I did two tiny jobs for them on 1/3 and 1/7 and the company is late paying me. I reached to Russell and got crickets. The payment policy, which is clearly posted online, says the company pays 45-60 days after the job has been completed. Well, they are over the 60-day mark and I want to close out my books. Is anyone else waiting for their money?

Last year they didn't pay me for a route of jobs totalling $400.00. Got the run around for months and gave up.

@Dandydew
Though the note online still gives the shorter payment timeline, they actually changed ti to 60-90 days last year. I would not e concerned until the end of the first week of April.

@tstewart3
That's not been like them in my experience. Yeesh. Did you reach out to Russel? His email is on the invoice posted online.

I keep getting an email from them to upgrade status to vip by paying 25 dollars. Is it worth it?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2019 03:50AM by Carmenwin.

$400?! Yeeesh! That's a lot of money to not be paid for running around on routes.

Hello,

I am a scheduler for The Shadow Agency. Please email me at beth_shadowagencyscheduler@mysteryshopping.com

We can look into this. If shops were completed successfully, we can get this corrected. I am happy to help.

Beth

Hello,

Send me an email about your shops. I will look into this for you.

beth_shadowagencyscheduler@mysteryshopping.com

Yes, that’s been my experience.
I’ve deactivated from them going forward.
They made some unwise business investments in an unstable cellphone video platform (R.I.P. Talon) and have been throwing good money after bad.

Shoppers, beware.

I've always been paid, but it takes a while.

I’m waiting on pay too. Sent an email just now to a contact there. Been over 90 days waiting. I’m following up with a Beth above.

@Carmenwin wrote:

I keep getting an email from them to upgrade status to vip by paying 25 dollars. Is it worth it?

This sounds unusual to me. Did you mean Shadow Shopper?

OP and others - If you still aren't paid, you many want to report them to the MSPA. The MSPA probably would be interested in knowing a member isn't paying its shoppers.

@tstewart3 wrote:

Last year they didn't pay me for a route of jobs totalling $400.00. Got the run around for months and gave up.

7star,
It that organization takes that news seriously, it wlll mark a first. They usually wait for a large, large, pressure to build up before even looking into late payments. Long-time forum members will remember that twice, Jacob and many, many shoppers had to make a LONG, concerted effort before MSPA even responded at all !!

If someone didn't get paid $400 after the allotted pay time and the company gave the run around, then that is a problem. If other people have payment issues then they may want to report it. The more people that report it may result in some help from MSPA. It may take awhile but they need to know. It didn't seem long for the MSPA to remove Red Quanta from their list. Alerting MSPA and if they take action may help future shoppers.

I suggest having them contact the accounting folks first. Russell’s email can be found only the invoices available online. He is very responsive.

Russell@theshadowagency.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2019 04:32PM by MFJohnston.

Past History:
If you search “Shadow Agency,” you’ll find a long history of shoppers having to chase pay from Russell and Lisa Wood of The Shadow Agency.

My experience:
I did video routes for them for a couple of years, and the majority of the time I had to chase pay. These were four-figure amounts, not small amounts.

I deactivated after being asked to do a large, 75+-location route - and my pay for the previous quarter (70+ days post-acceptance) had not yet been sent to me. I was told that the check for my work for Client “A” had arrived, but that the funds had been given to video shoppers working for Client “B,” and blame was placed on the Client “B” video shoppers. Understandably, this did not sit well with me. I deactivated immediately.

My advice:
If you’re doing their routes now, I’d strongly suggest getting your EXACT pay date IN WRITING.

And remember that competent video shoppers who will travel long, multi-day routes are rare and precious. Treat yourself and your balance sheet with respect, even if the companies do not, and select your work accordingly. If we keep letting behavior like this slide, it will continue.

Since I stopped doing the Shadow/EERI work, my profit is up significantly. I can take more lucerative assignments that pay well and within 45 days. My money is not tied up in gas, hotels, etc. on long-distance routes while I wait months for my pay. And I can speak frankly about my experience without having to worry about repercussions.

Edited x3 for spelling/grammar - daggone Autocorrect!

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2019 05:05PM by ColoKate63.

I did video for 10 years or more for them and never had to chase pay. I do few apartment or new homes videos in the past 2 years so, by chance, have not worked for them recently. But, I know Russell and Lisa from many IMSC meetings and know them to be very well regarded among shoppers and "stand-up" people.

My advice, email Russell, as MFJ suggests.

@walesmaven wrote:

I did video for 10 years or more for them and never had to chase pay. I do few apartment or new homes videos in the past 2 years so, by chance, have not worked for them recently.

So - you:
1. Have not worked for them in recent years,
2. Are choosing to ignore your fellow shoppers’ observations and comments here in this forum.
3. Feel that you still have something to contribute.

Well, OK, then.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2019 05:10PM by ColoKate63.

And, you are well known in the video community, but not for the best of reasons. You have tried to play the same tune here before and some of us heard a lot of follow-up, off forum, from more than one MSC, about your route history.

I now travel very little, but if I did, I would shop for this MSC. I recommend them to video shoppers and have had no negative feedback from any that I have referred. And, those referrals were within RECENT years.

wales,

I understand your desperate need for attention - we have both been shopping roughly the same amount of time, but one of us sits at home and posts incessantly, claiming to be “famous” at an IMSC event - and the other is out working.

Too bad that, when presented with your hypocrisy, you feel the need to lash out in an unfounded personal attack. It shows the paucity of your argument. Just this month alone I’ve already worked with four different video shopping companies; how’s your balance sheet?

I refuse to work for companies that treat shoppers poorly. I refuse to attend conferences headed by people who call shoppers “stupid” - and worse. I have been correct about companies “circling the drain” more than once in the past. I refuse to bootlick and shill for them, and lead my fellow shoppers into financial problems and debt. If having a personal code of ethics and caring about being paid as contracted makes me “well known,” well, OK then.

And now, I’m leaving this thread, as I’ve imparted my personal experience with Shadow as a warning to my fellow shoppers, and I’m not a big fan of this forum. I also have a couple of video shops to perform this afternoon, unlike others.

Feel free to continue your personal attacks, Wales. Or invite some of your at-home idlers to chime in. If you can’t see the importance of warning shoppers about the red flag of chasing pay - that fact speaks for itself about your character.

Edited x6, because autocorrect and also clarity.

Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2019 06:14PM by ColoKate63.

Ladies, this is not headed down a good path...

I can only speak for my personal history with The Shadow Agency and Grace Hill. I have been shopping for three years and have done many video shops for them - including some re-shops for folks who had their video work rejected. My Bay Area route last August was largely based around their shops - all appropriately bo used and paid on time. I have never been stiffed or had to chase payment. When I have had a question, Russell has always responded promptly and professionally.

Again, I cannot speak to others’ experiences, but I have had a fine relationship with them.

My balance sheet is excellent, thank you.. I am a few months short of 75, run one other business besides MSing and have several disabilities. I am planning a trip through the Swiss Alps next year, to ride the Alpine Express, and a full transit of the Panama Canal on an 18 day cruise the following year. And I am able to do that without having a retirement account, annuity, pension, or a large savings account other than that for travel and home improvements. And, no one has left me an inheritance.

I value the forum and all venues that promote professionalism in the MS area. Therefore I contribute here and do workshops at IMSC. You seem to be one of the forum group that castigates anyone who has anything good to say about that organization. You also appear to find it a bad thing that I spend time on the forum between the tasks of having 2 businesses and a home to run. I find that very odd, indeed. Several forum members have full time jobs, a family life, run long, complex routes and post almost as often.

The ONLY thing that I make a claim ti fame about is my twice baked potato recipe.

You have tried this song before and the mods eventually took it down, partly because of the way you responded to anyone who disagreed with you.

If anything interesting develops on this thread, will someone please send up a flag. Otherwise, I am out of here.

edited for typos and spelling



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2019 06:38PM by walesmaven.

@walesmaven wrote:

You seem to be one of the forum group that castigates anyone who has anything good to say about that organization.

Nope, try again. I went through my post history (there are only 347, it went quickly) on the forum - and I've not said much about the IMSC, good or bad. In fact, seven years ago, right after I joined, I said some NICE things about the Vegas conference I'd attended. And I've been a speaker at 3 or 4 IMSC conferences (although I keep a low profile throughout, never claiming that I'm "famous" as an intro during one of those talks.)

Do you have me mixed up with someone else?

@walesmaven wrote:

You have tried this song before and the mods eventually took it down, partly because of the way you responded to anyone who disagreed with you.

Nope, try again. I have 347 posts (348, now) in 7 years - never had a comment moderated or removed by the moderators. I invite you to scroll my (admittedly brief) post history and find one example. Moderator-deleted posts and threads still show in posting history, wales. That's easy enough to prove.

Again, do you have me mixed up with someone else?

Now - I made one post on January 31, 2014 about Instant Replays not paying me for money due - and accidentally put the client name in. I deleted that post and inserted [REDACTED] after being contacted by a moderator. You, on the other hand, defended Instant Replays and mocked the shoppers who came on complaining about chasing pay. Shortly after that, IR went out of business and many shoppers lost a lot of money, including a few hundred from my balance sheet.

I've also reported Cirrus as taking 5-1/2 months to pay me. I'm signed up with about 150 MSPs, I'm not a frequent kvetcher here about late pay, except when it really matters. Check my post history.

And now I'm REALLY out of this thread. Typing from the front seat of my car in a new home development is a PITA. I have a target appointment in five minutes, at 2:00 PM. See you guys around, probably mid-summer or so.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2019 07:59PM by ColoKate63.