, Market Force makes the same assumption when a shopper makes a mistake. Shoppers are often deactivated by Market Force for what MF believes is fraudulent behavior when it may very well have been a simple mistake. But shoppers immediately jump to the worst possible conclusion and so does the MSC. It's human nature to assume the worst and it's unfortunate.

I once had a scheduler call me to offer a shop. He said it had to be completed that day. It was a lunch shop, and we were half way into the shop window for lunch. I accepted and ran out the door before it was even assigned. When I got to the location, I checked for the assignment email, but did not read it. This was at the tail end of the shopping window so I ran in and completed the shop. When I got home I discovered that he had scheduled it for the following day. (He said it had to be done that day!). Anyhow, I emailed the Helpdesk and they got it rescheduled. But now I ALWAYS read the CPI.

Another time a scheduler told me he was going to reschedule a shop for me for Monday, but he had to wait until the date became available to reschedule. He went ahead and scheduled it for the Sunday, I could not do it Saturday or Sunday because I was working. Come Monday morning and the shop was removed from my list of available shops. Once again I reached out to the Helpdesk, explained what had happened. And they reassigned me the shop for that day.

Mistakes happen. Luckily with my two the Helpdesk was able to Help and I was able to complete, and be paid for, both of these shops. I have also been assigned shops that I did not agree too do. A few times I have completed them anyways. Other times I have cancelled them. I have always let the Helpdesk know when this has occurred.