Sportofficial, you seem to have a beef with this company.

Franchise compliance. Now after filing a complaint with the BBB yesterday, they stated that they have put a check in the mail for me today, 104 days after the shop.

Regarding Measure Consumer Perspectives, I think it is only fair to note that more than one poster has ranked them as reliable for pay and performance on another thread here, as well as on another forum.

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Regarding Measure Consumer Perspectives, I think
> it is only fair to note that more than one poster
> has ranked them as reliable for pay and
> performance on another thread here, as well as on
> another forum.

I like MCP, they were one of my first shops. They have a lot of shops here, but only one that I like, so that is the only one I do for them. I've found them very communicative, easy to work with, and they have always paid me on time.

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I like the idea of two lists: slow paying and late
> paying. But, if a company pays all June shops the
> last week of July, for instance, they will end up
> in the slow pay category because early June shops
> will exceed the 45 day limit. I suspect that we'd
> do better to say, "greater than 45 days on
> average, so the the above mentioned schedule would
> not land the company on the slow pay list. Or????

I also think that if a certain MSC states in their contract for example, that payment will be effected at the end of following month when shop is performed, I feel its not right for us to put those on ANY list because it would be something we know about beforehand and that we may even have signed for. Once we accept their policy we have to keep respecting it, because its documented in their contract with us. Its those MSC who fail to pay us, after that time frame has expired that we should make a note of. Also such REPEATED behaviour should NOT be excused!

i would like to know the reasons behind companies that pay quickly and companies that pay slowly... the way i see it is there is no reason for a company to not pay within a 30-45 days any more is not something i want to be waiting on... that is just me... i would like my money as soon as possible...

if it is proofread and accepted what is the reason to wait? i think it is just a click of a putton to cut a check, stamp, and mail the thing... even easier with pay pal... i mean i know contracting with the consturction industry is you give an estimate, do the work, then get paid (company gets the money), then they can pay their own employees.. so i understand some time is involved due to us being what... link 4 of the chain?

anything more than a month is a bit annoying...

cooldude581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i would like to know the reasons behind companies
> that pay quickly and companies that pay slowly...
> the way i see it is there is no reason for a
> company to not pay within a 30-45 days any more is
> not something i want to be waiting on... that is
> just me... i would like my money as soon as
> possible...
>
> if it is proofread and accepted what is the reason
> to wait? i think it is just a click of a putton to
> cut a check, stamp, and mail the thing... even
> easier with pay pal... i mean i know contracting
> with the consturction industry is you give an
> estimate, do the work, then get paid (company gets
> the money), then they can pay their own
> employees.. so i understand some time is involved
> due to us being what... link 4 of the chain?
>
> anything more than a month is a bit annoying...


I agree. Though I think the reason is that the companies who pay later than some specific date during the month following the shop are undercapitalized, and that is the reason.

MY resolution for 2010 is to get paid sooner and to avoid companies that pay late, that have to be nagged for payments, that have a rash of shoppers reporting payment issues, or that pay later than the month following the shop. I will make exceptions for known on time but slow payers, but not as many as in the past, and only for things I would have to buy anyway, like oil changes.

Hi All,

Well, I guess I'd be interested to know if ANYONE has gotten paid ON TIME doing shops for the FREEMAN GROUP??? I did a shop for them which I had put on my card thinking I'd be paid in time to pay it off before too much interest could accrue. Using the card was almost a requirement for this shop.

Well, guess what? I wound up waiting SIX MONTHS and during that time, after numerous emails back and forth, almost begging and finally resorting to veiled threats, I was finally paid. They made it sound like a lot of people did not get paid but that it was a one time problem or some sort of glitch, so I did another shop for them last October 2010, thinking (hoping) they had fixed any issues with payment that they had.

Stupid me! Shame shame shame, for I am STILL waiting, so here we go again!
So now though, I felt the need to do something about it, and thank goodness, after searching and searching, I happened upon this wonderful MS forum - so now I can at least warn others against them, if nothing else.

I am not usually mean but I have to say, I am really enjoying seeing them struggle to fill shops that I would have done for them if it weren't for the payment problems and stinging me along for months with promises to pay and then no contact at all, once you become insistent that you need to get paid if they have used your work.

Mind you, this is a company that demands that the MS MUST submit their report the same day!!! Ain't that a b*tch? I don't understand how they see no contradiction in expecting us to live up to our commitments, AND threatening with forfeited payment if we don't, but think it's perfectly okay for THEM not to live up to theirs. That's not how I was raised. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I was raised that if you make a promise or otherwise give your word, you should do everything in your power to live up to it.

That thought has me wondering what I could do to teach them a lesson in honesty, forthrightness and consideration?

Any and all ideas are welcome!

I suppose the best I can do, for now (until I think up something else) is get the word out. DO NOT SHOP FOR THE FREEMAN GROUP!!! Unless, you just like waiting with no guarantee when, or if, you'll ever be paid.

Forgive this long rant but thanks for letting me

Hi damatriarch06 and welcome to the forum! If you use the 'Search' feature of the forum for Freeman you will find that you are not alone. The payment issue has been around for several years. There was a glimmer of hope late last year when a poster posted a copy of information that there was a new president over there who was going to get the act cleaned up to only an 8 to 12 week pay cycle. Depending on what part of October you shopped in, your payment may still be in that window or may have just fallen out of it. Nevertheless it is a long time to have tied up your resources.

cooldude581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i would like to know the reasons behind companies
> that pay quickly and companies that pay slowly...
> the way i see it is there is no reason for a
> company to not pay within a 30-45 days any more is
> not something i want to be waiting on... that is
> just me... i would like my money as soon as
> possible...
>
> if it is proofread and accepted what is the reason
> to wait? i think it is just a click of a putton to
> cut a check, stamp, and mail the thing... even
> easier with pay pal... i mean i know contracting
> with the construction industry is you give an
> estimate, do the work, then get paid (company gets
> the money), then they can pay their own
> employees.. so i understand some time is involved
> due to us being what... link 4 of the chain?
>
> anything more than a month is a bit annoying...


I agree with Athens about some companies being under capitalized, and perhaps borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, but I also think it's a matter of using our resources (re: pay and reimbursements) for as long as they can get away with.

Intelli-Shop for example. Does anyone think they're under-capitalized?
Or are they taking a page from banks and credit card companies who have always held onto our money as long as possible. When you talking about large amounts of money, even a fews days can mean large dividends.
Now think what 3 months of all our reimbursements and pay can bring a company.

We're actually a free loan for many companies.

***Guess, I better not diss Intelli-Shop, even though I generally support this company when others complain...just got a flake on my record for a telephone shop that was assigned not 20 minutes ago.
Smack-Down.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2011 05:40PM by DaScubaLady.

How about a positive list? Companies that pay quickly!

This thread has given me much food for thought. I'm off to create a feedback form to post on my blog. This way each person could enter their feedback and people could access it through a data base. I'll try to include as many of the suggestions I found here as possible.

Infonut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about a positive list? Companies that pay
> quickly!
>
> This thread has given me much food for thought.
> I'm off to create a feedback form to post on my
> blog. This way each person could enter their
> feedback and people could access it through a data
> base. I'll try to include as many of the
> suggestions I found here as possible.


Hi Nut...
If you read the thread, the intent was a fact-based informative list; Statistics should be neither positive nor negative.

With that said, in your 7+ years, you must have a wealth of information.
Please do start us off..I'm sure people will follow.

Out of curiosity -- what's your blog?

DaScubaLady Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------


> ***Guess, I better not diss Intelli-Shop, even
> though I generally support this company when
> others complain...just got a flake on my record
> for a telephone shop that was assigned not 20
> minutes ago.
> Smack-Down.

Uhh - congratulations, that may be a record ! ~ ? ~

A company called ServiceQuality US. These guys have been around a long time and operate one of the more primitive websites that is painfully slow. They do a scattering of "Find the Demo Person" jobs at a low fee, but frequently with a bonus.

Over the years I have probably done a dozen or less jobs for them. I don't think there is one case where the check wasn't "lost" and promptly reissued once you point it out to them. They claim 30 business days for a check to arrive (translation: 6 weeks).

Now here is the catch. They claim to have sent out a check about a month after the shop was performed and note this on their website, indicating that you should wait 30 days for the check to arrive before contacting them. Hogwash. I know that I will eventually get paid, but chasing payments for a cheap shop is not how to spend the day.

I am stilling waiting on pay from Measure Consumer for Nov and Dec 2010 shops. I sent them an email three days ago with no answer

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A company called ServiceQuality US. These guys
> have been around a long time and operate one of
> the more primitive websites that is painfully
> slow. They do a scattering of "Find the Demo
> Person" jobs at a low fee, but frequently with a
> bonus.
>
> Over the years I have probably done a dozen or
> less jobs for them. I don't think there is one
> case where the check wasn't "lost" and promptly
> reissued once you point it out to them. They
> claim 30 business days for a check to arrive
> (translation: 6 weeks).
>


> Now here is the catch. They claim to have sent
> out a check about a month after the shop was
> performed and note this on their website,
> indicating that you should wait 30 days for the
> check to arrive before contacting them. Hogwash.
> I know that I will eventually get paid, but
> chasing payments for a cheap shop is not how to
> spend the day.


Glad I saw this. Their website shows that my one and only shop for them was paid 1/4/11 (but it started saying that around 12/20/10). No check. Just sent an inquiry through their primitive system.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2011 01:18AM by 3offthecharts.

3offthecharts Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Flash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A company called ServiceQuality US. These guys
> > have been around a long time and operate one of
> > the more primitive websites that is painfully
> > slow. They do a scattering of "Find the Demo
> > Person" jobs at a low fee, but frequently with
> a
> > bonus.
> >
> > Over the years I have probably done a dozen or
> > less jobs for them. I don't think there is one
> > case where the check wasn't "lost" and promptly
> > reissued once you point it out to them. They
> > claim 30 business days for a check to arrive
> > (translation: 6 weeks).
> >
>
>
> >
> Glad I saw this. Their website shows that my one
> and only shop for them was paid 1/4/11 (but it
> started saying that around 12/20/10). No check.
> Just sent an inquiry through their primitive
> system.


Just as you wrote, Flash-this is the message I got this am:

Our accounting department will be preparing a replacement check which you should see in your mail next week. Please note that the new check will clearly state "replacement check" and have a current date, just in case you eventually receive the original check. If you do, please destroy it as it will no longer be valid

::sigh:: They are a fine example of why it is critical for shoppers to keep close track of work they have performed and payments received. My sense is that there are never original checks issued, only "replacements", which arrive in a timely fashion after requested. But it is pure game playing that makes you not only follow up and request payment plus wait an extra 30 days beyond when they claim payment was made.

And how about the companies that think of any reason under the sun to avoid paying you for a shop--especially a bonused one. There's a couple that come to my mind right away.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ::sigh:: They are a fine example of why it is
> critical for shoppers to keep close track of work
> they have performed and payments received. My
> sense is that there are never original checks
> issued, only "replacements", which arrive in a
> timely fashion after requested. But it is pure
> game playing that makes you not only follow up and
> request payment plus wait an extra 30 days beyond
> when they claim payment was made.


I got the "replacement" today. There is no way I would have missed this-windowed envelope with the return address being beyond huge, a giant postage from endicia.com and an enormous gold seal on the back? Looks like some fly by night crap like I've never seen.

I wonder how many people get screwed by this company forgetting to keep track of payment.

I suspect a whole bunch. Yes, mine came with the big postage thing and the big stick on seal as well. So obviously didn't miss it, yet not a promising enough looking envelope for anyone to have purloined. I just find it amazing how fast and efficiently "replacement" checks arrive.